Griffin Survivor Case for Smartphones
Griffin Survivor Case (with clip)
Dropping my iPhone seems to be a big problem with me. And it frequently doesn’t end well. And being outdoors a fair bit, there are plenty of opportunities to do so.
Like the time, I had in my backpack outside pocket. That ended up falling down a hill. And don’t forget the time the phone absorbed a lot of the condensation in the tent. Never looked the same since.
In our family, when camping and outdoors, we use our phones for lots of things – making actual calls on it, is way down the list. From the basic; using it as a clock or if I need to have an emergency Candy Crush game, to the more practical, like GPS navigation when on walks.
Unfortunately, a lot of these smartphones of all brands are not really designed to be dropped from any height and come out undamaged. (And did you know that the iPhone 5 has a problem of bending in your back pocket? That’s a whole new problem to think about with your phone)
So when the opportunity was given to me by Mobilezap to try a Griffin Survivor Case for my phone (full range for all sorts of phones, not just those by Apple), it was a match made in heaven!
How did they know how much my phone(s) had suffered under my care (or lack thereof)?
BUT could this Griffin case, survive me? Tested in conjunction with the US Military is one thing…..but camping with us, is a whole new scenario..
So what challenges should I put my newly encased iPhone through on our camping trip?
My biggest fear was – “how about if the case doesn’t protect my phone?” And I stuffed my phone reviewing the Griffin? Not a problem. Just used my husband’s phone. Do not tell him.
So read on, if you want to know how the Griffin performed under my rigorous, yet decidedly non scientific testing….
Like the time, I had in my backpack outside pocket. That ended up falling down a hill. And don’t forget the time the phone absorbed a lot of the condensation in the tent. Never looked the same since.
In our family, when camping and outdoors, we use our phones for lots of things – making actual calls on it, is way down the list. From the basic; using it as a clock or if I need to have an emergency Candy Crush game, to the more practical, like GPS navigation when on walks.
Unfortunately, a lot of these smartphones of all brands are not really designed to be dropped from any height and come out undamaged. (And did you know that the iPhone 5 has a problem of bending in your back pocket? That’s a whole new problem to think about with your phone)
So when the opportunity was given to me by Mobilezap to try a Griffin Survivor Case for my phone (full range for all sorts of phones, not just those by Apple), it was a match made in heaven!
How did they know how much my phone(s) had suffered under my care (or lack thereof)?
BUT could this Griffin case, survive me? Tested in conjunction with the US Military is one thing…..but camping with us, is a whole new scenario..
So what challenges should I put my newly encased iPhone through on our camping trip?
My biggest fear was – “how about if the case doesn’t protect my phone?” And I stuffed my phone reviewing the Griffin? Not a problem. Just used my husband’s phone. Do not tell him.
So read on, if you want to know how the Griffin performed under my rigorous, yet decidedly non scientific testing….
My (!) phone lying in the sands of River Murray
Water
Rain – the enemy of many a camper and outdoorsy person. The Griffin allowed me to use the phone without fear of droplets of water. As it has a tough polycarbonate screen cover, I could still use all the apps with rain falling. All apps remained responsive, and I didn’t have to hit the screen madly trying to get them to register my touch.
Waterproof – it was not waterproof. Dropping the phone in a small puddle was scary, when I saw water between the cover and the phone. The speed at which I got the Griffin cover off the phone was impressively fast, as I needed to wipe water off a certain person’s phone very very speedily. Good news is that for those of you with the 5s iPhone, there is a waterproof cover available.
Dropping the phone
Firstly, dropped my backpack with the phone inside. A nice gentle start to testing the rigid internal frame. Phone survived and worked!
Dropping phone on hard surfaces time! Started off with a little drop of less than 50cm and built up to 1 metre. It can withstand a drop of 1.8m, but I chickened out, and didn’t drop it from that distance.
A short hike in the Adelaide Hills and time to see what it was like if it fell out of my pack (again). Bounced beautifully off the rocky pathway, and survived without a scratch! Thanks to the silicone cladding and the internal casing, so far so good.
