Here’s a product not many people really think about getting until they are in a situation that calls for something like this and you’d be surprised at how useful this product can be on a daily bases. What we have here today is the BubbleShield from The Joy Factory. It is a protective, waterproof sleeve for your smartphone. For this review, I’m using it in conjunction with my iPhone 4. As you can tell from the images, this isn’t just a plastic bag that you stick your phone in. It is a stylish sleeve that you slip your phone into and then close it up for a air tight, waterproof seal.
There are other products of this nature out there but none are as stylish as this one. The Joy Factory gave the BubbleShield some curves as well as an accessory ring on the top corner. What this does is allow you to clip and number of things to it like a lanyard, belt hook, even a key chain. The ring is reinforced with what seems like really thin plastic so it should be able to withstand some decent abuse from whatever is hanging from it. The BubbleShield is sealed with 2 ziplock like seals that snap on tight so you can be assured that water will not be entering it. The BubbleShield itself is made of a very clear, transparent film that will still allow you to make use of all the touch functions of your device. I used it on my iPhone 4 and touch responsiveness was still very good and I was able to do everything I would have normally done without the BubbleShield on.
The BubbleShield isn’t terribly large. The iPhone slips in fairly easily and really doesn’t move around much once in the sleeve. However, if you have a case on your iPhone, you may find that it might not fit into the BubbleShield if you are using it. That means you will need to remove your case before using the BubbleShield. That also means that your phone now will be less protected than it was before so I’d really use the BubbleShiled in a situation where you know you will not accidentally drop your phone on any hard surfaces. Because you are sealing your phone in what amounts to a sealed off bag, you will not be able to use headphones with this or be able to make use of the charging port. Pressing the power button, volume buttons and flicking the mute switch is also a bit more difficult with the BubbleShield on. You will however still be able to use the home button, be able to hear sound from the speakers, and be able to use both the front and rear cameras.
Despite a few disadvantages, I highly recommend at least picking up a pack of these. They come in handy for situations you rarely think about. I’ve used it at the beach to keep the sand and humidly away from my phone as well as being able to slip it into my pocket and not have to worry about it getting wet. I’ve used it at the pool to keep my kids from splashing water on my phone. I’ve even used it a couple of times to keep my phone clean and drool free when letting my baby daughter play with it.
For $19.95, you can pick up a pack of 5 from The Joy Factory website and it really is quite a useful product. Yes you could probably just stick your phone in a ziplock bag but it’s not as stylish as the BubbleShield nor as form fitting. You can use the BubbleShield for any number of smartphones out there, not just the iPhone.
