Lifedge waterproof case for iPhone 5/5S

The rugged, bulk-adding qualities of the Lifedge iPhone case will likely divide opinion – and the price certainly will.

Cost aside though, I happen to quite like the robust, rubberised looks. A phone case designed to be 100% waterproof and resistant to a metre fall onto concrete is never going to be elegant. And while bulky, the case doesn’t add much weight at all to your phone.

Rated to IP68 (dust tight, and can withstand continuous immersion in water beyond 1m depth), the case should be fully watertight for up to 30 minutes in two metres of water. I can vouch it stays dry in a sink of water for 30 seconds (as much as I dared!). More importantly though it’s kept my phone safe throughout a miserable winter when rain repeatedly penetrated my pack, saturating and disintegrating just about everything else. The rubberised case has also saved it from some stomach-clenching drops.

Easy to open and close, the patented sealing system ensures the case is fully watertight on every closure. All the phone’s buttons are accessible through corresponding rubberised ones (not the 5S’s fingerprint sensor though), and the nifty headphone adaptor means you can continue listening to your Spotify playlists whatever the weather. Charging is easy too, through a rubber-sealed flap which gives a satisfying click when snapped shut. The touchscreen cover is good and sensitive, almost as much as the phone’s screen beneath, although around the edges occasional repeated taps are required. Sound quality both in and out of the case is great, and camera functions aren’t compromised.