iPhone 5 Lifeproof vs Otterbox Defender

[Iphone lover]

Message: Which one is better? This is the only video that I could find on YouTube that compares them both on the iPhone 5. Here is the video:

iPhone 5 LifeProof vs Otterbox - YouTube

[kornchild2002]

They are two cases made for two different purposes. The Otterbox is more for protecting against drops while the Lifeproof protects against the elements (i.e. water and moisture). One isn't going to necessarily be better than the other, it all depends in your needs. They are both highly reviewed cases that have their drawbacks. The Otterbox is bulky and the headphone cover on the Lifeproof case is annoying. Get whichever one will fit your needs. Don't forget about the Belkin Survivor either, it seems to be a mix between the Otterbox Defender and Lifeproof case.

[Iphone lover]

I have to partly disagree with you. Both cases serve the same purposes which is to protect the phone however Lifeproof has an additional benefit which is that it is waterproof. I'm going to check out that Belkin case though.


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[kornchild2002]

Well yeah, every single iPhone case out there is made to protect the iPhone in some way. The level of protection is what varies between them. That underlying goal can be ignored. Otherwise one could say that the OtterBox Defender is similar to a cheap $5 hard plastic snap case because they are both made to protect the iPhone. That isn't the case though.

Each of these extreme cases are made to protect the iPhone on different levels. The Belkin Survivor seems to be the best all around case though it is not fully waterproof (just water resistant). Keep in mind that the Lifeproof is waterproof only up to a certain depth (I think its less than 2 ft) so don't think you will be able to take your iPhone to the bottom of a pool. It has the ability to keep an iPhone dry if you drop it in a full sink or in a toilet, that's about it. The Lifeproof is the slimmest of the extreme cases but initial reviews show that it isn't as good as either the OtterBox or Belkin unit at defending against drops.

In my opinion, if you really wanted to protect against everything, go with the Belkin case. There are videos online where they put an iPhone 4/4S through some rough torture and the only thing it doesn't survive is being driven over with my a car.