Short answer: scrub pockets are the problem, not the phone. A Keebos crossbody case is worn on an adjustable strap so your phone stays on you through a 12 hour shift, comes off in seconds, and wipes down with hospital disinfectant. $49.90, free US shipping, 30 day money back guarantee.
The Real Problem Is Scrub Pockets
Scrubs are not designed to carry a phone. The chest pocket dumps it the moment you lean over a bed. The hip pockets are shallow, and a modern phone sticks out far enough to catch on a bed rail or a door handle. Some units discourage loose pockets entirely.
So the phone ends up somewhere it should not be: in a waistband, tucked into a bra, face down on a workstation, or in a pocket you are constantly checking. On a 12 hour shift that is a hundred small moments of friction, and it is how phones end up on hard floors.
Wearing it removes the decision. On a strap the phone sits on your chest, visible, reachable with one hand, and it goes back to hanging on its own.
Can You Wipe It Down? Yes
This is the first question anyone working clinically asks, and it is a fair one.
A Keebos can be wiped down with hospital disinfectant. The case is a smooth, non-porous surface, so it takes a disinfectant wipe the same way your phone does. The strap unclips in seconds, so you can clean the case on its own, or take the strap off entirely before you go into a room where you would rather not have anything hanging.
That detachability is the practical part. It means the same case is a worn phone on the ward and an ordinary phone case when you clock off.
Through a 12 Hour Shift
Hands free, constantly
You are pushing carts, carrying trays, gloving up, helping patients move. Every one of those is easier when the phone is not one of the things in your hands. It is also there for the drug calculator, the reference lookup and the photo of a chart without hunting through a pocket.
It does not fall out when you bend
This is the single most common way a phone dies in a hospital. Leaning over a bed with a phone in a chest pocket is a coin flip. On a strap it swings and comes back.
It does not get left behind
Phones get set down in a room, at a nurses' station, in a break room. A phone worn on your body is not set down at all, which matters when you move between eight rooms an hour.
Your badge and your phone are not the same problem
You are already wearing a badge on a reel or a lanyard, so the neck is occupied. Worn crossbody rather than around the neck, the phone sits on the opposite side and does not tangle with the badge, and the 54 inch strap adjusts so you can set exactly where it sits.
For Doctors
The pocket problem is different in a white coat but no better: a phone in a coat pocket swings against everything, and a phone in a trouser pocket is awkward when you sit down with a patient. A crossbody case worn short, under or over the coat, keeps the phone reachable one-handed on rounds without adding another thing to carry.
The wallet on the back holds up to 6 cards, so an ID, a card and a parking pass ride with the phone rather than in a wallet you have to find.
What You Get for $49.90
- The fitted case, cut for your exact phone model, in a smooth wipeable finish.
- An adjustable 54 inch strap that shortens by pulling two cords and unclips completely. No buckle to work with one hand or with gloves on.
- A sealable wallet on the back for up to 6 cards plus cash.
- An elastic finger strap behind the wallet, so a large phone can be held with two fingers rather than gripped.
Straps are interchangeable and start at $24.90, so you can keep a plain one for work and something else for off shift. If you already own a case you like, the universal strap is $34.90 and attaches to it.
What It Is Not
Worth being straight, because a hospital floor is a hard floor.
- It is not a rugged, heavy-duty case. There is drop protection, but if your main concern is surviving repeated drops onto concrete in an emergency department, a dedicated rugged case is built for that and this is not.
- It is not a medical device or a certified antimicrobial product. It wipes clean like your phone does. It makes no clinical claims beyond that.
What it does is stop the phone falling out of a scrub pocket and stop it being left in a patient room.
Keebos and Frontline Workers
Plenty of nurses, doctors and other clinical staff wear Keebos on shift, and during the COVID-19 pandemic we donated cases to frontline workers in Los Angeles. Healthcare has been part of who buys these since the beginning.
Phone Cases for Nurses and Healthcare Workers: FAQ
What is the best phone case for nurses?
One you can wear, because the real problem is scrub pockets rather than the phone. A crossbody case on an adjustable strap keeps the phone on your chest through a shift, reachable with one hand, and it will not fall out when you lean over a bed. Look for a strap that detaches, a wipeable surface, and a wallet so your ID rides with the phone. The Keebos version is $49.90.
Can you disinfect a Keebos phone case?
Yes. The case wipes down with hospital disinfectant, the same as your phone, because the surface is smooth and non-porous. The strap unclips in seconds so you can clean the case separately or remove the strap entirely when you would rather not have anything hanging.
Where do nurses keep their phone during a shift?
Scrub pockets are the default and the reason so many phones get dropped: chest pockets tip out when you lean over a bed and hip pockets are too shallow for a modern phone. The alternatives are a badge-reel style holder, a belt clip, or wearing the phone on a crossbody strap, which is the only one that keeps it reachable one-handed without a pocket.
Will it get in the way of my badge or lanyard?
Worn crossbody rather than around the neck it sits on the opposite side from a badge reel, so the two do not tangle. The 54 inch strap adjusts by pulling two cords, so you can set exactly how high it sits.
Is there a phone case for doctors?
The same case. A phone in a white coat pocket swings against everything and a trouser pocket is awkward sitting with a patient. Worn on a strap it stays reachable one-handed on rounds, and the wallet on the back carries an ID, a card and a parking pass.
Is it rugged enough for a hospital floor?
It has drop protection, and because the phone is attached to you it is far less likely to be dropped in the first place, which is the bigger factor day to day. If your main concern is repeated hard drops in an emergency department, a dedicated rugged case is built for that and this is not.
How much does it cost?
$49.90 for the case with the adjustable strap, the 6 card wallet and the finger strap included. Spare straps start at $24.90 and the universal strap that attaches to any case is $34.90. US shipping is free, with a 30 day money back guarantee.
Do you ship to the UK for NHS staff?
Yes, we ship internationally, though shipping is free within the US only. The cases fit iPhone, Samsung Galaxy including the Z Fold and Z Flip, and Google Pixel, so check your exact model in Settings before ordering.
