Lifeproof Nuud Case for iPhone 5

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Looking for the LifeProof Nuud for the iPhone 5S? CLICK HERE!

The Lifeproof Nuud Case for iPhone 5 is an excellent, ruggedized case and based on our usage, we give this case 4.1 Eh?’s out of 5. Out of the dozen rugged cases that we’ve reviewed up to this point, only 1 scores higher than the Nuud and that’s the Lifeproof Fre. This seems a bit odd given that the Nuud is $20 more than the Fre but that’s what our ratings say.

PROS
– Fairly slim
– No screen protector
– Lightweight
– Great build quality

CONS
– The bezel around the touchscreen makes the it bit more difficult to get to certain parts of the screen
– Price

Save up to 50% on select LifeProof products during the New Year’s Sale. Shop now for iPhone 5/5s and iPad/iPad Mini discounts at lifeproof.com. Promo Code: WRING50. Coupon Code: WRING50

ABOUT THE CASE MANUFACTURER 

Lifeproof is a case maker that focuses on creating ruggedize, waterproof cases for iOS devices and the Galaxy S3. We’re quite fond of Lifeproof at Mobilereviews-eh.ca as their cases rate well and are a joy to use. It will be interesting to see what happens with Lifeproof as they were acquired by Otterbox in early 2013 so hopefully they maintain their ability to create high-quality cases.

The different products from Lifeproof can be found here : Lifeproof iPhone Cases

It is important to note that in our testing, the first case had a manufacturing defect which resulted in the volume buttons for the case unusable. A quick trip back to Best Buy resulted in a new case that had functioning volume buttons.

PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES

The Lifeproof Nuud Case for iPhone 5 / 5S is slightly bigger than the Lifeproof Fre and one of the most interesting characteristics of this case is the fact that it has no screen protector and yet it is still fully shockproof and drop proof.

The Lifeproof Nuud Case for the iPhone 5 / 5S scores well (for a rugged case that is) in the Design category. It’s a fairly slim rugged case. The Lifeproof Fre case for iPhone 5 /5S being the only slimmer case and like most Lifeproof cases, it’s pretty light.

This Lifeproof Nuud Case for the iPhone 5 / 5S is lighter than most rugged cases and the profile of the case is fairly slim. As mentioned above, the only slimmer rugged case is the Lifeproof Fre.

Installing the Lifeproof Nuud case for iPhone 5/5S is quite simple and doesn’t require any external tools. Pop your device into the front shell and snap the two pieces together. Uninstalling the case requires a coin being used as a level to pop the two pieces apart. This is one of the few cases that we could install/uninstall the case in less than a minute.

One of the very first cases that we reviewed was a Lifeproof Nuud case for the iPad (3 Gen) and with that case, the o-ring was awful to install. The slightest nudge would pop the o-ring out of the case and you’d have to start all over again. With the latest version of the Lifeproof cases, these o-rings are either glued or embedded into the ridges so that this doesn’t happen anymore so kudos to them for making the installation process easier.

The Lifeproof Nuud Case for the iPhone 5 / 5S feels well built (for $100 bucks it should) and after a variety of drops, the case showed minimum wear and tear. In our Drop Test, we tried to ram the Nuud with a Parrot AR 2.0 Drone and both the drone and the case survived..

The front of the Lifeproof Nuud has a rubber bumper that does the brunt of the shock absorption (that’s our guess) and provides enough texture that you feel like you’re going to fling your phone while carrying it.

The back panel is small (when compared to the front) and is made out of a hard plastic. This plastic seems to be fairly scratch resistant as there weren’t many scratches on this panel after our Drop Test.

This case is pretty tough. Like all our other Lifeproof cases that we’ve used, we feel incredibly comfortable dropping our Lifeproof wrapped-devices anywhere. One of our favorite tricks is to hand our device to someone and purposely let go early and watch their reaction as the device tumbles to the ground.

Drop Test – Lifeproof Nuud iPhone 5 vs. Parrot AR 2.0 Drone
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sY92LKXmvQo 

We’re not sure how to put it but the Lifeproof Nuud Case for iPhone 5 definitely protects your iPhone from everyday life. As shown in the video above, we dropped the Lifeproof Nuud on both smooth concrete surfaces and on rough a parking lot and it does protect the case with minimal visible damage to the case.

What the video doesn’t show are all the extra drops that the case endured during the shooting of the Parrot AR 2.0 Drone sequence. The shot took 2 attempts and balancing the device on a monopod was pretty tough as a whiff of wind would blow the case onto the ground.

