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Best Waterproof iPhone 3g case?

B737

B737

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Oct 22, 2008
634
6
NJ
Hey guys, ive been using 2 ziplock bags to keep my ipod water tight, mountain biking, on the beach, and for use on the boat.

none of these places are in 'intentional' direct contact with water but they are highly at risk. In some cases are exposed to infrequent direct 'splashes'. On the bike its in a vinyl pouch and on the boat its in a compartment.

i do not need to listen to music while its in the waterproof case... i would like GPS functionality and actual usage of the phone through the case is optional to me as well. I usually just start a GPS app, put the phone away and forget it.

so far i have found the following...


H2O Audio Amphibx Waterproof Armband $80
looks rugged but is pricey and has had some sketchy reviews...
Link

Aquapac for iPhone $30 this one seems simple but offers little impact protection... i like this one despite its simplicity.
Link


does anyone have any other good waterproof solutions for their 3g? or used any of the above?
 
I'm no expert on this. but if you have the money for it, I think you should go with the more expensive one. It looks much more durable. But see if you can find it for a cheaper price first.
 
istinkles said:
I'm no expert on this. but if you have the money for it, I think you should go with the more expensive one. It looks much more durable. But see if you can find it for a cheaper price first.
Click to expand...


Where is the logic in that?? the reviews in the apple store were all very poor for the expensive case. I'd go with the $30 (since it has no reivew) and give it a damn good test before i put my phone in there.

Put it in the bathtub for like 48 hours with a piece of paper inside.

Also the 430 one said u can talk and touch thru. ')
 
still looking before fishing season starts!
insurance check
ziploc bag check

still havent found a case that im sold on. what are you guys using? i dont need to use the headphones or even the phone while its in the case, just to be able to see it would be nice.

i found this case today as well but theres no specs on its sales info...

http://www.thepocketsolution.com/PSI-45429/3g+iPhone+Waterproof+Case.html

bulk is not an issue i'll only be using the waterproof case while the phone is 'in a glove box'. id rather not remove the air jacket on the phone either.

as cheesy as it seems i guess the aquapac is still the best bet...
 
B737 said:
still looking before fishing season starts!
insurance check
ziploc bag check

still havent found a case that im sold on. what are you guys using? i dont need to use the headphones or even the phone while its in the case, just to be able to see it would be nice.

i found this case today as well but theres no specs on its sales info...

http://www.thepocketsolution.com/PSI-45429/3g+iPhone+Waterproof+Case.html

bulk is not an issue i'll only be using the waterproof case while the phone is 'in a glove box'. id rather not remove the air jacket on the phone either.

as cheesy as it seems i guess the aquapac is still the best bet...
Click to expand...

B733 did you end up getting this case if so how is it, if not can you recommend something
 
I've been using the aqua pac. And although I haven't dropped the phone in the water yet it's taken it's fare share of water. The case has worked great so far. It's convieniant to use, because the phone just slips in and out, I don't have to take the phones regular case on and off, I can use the phone through the aqua pac, talk txt type surf, and it's been completely waterproof. Theroretically it should float.

Granted it's no different than a water tight bag it's been durable and convieniant to use. Overall, I'm confident with the safety of the case.
 
B737 said:
I've been using the aqua pac. And although I haven't dropped the phone in the water yet it's taken it's fare share of water. The case has worked great so far. It's convieniant to use, because the phone just slips in and out, I don't have to take the phones regular case on and off, I can use the phone through the aqua pac, talk txt type surf, and it's been completely waterproof. Theroretically it should float.

Granted it's no different than a water tight bag it's been durable and convieniant to use. Overall, I'm confident with the safety of the case.
Click to expand...

Thanks for posting back so quick, I'm going to order it today. Do you use the desiccant sachets they recommend to eliminate moisture or is there no need?
 
On the bike I put the phone in the aqua pac, then it's wrapped up snug and put under the seat pouch where it's secure and out of the way. The aqua pac is form fitting but its still simply just a bag, so im not sure a bike mount will hold onto the phone. plus the aqua pac offers no impact protection. so id be very weary to put the phone anywhere on the bike subject to impact (all places on MTB :) )

@ coach, I hadn't heard of those anti moisture packs, I haven't used one. I won't take my iPhone on the boat or to the beach without the aqua pack. Again, I don't need to use it's headphones in either place. As long as ur ok with that I think ull enjoy the case.

