Best iPhone 5/5s Waterproof Cases

If there’s a waterproof case for the iPhone 5s, would the TouchID fingerprint sensor work underwater? Even if it did, how often would you be using your iPhone under a heavy rain or inside the pool?

Apparently no one has the right answer but companies are already making waterproof cases for the iPhone 5s. Some of them are merely selling waterproof cases made for the iPhone 5 with revised compatibility (iPhone 5 and 5s have similar design specs).

The ZipLoc bag

Needless to say, the ZipLoc solution has been around for ages. We’ve used these bags to waterproof a lot of stuff including iPhones. But this particular video from Gotta be mobile is pretty interesting. The ZipLoc actually lets you use the TouchID when dry. Of course, when your finger or the bag is wet, the TouchID fails. Shift to passcode unlock when that happens.

Griffin’s iPhone 5/5s Waterproof Case

While not exactly an iPhone 5s waterproof case, this one’s top-of-the-line waterproof case for a smartphone that looks precisely like an iPhone 5. Oh yeah, we’re talking about the iPhone 5s. The website is quick to mention that the waterproof case won’t let the TouchID work but they’re funny enough to note that “we think that the number of times you’ll want to purchase songs from iTunes when you’re out in the middle of the rain is pretty limited.”

Otterbox Preserver Series

Otterbox’s Preserver series is custom-built for the iPhone 5s. From the early designs and pictures it looks like there’s a bubble outer-shell over the TouchID home button. Like the other series (Defender, for instance), the Preserver is much more than waterproof. It is shock-proof too.

The Preserver spec sheet says “Uninhibited use of all device features and functions through the case” but we have our reservations. The TouchID most likely won’t work when you are in water.

There are also other cases like Case Marine which should perfectly fit the iPhone 5s. All’s fine till you’re not expecting the TouchID to work underwater. The best use-case scenario would be to turn off TouchID authentication for the time you’ll be using the iPhone underwater.