The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is a big, beautiful phone with IP68 water resistance — meaning it is completely protected against dust “ingress” and it can withstand being in up to 1.5 meters of freshwater for up to 30 minutes — but it is not invincible. For those who work in areas with lots of particulate matter blowing around, or spend a lot of time near the water, grabbing a water-resistant case can help you avoid damaging that powerhouse in your pocket, especially in regards to keeping your Note 9’s precious ports protected.
A pop of color
Fanstrek
Staff pick
Fanstrek’s case design and degree of protection matches the rest of the market, while coming in a far more colors and with an 18-month warranty.
$16 at Amazon
Tough shell to crack
Shellbox
This IP68 case is rated to withstand up to 2 meters of immersion for up to an hour, as well as dust/frost/snow resistance and 2-meter drop protection.
$18 at Amazon
Show some style
Skinit
Life’s too short for boring cases, but thankfully, Skinit offers water-resistant case designs from Marvel, NFL, and NCAA franchises, like this Captain America shield.
$45 at Amazon
Float along
Temdan
This IP68 case comes with a floating wrist strap, perfect for water parks or kayakers that don’t want their phone to sink should it slip overboard.
$22 at Amazon
Go deeper
Casetego
Casetego cranks out affordable cases of every durability you could ever ask for. Its IP68 case claims to be “submersible to over 10 ft deep for 2 hours.”
$19 at Amazon
X gon’ give it to ya
Armor-X
This ultra-rugged case comes with an X-mount, an active strap that doubles as a phone grip, and a carabiner for securing your phone to a strap.
$60 at Armor-X
Seals, films, and flaps: What makes a case water resistant
All of the water resistant cases included here include built-in screen protectors, protective films over the fingerprint and rear camera sensors, and rubberized flaps that cover and seal the ports on the bottom of the phone. The seal these flaps make can degrade over time, which is why these cases all support wireless charging too. Qi charging allows you to charge your phone without opening and closing the flaps multiple times a day, prolonging the life of your waterproof case.
I’m partial to the neon accent options on the Fanstrek water-resistant case, but the allure of a licensed case with an awesome Marvel design like the Skinit Captain America case is hard to deny.
