Our whole lives live on our phones now. It’s a wallet, a camera, a GPS, sometimes all three in the same five minutes. That makes it genuinely hard to leave unattended on a towel while you go for a swim, and it’s exactly why I don’t go on vacation without a waterproof pouch anymore.

This one from Pelican has become a permanent part of my beach bag, whether I’m at the pool, a lake, or the sea.

If you’re not familiar with the Pelican name, it’s worth knowing what you’re actually buying into. Their cases are known for protection that’s hard to match, the kind of gear divers and outdoor professionals trust with expensive equipment. That reputation is exactly why I’d rather pay for this than gamble on a $6 pouch from a t-shirt shop on the boardwalk.

Why it earned a spot in my bag

It’s IP68 rated, which means it’s built to actually keep water out, not just resist a fewsplashes. The touchscreen still works through the pouch, so you’re not sealing your phone away and losing access to it. You can still take photos, check the time, or glance at a map without opening anything up. It comes with a detachable lanyard, so you can wear it around your neck or on your wrist depending on what you’re doing. And it floats, which matters more than it sounds like it would. If it slips off in the water, it doesn’t sink to the bottom of the lake with your phone inside.

A few details that make it genuinely practical, not just waterproof:
  • IP68 waterproof rating: built for actual submersion, not just splash resistance
  • Touchscreen compatible: use your camera and apps without opening the pouch
  • Detachable lanyard: wear it around your neck or your wrist, whichever suits the activity
  • Floats: if it comes loose in the water, it doesn’t disappear
  • Fits all phones: one size that works across models, so you’re not hunting for aspecific fit
  • 2-pack: one for you, one for whoever you’re travelling with, in black or hi-vis yellow

Where it actually gets used

  • At the pool, where you still want your phone close for photos but don’t want it sitting exposed on a lounge chair
  • At the lake, kayaking, paddleboarding, or just swimming off a dock
  • At the sea, where sand, saltwater, and waves make an unprotected phone agenuinely bad idea
  • Any outdoor activity in or on the water, from snorkeling to boating to a casual float on a lake, this pouch covers it

The bottom line

It solves a specific, recurring vacation problem: what to do with a phone you actually need on you, in an environment that would otherwise ruin it. Wear it, use the camera through the touchscreen, and stop worrying about it floating away or getting soaked.

One small maintenance tip: clean the inside of the pouch every so often. Dust or residue builds up on the part that sits over your camera lens, and it’ll start softening your photos if you skip that step.