In the summer, I spend a lot of time in my sister’s swimming pool, playing with my nieces and nephews. I’ve wanted to take photos in the pool (including underwater) of all of us as we play, but I’ve never had a waterproof case. That may change in summer 2017, as I now have a Wetsuit Impact from Dog & Bone.
The Wetsuit case is also shock and dust proof, which makes it tempting to use as a full-time case. However, there are some issues with sound quality (more on this later), which is why I’ll only be using the Wetsuit Impact when my Apple smartphone and I are in the water.
The case is made from silicone, polycarbonate, and rubber for a triple layer of shock protection. It utilizes a two-piece design for ease and speed of assembly. It features a rubber bumper for a second layer of protection. The folks at Dog & Pony says the Wetsuit Impact — available for the iPhone 6s, 6s Plus, iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus (I tested with the the iPhone 7 Plus) — is shock proof up to 6.6 feet.
Despite its protective features, the case is only 11.9mm thick. It provides complete access to ports and controls.
The back of the Wetsuit has openings for the camera and flash with a clear plastic covering to protect them. The front of the case has openings for the front camera and ear speaker at the top, with the cut out for the touch screen, the home button and speaker openings at the bottom. The home button has a plastic membrane covering it but does allow Touch ID to work (though you may have to press harder than you would without the membrane installed).
The bottom of the Wetsuit has covered openings for the Lightning connector. Keeping the Lightning port dry is a hinged plug with its own rubber gasket seal. The right side of the case has the on/button on the top third of the case. The left side of the Wetsuit has a cutout for the mute slider and the volume +/- buttons on the top third.
Dog & Bone recommends washing the Wetsuit Impact in fresh water after repeated exposure to salt water and chlorine.
The Wetsuit Impact comes with instructions on how to test the waterproofness of your case before installing your iPhone and going in the water. You should definitely do this, as these Apple smartphones are pricey objects. I did the waterproof test without my iPhone, then with it, and it remained totally dry after several dunks in the bathtub at repeated lengths of submersion (up to 10 minutes).
As mentioned previously, the Wetsuit Impact does slightly mar the sensitivity of the iPhone’s touchscreen Also, since the smartphone’s speakers are directed out through the front of the case, audio is muffled. On the other hand, you’re probably not going to be using your iPhone to listen to your tunes when you’re underwater.
Conclusion: the Wetsuit Impact won’t be my normal iPhone case. However, it will be in my suitcase and ready for action next summer when I hit my sister’s swimming pool.
The Wetsuit Impact is available in Electric Orange, Blackest Black and Silvertail for the iPhone 6s/6s Plus and in Oceana, Electric Orange, Blackest Black and Silvertail for the iPhone 7/7 Plus. It costs $79.95 to $89.95, depending on the model/size of your Apple smartphone.
