Looking for some watertight protection for the summer pool and beach season? Check out these waterproof iPhone 4/4S and iPhone 5 cases.
Lifeproof's $80 Fre case is the leading waterproof case for iPhone 5, but it has several competitors.
(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)
Waterproof smartphone cases used to be bulky, ungainly contraptions, but they've been trimming down lately.
That said, building a truly waterproof case is not easy (a waterproof case is defined as one that can be fully submerged underwater for at least 30 minutes). Often there are tradeoffs in creating a waterproof design, the biggest of which usually involves access to the headphone jack on your phone. They also tend to be pricey, usually costing more than $50.
In boiling down the best of what's currently out there, I tried to provide a good mix of well-designed cases with a few more affordable options that are step up from a Ziplock bag.
There still aren't a ton of great waterproof options, but ever since the Lifeproof cases became so popular, plenty of competitors have jumped into the ring. If you think I missed any or have used any of the cases in the round up, feel free to post a comment. I'll be updating this list as more products arrive.
Click on any image below to start the slideshow. (Products are listed in alphabetical order).
