"The iFixit Thirsty Bag can be a life-saver when it comes to salvaging water-damaged iPhones and iPads... if you happen to have one around when an accident happens."

The iFixit Thirsty Bag is for those who worry about dropping their precious iPhones, iPod touches, or iPads in water. Whether you reach down to pick up something and your Phone slips out of your pocket and into the river or lake, or you turn too quickly and knock your iPod touch off the counter and into the toilet, a time may come when all that stands between you and a replacement is quick action, moisture absorbing materials like the Thirty Bag, and prayers to whichever Apple god you so choose to believe in.

When your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad splashes down, and the waves of water crest over it just as the waves of panic crest over you, there are several important things to remember. First, retrieve your device as quickly as possible. Second, dry it off fast so as to minimize exposure time. Third, put it somewhere with highly moisture absorbing material to dry it out. In a pinch, if you have no other option, dry rice is the DIY option. If you've thought ahead, however, you can use materials specifically designed for moisture absorbing. The iFixit Thirsty Bag contains just such a material.

Our favorite VPN service is more affordable now than ever before

Inside the iFixit Thirsty Bag you'll find two "molecular sieve packets". Each of these contains powerful liquid absorption material that, according to iFixit, can reduce the atmospheric humidity to 1% RH and suck up pretty much all liquid inside your device over night. They don't say exactly what the liquid absorbing material is, so I don't know if it's the same as the silica gel packets that sometimes ship with electronics to keep them dry, but they work in a similar fashion.

You can use the iFixit Thirsty Bag to remove potentially damaging water from and iPhone or something as large as an iPad, though for larger devices they recommend placing everything in a sealed, ziplock-type bag.

iFixit Thirsty BagReviewed by iMore

iFixit Thirsty Bag for iPhone, iPad review

$6.95

Buy now

The Good

  • More absorbent and efficient than rice
  • Small and easy to store
  • Each bag contains 2 sieve pouches

The Bad

  • Needs to be bought ahead of time
  • More expensive than DIY solutions like rice

The Conclusion

The iFixit ThirstyBad can be a life-saver when it comes to salvaging water-damaged iPhones and iPads... if you happen to have one around when an accident happens. Since they're small and relatively easy to store, if you spend a lot of time around water, or are simply clumsy and/or paranoid, keeping a couple around just-in-case is a no-brainer.

We may earn a commission for purchases using our links. Learn more.