4) BlackBerry Skins -- Show Some Skin

RIM OEM, Smart Phone Experts and Cellet Skins

Our favorite BlackBerry skins are made by, you guessed it, RIM. Starting to see a pattern? We can't deny it; RIM's own carrying accessories are the best on the market, in our opinion. And as such, we've tried nearly all of them.

RIM BlackBerry Skins

There are various manufacturers of BlackBerry skins for just about all of RIM's entire smartphone lineup, and in truth, most of them are comparable. The main difference between them is the quality of rubber material that they're made of.

Though RIM's OEM skins aren't the most durable on the market, they fit better than any of the other products we've tried, and they bear the BlackBerry logo--which we've come to know and trust. They sell for $9.99 from the official BlackBerry store, and they're available practically any color you could want.

Smart Phone Experts also makes quality skins that can be purchased for less than the RIM skins, at just $6.99. And Cellet offer slightly thicker silicon skins for a dollar more.

BlackBerry skins offer some grip, and as such, can save you from dropping the smooth-surfaced smartphones. Or save you form dropping them as often. However, none of them cover the BlackBerry display, so your screen is never safe if you're using a skin as your sole protection.

5) Rugged Cases -- Take a Lickin' and Keep on Typin'

When we think of rugged BlackBerry cases, one company comes to mind: OtterBox. If you work in an environment where your BlackBerry is constantly taking a beating, or if you're just plain old clumsy, OtterBox's Defender cases are for you.

OtterBox Defender for Curve

The OtterBox Defender for 8xxx series devices provide there levels of protection: 1) a clear membrane attaches to your device screen and keyboard to reduce scratching, prevent cracks and offer some protection from harsh weather; 2) an inner polycarbonate case form fits to your device; 3) and the external silicon shells wraps around the whole thing to provide extra bulk and shock absorption. The case also comes with its own custom holster and rotating belt clip.

The OtterBox Defender sells for around $50 from the company's online store and other Web retailers.

If you attended RIM's recent WES gathering, you couldn't miss the throngs of attendees sporting this unusual case on their belts; many attendees received it as a freebie. It seemed to have plenty of geek cred with this crew.

One warning: You may slightly resemble Han Solo with an OtterBox on your belt. In other words, the Armani crowd may want to skip this one.