The Best Dry Bags in 2025

A good dry bag should first and foremost keep your belongings protected from water, dirt, and other debris. But the best bags usually do more– be that by including an integrated carry system or having other function-focused features that make them better suited for specific sports.

Here’s a list of our favorite models from across all applications. If you’re unsure of which model is best for you- dive into our buyer’s guide for the full breakdown.

A Dry Bag Buyer’s Guide

We love our dry bags, and have been spared some sad, soggy scenarios because we chose the right model for the occasion. We’ve also managed to drop the ball and wound up with wet down and soaked socks. This buyer’s guide is the sum of our knowledge and hard-earned experience. Whether you’re a seasoned oarsman or just want to keep your phone dry and free of sand at the beach, here’s the core criteria for picking your next bag.

Why Use a Dry Bag?

In short, to keep your stuff dry! Go figure, a dry bag is a tried and trusted means to keep dirt, dust, sand, and water out of your personal gear during adventures big and small. Below we’ll break down dry bags by sport and situation- why you’d want them, what they look like, and a few of our favorites in every category.

Dry Bags On the River

A large contingent of dry bag users are looking for a way to keep their gear protected while rafting and kayaking on river trips. If you fall in this category, chances are you have a good idea of what you want- carry capacity, durability, and a high degree of water resistance are among the most important factors to keep in mind. 

Much of the time these bags favor simplicity over fragile features- typified by models like Sea to Summit’s Big River. High volume and heavy-duty, these dry bags are built to sit around in the bottom of a boat, be dragged over sandstone, and keep all of your essentials dry in event of a splash or boat flip.

Frequent floaters often have sets of dry bags ranging from large cargo haulers to smaller models for phones and electronics. Having a combination of high-volume and smaller dry bags is a great way to stay organized and offer even greater protection to your gear that absolutely cannot get wet.

Dry Bags for Paddle Sports

Paddle sports like ocean kayaking and stand up paddle boarding usually are best served by lighter-weight, mid volume bags with plenty of tie-down points. Because these sports tend to be single day affairs, you can save weight and precious space by bringing only what you need without a bunch of excess bag to haul around. 

With less risk of being punctured by cacti or ripped over rocks, these kinds of bags similar to Osprey’s UltraLight make use of lightweight materials and less durable components. They’ll still keep your things dry, but offer less protection against being submerged to any depth or length of time.

Dry Bags for Hiking

For those who want a dry bag to hike with, there are essentially two routes open to you- you can either get a dry bag with some kind of carry system, or you can use a smaller dry bag inside of your hiking pack.

While opting for a dry bag that can be worn on your back sounds like a great idea, models like Sea to Summit’s Sling Ultralight aren’t optimized for covering distance and tend to be uncomfortable as the miles stack up. Their straps are less comfortable, back panels aren’t breathable, and they lack many of the basic amenities you’d find in any of our favorite overnighters.

Using a lighter weight dry bag or opting for something like Sea to Summit’s Hydraulic Packing Cubes is a great way to have essentially the same effect with a much better overall experience for hiking. With this said there are cases where you’ll want your entire bag to be waterproof- if you’re lugging your camera gear through the rainforest or taking an extended hike through a waterlogged canyon- models like Sea to Summit’s Big River Backpack come in handy.

Dry Bags for Everything Else

For the beach, the pool, and tooling around high-risk splash zones you don’t need to go crazy with an expedition-ready adventure duffel. Most of the time a budget dry bag should be more than enough to meet your needs, provided you don’t test the limits of its waterproofing. 

Low-cost models such as Earth Pak’s Waterproof offer a scaled down version of everything we love from our top performing drybags. Though bags like these tend to be less durable and ultimately less waterproof, they ultimately provide more than enough protection for most day-to-day applications. There are many affordable models of drybags on the market, you don’t need to fork over massive amounts of money to enjoy the benefits. 

Practical Guide to Waterproofing on Dry Bags

While most dry bags do a great job of protecting against the occasional splash- they are seldom actually waterproof. Unsurprisingly, most manufacturers aren’t lining up to tell you this, and there are plenty of examples of people finding out the hard way their dry bag isn’t nearly as dry as they had hoped. Below we’ll break down the different degrees of water-resistance in dry bags along with a few choice examples.

Splashproof Dry Bags

Bags in the splashproof category are lightweight and intended mostly on use for land. Their thin build is great for saving space and weight, but as a consequence the material tends to soak up water and leak after prolonged exposure to moisture.

While splashproof dry bags offer a degree of water resistance, they are not designed to be fully submersible or completely waterproof. They can withstand light splashes and brief exposure to water, but they may not protect against prolonged submersion or heavy rain.

Bags of this style are a great choice to use inside of your backpack or for more casual outings.

Water Resistant Dry Bags

The vast majority of dry bags fall into the water resistant category, and offer better protection against water compared to a splashproof dry bag. These bags can keep your gear safe through most temporary exposure to water, even the occasional dunk if you should happen to fall off of your SUP or flip your kayak. 

Water-resistant dry bags are usually made of materials like nylon with special coatings or layers that repel water. They often have sealed seams or welded construction to give you an extra shield against water getting in.

If you’re looking for a dry bag that you can use in any situation, you’re most likely to end up with something in this category like Sea to Summit’s eVent.

Submersible Dry Bags

Bags that can actually hold up to long-term submersion are few and far between. Those that fit the bill are usually prohibitively expensive for anyone but the most dedicated of watersports enthusiasts. While costs might be high, they can actually sit underwater for prolonged periods while keeping your belongings bone dry.

Built like duffel bags with heavy-duty zippers and thick, rigid materials, dry bags in this category offer a high degree of protection not only against water, but everything else.

Other Factors to Consider When Buying a Dry Bag

Budget

Price factors significantly into the effectiveness, size, and longevity of your dry bag. Higher-priced dry bags often offer superior materials, better construction, and additional features like padded straps, multiple compartments, or extra durability.

Larger or higher-capacity dry bags also tend to be more expensive than smaller ones. On that note, if you have specific needs that require a submersible dry bag or a dry bag with advanced features for extreme outdoor activities, you can fully expect a notable uptick in price.

While you definitely don’t want to subject your gear to undue risk, you shouldn’t be compelled into buying a drybag that’s more expensive than what you need. For trips to the beach, there’s no reason to be spending hundreds of dollars on what a budget model is more than capable of handling.

Dry Bag Durability

Durability is another big consideration in dry bags. Firstly and foremost for practical reasons- your dry bag doesn’t do you much good if it’s filled with holds. Opting for a more durable bag also impacts longevity- if you’re investing in an expensive bag you want to make sure you get to use it for more than a couple of trips. All of this comes with the added benefit that more durable bags are usually made of more water-resistant materials,

Dry Bag Features

The most important part about a dry bag is it’s-you guessed it- dry. Beyond their relative effectiveness in the face of dunks and splashes, dry bags can come with specific features to fine-tune your experience. These vary from model to model, and most of the time serve some specific purpose such as the backpack rig in Sea to Summit’s Big River Backpack.

Additional features like external pockets, waterproof zippers, and vents to help release air are just some examples of the features we look for in our dry bags. But it bears repeating, all of these features fall far behind a solid waterproof build- keep this in mind when browsing feature-rich budget models.