Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Otterbox returns to its roots to protect your gear with an all new drybox

otterbox drybox returns 2
Most people know Otterbox as a company that makes rugged, waterproof cases designed to protect smartphones and tablets from the elements. But long before the Colorado-based company started making cases for mobile devices, it first built a line of durable dryboxes meant to keep our valuables safe while outdoors. The original Otterbox drybox was created to keep fragile and important personal items — including cell phones and car keys — safe from water while out backpacking, camping, or kayaking. It was that product that first put the company on the map and helped take it from just a workshop in a garage to one of the top smartphone case manufacturers in the world.

Now, the iconic product is making a comeback in a revamped form that offers more protection. Otterbox recently announced the return of its Drybox 3250 series of cases, which come with a more modern design and streamlined than previous generations. Built from tough — but lightweight — polycarbonate plastics, the new dryboxes are equipped with quick-access latches. Those same latches manage to keep the lid firmly in place when it’s locked down tight, however, preventing the contents within from spilling out when dropped. Inside, the cases offer 55 cubic inches of storage capacity, with an interior that is lined with a layer of protective foam. This serves to absorb any damage caused by impact, keeping smartphones and other easily damaged items safe and secure.

Like the original Otterbox Drybox, the new 3250 series is built for use in and around water. It carries an IP68 waterproof rating, which means it can be immersed in up to 90 feet for 30 minutes and still keep its interior dry. So if you’re looking for a way to keep your mobile device, wallet, and car keys safe from moisture while in the backcountry, this case may be your best bet. Since they are relatively small and lightweight, you won’t have to worry about them adding much bulk to your pack either.

Beyond the Case

The 3250 series is perfect for stand-up paddlers, kayakers, sailors, or anyone else who finds themselves out on the water with any frequency. Beyond that, they also make a safe place to store important items while hiking and backpacking in areas where rainfall is common too. Simply place your valuables inside the case and toss it into your backpack and you will never have to worry about sudden damaging downpours. Additionally, these cases are perfect for anglers and hunters as well, many of which face similar challenges to keeping their gear protected while out in the wild. Since they are designed to be stackable, you can expand your capacity as needed.

This latest incarnation of the Otterbox Drybox comes with a one-year warranty and is available on the company’s website. The cases come in three colors — Black, Frost (blue/white), and Ridgeline (green/tan) — and sell for $40. Otterbox says that a Realtree camo version is in the works too and should be available soon for $50.

Buy at Otterbox

Kraig Becker
Kraig Becker is a freelance outdoor writer who loves to hike, camp, mountain bike, trail run, paddle, or just about any other…
Goodbye, coolers. The EcoFlow Glacier doesn’t need ice — it makes it
The EcoFlow Glacier is a fridge shaped like a cooler with its own battery,

Every cooler operates on borrowed time. It leaves for your camping trip brimming over with crisp produce and ice-encrusted beer that looks straight out of a Super Bowl commercial, and returns with a soggy block of foil-wrapped cheddar cheese floating in a pool of mustard water. Mother Nature always wins.

Perhaps that’s why I was so enamored when I saw the EcoFlow Glacier at CES 2023. Less a cooler than a mobile battery-powered fridge on wheels, the sleek electric Glacier not only obviated the need for ice, it would make ice for me in 18 minutes. My home fridge can’t even do that, and I didn’t even know I wanted it to until just now. When EcoFlow offered to let me try the Glacier, I envisioned sipping a perspiring glass of whiskey in the tropics and accepted the occupational hazards of my job.

Read more
I was wrong. E-bikes are so practical, they’re a transit cheat code
An Aventon Level 2 ebike sits outside a grocery store.

Confession: Despite loving both bikes and gadgets, e-bikes never excited me. Compared to my bicycle, e-bikes seemed unfair. Compared to my motorcycle, they seemed slow. Compared to my car, they seemed impractical.

But with $1,500 federal e-bike rebates potentially on the horizon at part of E-Bike Act, I decided it was past time to reconsider. Not just because 30% off would make them way more accessible, but because the entire idea that e-bikes could be worthy of a rebate changed the way I looked at them: less as toys, more as transit. Had I written off an entire way of getting around because I was looking at it the wrong way?

Read more
Upway launches one of the best marketplaces for certified e-bikes, new or not
Man holding ebike from Upway in a field, lifestyle image.

This content was produced in partnership with Upway.
It wasn't too long ago that e-bikes were a rare sight, but all of that has changed, and rightfully so. Electric bikes are all over the road these days, and there are many brands either venturing into the technology, to launch their own versions of the sustainable transportation option or reiterating existing and traditional designs. From Aventon to Schwinn, or RadPower to Momentum, with so many opportunities, the prevailing question is, where do you go to find the best deals and the best information about these brands and their e-bike models? The answer is Upway, the number one certified electric bike provider and an official partner to many of the aforementioned brands.

What is Upway, exactly? It's a marketplace, specializing in e-bikes, featuring an inventory that's sourced from some of the best brands in the world. There are American brands -- like Specialized, Cannondale, and RadPower -- and European brands -- like Riese, Muller, and VanMoof. The best part is the discounts, offering up to 60% off retail, for a plethora of brands. Upway is on a mission to make sustainable mobility affordable for everyone. It's also one of the best places to go for a new or pre-owned e-bike, and here's why:

Read more