There are so many adventures where a waterproof phone pouch is a must: paddleboarding over a Scottish loch, dipping into a hot spring in Iceland, kayaking on one of the many lakes in Montenegro, or just lolling by the beach or pool at a resort. Above and beyond the protection your average phone case offers, a waterproof phone pouch creates a full-on barrier around your device, which (depending on the pouch) can be enough for you to even take underwater photos, let alone withstand the odd splash. Plus, a waterproof phone case will often come with additional design features to make your life easier, like a lanyard or strap so you can go hand-free (and pockets empty). Some can even float.
With something like this, which needs to keep expensive equipment safe, it’s important to know that you’re getting a product that really stands up to the task. To save you from having to find out the hard way, Traveller editors have tried out a slew of waterproof phone bags and pouches to find out which will really keep your phone dry.
As usual, we have been thorough with our testing. On our first run, we trialled pouches with a tissue inside, to ensure there was no immediate water damage, followed by an old (and small) Apple phone. Finally, we braved it with our current, expensive phones inside to see if they survived. We didn’t tiptoe around this testing – with each round, all of the pouches were tossed into a pool or ocean. Luckily, all phones and tissues came out unscathed, which bodes well for waterproof phone pouches in general, but some pouches outshone others in various ways. These are the ones that have made our list.
Below you’ll find the best waterproof phone pouches to bring on your next beach trip, cruise, or rainy-day hike.
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