Sand/Dust
We didn’t encounter any really windy days nor did we go to a desert to use this. I did drop the phone in some sand though! (see the photo on this page). But all the key areas of the phone (like charging port, volume/mute switch) were all protected, and you can easily access them. A great thing is that you don’t have to take off the casing to charge the phone, which would have been painful.
Taking Photos
As mentioned, the key parts of the phone are safely tucked behind the silicone cladding.
As is the camera lens.
If you want to take a photo, you will need to remove the cladding covering the lens but the problem is that the little lens cover just hangs off the cladding, and moves in front of the lens. You need to use your spare hand to hold it away. Photography was hindered by the case.
Accessories
Who doesn’t love an accessory?
This comes with a belt clip that was nice and chunky, and can go on the front or back of the phone – your choice. Now I don’t really wear phones on my belt, but I do clip them to my daypack when walking, so I want a reliable one.
Best thing about this casing:
Saves your phone from breakages! That was what I wanted and needed in a cover.
Downside of this protective casing:
The cover over the lens was annoying.
But the raised home button, meant that I was forever getting Siri asking me what I wanted, or how she could help me (from the depths of my bag). It does appear that the cover makes the phone more likely to be activated, than without it on.
We thank Mobilezap for gifting us with a cover to make life safer and happier for our phones when outdoors! If you need your phone/Tablet, outdoors-proofed, then check out their range.
Rain – the enemy of many a camper and outdoorsy person. The Griffin allowed me to use the phone without fear of droplets of water. As it has a tough polycarbonate screen cover, I could still use all the apps with rain falling. All apps remained responsive, and I didn’t have to hit the screen madly trying to get them to register my touch.
Waterproof – it was not waterproof. Dropping the phone in a small puddle was scary, when I saw water between the cover and the phone. The speed at which I got the Griffin cover off the phone was impressively fast, as I needed to wipe water off a certain person’s phone very very speedily. Good news is that for those of you with the 5s iPhone, there is a waterproof cover available.
Dropping the phone
Firstly, dropped my backpack with the phone inside. A nice gentle start to testing the rigid internal frame. Phone survived and worked!
Dropping phone on hard surfaces time! Started off with a little drop of less than 50cm and built up to 1 metre. It can withstand a drop of 1.8m, but I chickened out, and didn’t drop it from that distance.
A short hike in the Adelaide Hills and time to see what it was like if it fell out of my pack (again). Bounced beautifully off the rocky pathway, and survived without a scratch! Thanks to the silicone cladding and the internal casing, so far so good.
Sand/Dust
We didn’t encounter any really windy days nor did we go to a desert to use this. I did drop the phone in some sand though! (see the photo on this page). But all the key areas of the phone (like charging port, volume/mute switch) were all protected, and you can easily access them. A great thing is that you don’t have to take off the casing to charge the phone, which would have been painful.
Taking Photos
As mentioned, the key parts of the phone are safely tucked behind the silicone cladding.
As is the camera lens.
If you want to take a photo, you will need to remove the cladding covering the lens but the problem is that the little lens cover just hangs off the cladding, and moves in front of the lens. You need to use your spare hand to hold it away. Photography was hindered by the case.
Accessories
Who doesn’t love an accessory?
This comes with a belt clip that was nice and chunky, and can go on the front or back of the phone – your choice. Now I don’t really wear phones on my belt, but I do clip them to my daypack when walking, so I want a reliable one.
Best thing about this casing:
Saves your phone from breakages! That was what I wanted and needed in a cover.
Downside of this protective casing:
The cover over the lens was annoying.
But the raised home button, meant that I was forever getting Siri asking me what I wanted, or how she could help me (from the depths of my bag). It does appear that the cover makes the phone more likely to be activated, than without it on.
We thank Mobilezap for gifting us with a cover to make life safer and happier for our phones when outdoors! If you need your phone/Tablet, outdoors-proofed, then check out their range.