Nobody could argue anything other than the Apple iPhone was the best new cell phone released in 2007. Incredible design, off-the-wall looks, marketing and usability. The iPhone re-wrote the book on mobile phones and many of the newer phones coming on the market are attempting to copy or better Apple’s design.

But possibly one of the best features of the iPhone is the frankly incredible range of accessories being made by just about every manufacturer on the planet. Every one wants a piece of the iPhone. Cases are a case in point (sic). But which is the best iPhone cover?, and more importantly, which case will do the best job of protecting your shiny new iPhone while maintaining it’s usability and looks?

Here are the five best iPhone cases, ranked by the Knowles destructotest™ method.

Top of my list is the Apple iPhone Aircraft Aluminum Metal case. This one comes complete with a padded neoprene interior and encloses the iPhone in a high-grade aluminum shell. The case has openings for the display screen, keyboard and other features, and is available in five colors – puke green, revolting magenta, sickly sky blue, sensible silver and the ever practical plain old black. The list price on these is $39.95, but the last time I checked, Amazon had several for around eight bucks. Much cheaper than a new screen, and since the release of the 3G iPhone V2.0 - Amazon ae just about giving the things away - Four dollars last time I looked.

Next up is the Speck TechStyle Classic Leather iPhone Case. Good quality leather, well stiched together with a plaid interior, although, let’s face it - who cares what the inside of the case looks like? This is a good quality case though. Included is a custom holster swivel belt clip to allow purse snatchers easier access. One of the good things about the case is it allows full access to all the controls. A nice looking case that will do a good job of protecting the iPhone. Suggested price for this is around thirty dollars and it tends not to be as heavily discounted as some of the other cases, so expect to pay around $20 for this one. Available in brown or black and pink now - thank goodness.

Number three on my list is the Scosche Clear case with rubber corners. If you, like me are prone to dropping your gadgets, this one is a good bet. For some reason, when a phone is dropped, it invariably lands on a corner. There is a physical law that describes this phenomenon, but don’t ask me to explain it. This is a nice, simple, practical case that pretty much keeps the iPhone’s looks intact. Amazon coyly hide the price because its’ “Too low to be shown,” but they sell for just over $11, which is, I guess, much lower than the manufacturer would like. Once again, far cheaper than a new screen or casing.

If you are going for a lurid color, this one is my preference. This is a soft, grippable silicon case that gives total access to all the features of the iPhone. You can charge the phone while it’s still in the case and I am a big fan of persuading people to listen to music on their phone through a set of headphones rather than inflicting their musical choices on any one within earshot – and this case has a built-in cable management system – which is a fancy way of saying you can keep your headphones in it as well. List price $25, but usually available for less than $17

This has to be one of the most cool iPhone covers on the market.

What I like about this one is that fact that they sensibly give you the option of removing the belt clip. Having a large, expensive piece of portable technology clipped to your belt allowing any would be thief to help themselves may be OK in some areas, but in certain parts of the country, it’s probably not such a great idea. `It looks a little clunky, but provides very good protection and, as with all these cases, you can face the screen inward for more protection, although that rather defeats the object of buying a case like this in the first place. Amazon sell them for less than $17 also.

Since the introduction of the iPhone 3G, I have been asked on numerous occasions to test and recommend cases for the newer iPhone. These are the best of the best of the best (men in black).

If you are planning on testing your iPhone to destruction, this is the case for you. Otterbox are always a little "over the top," and this case would probably see you through a small nuclear war.

Although this is probably the case most likely to protect your iPhone, it is not exactly day to day use and rather defeats the object of having a slim pocket-sized phone. It will protect your iPhone though.

I like it. It is solid, will protect your phone and does exactly what it says it will. You are still able to synch and charge the phone through the case and it comes with a special "holster style," belt clip. A little expensive, even at the reduced price Amazon sells them for - but a very, very solid case.

Now we are talking. This is more like a reasonable case for your iPhone 3G. No where near as intrusive as the preceding model, and although it will not protect your case in the event of a nuclear war, it will certainly protect it from the occasional drop on the sidewalk.

The usually sell for around $12 so it is not going to break the bank. It was designed specifically for the 3g iPhone and fits accordingly. Comes in Blue, black or red - I like the red one personally, and there is not much else to say about it.

Cheap, fits and will protect your phone. What more do you need to know? It does also offer a better grip when holding the phone.

I am not so sure about the front cover though, because i could never quite get rid of all the air bubbles. But at this price you can't really quibble too much.

This is possibly the best of the case I tried - and I tried a lot of them. No frills - looks superb abd fits like a glove. The bottom part is a little awkward to remove for docking, but most of the cases I tried had similar issues. the tighter the fit, the harder they are to remove.

This sells for around $10, and you would be hard pushed to find a better case for the money. Also available in a variety of colors - and my usual favorite - red is available.

It is a hard shell case and will provide all the protection you are likely to need on a day to day basis. Well worth the money this one.

There are dozens of other cases on the market at the moment. Most of them do a perfectly adequate job of protecting the iPhone. But some are clearly better than others. All the top five cases here are available for considerably less than the recommended prices and you can’t really go wrong with any of them.