We get hit up all the time by brands that make waterproof iPhone cases. We know a lot have probably upgraded to the iPhone 6, but there’s also an enormous amount of people out there that still use the ever popular iPhone 5 and 5s. A good waterproof case is worth the money for everyone, especially considering our lifestyle in and around the water. We can’t tell you how many phones we’ve seen phones slide off boats or docks. Since it’s right before the holidays we decided to do a little round up of our favorite waterproof iPhone 5/5s cases that we’ve seen out there and that we’ve personally used in house. If you like our review, try one out yourself or you just might find the perfect Holiday gift for someone.
*As soon as companies start releasing enough iPhone 6 and 6+ cases to review (a lot of what we’ve seen are pre-order only up to now), we’ll get our grubby little hands on those and let you know our favorites too.
1. Hitcase – Pro+
This case is endorsed by Reed Hansen (you can see quite a few videos of him using it on his Instagram) and works super well taking action photos and video while riding or just in the water. One of the best things about the Hitcase product is that is has the ability to use GoPro attachments so you can quickly connect poles, helmet mounts or anything else right to your iPhone using this case. It’s a little on the bulky side so you probably won’t want to use it as your everyday case, but the interchangeable lenses and other great accessories (like the FloatR) quickly make you forget about that.
Waterproof: 33 feet
Hitcase – Pro+: $150
2. LifeProof – nüüd
This is probably the most functional everyday waterproof case out there. It’s slim, it’s light, and to be honest if feels like any other normal case but it happens to be waterproof as well. One of the best features of the nüüd is that LifeProof uses screenless technology on it. Rather then the entire case being sealed with a separate screen over the phone, LifeProof creates a waterproof seal around the phone’s screen so that you’re still touching and using the actual screen. This is great for clarity and touch sensitivity especially since you don’t have to deal with the screen lag when the case screen is just above your phone’s.
Waterproof: 6.6 feet
Lifeproof – nüüd: $72
3. Otterbox – Preserver Series
Otterbox is one of the largest household names when it comes to phone protection. They’ve been doing it longer than anyone else and they do it right. While these cases are not necessarily a bargain for what it is, you can tell when you feel the Preserver case that it’s made with extremely high quality. Touches of rubber in certain areas give it a little extra grip than others, and you can tell it’s made with strong materials and is pretty heavy duty. We’d say it’s in the mid range on the slimness scale, so it’s kind of a toss up if you could use this as an everyday case (probably depends on the person).
Waterproof: 6.6 feet
Otterbox – Preserver Series: $90
4. Catalyst
The Catalyst case was one of the better ranking cases we saw because on it’s simple design, great functionality and really affordable price for what you’re getting. This is a pretty utilitarian case, but it also looks great and could definitely be used as an everyday case. It’s slim, easy to fit in your pocket but has the great benefit of being waterproof. Catalyst also make some great accessories for this case including a pro adapter that make it compatible with GoPro accessories and a floating wrist band for shooting ride along stuff.
Waterproof: 16.4 feet
Catalyst: $65
5. Snow Lizard – SLXtreme5
If you are on the boat from dawn until dusk or taking your boat to a camping spot or on a long trip, this case is amazing. This beast has a built in back-up battery that you can charge your phone with when you run out of juice, but it’s biggest asset is that is has a solar panel on the back. The solar panel trickle charges the on-board case battery and transfers to your phone. No, you’re not going to use this case on a regular basis by any means, but if you’re going to be in a spot without a charging source for a while this thing is the best. Best part, it’s also waterproof as well. (Editor’s note: To be honest, I’ve used this thing way more than I thought I would. There have been multiple times I’ve been without a charger but left this thing in my glove box. I threw it on the dash and the sun gave me enough juice to power my phone back up. You can also use the solar panel to charge the battery without the phone in it, a huge plus)
Waterproof: 6.6 feet
Snow Lizard – SLXtreme5: $150
6. Lifedge
The UK based company of Lifedge sent us over their case for their 5/5s and we were pretty impressed. For a company that we’ve never heard of they came out with a really good product. It felt a little bulkier than the Life Proof or the Catalyst cases, but it still could feasibly be used as an everyday case (depending on the type of person). There is tons of rubber around it for extra grip and good for clumsy people, and it felt extremely solid when we used it.
Waterproof: 6.5 feet
Lifedge: $118
7. Joy – BubbleShield
This is the down and dirty get it done waterproof case. We actually wouldn’t recommend ever submerging this, but for the price you can’t beat having one of these hanging around to keep water off or just not stress if you’re around sand, dirt, or whatever. Sure, this is essentially a zip lock bag but this can do a few things those can’t: use your phone’s touch screen, take photos and talk on the phone. We don’t recommend doing any ride along stuff with these, but it’s good to have in the boat or at the park so you don’t have to worry about getting water on your phone.
Waterproof: Null
Joy – BubbleShield: $20
.
