How to Keep Your Phone Safe While Skiing

Keep Your Phone Safe While Skiing

Ski lodges have locker rooms for you to keep your phones in, but if you don't feel like leaving them there, we've got solutions for you. You don't need to leave your phone far away while you're busy ripping the slopes - you can keep your phone close while you're skiing. How? By using one of the many options below! Read on for some of the best ways to keep your phone safe while skiing. 

What NOT to Do 

Let's start by talking about what you shouldn't do before we go into talking about what you should do. Phones are expensive pieces of tech, so you don't want to put them in an environment where they can get broken or damaged. Phones with large screens are even more susceptible to damage because the screen is usually the first thing to get messed up. Your phone doesn't need to be a part of your yard sale. 

 

Since phones are sensitive pieces of equipment, they don't do great in cold weather or in high-pressure situations where they can be knocked around. Sorry to say, your back pocket isn't going to cut it if you fall down. You'll need better protection than that. 

Be Honest About Which Skier You Are

Worth saying plainly, because it decides what you should buy. A crossbody phone case is a carrying solution, not mountaineering equipment. Where it works well and where it does not:

First, the vocabulary, because it is confusing

Phone holders for skiing get called a dozen different things. A phone leash, a phone tether, a phone harness, a ski phone lanyard, a phone attachment, a phone bungee, a safety strap. They all describe the same idea: keeping the phone physically connected to you so it cannot fall out of a pocket, off a chairlift, or into the snow. The differences that actually matter are what it connects to and how rigid it is.

• A rigid harness or chest mount straps around your torso and holds the phone on the outside, usually so you can film. Secure, but bulky under a jacket and something extra to land on.
• A clip, tether or bungee attaches the phone to a jacket loop or zip pull. Good retention, but the load sits on one small clip and the phone still swings loose.
• A soft strap built into the case, which is what a Keebos is, spreads the load across the case and sits flat under a layer. Best for wearing under a jacket, least useful for filming.

None of them is body armour. Every one of them solves dropping, not crashing, which is the distinction the rest of this section is about.

• Lodge, lift line, apres and cruising groomers: a crossbody phone case is genuinely the easiest option. Worn as a necklace under a jacket, the phone is warm, secure and reachable, and the wallet on the back means your card is with you for the mid-mountain beer.
• Skiing hard, park laps, deep days: keep the phone zipped inside a chest pocket. Anything worn on a strap on the outside can catch, and a hard fall on a solid object in a chest pocket is worse than one in a soft pocket. A strap is for retention, not impact protection.
• Wet snow, spring slush, dropping the phone off a chairlift: the waterproof case at $19.90 is the better buy. Snow is water, and a sealed pouch handles it in a way a fabric strap and a hard case do not.

Two things no phone case fixes: cold drains a battery no matter what it is wrapped in, and nothing makes a touchscreen work through a ski glove. Both are covered below.

1. Keebos, the Best Phone Case for Skiing

If you don't already have a great phone case, you'll need one. We think Keebos are the best phone cases for skiing, and as a ski phone protector they earn it, because they're impact-resistant (with 4-corner bumper technology that absorbs shocks and impacts to your phone, along with a 3 millimeter raised lip to protect your front screen and camera. Our case is attached to a premium cord that has a strong, reinforced core using two strong connector rings so your phone stays close to you. 

2. Wear Your Keebos as a Necklace When Skiing

We know, we usually tell you to wear your Keebos as a crossbody phone case or as a necklace, but in this situation we must insist: wear it as a necklace. Since you could take some major spills  on the powder, you'll want to avoid wearing it in a position where you could land on it. You could fall on your hips as you ski, so wearing it as a crossbody case is gonna be a no-go this time. The ski phone holder is the perfect phone case for your next adventure! 

Without a Keebos Case 😢:

With your Keebos Case: 😊

Instead, wear your Keebos as a necklace, and don't let it fall below your belly button. The best place for your Keebos to fall on your body is around your chest area, and no lower than your midsection. It's the safest place on your body when you fall. 

