PFAS in Waterproof Phone Cases, LifeProof, OtterBox and 112 More Graded

We graded 112 waterproof and rugged phone cases and pouches, including LifeProof, OtterBox, Pelican, Ghostek, Catalyst, Body Glove, Tech21, Urban Armor Gear and Apple's own cases. 109 of them grade 75 or 85 out of 100, in our Excellent band. The one below that is a fabric pouch recorded with a waterproof coating of unstated chemistry, at 40.

If you came here because a waterproof case sounds like a PFAS risk, our data does not support that. A sealed case keeps water out with gaskets, port covers and the plastic itself, not with a water-repellent finish.

Summary comparison table

Product	PFAS grade	Materials as recorded
Tech21 EvoClear for iPhone 17 Pro	Excellent, 85/100	Polycarbonate and TPU
UAG Plyo iPhone 15 Pro Case	Excellent, 85/100	TPU and polycarbonate
Incipio DualPro for iPhone 16 Pro Max	Excellent, 85/100	TPE and polycarbonate
Griffin Survivor Strong for iPhone 11 Pro	Excellent, 85/100	TPU, polycarbonate, recycled plastic
LifeProof FRE MagSafe Waterproof Case for iPhone 13 Pro	Excellent, 85/100	Polycarbonate shell
LifeProof Next Series Case for iPhone 12	Excellent, 85/100	Polycarbonate and TPE
OtterBox Fre MagSafe Case for iPhone 16	Excellent, 85/100	Polycarbonate
OtterBox Defender Pro Case for iPhone 13 Pro Max	Excellent, 85/100	Polycarbonate shell, synthetic rubber
Pelican Marine Waterproof Phone Case	Excellent, 85/100	Polypropylene with waterproof seals
Ghostek Nautical 4 for iPhone 14 Pro Max	Excellent, 85/100	Polycarbonate and TPU
Catalyst Total Protection Waterproof Case for iPhone 13 Pro Max	Excellent, 85/100	Elastomer and rubber
Nite Ize RunOff Waterproof Phone Case	Excellent, 85/100	Plastic shell
Ozark Trail Waterproof Full Cover Case Phone Pouch	Excellent, 85/100	Polyester or nylon, waterproof coating of unstated chemistry

How we graded these

Every grade here is a model-based estimate built from publicly available product information and manufacturer disclosures, not a lab test performed by our team. A high score means lower concern based on reviewed sources, never PFAS-free and never safe. Across the 110 products the spread is 109 at 85 and one at 40. No case maker here carries a PFAS-free claim or third-party verification in our records, and every product carries the penalty for a maker saying nothing specific about PFAS. Look up any case in our PFAS product finder.

What separates 85 from 75

The 22 cases at 85 were recorded with a credit for a main material not associated with PFAS, and the 87 at 75 were not. Most everyday rugged cases landed at 85 and most sealed waterproof cases and pouches at 75, but the materials are the same family of plastics, polycarbonate, TPU, TPE and silicone. The ten points are a difference in the records, not a finding that waterproof cases are worse.

A correction to this guide

An earlier version of this guide graded every LifeProof case it covered at 40, said the concern sat at the level of LifeProof's manufacturing, and told readers to treat the category as a list of things to avoid. That was wrong. The records for 87 cases in this category described an unspecified coating, most often a waterproof one, that the makers never mention. Our grading model had read the word waterproof as evidence of a coating.

OtterBox, which owns LifeProof, describes Frē cases as fully sealed and IP68 rated, and reviews describe a two-part shell sealed with a rubber gasket. On 16 September 2026 we removed the invented coating from 392 waterproof electronics records, including these cases, and rewrote the analysis on each product page. The LifeProof cases now grade 75.

What is worth asking a case maker

Two parts of a waterproof case are not described with their chemistry by any maker in our data. The small membranes some sealed cases use over the speaker and microphone, which let sound through and keep water out, and any coating on the fabric of a pouch or bag. If either matters to you, those are the questions to put in writing.

What to avoid

Fabric phone pouches sold as waterproof with no coating chemistry named. The only product here below 75 is one.
Choosing a non-waterproof case over a sealed one on PFAS grounds. Our data does not support it.
Reading any grade here as a clean bill. No case maker has published a PFAS statement for these products.

For cables, chargers and pouches, see our waterproof electronics guide.

Our pick

Based on available materials and data, choose a case on fit, drop protection and whether you really need it submersible, since 109 of 110 are in our Excellent band. If you need a fully waterproof case, the LifeProof FRE MagSafe and OtterBox Fre MagSafe cases at 85 are recorded as polycarbonate with no coating. For a rugged everyday case, the Tech21 EvoClear at 85 is recorded as polycarbonate and TPU. These grades are estimates built from disclosed materials, not laboratory proof, and nothing here is being called PFAS-free or safe by us.

FAQ

Do LifeProof cases have PFAS?

Our data cannot confirm either way. The LifeProof cases we graded are recorded as polycarbonate, TPE and synthetic rubber, none of which is a fluorinated material, with no coating on record, and they grade 75. LifeProof has no PFAS statement on record. An earlier version of this guide graded them 40 on a coating that was never there, which we corrected on 16 September 2026.

Do waterproof phone cases contain PFAS?

Not because they are waterproof. Sealed cases keep water out with gaskets and port covers. Of the 110 cases and pouches we graded, only one fabric pouch has a waterproof coating on record. No maker publishes the chemistry of the acoustic membranes some sealed cases use.

Is a silicone or TPU phone case a PFAS concern?

Silicone, TPU, TPE and polycarbonate are not fluorinated materials, and cases made of them grade 75 or 85 in our data. We have not tested any of them.

Why do some cases grade 85 and others 75?

A case recorded with a credit for its main material grades 85, and one recorded without it grades 75. Both are the same kinds of plastic, so the gap is not a reason to prefer one over the other.