Thursday, January 31, 2013

Review - Lifeproof Case & LifeJacket

A few years ago I had to face the reality that I have to have a cellphone with me at all times.  My work, when not tapping away on the keyboard on T.F.M., requires me to be on call and available at the most inopportune times.  There is an expectation by "The Man" that if they need something, no matter how seemingly unimportant, that they can get to me in an instant with a text or phone call.  Might seem like a hassle for some but it's all part of doing what I do.  

Taking any electronic device out on the water is a bit unnerving and up until coming across Lifeproof I had tried keeping my iPhone dry by using a Ziplock bag or stowing it in a water resistant pocket on a gear bag.  I would always get a bit nervous about having it out while on the water or when in the kayak since if I dropped it in the water being clumsy it would be toast.    


For the past six months I have been demoing and using the Lifeproof Case and Lifeproof Lifejacket Float any time on the water and so far I've been nothing but impressed.  The iPhone fits securely inside the Lifeproof Case and is fully sealed with a large o-ring that runs around the inner edge of the two halves of the case.  Without the Lifejacket Float the Lifeproof Case is quite thin and fits in my pocket as easily as any other iPhone case that I've used.


Since I am not on the water every day I typically opt to use a couple other cases that I have and save the Lifeproof Case for when I'll be out in the elements for the day or a week at a time.  I've found that the heavy duty screen material of the Lifeproof Case requires you to use a bit more pressure when typing or touching the iPhone screen which isn't a big deal but for ease of daily use I'd rather have a thin protective shield instead.  The other thing that keeps the Lifeproof Case from being used daily is that I use headphones all the time and the process of screwing in the headphone jack every time isn't something I want to do several times a day.  First world problems, I know... 

The first time you dunk your iPhone inside the Lifeproof Case it's a close your eyes and hope you just didn't zap your iPhone but now I am fully confident that it will stay dry and wade, swim, and kayak without worry.  If it gets wet, who cares. 

Admittedly the Lifejacket Float looks a like a big orange pillow, smells like a new pair of Crocs, but damn it...it floats under the weight of an iPhone and the Lifeproof Case like a blaze orange cork.  The Lifejacket Float also comes with a couple different carry straps (short and long) and there are lashing points on all four corners of the orange foam.  If you are on the water much then the Lifejacket Float is a no brainer to use with your Lifeproof Case.

PROS:
- Fully protects your iPhone from the elements.
- Lifeproof Case is a very low profile and slim.
- Lifejacket Float is easy to see and floats like a cork.
- Fully confident in this case to keep my iPhone safe and dry.

CONS:
- You're going to have to buy another damn case.
- Heavy duty material makes screen not as sensitive to touch.
- Taking case on and off may damage o-ring over time.
- Screwing the headphone jack in to use is kind of a hassle.

The first trick with the Lifeproof Case was keeping the iPhone dry and the follow up trick with the Lifeproof Lifejacket Float was keeping it both dry and on top of the water.  Both of which they do without fail.

Check out the Lifeproof website for more information, videos, or to place an order.  

4 comments:

Frank said...

Nice. Been looking for something for my new phone. However, the downside is that I'm an Android guy and the company doesn't seem to support the myriad Android variations.

Dave Henry 2handedtrout.com said...

Lifeproof has been a Lifesaver for me for some time now. I only wish they designed it with an o-ring to attach a wrist strap. That would make it the perfect outdoors case. Maybe a group mailout to Lifeproof would get them to change the design? :)

Anonymous said...

I definitely need to get one of those! I worry about my phone every time I am out on the water. Thanks for the review.

Cameron Mortenson said...

Fellows...thanks for the props on the review. I figured that I couldn't be the only one trying to keep their cellphone dry.