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As a multi-tasking adult, my iPhone 4S is the biggest and most expensive toy that I have. Given that I have a 2-year-old and work with kids throughout the school day, often handing over my iPhone to access educational apps, many parents have cringed as I have freely passed over this expensive device without any worries.

Initially my iPhone was covered by the Apple warranty. Now my iPhone is protected by the Lifeproof iPhone case. Lifeproof states, “This is a waterproof, shockproof, dustproof, and snowproof case. It gives individuals complete freedom to use their iPhone in any wet, dirty or rough situation.” It is designed for the iPhone 4/4S.

To me this means, when you have a toddler or young child it protects your most prized posession from being dropped in the toilet, thrown across the room, and protected from sticky, gooey boogers and fingers.

To others it could mean, exercising in extreme weather while listening to music, never worrying if someone throws you into a pool at a party when you weren’t expecting it, or freaking out when someone spills their drink all over your device at the dinner table. Because, yes, no matter how much skepticism there is in the world, we all seem to have our iPhones in position face up on the table, waiting for the important text or phone calls that will change our future.

So here’s my Lifeproof iPhone case review. Assembling the case is easy and it pretty much snaps together. There is a waterproof test that can be done to make sure the case protects the phone from water where the case is placed underwater for an hour without the phone in it. The case itself releases with a small coin inserted into the edges to begin to pop it open. There is a charge port drawer that snaps back on a hinge to reveal the charger opening. To use headphones, unscrew the small screw at the top of the phone. You can plug the standard apple headphones in once the screw is removed. Otherwise there is a headphone adapter that you can screw into this opening to accommodate other headphones. The case includes an anti-glare coating on the screen. It can be purchased in pink, purple, black or white.

The case is not designed to be able to put it on and take it off regularly. I often find that ridges on the case itself, give me more control when holding the phone, which I have not felt with previous cases. I personally don’t find it to be bulky or heavy. The case does impact the sound a little and I’ve found that using the speakerphone on my iPhone, I’m often putting the volume to its highest setting. Always carry the headphone adapters with you, somehow I have no idea where mine is, and since we can’t use the docking station at home, we have frequently hooked our phones up to the speakers of the television to stream Pandora, but that connector doesn’t fit in the opening of the phone. I lost the little screw from the top of the phone for a few weeks, finding it in the bottom of my purse eventually, and the headphone adapter also has a small place to screw this in so you won’t lose it. The only issue I have found using this case is that the car chargers and iPod docking stations we currently owned do not work with this case. There is a dock extender that can be purchased from LifeProof that is  compatible so you can leave the case on, otherwise get accustomed to charging your phone at home overnight or during the day through the wall charger.

These cases retail for $79.99 and can be purchased online at Lifeproof.com or various retailers like Target, J&R, AT&T, Radio Shack, Best Buy. Which in iPhone case world is honestly not all that expensive if you ask me given the protective capabilities of this case. Though I don’t think I’ll be entering any triathlons soon or exercising in hurricane-like weather, I do feel more comfortable that with my toddler around or while on a family vacation to the beach, our investment and my lifeline is very well protected.

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Lifeproof provided this case free to facilitate this review. The opinions are my own