Waterproof Test – Lifeproof Nuud Case for the iPhone 5
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eT8dnU6-1n0

Ever feel the need to take your iPhone swimming? Well, if you’re not going any deeper than 4ft/2meters, than definitely use this case. Unlike most manufacturers, Lifeproof specifically tells you to perform a water test on the case before you actually go swimming and they include a “fake” iPhone for you to use.

Now for our Waterproof Test (video above), we did submerge the Lifeproof Nuud Case for iPhone 5 without the device into a tub of water for about 30 mins (as prescribed by Lifeproof) and there wasn’t any leakage so we proceeded to install the iPhone and do some dishes with it. We’re glad to say that we’re still using the phone.

Now you might be asking “how does a case with no screen protection have a score of 4/5?”. First of all, the front panel extends approximately 1/4 inch past the touchscreen of the iPhone which provides a bit of protection if you were to place the device face first.

Second of all, Lifeproof has included an optional screen protector that can be applied to the device. This screen protector fits between the raised bevels of the case and can be applied to the case after installation. This screen protector is fairly thick and because of that we were very comfortable treating it like any other case with a screen protector (i.e tossing it around, being pseudo-careless with the phone by dropping it randomly)

This Lifeproof Nuud case for iPhone 5/5S handles very well despite the additional bulk of the case, it doesn’t feel much heavier than the naked iPhone 5. All the buttons are easily accessible although the mute/ringer switch is reversed so just be aware that you will most likely be embarrassed a few times in situations where you think your phone is actually silent.

In terms of ports, both the headphone jack and the Lightning port are easily accessible. One of the design changes that we noticed with the Nuud was the fact that the nub that goes into the headphone jack is now attached to the case. For the Fre (or the version that we have) and the Nuud case for the iPad 3, the nub was a standalone piece. The Lightning port is just a latch that snaps shut against the case and has a little yellow piece of plastic that creates a waterproof seal.

From our first pass of reviews made on the internet, we noticed that people were having troubles with the sound that was coming from the iPhone. During our usage, we did notice a slight change in the volume of the iPhone but it wasn’t enough to be annoying.

Are you thinking that it’s a bit odd that a case for the iPhone 5 / 5S  that’s rugged and waterproof with no screen protector has its lowest score in the screen usability? It’s not a typo, it really did score low in terms of screen usability.

Our biggest problem with the usability of the screen is that the bevels along the front panel of the case, encircle the entire touchable area of the screen so apps with buttons along the side screen are harder to get to. For the several weeks of usage, we found ourselves having to double tap certain buttons along the edge which is a bit annoying.

Now, the bezels also get in the way of using styluses, especially the ones with the plastic disks such as the Logixx Stylus Diamond and the Adonit Jot Pro. With these styluses, you’ll lose the ability to reach ¼ inch from each bezel so some applications may become completely useless. However, we are guessing that most people don’t use styluses with their phones so this may be a mute point.

Now as a caveat, in this section, we scored the case with the optional screen protector installed given that it was something that was included with the case. The Lifeproof Nuud case for iPhone 5 / 5S offers great view-ability of the screen and the screen protector does not diffuse the Retina screen of the iPhone 5 at all.

Because of the materials that are used in the case, it’s quite easy to handle and to grip in any orientation.

Lifeproof Nuud Case for iPhone 5

Based on our scoring system, we give the Lifeproof Nuud case for iPhone 5/5S a score of 4.1 Eh?’s out of 5. It is a great case for everyday protection as well as protection for active people on the go. We feel confident, from our usage, that this case would protect your iPhone 5/5S from almost any accidental, normal (not from extreme heights) drop during any activity. If you have $100 to spend on a case, this is one that you should seriously consider.

iPhone 5 / 5S Case Suggestion:

The company Lifeproof also sells another rugged iPhone 5 case: the Lifeproof Fre.
We have also tested this mobile case by performing Drop Tests and Waterproof Tests.
The Eh? Rating score for the Lifeproof Fre is 4.3/5, which is a bit higher then for the Lifeproof Nuud case.

For a Full Review click here –> Lifeproof Fre Case for the iPhone 5 

Lifeproof Fre Vs Lifeproof Nuud Case for the iPhone 5
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AprZbK9KFhc

Comparison Differences
– Nuud does not have a screen protector, Fre has one
– Nuud is a bit bulkier then the Fre
– Nuud drop max is 6.6 ft, Fre drop max is 6.6 ft
– Nudd waterproof depth is 6.6 ft, Fre waterproof depth is 6.6 ft
– Nudd is ~$100CAN, Fre is ~$80CAN
– Nuud headphone nub is attached to the case, Fre is not, you have to keep an eye on it
– Nudd seems to be tougher and less prone to damage, Fre show wear more easily

Looking for a different Brand? Click here->  iPhone cases