One warning though. The rubbery material the aqua pac is made from grabs the phone! It especially loves to grab invisible shields. The biggest down fall of this case is simply removing the phone. It's a total PITA! I've had my aqua pac and use it weekly for the past 3 months, it's just now starting to break in where the inside of the case is 'gripping' the phone less and becoming easier to remove. The best removal advice I can give is to A) stay calm b) try n blow in it so the case isn't sticking to the phone and gently slide it out. The case won't stick to the back of my phone cause it's got an air jacket on it, but when it grabs the I/S it won't budge :)
 
B737 said:
On the bike I put the phone in the aqua pac, then it's wrapped up snug and put under the seat pouch where it's secure and out of the way. The aqua pac is form fitting but its still simply just a bag, so im not sure a bike mount will hold onto the phone.
Click to expand...

I use the cyclometer app B.iCycle that shows me a map of the surrounding bike trails plus my current speed and so on. So I need the display in my sight. I might just get the aqua pac and try if it still fits in my bike mount. I use the "Bike mount 1" from Richter. Pretty cool mount because its rock solid and secure.
 
iPhone guru said:
I use the cyclometer app B.iCycle that shows me a map of the surrounding bike trails plus my current speed and so on. So I need the display in my sight. I might just get the aqua pac and try if it still fits in my bike mount. I use the "Bike mount 1" from Richter. Pretty cool mount because its rock solid and secure.
Click to expand...

I'm using B.iCycle as well and I'm very satisfied with this cool bunch of code. Best biking-app in the store. Thumps Up!

www.b-icycle.com

I'm already using a bike mount for this and now I'm thinking about buying a waterproof case.

Has anyone expirences with the cases from these guys?

http://www.otterbox.com/
 
dougster said:
I'm using B.iCycle as well and I'm very satisfied with this cool bunch of code. Best biking-app in the store. Thumps Up!

www.b-icycle.com

I'm already using a bike mount for this and now I'm thinking about buying a waterproof case.

Has anyone expirences with the cases from these guys?

http://www.otterbox.com/
Click to expand...

I'm not sure if the otterbox solution is really water proof. They seem to be made for shock and dust protection in particular. Have a look at the Aquapac solution. I consider to combine that with my bike mount:

http://www.aquapac.net/usstore/waterproof-iphone-case-br-code-104-1792-0.html

That would allow to see the screen while biking.
 
I use a drycase

I just bought a case online from Drycase.com and have used it for the last week and have been impressed.

I have used it on the beach, in the ocean and on my little sail boat.

It has a vacuum seal to keep out the water and the special cord that lets me use my iphone headset (even the mic on the headphones)

So far it has been pretty great and allows me to use the touch screen.

One complaint, if you pump out every last bit of air, the iphone's speaker phone does not work. Drycase tech support told me that if there is no air in the case, sound can not travel. I leave a bit of air in it and it works fine and is still waterproof. The pump and strap are removable, and I leave them at home. I just use my mouth to suck the air out if I have to open it.

call me satisfied. Well worth the $30.

Andrew
 
Wirelessly posted (iPhone 3GS: Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 3_0 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/528.18 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile/7A341 Safari/528.16)

Interesting case. It seems like it's built off the aqua pac just more stuff. I like how they sealed in the headphone Jack. I'm not sure why you'd want to vacuume out the air?



Having some air in the case will give the phone a fighting chance to float if it's dropped in the water.



One thing that's nice is the arm strap! This case may be a very good companion for running outdoors as the phone is completly seal off. Nice find.
 
getting out the air

I am mixed about pulling all the air out of the drycase.

The pros are that it makes the touch screen easy to use and it ensures that there is no leak. With the air out, there is no way for the water to get in.

The con is that it keeps the speaker from working well. You are correct about the thing floating. I could test to see if my phone floats with the air still in it.

by the way they sent me a discount code for future orders. The card says use "keepdry" in the check out for 10% off.
 
Dry Case. NEW. But it works - perfectly waterproof.

I have to say first, that our company is the inventor.
We have made Vacuum sealed medical products for 12 years and are all over the globe!

I got my I phone wet (twice) and could not replace it!
We took the same vacuum seal and applied it to electronics.

It has only been out for a couple of weeks, but it is the best thing on the market and we priced it at only 29.25 and true waterproof headphones for 19.95. Did I say IT WORKS! You can even take pictures underwater. We have do this in medicine, not for my Iphone 3GS. I and many friends use it every day - in the ocean. In the few weeks we have had it, it is starting here at Wrightsville Beach, NC and starting to gain favor across the USA and hopefully like our DryPro, the world! www.DryCase.com
Dr Arch
CEO, Dry Corp
 
Has anyone found a waterproof case for the iPhone yet where you can still use the phone while it's on and that actually looks semi-cool?

I checked out all the links above and have been Googling for days, but I'm starting to think it doesn't exist...
 
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