Consumer Alert: Cheap Ways to Protect Your Pool or Lakeside Devices

ROCHESTER, NY Planning on hitting the beach or pool this Fourth of July? If so, you need the right tech tools and protection for your devices. That’s why I turned to the experts for answers.

It probably wouldn’t surprise you to learn that dropping your phone in water is one of the most common accidents reported by smartphone users. Statista, the website that owns all the statistics, reports that 74 percent of people damage their phones by dropping them on the ground, 49 percent say their phones have fallen out of their pockets, and 39 percent have dropped their phones in water.

And that’s one way to ruin a beach trip. So what’s the best way to keep that expensive phone or tablet from getting wet?

In 2012, Consumer Reports found that the Hefty Slider bag protects your products as well as any waterproof bag on the market. Although there are better products on the market today, I was surprised to discover that Wirecutter, the New York Times magazine dedicated to consumer reviews, also recommends putting your gadgets in good old-fashioned Ziploc bags.

But if you want something with a strap to make it easier to carry, Wirecutter suggests the Hiearcool Universal Waterproof Phone Pouch . I found it on sale on Amazon for $8.49. But if you don’t have time to wait for shipping, I found it for $9.99 and $13.99 at Walmart. A CNN product reviewer also gave this hydration pack top marks. And you can still use the touchscreen thanks to its see-through front.

Tech guru and AT&T sales manager Jason Komenski recommends waterproof speakers.

“How can you go on a boat and not have music? If your boat doesn’t have speakers built in, this thing is really amazing,” Jason said, holding the speaker in his hands. “It’s made by Altech. It’s called the Lansing HydraMini. It’s completely waterproof. You can throw it in the water and it’ll float. It’ll play music. It’s got some good bass in it. And if you have more than one, you can connect them together and get surround sound.”

Amazon sells them for $16. But again, if you can’t wait for shipping, they’re on sale at Best Buy for $15. Walmart and Target sell them for $20. And AT&T sells them for $30.

“These MagSafe magnetic wallets from Carson & Quinn are fantastic. They make them from a lot of different manufacturers. I have one from Apple on my phone,” Komenski said. “Put your money in there, your driver’s license, whatever you need. You don’t have to carry your wallet, and it’s on your phone right when you need it.”

The magnetic wallet sticks to your smartphone, I found them for sale on Amazon for $40, but AT&T has them for $30. You can find them at any AT&T store.