Best Dry Bags (Sep 2026)

Start with the device, not the liter count. Lay the cased phone on a table and match that footprint to the listed internal dimensions — a case adds bulk no spec sheet reflects, so a pouch that swallows a bare phone may not close over a cased one. No dimensions published? Skip it — the seal and lanyard only matter once the phone fits.

Yes, so compare where the lanyard meets the pack: a bar sewn through the seam and a molded loop on the closure load the material differently, and the weaker of the two sets the limit. Neck carry pulls on the top seal; wrist carry loads the corner. Wear it the way you plan to use it before it goes near water.

Plan for degraded touch: basic swipes usually register, but camera control, fingerprint unlock and real typing through a plastic window rarely work, so set up face unlock early. The IP rating covers the body and closure, not a lanyard that has been soaking all day. We only rank pouches that publish every spec we compare — IP rating, touchscreen usability, lanyard strength. Hide one and the listing drops out.

Wash the inside with fresh water after salt or chlorine exposure, dry it fully open, and store it unsealed so the closure does not take a set. Inspect the seam and the lanyard attachment each time — abrasion there matters more than any coating. Replace a frayed lanyard immediately; it is the cheapest part and the one that fails first.

Not the purchase price — the replacement cycle. A pack whose lanyard attachment is sewn into the seam dies with the lanyard; one with a replaceable loop outlives cheap packs that fail the same way. Budget for a spare lanyard, provided the maker actually sells that part separately. Fixed, non-serviceable attachments are the expensive kind of cheap.

Find out what the warranty names — the pouch or the phone inside. A pouch claim is about a failed closure or seam; a water-damaged phone is a different argument you will likely be having alone. If the listing does not state which is covered, treat the device as uncovered and buy where opened returns are accepted.