Bheestie Bag Build Quality

Whether or not we want to admit it, we've all been there. We've all had that sinking feeling when we hear the plop of an electrical device hitting the water. Maybe it is in a toilet (a quick Internet search will tell you this is where a surprising number of electronic devices end up), maybe a puddle, or maybe you got rained on. Regardless, we all know what happens when an electronic device hits the water - we start checking out our warranties and hoping but mostly shopping online for replacements. As waterlogged devices tend to be cellphones and iPods, these can be hefty charges.

The Bheestie company decided to do something about this problem by inventing a bag. Well, it isn't the bag, per se, but the little pellets that are in it. This bag is compact enough to be taken nearly anywhere. The directions are simple - place waterlogged device in bag, seal tightly, wait. While they didn't add "pray" onto the end of that, you probably won't need to be reminded to do so (especially if it is your brand new iPhone).

Build Quality

Bheestie_backWhat is in a bag? Well, traditionally air but in the case of the Bheestie Bag, it is air and a smaller bag of pellets. There are clear instructions NOT to open this second bag of pellets. This makes sense as free pellets could work themselves into the nooks and crannies of your device, creating a different, though probably just as deadly, problem. The bag itself looks like something people on the space station would open to get a napkin or drink out of. The silver material is very space age in appearance with the blue and black highlights only adding to the effect.

The bag arrived sealed in another bag (that makes three so far) which was then sealed in a shipping bag (up to four). I couldn't see if the mailman carried the package in a bag (five) though that seems likely. Each of the top two bag layers need to have the tops ripped off before use: The top bag to get the Bheestie Bag out, the Bheestie Bag top to get the device in. There is a zip top closure on the Bheestie Bag to keep the device in and moisture out.

This is apparently a very key feature of the Bheestie Bag - the pellets on the inside are highly absorbent and will lose that absorbency quickly if exposed to the air for prolonged periods of time. Here in Florida, this is especially true as even in the winter the humidity can be quite high. This is why I conducted the tests first before I removed the interior bag of pellets for my picture. Each bag of pellets has a number of "indicator" pellets. These let you know when your Bheestie Bag needs to be replaced. While the pellets are still good and able to absorb moisture, they are blue. Once they turn gray, it is time to get a new Bheestie Bag. This is actually a feature I was hoping to see with the Bheestie Bag as it takes the guesswork out of replacement times.

With the supposed high absorbency of the pellets such an issue, I was surprised at how hard it was to close the zip top. Some of the newer bags these days have actual sliders which would have made things a bit easier, though I suppose those may not offer as airtight a seal. On the other side of the spectrum, there are also double zip tops out there for extra protection. Again, this seems like it would be a good step and one that shouldn't take a huge chunk out of the profits.

Hints for your wet electronic devices

Before we go any further, let's talk about some general hints. If you are to, say, jump into a pool after a drowning kid or maybe forget your cell phone is in your pocket and send it through the wash cycle - what should you do?

• Do NOT turn your device on to see if it works. This will quite possibly make things much worse. Instead, immediately remove the battery and any memory cards.

• Pat the device and all of the removed pieces dry.

• Do NOT use hot air (hair dryer) to dry the device. You're very likely to melt something important.

• Salt water is particularly bad. If your device has entered the sea or some other brackish body, you'll want to rinse it first (I know, counterintuitive but if the salt stays in the device, it is sure to die, with a rinse, you have a chance of saving it).

• Alcohol is good (I know, I didn't need to tell you that) at displacing water. If your device has been submerged for long, a quick bath in alcohol will help displace the water. It also dries faster than water and doesn't rust. While this all sounds like a great quick fix to a waterlogged cell phone, alcohol has a tendency to dissolve some of the adhesives used inside many such devices. I don't recommend this technique unless you are really desperate.

Experimentation and Use

OK, let's get down to it. I know what most of you are saying, "$20 for a bag? No WAY!" but let's think about this objectively. We all know (or at least most of us do) that there are DIY solutions for the wet cell phone problem. We'll address those in a moment but first let's talk about the benefits of the Bheestie Bag.

It's small. Well, the bag isn't small but the contents are tiny. The little bag of pellets inside or so small that you'd think they couldn't possibly absorb that much water. That remains to be seen at this point in the review but from a transportability standpoint, the small amount of contents of the bag means it can be easily placed in a laptop case, a gym bag, or just about anywhere else. Try lugging around a bag of rice "just in case." The compact size of the Bheestie Bag must be considered a huge plus.

At this point is where I run into a wall. Sure, it's small and transportable but for $20, it should work like a charm too. Well, that's where the test comes in. With help from Audioholics Editor-in-Chief Clint DeBoer, a unique test was devised to uncover just how good this Bheestie Bag was. We wanted to know not only if it worked, but how well and compared to the most obvious competition - a bag of rice.

So, at this point you've got your device off, apart, and as dry as possible. You've got a choice, a Bheestie Bag or a bag of rice. Here is the tale of the tape: