January 20, 2016
Pelican Phone Case...Solid Protection!
We all know the Pelican brand, and we know it means high-quality injection molded cases for protection from sensitive electronics for remote scientific surveys, keeping camera gear dry, and even unparalleled protection for your rifles/optics while hunting in Alaska. We use them, and love them. The Pelican phone case seem to be no different.
However, I hadn't tried their phone cases until Andy at AT&T contacted me to see if we were interested in giving a Pelican Voyager a try since it certainly offers protection from many of the abuses that us Alaskans tend to give our equipment while out recreating and even in our day-to-day activities.
I will say that I was a die-hard LifeProof case fan since I religiously had one on my previous iPhone and was able to swim with it, do underwater video (which, admittedly, wasn't stellar), and generally not have to worry about it.
"Well, the Voyager isn't waterproof. Isn't that a HUGE detractor for you?" Well, maybe, but here are a few things that I feel are improved when your case isn't completely waterproof. First, the iPhone 6s plus that I have now boasts an incredible camera and putting easily marred/hazed plastic in front of the lens robs your cameras performance, and I certainly noticed a degradation over time, until I had to throw the case away. Secondly, I wanted to give the tempered glass covers that are sold pretty much anywhere (I got mine on Amazon) a try as another added layer of protection for the screen on my new 6s plus, but still wanted to have the same 'touch' as the original glass surface. With no additional screen coverings, the Pelican Voyager gladly accepted the previously installed tempered glass protector and I was off to the races.
Already having to adjust to the seemingly iPad-esque size of the new 6s plus from my iPhone 5, I was a bit worried about the extra dimension that the Pelican Voyager brought to the table to compliment its armor. I found that just like adjusting to the size of the phone, adjusting to the extra girth of the case wasn't a big deal at all. Yeah, its a bit bulky in many of my jean pockets, but I generally throw it in a jacket pocket and it rides in the center-console of my vehicle often as well...not a deal-breaker for this Pelican phone case.
Having a considerable raised edge around the entire screen means that I haven't even had the slightest scratch, ding, or crack in the tempered glass cover of my phone. Since life happens, I've already put this raised edge to the test, and you can see a few pretty good dings, notches, and scratches around the outside of the phone where it has taken a tumble down a flight of metal stairs, multiple falls on concrete, and it often falls out of the car onto the asphalt if I tuck it under my leg while driving and forget to pocket it before exiting.
The Voyager Pelican phone case is constructed of 4-layers of impact absorbing materials and adding the exterior gripping surfaces (the two large bands on the rear of the case) was a nice touch to keep it from sliding around when you want it to stay put. The bottom of the case features some uniquely styled rubber that not only protect the ports on the bottom (no more fighting lint in the lightning and headphone jacks), but also helps route the sound from the speakers forward toward the user...nice touch.
After several months with this case, my only real gripe is that sometimes the buttons on the side of the case (volume up/down, power) can be difficult to actuate. Of course you're having to deform the durable rubber on the sides to actually press the button that lies below the edge, but it seems that it could've been engineered a bit differently to make this task easier. This seems ticky-tack, but often I feel like I'm REALLY pushing down to get the button depressed. My teeny-tiny girlish hands don't help either ;)
Back to the waterproof issue. It seems that Apple has quietly given the new 6s and 6s plus some degree of waterproofing as proven by a myriad of YouTube videos. Do they eventually kill the phone with water? Yes, but after several minutes of submersion. This fact, and the aforementioned reasons why I don't enjoy a full waterproof case make me lean toward the Voyager.
Overall this is a great product and AT&T retail stores in Alaska carry this and other options like it for almost every phone imaginable (click here). I'd recommend hitting them up and letting them show you the options for Pelican phone case, what they can do, and protect that investment. Like most of you, my phone is the most expensive thing I carry on a daily basis, and I want it to work for me...for a long time.
However, I hadn't tried their phone cases until Andy at AT&T contacted me to see if we were interested in giving a Pelican Voyager a try since it certainly offers protection from many of the abuses that us Alaskans tend to give our equipment while out recreating and even in our day-to-day activities.
I will say that I was a die-hard LifeProof case fan since I religiously had one on my previous iPhone and was able to swim with it, do underwater video (which, admittedly, wasn't stellar), and generally not have to worry about it.
"Well, the Voyager isn't waterproof. Isn't that a HUGE detractor for you?" Well, maybe, but here are a few things that I feel are improved when your case isn't completely waterproof. First, the iPhone 6s plus that I have now boasts an incredible camera and putting easily marred/hazed plastic in front of the lens robs your cameras performance, and I certainly noticed a degradation over time, until I had to throw the case away. Secondly, I wanted to give the tempered glass covers that are sold pretty much anywhere (I got mine on Amazon) a try as another added layer of protection for the screen on my new 6s plus, but still wanted to have the same 'touch' as the original glass surface. With no additional screen coverings, the Pelican Voyager gladly accepted the previously installed tempered glass protector and I was off to the races.
Already having to adjust to the seemingly iPad-esque size of the new 6s plus from my iPhone 5, I was a bit worried about the extra dimension that the Pelican Voyager brought to the table to compliment its armor. I found that just like adjusting to the size of the phone, adjusting to the extra girth of the case wasn't a big deal at all. Yeah, its a bit bulky in many of my jean pockets, but I generally throw it in a jacket pocket and it rides in the center-console of my vehicle often as well...not a deal-breaker for this Pelican phone case.
Having a considerable raised edge around the entire screen means that I haven't even had the slightest scratch, ding, or crack in the tempered glass cover of my phone. Since life happens, I've already put this raised edge to the test, and you can see a few pretty good dings, notches, and scratches around the outside of the phone where it has taken a tumble down a flight of metal stairs, multiple falls on concrete, and it often falls out of the car onto the asphalt if I tuck it under my leg while driving and forget to pocket it before exiting.
The Voyager Pelican phone case is constructed of 4-layers of impact absorbing materials and adding the exterior gripping surfaces (the two large bands on the rear of the case) was a nice touch to keep it from sliding around when you want it to stay put. The bottom of the case features some uniquely styled rubber that not only protect the ports on the bottom (no more fighting lint in the lightning and headphone jacks), but also helps route the sound from the speakers forward toward the user...nice touch.
After several months with this case, my only real gripe is that sometimes the buttons on the side of the case (volume up/down, power) can be difficult to actuate. Of course you're having to deform the durable rubber on the sides to actually press the button that lies below the edge, but it seems that it could've been engineered a bit differently to make this task easier. This seems ticky-tack, but often I feel like I'm REALLY pushing down to get the button depressed. My teeny-tiny girlish hands don't help either ;)
Back to the waterproof issue. It seems that Apple has quietly given the new 6s and 6s plus some degree of waterproofing as proven by a myriad of YouTube videos. Do they eventually kill the phone with water? Yes, but after several minutes of submersion. This fact, and the aforementioned reasons why I don't enjoy a full waterproof case make me lean toward the Voyager.
Overall this is a great product and AT&T retail stores in Alaska carry this and other options like it for almost every phone imaginable (click here). I'd recommend hitting them up and letting them show you the options for Pelican phone case, what they can do, and protect that investment. Like most of you, my phone is the most expensive thing I carry on a daily basis, and I want it to work for me...for a long time.