iPhone cases and scratch protection - the best of the bunch

Apple has a great ability to produce wonderfully designed products that look amazing. The problem with owning one of these shiny products is that in the real world where you use your iPhone or iPod on a daily basis they do tend to be very prone to marking and scratching. Very quickly you will find that your treasured device does not look as shiny and glossy as it was out of the box.

You can either accept this as an inevitable fact of life or choose to protect your iPhone or iPod with one of the many products available.

Broadly speaking there are two types of protection out there - protective cases and scratch resistant film or skins. 

Protective cases come in all shapes and sizes and range from slim fitting covers to more bulky leather cases or rubber 'sports' style that offer some impact protection.

If however you would like to protect your iPhone but not have to hide its beautiful design under a bulky protective casing, then you do have some good options. The Incipio Feather Case for iPhone 3G/3GS offers protection for your iPhone's casing, whilst adding just a millimetre of thickness. It also comes with two film screen protectors.

It won't protect against major drops and impacts, but if you're looking for a case that keeps the look and feel of an iPhone whilst protecting against everyday scratches and scrapes, then this is one to seriously consider.  

If you prefer a more glossy finish, a good alternative is the iSkin range of covers which come in a range of colours and have a more glossy appearance. They are also non slip.

There are those that resent covering up their iPhone in any way - if you really want to enjoy the look of your iPhone as nature intended, then there is the option of an all over skin rather than a case. 

The best option in terms of protection is the invisibleSHIELD from ZAGG. It offers pretty much the best scratch protection you can get. The invisibleSHIELD is only 0.2 millimetres thick - the producers claim that makes it the slimmest iPhone 3G skin or iPhone 3G cover of its kind. It is also backed with a lifetime guarantee. It is also easily removed - if you ever need to take off the invisibleSHIELD it leaves no sticky residue. Installation can be a challenge, but if you devote the appropriate time to getting it right you really will get the best of both worlds - the iPhone in all its glory without the worry of scratching and scuffing.

These are just a few of the iPhone accessories available - however the choice is bewildering at times and if you want to protect your iPhone then you could do worse than check out one of the options outlined here. The Know iPhone Store also has some of the leading bestselling cases, covers and accessories for the iPhone.