Lifeproof nuud Phone Case Review (And Comparison With Lifeproof fre Phone Case)

Have you ever dropped your phone? Spilt coffee on it? Tried to use it in the pouring rain? Done that thing where you take it out of your pocket and don't have it held securely and can only watch in horror as it skitters across the floor? I know I have....

Almost 6 months ago I reviewed the LifeProof fre phone case and now I have the opportunity to review the new Lifeproof nuud phone case, and even compare the two.

Like the fre case, the nuud is waterproof, shockproof, snowproof and dirtproof. It exceeeds military specifications and should protect your phone from a drop of  up to 2 metres.

I can confirm mine's been dropped many times since I first put it in the fre case, and there's not a scratch anywhere. It's also been used in the pouring rain and even in a pool, and the case has been as good as it's word.

What makes the nuud case  so new and different is that it has no built in screen protector. This case is the first to have screenless technology and uses the phone's own glass screen, alongside the specially shaped rubber seals built into the case, to form a tight vaccuum seal which will dustproof and waterproof the phone.

 Inside the box, along with the 2 part case are an optional screen protector, a dust removal cloth and a shaped insert so that you can test the case underwater.

Obviously it had to be tested, this meant putting together the 2 [parts of the case. I have to say this was really tricky! I found the nuud case much harder to clip shut than my previous fre case and spent 10 minutes panicking about breaking it. I couldn't get the final corner to snap closed at first at all and ended up taking it on and off a few times.

In the end I found it much easier to fasten shut the bottom end of the case first, then the top, followed by checking the edges were both tight. Then the water test...30 minutes submerged.

It may have only been an inch under water, rather than the 2 metres that it's safe for, but it performed excellently, and after my experiences with the LifeProof fre case over the last 6 months, I had every faith.

I'm really impressed. I like it better than the fre case because this removes the one minor gripe that I've found - the fre case screen protector seems to attract mystery grease inside, which collects together and every couple of months you need to remove the case and wipe it inside. I think it's something you'll always have with a screen protector that isn't actually attached directly to the screen.

nuud case/fre case with built-in screen protector

The Lifeproof nuud seal works really well. I'd trust it entirely. You can see it's very different to the seals on the fre, with a much deeper profile.

nuud with black rubber seal/fre with yellow rubber seal

Overall I think the Lifeproof nuud case is excellent. It's attractive, incredibly strong and does exactly as it promises. I'm certain I'd have broken my phone by now, and I have dropped it in water, which could have been the death of it alone. I feel confident passing my phone over to my 4 year old occasionally to play LEGO Fire Stations or just leaving it on the table where all of my children are likely to spill or put things on it or knock it onto the floor.

As with the fre case you are limited to what chargers will fit into the port, but the original Samsung charger fits just fine, it's mainly cranked and a few generic cheap chargers that are an issue.

The screen protector was easy to apply well and feels lovely.  It's very sensitive and I've no problems using my touch screen. It's very thick compared to any other screen protector I've used, so hopefully it will give good protection, but only time will tell me that. I prefer it to the fre's built in screen protector, but I imagine it will need replacing more often as dust will inevitably get underneath it.

There's absolutely no loss of performance, sound or camera picture quality that I have noticed, and I was pleased to find when I removed the fre case that my phone looked immaculate and brand new - there wasn't any grit in there scratching it while in use.

The Lifeproof nuud phone case is currently available in various sizes to fit the iPad, iPod, iPhone and Samsung Galaxy. My case for the Samsung Galaxy S3 retails at around £40-50, which isn't cheap, but is substantially cheaper than a new phone or screen and comparable to 1 year's insurance.

For further information and to explore the full range of LifeProof cases visit: Lifeproof

LifeProof cases are available to purchase at www.lifeproof.com, John Lewis and Carphone Warehouse.

I was sent my phone case for review.