The Facts
Specifications according to the manufacturer:

- Price: US one for $9.95, two for $18.99, three for $27.49
- Web site: earPod

Construction and Materials
The earPod by ezGear for iPod is made of a white, matte finish plastic. It features a circular design and a swinging, hinged lid. The outer part of the base is designed to be a cord wrap and the inner circle has a hollow for storing earphones. Numerous channels connect the outer and inner sections and allow the earphone cord to be routed through. The inner chamber features a felt lined bottom to keep your earphones warm and happy. The lid swings on a pivot to close which covers the inner chamber and protects the earphones inside.

The finish on the earPod does not match the glossy, bright white of the iPod. Instead, the color has some grey in it, and the finish is matte. This doesn't really bother me since I would expect that if the earPod had a gloss finish it would be marred easily and repeatedly during normal usage a product like this would encounter. Perhaps it would be a nice idea to offer the earPod in different colors, or to choose a color that is not white, in order to avoid this comparison with the iPod completely.

As it is, the earPod is very scratch resistant. What's more, the plastic used is very strong and the construction of the earPod is first rate. The hinge for the cover is solid, and is stronger than it should be for being so low-profile. The clasp mechanism is simple and works well to keep the lid closed. This product is strong, durable, and designed well.

Usage
I'm quite happy with the earPod, as I've found the perfect companion to my Etymotic ER-6i earphones. Previously, I had been carrying my Ety's wrapped around a Smartwrap and enclosed in the little padded pouch that comes with the earphones. While this system worked well, it didn't provide any crush protection, and the shirt clip that is attached to the Ety's headphone cable, and that works so well to anchor the earphones when you wear them, was unwieldy when wrapped around a Smartwrap. Well, the earPod is perfect with these Ety's because the earphones fit inside the chamber snuggly, along with their plug, and the shirt clip is no problem to wrap around the outside of the earPod (see picture below). Nice!

As I was using it, I came to think of the earPod as a good earphone case. Sure, it has features that allow you to use it as a cable management device, and the advertising copy from ezGear for iPod highlights these uses (use it to shorten the earphone cable, and wear the earPod with the included belt clip), but I found that the earPod's size and weight detracted from its usefulness under these capacities.

The Bottom Line
This is a very nice product and it works well as an earphone case. The earPod is easy to use, is built well, and is made of good quality materials. It protects the earphones inside of it from being crushed, crumpled, sat upon, trod upon, or otherwise injured. The circular design makes it easy to prevent cord tangles, and it won't put a kink in them either. The included belt clip is strong and has a low profile, and it's easy to remove if you don't want to use it. Due to it's relative bulk, the earPod doesn't work as well as a cable management device while you're wearing earphones, but it does a passable job of it, and depending on your needs, that may not be a factor. 4/5 stars.

The good: Good quality and solid construction, provides good protection for earphones inside, easy to use, will not kink cords.
The not so good: relatively heavy, relatively large, doesn't quite match the iPod's aesthetics.

For more information: earPod

Related: iPoditude Review: Sumajin Smartwrap