Review: Pelican i1015 iPod/iPhone Case


A few weeks ago, we were contacted by Pelican about their new i1015 water resistant case. Always down to review a new product, we asked for a review copy and they sent us out one for free for evaluation.

At first glance, this is just a generic case. It’s not designed specifically for iPods or iPhones, or really any electronic device. Instead, it’s built as a do-it-all container that’s water resistant, dust proof and crush proof.

You can’t tell me something is crush proof and not expect a test.

More after the jump.

I am not a petite gentleman. At 6’1, 275, I’m what we in the biz call “husky.” I decided that one of the best ways to try out the Pelican’s crush proof abilities was to give it a good weight test. So, I stood on it.

I gingerly got one foot on the case, and I heard it groan a bit. Then I got the other foot on, and even though I could feel the case budging, it wouldn’t break or crack. That’s impressive, but still, let’s keep going.

On to water resistant. My wife was taking a bath , so I went on in and dunked the case in with her. She wasn’t thrilled with that, but she’s not going to be thrilled with anything until that baby comes out of her. Anyways, after a thorough thrashing and rubber ducky simulation in the tub, I opened up the case again to reveal … not a drop of water. Nothing. Now I have been told that this case isn’t designed to be submerged, but the fact that it worked as well as it did was good enough for me.

As for dust proof, well that’s not a very exciting test. But I will say that the device has been on my desk for a few weeks and there isn’t any dust on the inside. So, I guess that works too.

But what baffled me the most about this case was the usage. Who really would use a water-resistant case like this? It’s not sleek, form fitting or even practical, so when would it come in handy?

The only situation that I could come up with was tubing down the river. In my town, we have a river nearby that people like to drift down in the summer, hanging onto an inner tube. I picture clipping the lanyard on the case to my raft, and listening to tunes while whittling the afternoon away. I suppose technically you could do the same thing in a pool, but that’s just not as exciting.

And in the looks department, this case was really hit with the ugly stick. It’s not pretty in any way, and it’s fairly bulky too. But in fairness, this seems to be a purpose-driven case instead of one you’d use daily, so I suppose that’s OK.

If this seems like a case that would work for your lifestyle, then give it a peek. But for most people, I don’t see this being the best fit. That is, unless you really enjoy floating boxes.

Pelican i1015


Kokou Adzo

Kokou Adzo is a stalwart in the tech journalism community, has been chronicling the ever-evolving world of Apple products and innovations for over a decade. As a Senior Author at Apple Gazette, Kokou combines a deep passion for technology with an innate ability to translate complex tech jargon into relatable insights for everyday users.

7 Comments

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  1. I’ve put my iPhone in a ziplock when heading to concerts or sports events where rain is in the forcast, so I can understand the desire for something a bit more purpose built than a ziplock when going outside in potentially bad weather.

    One question I had was how headphones or speakers can attach when it is sealed. You mentioned rafting (not something i’m likely to have to worry about) and listening to tunes — is there really a way to hook up headphones or speakers to an iPhone enclosed in this thing, and maintain a seal?

  2. Thanks for pointing that out, because I completely missed that point.

    It comes with a headphone cord that plugs into the device on the inside, then leads to a pivoting arm on the outside that you can plug a headset into.

  3. I use the RunMeter app as a low-cost runner’s GPS. I’m considering this case after sweat got into my iPhone and killed it. I had an armband case that didn’t fully protect the phone, so this looks interesting and better than others I’ve seen.

  4. I went fly fishing yesterday and had my iPhone in 3 ziplock bags. It worked but every time i slipped in the river I freaked out about water. I think I might get one of these cases just to have my phone on the river (I know, it kind of defeats the object of getting away from it all but my wife travels a lot and likes to get hold of me)

  5. I go snowboarding a lot and after falling with your full weight landing on your phone with icy hard-packed snow beneath, this is a must for your precious iPhone. Put it in your snow jacket pocket, listen to tunes while carving, not a worry in the world. The crushproof and water-tightness of this case sells it for me.

    I also go kayak fishing, so this will also be useful then.