We’ve already reviewed their gloves and now we’ve got the TouchAbility waterproof cases. These will let you protect your phone from the elements while you tweet live from the pool.
The first is a soft-plastic “bag case” which costs £7.99 and I’ve got to point something out..
..you’ve seen them too haven’t you? People who take their phones out in the rain or on bike rides, but they use… a food bag.
This soft case isn’t one of those, but the top part acts a lot like the resealable bags. The clips one the upper section ensure that the resealable section is pressed shut precisely and it becomes completely waterproof.
Take it out the box, pop your phone in the top….
Then close the clips on the top to seal the case shut…
..and you’re done.
This is compatible with the iPhone 4, 4S, 5 and many other handsets than and less than 5″ tall. Definitely measure your device first as some devices – like the Galaxy S3 or S4 – don’t fit. It also comes with a neck strap, something which is ideal for swimming. For most though, these waterproof pouches are great for joggers, cyclists and those wanting to use their phone in the rain without fear or the handset exploding.
This soft one is made from a flexible PVC and, luckily for me, it’s clear on both the front and rear (I got it in the wrong way around). Slot it in, close the clasps on the top and the device is still usable. It’s available in black or white and is available for £7.99. It’ll work up to 3 metres, which is pretty flipping good actually.
The second case we have today is this hard case for £9.99. It’s dirt proof, water resistant, snow proof and offers scratch protection. Again it’ll work with phones up to 5″ and works up to 3 metres underwater. If you’re going camping or to the beach this is again an ideal solution. This time it’s a flexible yet hard case and it’s made from silicone, which really does a good job of clinging to the handset.
It’s really easy to slot your phone in – perhaps easier than the soft version where you need to push the phone down inside from the top opening. It’s just a matter of removing the retaining clip and opening up the case like a book, then you pop your phone in, close it down and replace the retaining clip. It again has a neck strap and again you can use every part of the phone whilst the cover is on, although the power button on top was a little tricky to reach with both cases.
Here’s a video to show the cases in action. I decided not to just splash the handsets, but to seriously DRENCH them to test the cases 😉
Overall
Well, as you can see above, the phone I used in the test survived the hosepipe test and both cases performed perfectly when submerged. The soft case was, at times, a little tricky to use because the phone had to be pushed in from the opening at the top and then pulled back out again in the same manner. I can only equate it to that moment when you try and fit your sandwiches in one of those sandwich bags. Sure, they’ll fit, but there’s a certain amount of wiggling and jiggling. That said, I did like the clips at the top which certainly made sealing the device a simple task.
The hard case was extremely easy to use, and I liked how the material clung – almost like cling-film – to the screen on the device. It was just a matter of removing that bottom clip, opening the case, dropping in your phone and then sliding the clip back up. Simple, easy and quick.
Both did their job perfectly and I was able to use the phone and most of the functions (I couldn’t press any buttons on the side of the phone). If you do have a handset which is awoken by a press of a power button on the top of the device then you may have to pop open the hard case to press that (I could just about do it on the soft case), but if you’re headed out for a fishing trip, a boating holiday, day at the beach or you’re walking around in the rain I’d definitely recommend both. If you can afford it, go for the slightly-more-expensive hard case in my opinion though as it’s so easy to just get going.
TouchAbility Waterproof Soft Case (£7.99) – TouchAbility Hard Case (£9.99)