Introduction

Getting a reliable underwater phone case for your smartphone is an affordable alternative to buying a full-blown underwater camera with a specified housing. At the same time you are still able to record high-quality photos and videos and have the footage right there on your smartphone, ready to be uploaded and shared. Check out the videos I on my Instagram page that are recorded using my iPhone 15 Pro Max – it is simply incredible.

Sorting through the numerous choices of smartphone hosings is crucial to ensure your phone stays safe and functional. In this post, we’ll dive into the best underwater phone cases for diving in 2024, helping you choose the perfect one for your needs.

Note that you will only find actual diving cases for smartphones in this ranking. On this site we do not cover waterproof pouches like this one or cheap dive cases like this one that are mass-produced by one factory and are sold by dozens of different brands which have no clue about diving. In my opinion, those phone cases will most likely result in leaks and water damages and they are usually only certified to a couple of meters depth.

Buyer’s Guide: What Makes a Good Underwater Phone Case?

When selecting an underwater phone case, these factors listed below are non-negotiable and worth considering:

• Waterproof Rating: Look for cases with high waterproof ratings to ensure they can withstand the depths you plan to dive. More importantly, ask yourself how deep you want to take your smartphone and select accordingly.
• Durability: The case should be robust enough to handle the underwater environment and potential impacts. If you are doubting that your case is built from high-quality materials, you better don’t trust it to keep your phone safe.
• Compatibility: Ensure the case fits your specific phone model.
• Upgradeability: Will the housing still fit with a new smartphone? Opt for cases that fit a wide range of smartphone sizes instead of specific phone models only.
• Ease of Use: Features like easy installation, touch screen compatibility and access to phone functions are essential.
• Additional Features: Some cases offer extra features like dive computer functionality or compatibility.
• Product Reviews & Ratings: The internet is a great place to do product research. Instead of relying on a brand telling you how good their specific phone case is, look at product reviews on popular shopping platforms. This will help you understand what other divers think of this product.

Overall Best Underwater Phone Case

Without further ado, here is the overall winner of the ranking and the best underwater phone case: The DIVEVOLK SeaTouch 4 Max.

This underwater phone housing stands out by being the only underwater phone case enabling access to the full touchscreen and all functions of your smartphone. A patented membrane technology allows you to use it with and without gloves underwater up to a remarkable depth of 196 ft / 60 m.

The SeaTouch 4 Max is compatible with all smartphones, thus making it your companion for years to come as you can upgrade your phone without buying a new underwater case. The fact that no apps are needed and that the underwater phone case has no electronic components make it intuitive to use and easy to understand. The product has excellent reviews on Amazon and comes at an affordable price of around 216 USD if you buy it using the 6% discount code below.

If you want to learn more about this dive case check out my full review of the DIVEVOLK SeaTouch 4 Max.

Best Budget Option

If you are looking for the ultimate budget option, the ProShot Dive Case is an excellent choice for you. It’s waterproof to a depth of 130 ft / 40 m and even comes with a 12-month iPhone protection guarantee.

Unfortunately, Android users are missing out as the ProShot Dive Case is only compatible with iPhones. It’s perfect for those who want to keep their gear minimal without sacrificing quality.

When purchasing the ProShot Dive Case with our exclusive 20% discount voucher, you can get the case including a floating hand grip and a travel case at 127.99 USD. You definitely won’t find a quality underwater phone case for a cheaper price than this.

Read my full review to find out everything you need to know about this underwater phone case.

Best for Ease of Use

There is clearly only one winner when it comes to ease of use and this is the DIVEVOLK SeaTouch 4 Max. No other underwater phone case allows you to use all functions of your smartphone and gives you access to the entire touch screen.

This means you won’t have to learn how to use any new apps or camera settings as you can use your phone just like you would on land.

Furthermore the set-up process is completed in minutes and does not require any wires, bluetooth connections, vacuum pumps or other cumbersome steps.

Best for Light Travelers

In the category of lightest underwater phone case, we have a tie between the ProShot Dive Case and the DIVEVOLK SeaTouch 4 Max.

Both cases are extremely light with around 1.1 lb / 500 g, so they both deserve to be mentioned here. The ProShot Dive Case comes with a protective travel case and a handle and together with those accessories, the set weighs 1.5 lb / 680 g.

If you want to get the DIVEVOLK SeaTouch 4 Max however, you need to purchase the travel case on top and this case is slightly heavier, resulting in an overall weight (without other accessories) of around 1.7 lb / 770g.

For divers who want to keep their gear minimal without sacrificing quality, either of these two is an excellent option.

Best for Dive Computer Functionality

The Oceanic+ Phone Case is the winner in this category as it gives you the most extensive set of dive computer functionalities right to your smartphone screen. For divers who are looking to read their depth, bottom time and other dive metrics from their smartphone screen there are a few options to chose from.

Oceanic+ integrates with the Dive+ app which is already a popular choice for color correction and for Apple Watch users. Most divers would probably not recommend relying on your smartphone as a diver computer. I agree that the only dive computer I follow is the one on my wrist and not my smartphone so keep that in mind when shopping for an underwater phone case.

You can read everything about the Oceanic+ Phone Case in my full product review.

Best for Snorkeling

If you are simply looking for a underwater phone case that you can take snorkeling, you are most likely looking for a light-weight, easy to use case without additional features like depth gauge or advanced vacuum sealing mechanism.

It is thus no surprise that the two underwater phone cases I recommend for snorkelers are again the DIVEVOLK SeaTouch 4 Max or the ProShot Dive Case.

Both cases are at the lower end of the price range for dive cases, allow you to use many different phone models and will keep your smartphone safe while not adding a lot of weight to your luggage.

Conclusion

Taking your smartphone with you on dives does not have to come at an expensive price. The two underwater phone cases that scored the highest in my ranking are surprisingly also the most affordable ones on the market. This is because they take a simpler approach, leveraging your smartphone’s built in capabilities that are already very powerful.

With smartphones getting more and more powerful, there was never a better time to start capturing your underwater memories with the help of your phone.

As this market continues to grow and evolve, I will cover any new products and developments and update this ranking if necessary. I hope you found this ranking useful and that it helps you find the best underwater phone case for your needs.