I had done quite a bit of research on the iPhone cases out there, and of course none of the ones I really wanted were available at the Apple Store the morning after our iPhone purchases.  The only one they had that I’d looked at before was the Agent18 Eco Shield, which did not impress me in person at all.  The plastic looked cheap and dull, and I didn’t want to put my baby in a cheesy looking case.  One thing I had also realized was that I didn’t want to put my iPhone in a bulky case.  It’s a sleek design that fits great in my hand, and I didn’t want to add a lot of heft to it, even in the name of protection.

It’s quite funny–as we were searching for cases, I noticed an empty-looking box that had been opened and put back on the rack.  In the name of being a good Samaritan, I took it to the nearest Apple genius and explained that I had found this empty box over in the case section and I wanted to bring it to their attention.  The guy thanked me, looked at the box and said, “Oh, actually the case is still in here!  See, it’s right there!”  He held it up and I looked a little closer than I had before–what I thought was part of the plastic insert that held the case WAS the case.  It was so thin I hadn’t even noticed it!  Needless to say, I was intrigued–so intrigued I bought it!

The case in question was the Power Support Crystal Air Jacket for the iPhone 3G.  The Air Jacket consists of a back piece that snaps on to protect the plastic back of the iPhone and 2 full screen protectors (crystal and anti-glare) that cover everything but the Home button and the earpiece.  It comes in both Crystal, which I got for my white iPhone, and solid black, which Shawn got for his black iPhone.

The Air Jacket adds only 0.7mm to the body of the iPhone–the plastic back is thin but feels very protective.  I have noticed that it scratches easily, but you can’t really tell until you take the back off the phone.  And hey, it protects my iPhone from getting scratched, so it can scratch all it wants!  There are small, sticky clear plastic “dots” that you put in strategic places on the back of your iPhone to ensure that the plastic back fits without being too tight, which creates little gray pockets of trapped air that are harmless but unsightly.

I have quite a bit of experience with screen protectors given my background with PDAs, and I have to say that both the crystal and anti-glare screen protectors are among the best I have ever used.  I had issues getting mine on the first time (per usual) so I just cleaned it of hair and lint by running it under the tap, shaking off the water until it was mostly dry, and using the corner of a paper towel to barely touch the protector and soak up any remaining water droplets.  It went on very easily even after being cleaned, and after a couple of tries I got my protector on perfectly.  I used the crystal screen protector and Shawn used the anti-glare, and I think we’re both very happy with them.  I like that the case comes with both the crystal and anti-glare so that you can choose your favorite and also have one in reserve.  If you already have a case, the screen protectors can be purchased separately in packs of two.

The AirJ acket will not, of course, protect your iPhone from a steep drop or something really abrasive, but I think it does a great job of protecting from every day elements without adding bulk.  I have been really happy with my choice and I highly recommend both the Power Supply case and the screen protectors.

After I decided which iPhone I wanted to get (white or black really isn’t a hard choice!) the first thing I started thinking about was the kind of case I wanted for my phone. I know that the iPhone is very elegant on its own, but I’m being realistic here–not only am I a girl who likes to accessorize, but I’m a clumsy girl at that. If I’m plunking down $299 for a phone, I want it to be as well-protected as it can be without losing any style or usability. I know lots of people like carrying their iPhones naked, which is all well and good for them, but it just makes me too nervous.

My case requirements are as follows:

1. Must be a hard case or really, really good silicone case
2. Must include a screen protector or be screen protector friendly
3. Must completely cover all parts of the iPhone except for the screen
4. Must NOT include a belt clip
5. Must include a color choice I like

The first case on my radar is the Griffin Wave. I love the wave styling on the side that gives the case its name, and I like that it includes a screen protector too.  It’s a hard case, which I really like, because I’ve grown very used to the Agent 18 Nano Shield I have my red iPod nano G3 in.  Investigation into the Wave has produced some great reviews on the original iPhone model, all which lead me to believe I would really feel good about choosing this case for my 3G iPhone.  I also think that the Wave is a great price–ony 24.95 for both a good case and a screen protector.  That’s a value!  And, of course, it comes in pink…I definitely like that!

Another case I want to check out is the Agent 18 Eco Shield.  As I said, I’ve been really happy with the Agent 18 case that I have on my iPod nano–I put it on almost as soon as I got my nano, and while the case looks a little dinged up in places, my iPod is in pristine shape.  A friend of mine is a huge fan of Agent 18 and he turned me on to their cases–I’m glad he did!  The Eco Shield is also a hard case that covers most of the iPhone while still providing access to all the buttons and the screen.  It features silicone pads for extra cushioning and a dock adapter so you can dock your phone without taking it out of the case.  It doesn’t come with a screen protector, so that’d be extra.  The Eco Shield runs at a very reasonable $29.95.  It also comes in pink!

My friend Kathleen is really happy with the iSkin revo that she has for her 1st Gen iPhone.  iSkin has come out with a version of the revo for the iPhone 3G–the revo2.  It has a lot of great things going for it, like full silicone coverage, antimicrobial material, good screen protectors, and much more.  Despite its list of impressive features, it is the one that I’m least sold on.  It looks really rugged and not very sleek in all the pictures, and none of the color choices are jumping out at me.  I’m also concerned that a silicone case may not be protective enough, or durable enough.  The last silicone case I had for my PDA phone tore in quite a few places.  I also hate how silicone cases pick up any lint or hair that is in the area–and I’m usually either covered in cat hair or shedding my own mane!  I’ll give it a look, but I’m not sold on the revo2.

What case is protecting your iPhone?  Do you have any other suggestions for me?  Talk back in the comments!