So, you’re thinking about taking your phone with you on your open water swims, but naturally, you have your worries. What if the case leaks? What if my phone gets wet and destroyed? We’ve all had these worries. But there are cases on the market with top quality seals that ensure your phone stays dry and you can just enjoy your swim. Here is the list of our 5 best waterproof phone cases.
Why Use a Waterproof Phone Case?
Bringing your phone on your swim with you allows you to track your fitness, take pictures and in an emergency, contact someone for help and provide your gps. It also means you don’t need to worry about leaving your valuable phone on land at risk of being stolen. These benefits are leading to waterproof phone cases becoming a common and much loved piece of open water swimming equipment.
Best Overall for Open Water Swimming
Swim Secure Protective Phone Bag - £7.50
Pros
- Secure double seal
- Adjustable lanyard
- Fits almost all smartphones
- Made from high quality PVC
Cons
- Only available in orange
- Do not submerge below 1m for more than 1 hour
Made from high quality PVC (strong enough to protect from punctures) and using a double seal closing system and velcro flap, the Swim Secure Protective Phone Bag is the strong and trusting phone pouch you’ve been looking for. Better yet, it fits almost all smart phones including the Google Pixel 7, the Samsung S20+ and the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
The adjustable lanyard means your phone stays securely with you, whether you wear it round your neck, wrapped around your wrist or place it in the phone pocket in the 28L Dry Bag or in the dry compartment of the Tow Donut. Wherever you attach your phone case, it’s going to stay with you on your swim at the top of the water. This means that this phone bag is ideal for open water swims as it’s not going to be submerged below 1m for over an hour (as long as it’s securely attached to you).
The practicality of this phone case doesn’t stop there. It also has clear front and back panels which allow you to use the phone while you’re in the water. So you can stay in the loop when the group chat starts pinging, you can see your swim route and you can take photos of those beautiful scenes you wished you could’ve shared with the world. These clear panels are topped by an orange velcro flap and lanyard which, although there isn’t a choice of a different colour, is the best colour for keeping you and your phone safe and visible in the water.
Best for Photography
Puffin Swim Waterproof Phone Pouch - £7.99
Pros
- Clear back and front panels
- Fits all popular smartphones
- Can talk and hear through the case
Cons
- Can’t see black and blue cases in the water
- Fits smaller phones
Is photography your main reason for bringing your phone with you on your swim? If so, the Puffin Swim Waterproof Phone Pouch might be the one for you. Ideal for taking clear breathtaking photos from both the front and back camera, this pouch allows you to share those beautiful views that your friends and family are missing out on.
The Puffin Pouch fits phones that are diagonally up to 7 inches in size. This is slightly smaller than the other waterproof phone cases on this list. However, it is still big enough to fit most popular smartphones. Closed with a triple seal and a velcro flap, this phone bag is just as secure and keeps your phone just as safe as the Swim Secure Protective Phone Bag.
This phone case comes in black, blue or orange. Although it’s nice to have a choice of colours, black and blue aren’t practical for open water swimming. This is because the case (and your phone) would blend into the colour of the water. Although your phone will be attached to you with the lanyard, not being able to easily see your phone case in the water means you’ll need to take time finding your phone by which time the beautiful moment you wanted to photograph might have passed.
Best for Large Smartphones
Swimcell Large Waterproof Phone Case - £15.99
Pros
- Variety of case colours
- Compatible with smartphones and small tablets
- IPX8 waterproof rating
Cons
- Difficult to open and close
- Itchy lanyard
The Swimcell Large Waterproof Phone Case is the largest waterproof phone case on our list and can even fit small tablets. As long as your device is 10.3cm x 19cm or less, it’ll fit in this phone pouch. Not only is this ideal for large devices, but it’s also perfect for phones with chunky cases or for keeping other items in the case with your phone (like your car keys). However, the large size of the waterproof phone case means it’s more difficult to swim with when using the lanyard. Instead, this case might work better as an extra layer of protection for your phone in a dry bag.
Made from durable soft PVC, this waterproof phone case is available in 5 colour options. Out of these 5 colour options, 3 (pink, yellow, white) are ideal for making your phone visible in the water, giving open water swimmers practical colour choices other than just orange. This phone pouch can also be submerged for 1 hour to depths of 10m so you can combine your open water swimming with diving.
Instead of a double or triple seal and velcro flap like the first 2 cases on this list, the Swimcell Case uses a twist lock mechanism to keep your phone dry inside the case. This mechanism is secure and does a good job at keeping your phone safe from the water. However, it can be quite difficult to use the twist lock, especially when your hands are wet.
Best for Buoyancy
Zone3 Waterproof Phone Pouch - £9.50
Pros
- Buoyancy ring
- Adjustable lanyard
Cons
- Only case colour is orange
- Small case
Taking the title of best for buoyancy is the Zone3 Buoyancy Waterproof Phone Pouch. This pouch surrounds your phone with a pre-inflated buoyancy ring. Although this ring will float your phone closer to the surface of the water, it won’t float on the water top due to the weight of your phone.
This buoyancy pouch has a closing seal covered with a flap and popper buttons to ensure your phone stays safe and dry when you’re in the water. The only colour option for this case is orange. Some people might consider this a disadvantage but, like with the Swim Secure Protective Phone Bag, orange is the best colour for your phone to be visible when you’re out in the water on your swim.
One thing to keep in mind with this case is that it’s a smaller phone bag, the smallest on this list in fact. If you’re considering this waterproof phone bag, you need to check that your phone measures less than 6.7 inches diagonally. If your phone fits these measurements, this is a great option for you. However, if your phone is larger than 6.7 inches, this isn’t the case for you.
Best for the Environment
Overboard Large Waterproof Phone Case - £21.99
Pros
- Fits large smartphones
- Made from eco-friendly TPU fabrics
- Lightweight
Cons
- Only available in blue and black
- Photos can be blurry
Keep your phone dry, dust-free and sand-free with the Overboard Large Waterproof Phone Case. This case is our top pick as best for the environment as it’s made from waterproof eco-friendly TPU fabrics. Ideal for larger phones and closing with a slide seal, Overboard’s case is easy to use and practical.
This phone case lets you submerge your phone for 1 hour to depths of 6m. The front panel is clear and is easy to use your touchscreen through. The back panel is made from Lenzflex rather than a normal clear panel. However, the Lenzflex doesn’t guarantee that you will have clear, non-blurry photos.
Although this case is large, it remains lightweight and is able to float. However, a downside of this waterproof phone bag is that the only colours it comes in are blue and black. Although this case will keep your phone safe and dry, neither of these colours will make your phone visible in the water. This means that it’ll be more difficult and take you longer to find your phone in the water.
Summary
Which is your favourite waterproof phone pouch? All of the phone cases on this list are great options but if you want to know our favourite, it's the Swim Secure Protective Phone Bag. Not only does it have all the features you need for open water swimming, but it’s also compatible with most popular smartphones.