I find myself constantly rescuing my electronics from the teething mouth of my 10 month old son. He has been around Macs, iPhones, iPods, iPads, etc., since he was born. He is constantly climbing over his 2.5 year old brother, his dad, and me to get to whatever piece of electronics is lit up or being used at that exact moment. He has a bad habit of sticking the aforementioned electronic right into his mouth… I’ve even had former Apple store employees tell me that they would give their little one an iPhone or iPod to play with if it weren’t for the drool ruining it.
Anyways, as you might be able to tell I’ve been on the hunt for covers for all of our devices to keep them safe from little fingers (and mouths), in addition to being stylish and utilitarian. I’ve tried many cases and for the most part they get the job done, but they get dirty or broken, or they have removable parts that are too small for kids or they are down right ugly. So when the makers of the iSkin products introduced their Microban® technology in their covers, I was intrigued. Since Microban® inhibits the growth of odor-, fungus- and stain-causing bacteria on whatever product it is embedded on, I figured it might be a solution to my case problem.
The iPod Touch 2G Duo case was the main reason for doing this review. My 2.5 year old son has an iPod Touch that we allow him to watch either in the car or other occasions when he needs a few chill out moments. He uses it to watch movies, play games, do flash cards, and so many other things. We bought it refurbished because we knew he would put it through the ringer. I am happy to say I love this case for him. On numerous occasions he has managed to smear the entire case with peanut butter and jelly, and all I have to do is wipe it down with a wet wipe, and it is good as new. If I don’t catch it in time, and the food dries on, I can just pop off the cover and scrub it down in the sink. The iPod Touch cover is easy to hold on to, and has nice padded corners and edges for those oh-so-frequent “drops” across the room. The case comes with a screen protector film which is pretty similar to any other screen protector film on the market. It also comes with a snap on-off plastic cover to protect the screen if it gets thrown in a purse or a diaper bag. I love the idea (and it would probably be great for adults), but the fact that it isn’t actually attached to the case means that my little guy figured out how to take it off and toss it away in a matter of seconds. Another thing that I love about this case is that it is tight on the phone. Some silicon cases are easily taken off, and they stretch over time. This case is tight and isn’t easy for little fingers to get off.
The iPad Duo case is nearly identical to the iPod case. Its just as durable and can easily be washed. It is perfect for kids of any age, and has completely won over my husband. He thought he would miss having a stand feature built in to the case, but he doesn’t. The case stays SO much cleaner then when he had his faux-suede cover on, and it looks cool! It is nice that the case leave enough room to properly fit a docking cable without interference. If I had one complaint, it would be that the imprint for the locking button needs to be more defined because it is not easy to find by touch, and it is a button you are generally looking for quickly.
The iPhone 4 Solo case provides all of the same features as the iPod case, however, it doesn’t have a plastic cover. I have to say I love using this case when I go to the gym to work out. The silicone is sticky enough to stay on the treadmill where I put it, and I don’t need to worry about getting sweat on it, since I can just pull it off and scrub it down when it gets gross.
I also love the earTones with the MicroBan® technology for the same reason, I don’t have to worry about them getting too disgusting, and I can just gently wipe them down after a hard workout. I love the sound from these earbuds, and especially like that they have a built in microphone and remote, so I don’t have to stop my workout to take a call. Oh, and if a friend forgets their ear buds, lend them these, since they have the MicroBan®, you don’t have to worry about spreading germs.
One last thing that is particularly useful when you have kids is a keyboard cover for your laptop. I can’t tell you how many times a day I have little fingers work their way over my keyboard (even while I am typing). The ProTouch FX covers can be scrubbed down like all of the other products and they don’t retain germs because of the MicroBan® embedded in them. That is a great relief after learning that Mythbusters found more germs on keyboards then on toilet seats. I can also say from experience that the cover is very good at protecting your computer from Apple juice spills and drool. Oh and check out the keyboard cover at night, it glows in the dark!
As you can see we are a family who not only uses our Apple devices, but we abuse them (lovingly of course!). I can’t recommend the iSkin line of products enough to keep our devices safe, our bodies healthy, and our minds worry free!
Great reviews, Helene! I’ll have to remember these to protect my MacBook and iPhone when the time comes 🙂