3.  Bring a Ziploc Bag for Extra Protection

Taking a (sandwich or quart-sized) bag along to keep your phone in will add another layer of protection to your phone. Keeping your cell phone under your jacket so it doesn't get too cold means that you may end up with extra moisture (ie: sweat) when you go to grab your phone. Even if your phone doesn't seem to be suffering from moisture itself, you'll probably have sweaty hands when you go to pull your gloves off. 

 

If you bring a Ziploc bag, you can minimize this issue. Slip the bag over your Keebos so that it's almost completely sealed, and your phone screen will still work as a touch screen through the bag.

Or skip the sandwich bag. Our waterproof phone case with a strap does the same job properly for $19.90, or two for $29.90. It is 100% waterproof, seals with a leakproof snap closure, has a touchscreen responsive front so you can use the phone without opening it, and comes on a detachable quick-dry strap you can wear crossbody or around your neck. It fits all iPhone, Samsung and Google Pixel models, and it floats, which matters more on a lake than a mountain but is a nice failsafe.

4. Keep Your Keebos Under Your Jacket

Since freezing temperatures have an adverse effect on phones, you should keep your phone where you'll be warmest. That means your phone should be under your coat and out of the elements. Keeping your phone under your jacket will protect your phone from these situations that can arise when you're in freezing weather:

• Touch screen that becomes unresponsive
• Battery that drains too quickly
• Unexpected phone shutdowns

If you want to take your phone out for a quick photo to post to Instagram, you can do that. Just make sure you return it safely back to the inside of your jacket when you're not using it, and try to limit the number of times you take it out. (If you do get some awesome shots of you, your Keebos, and your buddies on the slopes, feel free to tag us! We love seeing what our happy customers are doing!)

5. Turn Off the Services You Don't Need

As we said earlier, being in the extreme cold can wreak havoc on your battery. Since it can have such a harsh effect, you should do everything you can to protect it. One of the ways you can be proactive about this is to turn off signals you won't need (WiFi, Bluetooth, and LTE). Make sure they're really off, though. If you just disconnect them, you may drain your battery faster. 

One thing you want to make sure you keep on is your GPS. You need to keep your GPS on so that people can locate you in case of an emergency. Skiing can be a dangerous sport and you need to exercise as much caution as you can while you're doing it. 

6. Sort Out the Glove Problem Before You Get on the Lift

This is the part everyone underestimates. A normal ski glove will not operate a capacitive touchscreen, so every photo, every text and every "where are you" turns into taking a glove off in the cold, holding it in your teeth, and hoping you do not drop either the glove or the phone from a moving chairlift.

• Touchscreen-compatible glove liners are the cheapest fix. Wear them under your main gloves and pull the outer glove only.
• Set up voice control before you leave so you can answer a call or start a voice note without touching anything.
• Use the volume button as a camera shutter. Open the camera, then press volume up. It works through most gloves.
• Keep the phone on a strap so that when you do have a glove off and bare hands in freezing air, a fumble ends with the phone swinging on your chest instead of disappearing into powder under the lift line.

That last one is the honest argument for a strap while skiing. Not that it protects the phone from a crash, but that it removes the moment where a cold, clumsy hand is the only thing between your phone and a long drop.

The Go-To Solution for Skiers

Our crossbody phone cases are great, it's the best phone case for skiing, whether you're hitting the slopes or relaxing at the lodge. Keebos come in almost every color imaginable, so you'll always find one that matches your look. Our phone cases come with adjustable cords or straps, which makes them perfect for you to take along on the slopes. They work beautifully with iPhones and Samsungs, which means you won't have to look all over the internet for a phone case that's compatible with yours!

Keebos have a sweet finger loop grip on the back that keeps your phone from being too bulky while ensuring you get the grip you need. Know what else they have on the back? A phone wallet that can hold up to 6 cards! Now when you get your apreś ski beverages, you don't have to struggle to get your wallet out of your back pocket. Simply tuck your cards in the wallet ahead of time and you'll have everything in the same place. 

Keebos phone cases are a favorite of those who maintain active lifestyles, including: 

• Dog walkers
• Celebrities
• Models
• ATV riders
• Beachgoers
• Cyclists
• Hikers
• Kayakers
• Joggers
• Festival goers
• World travelers
• Skaters
• Influencers
• Snowboarders
• Skiers
• And more!

