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review

Loksak aLoksak waterproof gadget protector

8
£8.99

VERDICT:

8
10
More than just a sandwich bag: impressive performance and neat touches for smartphone users
Weight: 
6g
Contact: 
www.loksak.com

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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The range of aLOKSAK waterproof pouches are made by LOKSAK Inc in the USA and they say that they are the only completely waterproof, dust proof and humidity proof storage bags on the consumer market. Bold claims indeed but after some impressive performance in the wettest January since time began I think the humble sandwich bag has met its match.

There is a decent selection of sizes in the aLOKSAK range for whatever you'll be wanting to protect. We've got the 86 x 162mm (76 x 140mm internal) size, which is marketed as great for smartphones. Nine quid gets you a pack of three polythene bags with a hermetic seal tested and certified waterproof to 60m (200ft). Using a medical grade film they are also certified in the US to be safe as food storage.

The aLOKSAK has lived in my jersey pocket on every ride over the last five weeks and has performed brilliantly in terms of keeping the rain and road spray out even on a couple of days when I risked just a windproof jersey before getting drowned in a monsoon. The bonus over any sandwich bag here though is that you don't get any condensation inside when it's sitting between a wet outer layer and your warm body. This also works on dry warm rides when sweat transfers through your jersey onto your phone.

The bag works with touchscreens, so you can use your phone while it's sealed away from the elements and even taking calls through the bag seemed to work fine. GPS signals weren't affected either if you use your phone for mapping or Strava style apps.

I use a Samsung Galaxy Fame and this fitted spot on in the aLOKSAK. There is a bit of spare room for the bigger screened phones, S3 for example. I usually carried phone, cash card, cash, a few business cards and a front door key which filled the bag without stretching it. It has got a small amount of flex and give in the material should you need to pack some more things in there though and the sharp edges of the key haven't punctured the film.

The packaging says that the aLOKSAK remains flexible down to -40°C which thankfully I haven't had to test but as we've had very few freezing days here in the UK a quick overnight kitchen freezer test certainly didn't highlight any durability issues with the material. It wasn't quite as flexible as at room temperature but nothing of any concern.

On the whole I think the aLOKSAK is a worthy investment, especially at £3 a bag. After a month of daily use it's lost some of the logos and has gained a couple of blemishes and scuffs to the material but it's still just as tight as it was when it came out of the packet. Sealing is easy with just a drag of your finger and thumb and even applying my bodyweight by standing on it couldn't make the seal pop open. I'll happily be using the aLOKSAK on every ride throughout the year.

Verdict

More than just a sandwich bag: impressive performance and neat touches for smartphone users.

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Loksak aLoksak

Size tested: 3 units in a pack

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Originally designed for diving there is now a range of sizes and styles of LOKSAK pouches all offering waterproof, dust-proof and humidity-proof performance. The aLOKSAK we've tested never failed once.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

100% Polythene construction that remains pliable to -40 deg Celsius.

Hermetic seal

Water, Dust & Humidity proof and airtight

Waterproof to 60m

Medical grade film makes it safe for food storage

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
8/10
Rate the product for value:
 
8/10

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

It worked very well keeping everything out that it should. The pressure required to get the seal to fail is impressive.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

It carried everything I needed, was a good size and performed as it said it would.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

It's looking a bit scuffed and scratched after just a month but to be fair it's not affecting performance.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes.

Would you consider buying the product? Yes.

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 35  Height: 180cm  Weight: 76kg

I usually ride: Whatever needs testing or Genesis Flyer, fixed of course!  My best bike is: Kinesis T2 with full Centaur Red

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed,

 

As part of the tech team here at F-At Digital, senior product reviewer Stu spends the majority of his time writing in-depth reviews for road.cc, off-road.cc and ebiketips using the knowledge gained from testing over 1,500 pieces of kit (plus 100's of bikes) since starting out as a freelancer back in 2009. After first throwing his leg over a race bike back in 2000, Stu's ridden more than 170,000 miles on road, time-trial, track, and gravel bikes, and while he's put his racing days behind him, he still likes to smash the pedals rather than take things easy. With a background in design and engineering, he has an obsession with how things are developed and manufactured, has a borderline fetish for handbuilt metal frames and finds a rim braked road bike very aesthetically pleasing!

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7 comments

Avatar
amawby | 10 years ago
0 likes

Those pointy corners look perfect for catching on your jersey and pulling threads when you slide it into a pocket.
Also, the claim about being the only ones on the market - what about: http://jerseybin.com/

Avatar
levermonkey | 10 years ago
0 likes

Waterproof to 60m - I think my phone being trashed is the least of my problems if this is an issue whilst riding.

I have used small freezer bags for years and have never had an issue with damp tech. Also, for £9 I can get an awful lot of freezer bags.

If my commute is really wet I just double-bag.

Avatar
monkeytrousers | 10 years ago
0 likes

I thought Strava was waterproof already.

Avatar
justDave | 10 years ago
0 likes

Strava

Avatar
andyp | 10 years ago
0 likes

You carry a mobile phone on a ride? I don't know whether to be impressed or appalled.  1

Avatar
Martin Thomas | 10 years ago
0 likes

You carry business cards on a ride? I don't know whether to be impressed or appalled.  1

Avatar
stuke replied to Martin Thomas | 10 years ago
0 likes
Martin Thomas wrote:

You carry business cards on a ride? I don't know whether to be impressed or appalled.  1

they have my name, address and phone number on. Ideal for quick swap of details, witness, insurance that sort of thing.

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