The Life-Savers Aquatic: Waterproof iPhone Cases

Next time you go spelunking, make sure your iPhone’s prepared for a dunking. All of these waterproof cases are available for iPhone 4 and 4S, and two of the three are available for iPhone 5. All three companies also make sealed cases for iPads and iPods. And although the iPhone 5 cases probably won’t be ready for a few more weeks, you can pre-order them today.

Also, we wanted to test Otter’s new iPhone cases, but they weren’t ready yet. We’ll give those a full review soon. But for now, let’s start with the best of the bunch.

LifeProof iPhone Case
LifeProof’s case ($80, iPhone 4/4S, iPhone 5, iPad and iPod) has the lowest profile of the three iPhone cases we tested, and it’s the only one of the three that works as an everyday case. The Lifeproof case also has the highest waterproof rating. It has an IP-68 rating, which means it’s been tested in a lab where it proved to be dust-proof and provide full protection against long-term submersion under water. I confirmed this claim by submerging my iPhone 4 inside it for an hour without any leakage.

When the case is on, you can use the iPhone with almost no restrictions. The touchscreen is very responsive, and you can still access all the ports and buttons. You can take it just about anywhere with you, too — LifeProof makes a slew of accessories, including a floating lifejacket, and an armband with a quick-release function for when you want to pop off a quick picture. On a sunrise trail run in Whiskeytown National Park, I was able to stop, disengage the case from the armband, then take a picture all in a matter of seconds. There’s also a case add-on that integrates with any and all GoPro mounts, meaning you can lock it onto your bike or helmet and use it as an action cam.