The Ultimate iPhone Case for Protection from Shock, Water...and You. The Lifeproof iPhone case.

Happy Holidays!

You looked under the tree this past Christmas morning and you found that jolly Ol' Saint Nick left you a shiny new iPhone. As you hold it your hands and lovingly caress its delicate back and admire the all-glass screen in front, it slowly dawns on you this wonder of technology will easily and quickly shatter into a pile of expensive, useless circuits if you don't take some protective action with an aftermarket case...and soon.

Oh, dear...a case would have probably prevented this heartache.
( cleaningupmylife.blogspot.com)  

Simply finding a case is not the problem. Cases for the iphone are everywhere. But the best protective iphone case just might be the one from a company called Lifeproof.

Aptly named, the people at Lifeproof seem to be a might obsessed with creating iPhone cases that can take a beating, a dunking and a dropping without the phone even noticing (if phones could notice things, that is). The case is made specifically to exceed US military specifications for dust, shock and water durability. In fact, Lifeproof boasts the phone can be used underwater with no issues and tests each case to ensure that no H2O makes it into your expensive new gift.

Proof the Lifeproof case works...or this guy is nuts.
(extremestorms.com)

The case itself is quite thin- less than 1/16" is added to the phone and, to my eye, gives the phone a sleek industrial kind of look I find appealing. It comes in a variety of colors and really doesn't appear to be the bank-account saving armor for your phone that it is. The case was originally designed for military, police, fire and other hard-life uses, but since it comes in pink too, I'll assume Lifeproof sees teenage American girls as a rough user (as a father of a teenage American girl, I agree).

I though you deserved to see a Lifeproof case that wasn't wet, dusty or dropped.
(Lifeproof.com)

Lifeproof also offers accessories for their cases including armbands, a belt clip, power dock adapters and something called "Liferaft". Looking much like its namesake, the Liferaft is just that- a large, orange collar that grips and surrounds the Lifeproof case and allows it to float and be found if dropped out of a boat or off a bridge or something similar. It also adds significant protection to an already strong system. However, the additional bulk is also significant. But for those who really need floating protection, nothing else will do.

Cons? As I read the 2,600+ reviews on Amazon, a few complaints seemed to become routine. Most, however, seem to be because of the necessary design and construction requirements of such a protective system:

- The power port is an extremely tight fit (needed for water tightness) and using anything other than Apple OEM power plugs might be an issue.

- Sound quality from the earpiece can be an issue as some users report slightly reduced ability to hear sound clearly. Some say the sound is not affected.

- The headphone jack uses an easily lost plug that is not attached to the case.

- Installation requires careful attention to the instructions to be performed properly.

- Somewhat expensive (around $50 US)

Other than these issues, most users appreciate the stylish and rugged appearance, ability to walk around worry free and more comfortable knowing the investment they made will be just fine after encounters with rain, tile floors and life.

To see a review of the Lifeproof case, go to Kitup! a military equipment website, where they review the case and the Liferaft too.

For the Amazon reviews, good and bad, go here.

Finally, the Lifeproof website is located here.