The iPod case market has seen a lot of interesting designs and materials for enclosing an iPod, everything from the Foof to the YoTank. Cloth, neoprene, leather, plastic, and metal seem to be the most common materials, roughly in order of increasing ruggedness, and metal cases have traditionally been the most rugged and most expensive cases from a given manufacturer.

“Face shot” of case with iPod inside.

PDO has a pretty good horse in this race: the Aluminum V2 case for the iPod video. Made primarily of stamped and formed aluminum, it’s probably not as bulletproof as a YoTank (machined steel or titanium might be the only things that are more rugged than one of those), but it’s much lighter and far more attractive.

iPod in case with clamshell open.

The V2 looks like the perfect companion to the U2 Special Edition iPods from ages past with its handsome black-and-red color scheme. A clear cover over the screen keeps dirt and grit from causing scratches, while a surprisingly sturdy clip securely fastens the hinged front panel onto the rest of the case.

Just the case, showing the foam-rubber lining in the back half.

The back of the case features an integrated nub for the nearly ubiquitous cell-phone-style belt clip that PDO thoughtfully included in the box. Unfortunately, the nub doesn’t come off (it appears to be glued or welded on, though it looks like there would have been enough material to screw it on), so the case won’t sit flat on a desk or table. The inside of the case is lined with a soft foam-rubber material that fits an iPod video very snugly, allowing virtually no movement within the case itself.

Back of case with belt clip nub.

Also included is a cheesy metal-rope lanyard that threads through two slots in the back of the case. Unless your sense of style includes jelly sandals à la The Dude, you’ll probably set this aside somewhere, never to be used again.

Belt clip attached to case.

My biggest complaint with the V2 is the (relatively) giant cutout at the bottom for the dock connector; it seems much bigger than it needs to be, and this reduces the degree of protection the case can provide. It does, however, provide an easy means of removing the iPod from the case, which might otherwise be difficult due to the snug fit.

Shows very large Dock Connector cutout.

Perhaps the most attractive thing about the V2 case, aside from the appearance, is the price. You simply cannot buy a metal iPod case for $20 anywhere else, and even most soft cases are in the $20 range. The V2 clearly provides much better protection than most soft cases and should last longer than most plastic cases as well.

Shows access to hold switch and headphone jack, as well as clip holding the case together.

PDO’s Aluminum V2 case works great, seems like it’ll last a long time, and looks good doing it at a great price. What more do you really need?

Copyright © 2008 Chris Lawson. Reviewing in ATPM is open to anyone. If you’re interested, write to us at reviews@atpm.com.