Obviously, water and the iPhone were never designed to mix.
That’s why I usually make sure to hold my iPhone 4S like a newborn baby when I’m going to be near a pool, hot tub, or lake. But my family and I took a recent vacation to a local indoor water park. And instead of having to try to take pictures and videos of my children from the bank while making sure my phone or DSLR didn’t get exposed to one drop of water, I explored the option of a waterproof case.
I wanted to be able to easily keep track of my phone while in the water and be able to snap a picture of my kids at an opportune moment. And the Dri Cat Neck It from EK Ekcessories definitely fit the bill.
The Good
As the name suggests, the solution is a combined waterproof case and lanyard. Installing the iPhone 4 or iPhone 4S is quick and easy. You open the case up by rotating the top portion and unlatching two bottom tabs. Once your iPhone is inserted, reverse the process, and you are finished. EK Ekcessories says the solution is waterproof up to 16 feet.
Unlike some other waterproof cases, the Dri Cat Neck It can also be used underwater. Normally, the capacitive touch screen doesn’t respond when wet. But the case places a thin, clear film over the screen. Touch sensitivity wasn’t exactly precise or timely underwater, but it was still a nice feature to have when you need it.
On the back of the case, there is a cutout for the iPhone’s camera.
The lanyard also really does a great job of helping you keep track of your phone. It’s also long enough to be comfortable and easily grab when you need it. The orange version of the case can easily be described as fluorescent, and I was able to easily see my phone, even on the bottom of a 9-foot pool. The case can also be unsnapped from the lanyard if so desired.
For fun, and to see exactly how waterproof the case really was, I had to try it out by taking a video of one of the water park’s features that dumps more than 1,000 gallons of water on visitors. And here is the result. Click here if you can’t see the video.
The Bad
If you want full access to all the ports and buttons of your phone on a waterproof case, the Dri Cat Neck It isn’t for you. The docking port, on/off switch, headphone jack, volume buttons, and vibrate switch are all inaccessible. Because of the that, the only real usage of the case is for water photography and video.
While I was pleased with the quality of the pictures and videos taken with the case, you do have to be careful before using the camera. Even if a small amount of water does get lodged in the camera’s cutout, your photos will look like a nice big blob of water. Simply dunking the case into the water for a second or blowing the water out did solve the problem.
Verdict
I’ve tried other waterproof cases, like LifeProof’s iPhone solution, but always came away disappointed. Most of the time, any waterproof case is very difficult to install/remove, and there is usually some type of tradeoff to use it as a full-time case.
When I used the LifeProof case for a short time, I was very displeased with how the product muffled both the volume of the microphone and speakers. I had a hard time hearing callers, and I had to speak much more loudly to be understood.
And that’s why I liked the Dri Cat Neck It. It’s not designed to be an everyday solution, but does an excellent job of protecting your phone from water when you need it to. It’s very easy to install, and the attached lanyard helps keep it close to you when you need it. The case made my vacation that much more enjoyable as I was able to capture some great moments in the water that I wouldn’t have been able to otherwise.
When you’re done being around water, you can simply put on an everyday case, knowing the Dri Cat Neck It will be there when you want to get all wet again.
Along with the orange version I tested out, the case comes in yellow, black, blue, and white. It can be found at the EK Ekcessories website for $59.99.
