Features of the Catalyst Waterproof iPhone Case for the iPhone 5/5S

The Catalyst Waterproof iPhone case is drop proof up to 6.6 ft and it’s waterproof up to an astonishing 16.4 ft. This case allows you to go deeper than your generic LifeProof and Otterbox cases. It’s a very slick case, there’s no rubber parts to it so if you’re wearing skinny jeans this case might be a bit easier to take out of your pockets.

The front of the case feels very rigid. The majority of the case is textured so it’s not completely smooth. The screen protector runs across the entire length of the iPhone so you can easily access the swipe menus. The top of the case is clear so the only cutout is for the earpiece speaker. Catalyst does tell you not to poke the plastic cover the cutout.

At the bottom, the Touch ID membrane has a matted look to it. And it’s much different since its not a clear sticky membrane that’s found on your LifeProof and Otterbox cases. I personally think Catalyst’s Touch ID membrane looks way better.

Getting to the ports is quite easy as all you do is peal back the plugs. The mic on the iPhone is covered by a barely visible wire mesh. Now I will mention that there isn’t a cutout for the speaker of the iPhone but surprisingly the sound isnt’ muted much. I’ll explain in a bit. There is a cutout for you to attach a wrist strap to the case and if you don’t have one, you can buy it from Catalyst for 5 bucks.

Getting to the buttons is quite simple as you have buttons that flow through the case for the volume and power button but the mute switch is a little unique since you turn the knob rather than flipping it. For this to work properly, you need to install the case properly.

Now the back panel of the Catalyst Waterproof iPhone case is quite simple. There’s a cutout for the camera and flash, though the flash cutout is a bit small in my opinion as the edges of the True Tone flash will get cut off by the size of the hole. Catalyst does include a smaller cutout for the mic on the back of the iPhone which is nice.

There’s an o-ring that runs along the entire edge of the back panel of the case. This is what provides the waterproof seal. The iPhone doesn’t actually sit flush against the back as there’s a gap. Now, the sound isn’t muted much but the case because there’s a small gap by the speaker of the iPhone. Tsound coming from the speakers isn’t complete trapped and the back of the case acts as an amplifier.