I’ve been carrying my iPod back and forth to work in the inside pocket of my jacket, which is not an ideal solution. During last week’s warm spell, I left the jacket at home and carried the iPod in a pants pocket. Even worse. In the few months since I got it, I’m afraid that the screen and case are showing some noticeable scuffs. I’m told that Brasso will do an excellent job of removing those, but to prevent further scuffing (and because I am an incredible clutz) I broke down and bought an iPod holster.

Initially, I wanted to go with a leather holster, but most of the ones I looked at didn’t do the trick. They used flimsy plastic to “protect” the screen and the iPod just didn’t seem to fit very well. The hole in the plastic designed to provide access to the clickwheel didn’t line up properly, despite the fact that the holsters were allegedly designed for 4G iPods.

I was about to settle for some kind of sporty gizmo (complete with wrist/arm strap) when I came across the Contour Showcase.

This thing is fantastic. It has a rubberized shell, a formidable clear plastic front and a beveled clickwheel opening that lines up perfectly. The removable belt clip is reversible, so the iPod can be worn on either side. Unlike many other holsters I looked at, it mounts the iPod horizontally rather than vertically, which makes it much less intrusive when clipped to my belt. Of course, it has the standard access openings at top and bottom for headphone jack and synchronization port. The whole thing feels incredibly solid, yet it’s very easy to get the iPod in and out of the holster. Well worth the thirty bucks, in my opinion.