Review: Griffin SiliSkins

About a year and a half ago, we reviewed Griffin’s SiliSkins for the iPod shuffle. The products were silicone sleeves that fit around an iPod shuffle. Now, Griffin has taken the idea one step further for full-sized iPods. For $14, one can get a pack of 3 (black, neon orange, and lime green) for either the fourth- or fifth-generation iPods.

In this day and age, $14 might seem dirt cheap for an iPod case, which it is. In some ways, you do get what you pay for. The cases lack key protective features that many others have. This includes screen protection, Click Wheel protection, and additional coverage of the ports.

SiliSkins

SiliSkins (Various Angles)

That’s not to say the SiliSkins are bad, they’re just designed for those who want basic protection. The corners of the iPod are well-protected from drops and bumps, as is the easily-scratched back. Combining this case with a third-party screen protector (either “iPod official” or a cut-down PDA screen protector) would make this a very good solution.

The SiliSkins are designed to be the minimalist case. Those who want belt clips and tougher protection out of a silicone case should look at offerings from iSkin, but if you want basic and cheap, the SiliSkins are a good choice. The color choices are rather nice, with the black being good for simple and “stealthy” and the other two for making your iPod stand out. They should suit most, although we would’ve liked to see more variations, similar to the choices for the iSkin Claro’s slims.

Like many cases, the bottom is exposed enough for a Dock Connector cable, but not much else and the top is open to allow the iPod to slide in and out. Unlike some cases, you cannot use it with the various docks out there, but users of the fourth-generation iPods will appreciate the ability to use top-mounted accessories.

If you’re looking for great protection for your iPod, look elsewhere, but if you want something that’s better than a naked iPod, the Griffin SiliSkins do a pretty decent job.