iPod touch Case Roundup: Silicone Spin Alaska

Silicone cases provide the best of both worlds-a protective covering without adding a lot of bulk. In this week's iPod case roundup, I look at three silicone cases for the iPod touch.

Agent 18 Flower Vest

Agent 18's $30 Flower Vest adds some color and whimsy to your iPod touch. You can pick from two color combinations: brown with light blue flowers, or pink with grayish-pink flowers. During my testing, one of the flowers on the front of the brown Flower Vest started to peel off, but the rest of the flowers are securely in place after a few weeks of use.

The Flower Vest covers all of the iPod touch except its screen. I had no problems with wireless reception or pressing the Home button when my iPod touch was covered with the Flower Vest. Although the case comes right up to the edge of the touch's screen, the silicone has some give to it, so if you have to push an on-screen button along the edge of the screen, you can push or pull the case edge aside.

Agent18 includes with the Flower Vest a dock adapter that you can use with iPod speakers, so you can dock your Vest-encased iPod touch without removing the case-a nice touch. Overall, the Flower Vest is a good, basic case if you want to add a little bit of flower power to your iPod touch.

DLO Jam Jacket

The first impression you get with DLO's $20 Jam Jacket  is that's it's an ordinary silicone case, and if all we were talking about is the silicone itself, you'd be correct. The silicone provides good coverage of the iPod touch, and the case has some give to it so it doesn't interfere with your ability to tap on-screen buttons along the edge of the screen.

What makes the Jam Jacket unique is its permanently attached belt clip. It doesn't use the typical spring-hinge clip you often see on iPod cases; the Jam Jacket's clip is a curved piece that can be rotated out and used as a stand. As a belt clip, the clip didn't feel tight enough to hold the iPod touch securely on a belt, but when popped out, the clip makes an excellent stand that you can use to prop your touch horizontally or vertically. The clip can also be used as a headphone cable wrap. Unfortunately, you don't have the option of removing the clip, which means the case is bulkier overall than some others.

DLO includes a Surface Shield, a clear plastic overlay to protect your iPod touch screen. The Shield didn't hinder the functionality of the touchscreen at all.

Considering its price, the Jam Jacket is a pretty good deal, providing complete protection without hindering accessibility. I wouldn't trust its belt clip on my waist, but I like using it as a stand.

Power Support Silicone Jacket

Power Support's $30 Silicone Jacket for iPod touch  is your basic silicone case. Some cases cover everything but the iPod touch's screen, but the Silicone Jacket doesn't provide much face protection, covering only the very edges. Power Support does provide a clear-plastic film (a lower-quality version of their Crystal Film) to protect the screen from scratches, but the touch's face is otherwise unprotected.

Even though the case covers the edges, I didn't have any problems with the case getting in the way of on-screen buttons along the screen edge. A nice feature is the included silicone plug to keep dust and dirt out of the iPod's dock-connector port. Of course, I properly lost the plug days after first using the Silicone Jacket. The case also has a pair of small holes for a lanyard (not included).

The Silicone Jacket seems pricey, especially when you can find similar silicone cases that offer more protection for $20 to $25. If you like this style of case, or you simply need to add some grip, the Silicone Jacket does the job, and it's available in white, black, and translucent.