Wasted $50 on a 'waterproof' phone pouch before a beach trip and my phone died anyway

I bought this pouch at a gas station near Myrtle Beach last summer. The guy swore it'd keep my phone dry in the waves. First hit of saltwater and the thing leaked. Phone was toast. Cost me $200 for a replacement. Anyone else get burned by those cheap pouches?

3 comments

3 Comments

shane_hayes21d ago

Guy swore it'd keep my phone dry" - yeah that's the part that gets me. These gas station guys will say anything to make a sale. But here's what I wanna know - did you test it before taking it in the water? Like put a napkin inside and dunk it in a sink for a minute? because I learned that lesson the hard way too. Bought a cheap one at a truck stop in Florida and tested it with a paper towel first. Came out soaked. Saved my phone but still wasted 10 bucks on trash.

baker.holly21d ago

Wow, that sink test tip is actually genius, @shane_hayes. I never thought of checking it with a napkin first, I always just trusted the packaging. But here's something nobody talks about - even if the bag is waterproof, the seal can fail after one or two uses because the plastic gets crinkled. I bought a "heavy duty" one at a beach shop and it worked great for one day, then the second time the zipper part just didn't close right. So now I figure if it's cheap, it's probably a one-time use thing, even if the guy selling it says otherwise. Did you ever find a brand that actually holds up more than once?

max_hernandez2721d ago

Hold up, "guy swore it'd keep my phone dry" - that's the part that gets me too. But what really blew my mind is that you tested it with a napkin in a sink and it still failed? I always thought that paper towel trick was foolproof. So basically these cheap pouches can look dry on the outside but still let moisture in somehow? That's messed up. I don't even trust the ziplock bag method anymore after hearing this. Sounds like the only real way to protect your phone at the beach is to leave it in the car or get one of those expensive hard cases that cost more than the phone itself.