Is your tablet case really waterproof or just water-resistant?
If today you are in the market for an iPad case or tablet case for business, you’ll probably search for a rugged case that can be used and abused while protecting your tablet investment. This requirement is pretty straightforward. The other popular features that are requested often, but the definition is not as clear are waterproof or water-resistant. On top of that, there are way too many brands like MobileDemand, Otterbox, Lifeproof, Armor-X, Catalyst, and Gumdrop to name a few that you have to filter through and that is not even touching the knock-off or off-brand cases to find the true features you need.
I am sure all of you have heard these two terms floating (waterproof & water-resistant) hundreds, if not thousands of times before but the real question is, do you really understand what they technically mean to you, the user. We see these labels used all the time in the various industries we cater to today such as Healthcare, Hospitality, Retail, Manufacturing, and in Oil & Gas verticals. The reason these features are looked upon carefully is that our clients are outdoors and can't be stuck in a heavy rainstorm for example and have something not work or even worse, a snowstorm with a tablet that won't operate because it wasn't waterproof or at least water-resistant to a certain level.
What's the difference and how can you choose the right case knowing your purchase can handle water at all. Well, I am here to help sort it all out and share with you what makes some case waterproof and some cases water-resistant. Let's dive into this subject because there is a huge difference between those two popularly used labels. You have to do a little bit of homework on your own (glad you’re reading this blog post *wink*) before you just trust what you see on the label or tag on the package because a lot of brands will loosely stamp their package with these terms waterproof or water-resistant.
If you can believe it, there are standards to how water resistance something is and what you and I think of as water-resistant is something you see commonly among cameras, headsets, and smartphones, giving it the power to withstand the average splash or light rain shower. Waterproof, on the other hand, isn't waterproof unless it can be submerged. What you want to do is look for something called the “IP rating/code” or Ingress Protection Rating and it's the terms that are technically used for air and water tightness classifications.
Here is a helpful graphic to give you a little more of a visual understanding before I throw all the technical jargon at you.
Code breakdown
[1st digit]: Solid particle protection
[2nd digit]: Liquid protection talking to water protection
In waterproof ratings, the 1st digit represents the level of dust that the case is able to withstand on a scale of 1 to 6. The 2nd digit is a liquid test in which the case is submerged into a liquid for a duration of time on a scale of 1 to 8. In more technical terms the 2nd digit indicates the level of protection that the enclosure provides against harmful ingress of water. The ratings for water ingress are not cumulative beyond IPX6. A device that is compliant with IPX7, covering immersion in water, need not be compliant with IPX5 or IPX6, covering exposure to water jets. A device that meets both tests is indicated by listing both tests separated by a slash, e.g. IPX5/IPX7.
* Note that some cases may vary in IP rating. Please read carefully all product descriptions for more information.
Okay, okay…that was a bit technical but hopefully, you get my drift on the break down there, but if you want to get the full technical break down then go to Wikipedia and search IP Code to immerse yourself. I will link the source here for you!
Water-resistance is the base level of protection against splashes of liquid. When users are in work areas that encounter humid or wet environments, water-resistance is a valuable feature for cases to have.
TJF aXtion Pro line is, “WATERPROOF!”
The aXtion Pro line of cases are waterproof with a rating of IP68. The Joy Factory has fully tested its aXtion Pro line to be certified by a third-party testing facility. Waterproof certification expands the locations where the tablet can be used from manufacturing production lines to outdoor job sites.
This is because the term waterproof usually communicates the idea that this is a permanent condition, and that whatever has been ‘waterproofed’ will never fail when in contact with water–no matter the situation. Just be more aware of the claims floating out there, just because it floats in water doesn’t mean it’s waterproof.
The Joy Factory also offers waterproof cases for both Apple iPad and Surface Pro / Go tablets.
Click on the link to check them out now.