iSqueeze

iSqueeze

Manufacturer: Griffin Technology
Retail Price: $9.99

This product’s name doesn’t really do it justice or describe how useful this inexpensive little gem really is. An inoccuous gray rubber insert for your car’s cup holder, the iSqueeze is designed to cradle and protect your iPod or iPod mini — but — it also works fine with the Nano and the newest generation iPod Video.

The purpose of the iSqueeze is to hold your iPod inside the cup holder in your car. What makes this product so clever is the fact that there are two sides to the inside of the insert - one for the Mini/Nano and one for a standard iPod. When you nestle your iPod into the correct side of the iSqueeze it will sit at the perfect angle to view the screen from a driving position. You can easily reach the click wheel or control buttons depending on which device you have.

The iSqueeze also holds your earlier generation iPod securely enough that it won’t go flying if you have to stop suddenly. It doesn’t fit the newest iPods or Nano as securely but they will still sit inside quite nicely. Because it is made of a firm rubber material the iSqueeze will protect your iPod from scratches — a major issue with the newest models and the Nano. I know my iPod always has a tendency to slip down under the cup holder arms, thus creating a tangle of wires and potential for scratches. Griffin has left room for you to plug in your docking cable and even has a small cutout to run the cable back up — handy for using the car charger.

The only real weakness in my opinion is the fact that you cannot fit an iPod inside a case into the iSqueeze — I have a 4th generation click wheel iPod in a Speck ToughSkin case and there is no way to use the two products together. This wouldn’t be a problem for those folks who use a case that easily relinquishes their iPod — mine does not!

If you listen to your iPod in the car this product is a great deal for only $9.99. It is available directly from Griffin at http://www.griffintechnology.com/products/isqueez.