TECH SPOTLIGHT

Outdoor Tech keeps phone dry; Ballistic proves damp

Special to the Arkansas Democrat Gazette - 09-06-2013 -  The Outdoor Tech Safe 5 Waterproof case and the Ballistic Hydra case for iPhone 5 soak during one of the tests to prove the cases are waterproof as claimed.
Special to the Arkansas Democrat Gazette - 09-06-2013 - The Outdoor Tech Safe 5 Waterproof case and the Ballistic Hydra case for iPhone 5 soak during one of the tests to prove the cases are waterproof as claimed.

OK, just two more.

I thought I was done with the latest cases, but I found two more I absolutely had to try out. I had a good reason to test these cases. I spent the weekend in a cabin by a lake, and since these two cases happen to claim to be waterproof, I wanted to be sure my phone wouldn’t get ruined should it take an unexpected dip in the water.

The two cases were the Ballistic Hydra and the Outdoor Tech Safe 5 Waterproof cases.

Outdoor Tech is new to me, so I wasn’t sure what to expect from it. The case has an O-ring around the edges and is attached at the bottom, so it’s all one piece. The case closes and seals by twisting three screws on the back.

Ballistic is more familiar. I’ve tested a few of their products in the past, usually with good results. I had high expectations for the Ballistic case, which has an inner shell and a screen protector that includes a red O-ring around it. The protector has teeth that fit into the inner shell, connecting it and sealing it with the O-ring. An outer rubber seal covers the protector and inner shell’s edges. A flap on the bottom covers the ports there, and small red O-rings seal those ports.

The cases also claim to be dustproof and, in the case of the Ballistic, shockproof. Both seemed to perform well with drops and dust. I didn’t see problems with either one there.

That left the biggest claim - waterproof. Both cases came with specific instructions on how to open and close them so they would be waterproof. Both also claimed to be waterproof for up to half an hour in water. I followed the instructions as I prepared my standard tests. As always, I used a folded paper towel in place of my phone. It’s a lot cheaper to ruin. I made certain the paper towel did not touch any part of the inner seal of both cases.

I check waterproof claims two ways: By keeping the cases underwater for half an hour and by running water over them from the faucet afterward to test how they work with moving water. The stagnant water is in a bowl, and I place dye in the water so if the case leaks, I’ll know if the leak was from the bowl or the faucet.

I dunked both cases in blue water for half an hour, making certain the cases remained completely underwater. I then ran water over the cases for several minutes, both to perform the second test and to be sure the dyed water was rinsed off completely so that when I opened the cases, any leftover water wouldn’t contaminate the paper towel.

The Outdoor case surprised me. Frankly, with only three screws holding it closed, I expected it to leak. But after half an hour in dyed water and another couple of minutes being rinsed off, the case showed no signs of leakage. It performed remarkably well, despite repeated dunkings.

The Ballistic case was another story, which also was a surprise. Given that it had two layers of protection, I expected this case to remain dry as a bone. I’ve also reviewed Ballistic products in the past and have had good experiences with them. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case here.

The Ballistic case seemed to do OK in the first dye test, or so I thought. Once I finished rinsing it, however, I noticed a hint of blue across the bottom of the paper towel. Sure enough, once I thoroughly dried the case and opened it, I discovered the bottom of the paper towel was wet.

Once again, I pulled out the instructions, read them carefully and followed them. I inspected the red O-ring very carefully for any problems. I double checked that it was thoroughly in place. I assembled the case just as the instructions stated and made sure everything appeared to be sealed properly. I then performed another dunk test, using a different color for the water just to be sure there was no contamination from the previous test. I left the case in for a slightly shorter time, about 24 minutes.

As I removed the case from the red water, the paper towel inside appeared to be dry. As before, I rinsed the case thoroughly under the faucet. That’s when the red showed up. Apparently, it didn’t leak when sitting in still water; it was when running water ran over it that the case apparently leaked.

It would seem a simple solution - just don’t run water over it. The problem with this is that it isn’t very realistic if you’re using it outdoors. Imagine if you accidentally drop the phone from a speeding boat or into a running stream while kayaking. It’s fine if you’re simply worried about accidentally dropping your phone in the toilet, tub or sink. But it isn’t going to do much good if the water is moving with any force.

The tests left me with little doubt as to which case to take to the lake. The Outdoor Tech was in, the Ballistic was out.

It’s a good thing I decided to try just two more cases.

Melissa L. Jones can be reached at [email protected].

Where it’s @

The Outdoor Tech Safe 5 Waterproof case requires an iPhone 5 and retails for $49.95. More information is at outdoortechnology.com. The Ballistic Hydra retails for $79.99. More information is available at goballisticcase.com.

Business, Pages 23 on 09/09/2013

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