I recently picked up a Sandisk Sansa e270 MP3 Player. I’m usually pretty rough with my gadgets, particularly the small ones, so getting the right case is the first thing I do whenever I get a new device. There are a few things I look out for when shopping for a case (in no particular order):

1. I carry small gadgets in my pockets and, while I usually have enough for everything to be separate (hooray cargo pants!), occasionally it will have to share the space with coins and keys. Most cases will protect from basic bumps and scratches so this is usually easy.
2. I am extremely clumsy. I am guaranteed to drop a new device within 10 minutes of unboxing it. Also, some people have this unnerving compulsion to throw things. Therefore, the case must afford protection from pretty severe drops and impacts.
3. I like to sort of use the things I buy so the case can’t impair functionality at all. I’m thinking of those nasty cell phone cases with the plastic cover over the buttons…wtf?
4. If the device has a screen it must be protected. Screens are usually expensive or impossible to replace. Cases are cheap and easy to replace. The case must go out of its way to protect the beautiful glowing face of my gadget.
5. Per the above stipulation the case must be replaceable without leaving any lasting mark on the device

After looking at the slim (compared to the iPod) choices available for the Sansa I purchased the Speck ToughSkin from Walmart.com.

The ToughSkin is a rubbery (not exactly silcon) wrapper that covers the entire device except for an opening for the scroll wheel, the screen, the sync cable, and the headphone jack. Everything else is covered up behind a thick tough layer of rubber.

The case itself adds a fair bit of thickness to the sprightly Sansa but it actually makes the device easier to hold. I am able to hold the Sansa much more comfortably in my meat hooks with the case on. The thick bumpers on the case are designed to absorb even the biggest shocks. I’ve been tempted to throw it against the wall just to satisfy my own curiosity but that would be a little stupid.  Surprisingly, it is actually much easier to push the small buttons surrounding the scroll wheel with the case on. That’s a big bonus.

I was a bit nervous about the screen situation because an ad for the case had mentioned an included "screen protector". I am philisophically opposed to those nasty stick-on protectors that leave gunk on your screen and totally defeat the purpose of protecting the screen to begin with. The best I was hoping for would be a gunk-less static film overlay. Instead, the ToughSkin came with a clear hard plastic cover that fits snugly between the player and the skin itself. It protects not only from scratches but also from more serious impacts.

The case also comes with an optional belt clip. I usually don’t use belt clips and the included one is an example of why. It’s is almost impossible to operate with one hand so what’s the point?

If there was any major negative to the case I would say that it makes your Sansa feel a bit squishy. That being said, I can live with squishy in exchange for a case that satisfies all five of my case requirements. I definitely recommend it as one of the best cases you can get for the Sansa e200 series of players.

For another line of cases I personally love that meet those requirements check out RhinoSkins. I used their aluminum iPaq rx3000 case for years and it stopped a cracked screen several times.

Filed under article, hardware, opinion, review, tech.
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