Griffin Technology’s Survivor + Catalyst Waterproof iPhone 5 Case
Must Have Outdoors 06.14.13
As any avid outdoorsman or woman knows, at some point during your adventure, you will get wet. I spend a lot of time on the water and in the woods. It’s important to always have my phone on me in case of an emergency, but these devices were not made to withstand everything the outdoors can throw at you.
A few years ago while beaver trapping I slid down a bank only to find the water deeper than I originally thought. After getting thoroughly soaked, I realized that my phone had been ruined. After getting the new iPhone 5, I was stuck with putting my phone in a Ziploc bag to protect it and my search began for a better solution to protect my iPhone 5.
To protect my iPhone 5 from future disaster, I decided to give the Survivor + Catalyst Waterproof iPhone 5 Case from Griffin Technology a try.
Like it says on the package, the case is completely waterproof, and seriously it is. I went so far as to drop it into my lake to test it and the phone stayed dry. It’s even waterproof up to three meters.
The nice part of the Survivor + Catalyst Case is that it is very easy to install following all of the manufacturers details. The instruction manual goes over a checklist of things so you know that the case is working properly before you install your phone.
The screen is also very easy to navigate, almost like there is no cover on it at all. All of the buttons work the same and there isn’t a lot of bulk added to the phone.
The hard body design of the case allowed it to pass a two-meter drop test, so my iPhone 5 is protected from drops in and out of the water.
There are a few drawbacks of the case that are some things you may just have to live with when using a waterproof case. I have had several people say that I sound muffled while talking on the phone. I think this is due to the fact that the phone is completely covered. Talking louder seems to help that, but I try not to shout in public places when on the phone. I do sometimes use the headphones that came with the phone to talk to people more clearly.
The headphone jack has a screw cover to help the port. The problem is if your headphone jack is too large, you will have to use the included adapter to use your headphones. The headphones that Apple provides with your phone work fine without the adapter.
At a suggested retail of $69.99, the Survivor + Catalyst is an affordable way to protect your iPhone 5. For more information on this case, check out our video review below.
Quality
The case is well built and I can tell that the product is well thought-out to be as user friendly as possible.
Reliability
Griffin Technology suggests to frequently check the phone through use. I don’t think this will ever be a one-time install and it’s good for the life of your phone. The case requires some maintenance.
Price/Value
At around $70 this isn’t a cheap case, but then again not many other cases are waterproof.
Referability
I would recommend this to anyone that uses there phone in the great outdoors. This is a Must Have to trappers, boaters, and waterfowl hunters. If I wasn’t around water a lot, I probably wouldn’t use it just for the fact that my voice is muffled on the phone.
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