OtterBox Waterproof iPod Case review by Jeff Roy

We are in the middle of summer, when many of us either hit the pool or some other form of water activity to have fun and keep cool. Water and electronics do not normally mix well. Taking your iPod to the lake can be dangerous for your iPod. But with the help of OtterBox there is no need to fret for your iPod.

Up for review today is the OtterBox Classic Armor case, and H3 waterproof headphones. The set comes with the clear hard plastic waterproof case, the armor series armband, and the H3 waterproof headphones. Together, it is ideal for those who do any activity where there is the concern for protection from water, such as water skiing, surfing, or just playing in the pool. The case is airtight for iPod protection. The armband is neoprene, adjustable, and the case attaches to it. The headphones are a behind the head design with an adjustable band for proper fit for you. The headphones also come with rubber earplugs that go around the earbuds for better fit and isolation in water.

I must admit, I was skeptical about the product at first. I knew it would work (being waterproof as advertised), but how would they sound? I set my expectations for them to be waterproof but that was all I was expecting. My expectations for sound quality was very low. I was not expecting them to sound very well. I was pleasantly surprised.

Testing them out in the pool, the case proved to be fully waterproof. The headphones went around my neck and fit rather well. The hard case had a thin membrane that you could control the iPod through. It worked well enough. And the headphones truly were waterproof. The sound quality did vary. When listening to them underwater, the sound quality depended on the seal. When I had a good seal, they actually sounded better underwater. But moving around in the water I lost, regained, and lost again the seal. But even when I didn’t have a good seal, the sound quality was better than I expected.

While they are marketed for use on activities such as skiing, I would be careful with it. While I believe the case would do a good job of protecting your iPod, I am not sure how secure the armband would be on any type of impact. The case attaches to the armband with a plastic clip. The case attaches fairly firmly, but a wipeout on the lake could make the case come off. If that were to happen, I think the case would do a good job protecting the iPod. If you are snow skiing, that could mean doing some searching to find it. But if you were water skiing, your iPod could be on it’s way down to the bottom of the lake.

The OtterBox Classic Armor case with Waterproof H3 headphones and Armband proved to be a great product. If you are looking for a way to listening to your tunes while getting a workout, I would suggest you give them a try. I am not aware of any other products like it. While they do not provide audiophile quality sound, that was also not the intent. Providing a waterproof product was a success, and it actually provided decent sound. For more info, please check out OtterBox website at www.OtterBox.com.