Here at Keebos, we also care about the environment. It's why we make sure our products aren't shipped using plastic or fancy dyes. Instead, our Keebos phone cases are shipped in eco-friendly and biodegradable craft paper. Our concern for the environment is also why we stay true to the Keebos Promise: the promise that a tree will be planted for every phone case purchased. We keep that promise by donating to our partner organization, One Tree Planted, each time someone buys a phone case. They do great work!

Are you a skier who absolutely must have a Keebos phone case to bring along on the slopes? Why not give yourself an extra-early Christmas gift and get one? We won't tell anyone you decided to give yourself the best gift of all this year - but we can't guarantee that people won't start asking about it once they see it!

Get your Keebos today!

What to Buy, and What It Costs

Of all the ski phone accessories worth owning, these are the three that actually matter, and two of them cost less than a lift ticket.

• Waterproof phone case with strap: $19.90, or two for $29.90. The best pick for snow. 100% waterproof with a leakproof snap closure, touchscreen responsive front so you can use it sealed, detachable quick-dry strap, and it fits any iPhone, Samsung or Google Pixel.
• Crossbody phone case: $49.90. The everyday option that also works for the lodge and the lift line. 4 corner bumper, 3mm raised lip, a wallet for up to 6 cards, and a 54 inch strap that adjusts and detaches.
• Universal strap: $34.90. Attaches to the case you already own, so you can keep whatever rugged case you ski with and just add retention.

US shipping is free and everything has a 30 day money back guarantee. If you are buying for the season, order before the first big snow rather than the week of your trip.

Shop waterproof cases  |  Shop crossbody phone cases

Skiing With Your Phone: FAQ

Where should you put your phone while skiing?

In an inside chest pocket, zipped, under your outer layer. That keeps it warm enough to hold a charge and puts it in the least exposed place if you fall. If you want it reachable without unzipping, wear it on a strap as a necklace under the jacket rather than crossbody at hip height, since your hip is what you land on.

What is the best phone holder for skiing?

It depends on the conditions, and a mobile phone holder for skiing is really just a retention system with a case attached. For wet snow and spring slush, a sealed waterproof case with a strap is the most practical, and ours is $19.90. For cold dry days and lodge use, a crossbody phone case worn as a necklace under a jacket is easier to live with and carries your card. Neither is a substitute for zipping the phone away if you are skiing aggressively.

Does cold weather damage your phone?

Cold does not usually cause permanent damage, but it causes the failures skiers actually hit: the touchscreen becomes unresponsive, the battery drains far faster than normal, and the phone can shut down unexpectedly even with charge showing. Keeping it against your body under a layer is the fix, and it is the reason an outside pocket is a bad idea in freezing temperatures.

How do you use a phone with ski gloves on?

Most ski gloves will not work a touchscreen. The practical fixes are touchscreen-compatible liner gloves worn under your main gloves, setting up voice control before you go out, and using the volume up button as a camera shutter, which works through most gloves. Keeping the phone on a strap also means a fumble with cold hands does not end with the phone in the snow.

Is a crossbody phone case good for skiing?

For the lodge, the lift line, apres and cruising, yes, and worn as a necklace under a jacket it is the easiest way to keep the phone warm and reachable. For hard skiing, put the phone in a zipped chest pocket instead. A strap is retention, not impact protection, so treat it as a way to avoid dropping the phone rather than as armour for a crash.

Can you use a waterproof phone case while skiing?

Yes, and snow is the case for it, since snow is water. Ours seals with a snap closure and has a touchscreen responsive front, so you can take a photo or answer a call without opening it. Note that a waterproof pouch does nothing about the cold, so keep it inside a layer in freezing temperatures rather than clipped to the outside.

How do you keep your phone from falling out on a chairlift?

Stop relying on a pocket. A zipped inside pocket is the safest place, and if you want the phone accessible on the lift, keep it attached to you with a strap so that a cold, gloveless fumble ends with the phone swinging on your chest instead of dropping thirty feet into the lift line.