Whether you stand up with your phone in your lap, fumble your iPod as you check the time at a party or even drop your iPad off the top bunk, the feeling in the pit of your stomach when you see your shiny device hurtling towards the ground is universal. The fall is impossibly slow, yet maddeningly unstoppable. You rush to the aid of your iOS device, fingers crossed that when you pick it up you won’t see the infamous spiderweb of cracks spread across the screen. Sometimes you get lucky and your device is fine, but sometimes… well I’d rather not say. And no matter how careful you are, accidents are unavoidable. So wouldn’t you want to do everything you can to protect your investment?

Luckily there is a multitude of available forms of protection out there. Ranging from skins, to cases, to those weird little iPod socks, there really is something for everyone. One thing that is absolutely essential is a screen protector. They add no perceptible bulk to the device and add an extra layer of crack protection while staying entirely true to the original design of the gadget. My favorite comes from Power Support USA – the HD Anti-Glare.  And, if this is really your style, a similar body skin is available — it’s basically a screen protector that covers the front, back and sides of the phone.

As far as cases are concerned, the two main categories are hard and soft (insert dirty joke here). They both have their pros and cons, but personally I prefer a hard plastic case like the Incase Slider. It provides a high level of protection and, unlike some softer silicon cases, is easy to slide in and out (stop it!) of your pocket.

Now, if you’re sitting there thinking, “I’ve dropped my iPod a thousand times without a case and it’s fine!”, then take note — you’re only lucky for so long. I’ve been there. I used to take my iPhone 3G everywhere, often without a case. And I do mean everywhere, including the trip down my driveway to get my mail. On one particular occasion, I was happily listening to music while walking when I turned my head and saw a spider on my arm! Naturally, I flailed my limbs to rid myself of the beast (in a totally manly fashion, of course). Unfortunately, the flailing arm was the one that had, a moment before, been holding the iPhone that now lay shattered on the pavement. Want to know the best part? That “spider” I saw was nothing more than the wire of my headphones.

Needless to say I learned my lesson. In reading this article, I hope that you too can learn from my mistake — if you’re carrying an expensive piece of tech on a daily basis, protect it as best you can and use a case for those times you can’t.

What are your favorite iOS cases or skins? Let me know in the comments section below!

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