Protecting our precious phones is a huge concern for most users, but especially if you spend time outdoors. Dropping a phone in a stream, from a ten foot tripod stand, or the rain can ruin most devices. The Griffin Survivor case for iPhone 5 is designed to survive all of those mishaps. Does the $59.99 case provide enough protection?
This case is designed to provide ultimate protection of the iPhone 5. The case meets US Department of Defense MIL-STD-810 standards, which means it is built to military specs.With two layers of protection plus a screen cover, the Survivor is designed to survive a 6 foot fall onto concrete as well as keep out wind rain and dust. All of the ports are protected with covers that can be flipped open to provide access.
To install the Survivor Case, first insert the phone into the hard plastic shell. It will fit snugly, and I found the best way to remove it is to push it out through the camera hole. This part in itself would make a pretty tough case.
The shock absorbing, silicone layer is the next step. Make sure the edges are snapped into the plastic ridge from the first layer of case. This layer adds shock resistance and some tactile grip features. The silicone should fit tight if it installed correctly.
Once the main case is installed, the screen protector will snap into place. The screen may have some response issues with it installed, but it does provide amazing protection. You may notice a scratch in the photos. On a recent turkey hunt, my phone took a rough fall down a rock embankment. Everything survived perfect minus a small scratch on the screen protector.
The sealed ports are super tight and will keep out any dust or moisture out. There is even a cover over the camera. While I am out in the woods, these ports come in pretty handy, but on a daily use basis, they are almost too much. My stumpy fingers had a hard time opening the ports (of course that is what makes them work, but not always needed while sitting at home). I did find using the iPhone 5 connector works well to open the charging port. A small groove allows you to flip it right open. To open the camera port, I just had to dig it out of there and swing it out of the way.
Like I stated earlier, I was able to see the case in action (accidentally) while out in the woods with a bow and gear pack on my back. I was climbing down a rock embankment with all of my gear when my phone dropped and bounced down to the bottom. A small scratch was the only ill effect of the incident, so I can safely say the Survivor case does provide maximum protection. As a daily driver, the case was often too much for me though. I had a heck of a time opening the sealed ports and actually missed a few photo ops with my kids in the back yard trying to access the camera lens. I do like the fit, finish and look of the case and would highly recommend it for anyone needing maximum protection. I will continue to use the case when I am out hunting or hiking in case I have another similar mishap I had a week ago.
Griffin Survivor Case for iPhone 5/5s
MSRP: $59.99
What I like: Maximum protection for the phone with sealed ports keeping out dust and moisture.
What can be improved: The ports are difficult to open and the case is a bit bulky.
Source: Manufacturer provided sample