This Amazing iPhone Case Is Nearly Indestructible

Water, sand, clumsy hands, and low battery ain't no thang for the H2Pro.

🌞 Summertime means having fun around large bodies of water. 🌊

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You'll need an extra line of defense during the summer months – and there's a new, nearly indestructible case that'll protect it and then some.

Mophie

It's a waterproof battery pack phone case called the H2Pro for iPhone 6 by Mophie.

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I tested the case to see if it was truly beach- and lake-ready.

Phone cases, generally speaking, are boring. But when I read that this one is 100% waterproof, drop-proof, and doubles your device's battery life, I got *very* excited. I'm extremely clumsy, and also deathly afraid of device-related water damage and low battery. This case seemed to be Nicole-proof, which is why I immediately wanted to try it.

Here's the claim: The H2Pro by Mophie ($130 to pre-order) has an impressive "IP 6-8" rating. It's an internationally-recognized standard that means the product is safe underwater up to 1.2 meters deep for 30 minutes and has complete protection against dirt and dust. The battery pack built into the H2Pro can also hold one full phone charge.

Sounds too good to be true, right?

The case survived dunks in the lake, a hail storm, tumbles onto granite rock, and flip cup beer sloshing.

Nicole Nguyen / BuzzFeed

Turns out, the promise of a completely waterproof battery phone case isn't too good to be true. The H2Pro survived two rugged weekends in the great outdoors, and walked away without a single scratch.

Most impressively, when I opened up the case, I was surprised to find that the interior was completely dry; I've tested dozens of waterproof cases from cheap waterproof dry bags to very expensive waterproof cases for outdoor sports enthusiasts, and nearly all left some sort of humidity behind, rendering the camera unusable.

Mophie

Charging your phone through the case is simple: turn on power by pressing the right most button on the back, and turn it off by holding down the left button. A light indicator displays how much battery is left in the case.

The case itself charges via micro USB. During my charge test, it took two hours and 20 minutes to charge to capacity. This time is typical of most 2,750mAh battery packs. I used my 12 watt iPad charger because it doesn't come with its own, which charges the case faster than a typical iPhone charger would.

After plugging my dead iPhone into the case, my phone became usable again after two minutes. It took one hour and 40 minutes to charge my phone fully. The case holds one full iPhone charge.

Nicole Nguyen / BuzzFeed

There are some downsides.

Touch ID works through the case, but it's not perfect. I wouldn't rely on it to unlock my phone.

The case doesn't float, so it's not a perfect waterproof solution.

There is no model for Android phones (yet).

The LifeProof FRE Power might be better, but we just won't know until we try it. Looking at specifications alone, the cases are very similar.

Mophie's case is one of a slew of waterproof/battery case hybrids coming this summer. Lifeproof just announced its own FRE Power phone case ($130). Looking at specifications (like waterproofness) alone, the cases are very similar. It might be better, but we just won't know until we try it.

But, ultimately, the pros outweigh the cons.

Because the H2Pro adds major heft to your phone and using the display is cumbersome while the case is still on, it's not practical for everyday use. But I would highly recommend it for weekend adventuring at longer trips.

Mophie sent me this unit on loan for the purposes of review and, after watching the case endure some major roughhousing, I'm going to shell out $130 to get it for myself.

Remember to protect your gadgets because . . .

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Or leave them at home! It's not worth the water damage. 💦