Last year, the sigOth, expert of diving in the hotel pool with his phone still in his shorts pocket, invested in a LifeProof iPhone case, much to my delight. Especially last month when, once again, he dove into the hotel pool with his phone still in his pocket (sigh) only to emerge with it held triumphantly overhead, screaming It’s okay! It’s okay!

Of course when you’re a parent, your gadgets are probably more susceptible to random acts of destruction than most. So I’m glad to see there are two new Lifeproof products you iPhone and iPad owners you might want to add to your list.

The brand new LifeProof Nüüd Case for iPad 2
is a great investment if you take your iPad to the beach, the pool,
camping, or hiking. It’s also super smart for those of you who use the
iPad in the kitchen with cooking apps, and tend to keep it a little too close to the bacon grease and cake batter for comfort. 

It does add more weight and size to the tablet–good for backpacks or propping up
in the kitchen, maybe less so for sleek handbags. And at $149.99 it’s
not a cheap case at all; but it’s way easier than a trip to the Genius
Bar to get flour out of your USB port. And of course, it’s more
affordable than a full replacement.

As for you skiers, swimmers, hikers, and travelers who plan to be around water or snow a lot, the new LifeProof LifeJacket is
a very cool accessory. Once you’ve got the pretty Lifeproof iPhone 4/4S
case of your choice on your phone, it all snaps easily into the
Lifejacket and then voila–it floats! The hard but foamy material really
improves the impact protection, plus the bright orange makes it easy to
spot, should you drop it from a ski lift onto the slopes somewhere. 

The
one minor complaint: Wow, does it smell like plasticky chemicals. I’m
not sure what it’s made of exactly, but I’d keep it away from your
toddler’s mouth, especially since the soft texture and bright color will
make it look extra gnawable.

One more caveat: As they say, the
cases are not in any way “indestructible.” If you’re hard on it, you’ll
find yourself needing a replacement in a year or so. But like your
suitcase, the point isn’t to protect the suitcase. The point is to
protect everything you value inside. –Liz

You can find LifeProof products
online at their site, or through shops like Best Buy, Target, AT&T
and J&R. Please note that Amazon resellers are not authorized by
LifeProof. Thanks to the company for sending products for testing.