The Yeti SideKick Dry is one of Yeti's most popular accessories for their soft sided coolers. But outside of Yeti's product description and a few YouTube videos there isn't much information on the SideKick Dry.
I personally had a bunch of things I wanted to know about the Yeti SideKick Dry so I've done my research and compiled the answers to the most frequently asked questions here.
If you have any other questions about this Yeti product or any other leave a comment down below and we can try to answer them in a future post.
Is The Yeti SideKick Dry Waterproof?
The Yeti SideKick Dry is said to be completely waterproof, but is it actually waterproof and how does it keep the water out?
Yes, the Yeti SideKick Dry is completely waterproof. It has strong magnetics that make a watertight seal which folds over and velcros in place for further sealing. The outside is made from DryHide Shell which is also completely waterproof.
This means that when the Yeti SideKick Dry is closed everything inside is completely protected from water.
Whether it gets rained on, splashed on or even if it is completely submerged in water no water will get inside the SideKick Dry.
The video below shows someone completely submerging the SideKick Dry in water and moving it around. After he pulls it out the inside of the SideKick Dry as well as his phone (which he put inside) is completely dry
How Does The Yeti SideKick Dry Keep Water Out?
The SideKick Dry uses strong magnets along the inside of the open. When these connect together it forms a watertight seal.
The sealed opening is then folded over, creating more protection from water, and stuck in place using a strong velcro strap.
This combination of the magnetic seal and the strong velcro strap makes it completely waterproof even when full submerged in water.
The exterior of the SideKick Dry is also made from the strong, durable and waterproof material that the Yeti coolers are made from.
It's TPU laminated material mates it scratch and puncture resistant as well as waterproof. Even if you soak it in water the water isn't going to slowly seep through. It'll keep the water out.
See the latest price of the Yeti SideKick Dry at Yeti.com
(or compare to the price of the Yeti SideKick Dry at Amazon)
Does The Yeti SideKick Dry Float?
If you were to have a Yeti SideKick Dry and accidentally drop it in the water would it float or would it sink?
Given the Yeti SideKick Dry is waterproof the air inside the pouch will make it float in water, even if there are items in there. If you have extremely dense and heavy items in there is may sink, but if it is empty it will always float.
It's good that you don't have to worry about dropping your SideKick Dry or it coming off your cooler and sinking to the bottom of the ocean or the river.
If you do happen to drop it in the water you should be able to retrieve it quite easily. The fact that it floats also means it's less likely to get water inside through the opening.
Where Are The Yeti SideKick Dry Made? China, Philippines or The USA?
Yeti hard sided coolers are usually made in the Philippines and their soft sided coolers are usually manufactured in China.
This would make me think that all Yeti SideKicks are also manufactured in China along with the soft coolers.
The following is an excerpt from the FAQ page on Yeti's website.
Our Tundra coolers are manufactured in the USA at facilities located in Iowa and Wisconsin as well as at a facility located in the Philippines. Our Hopper coolers are manufactured in China. Want a YETI made in the USA? Call us at (512) 394-9384 and we’ll make it happen.
However, I recently bought a Yeti DayTrip Lunch Bag and I thought that would be made in China, but the barcode stated it was in fact made in the Philippines.
So the Yeti SideKick may be made in the Philippines or it may be manufactured in China. It's highly unlikely that it is made in the USA.
How Long Is The Warranty On The Year SideKick?
The Yeti SideKick Dry, along with all other Yeti soft coolers and bags, come with a limited 3 year warranty.
Click here to go to Yeti‘s Warranty Page
How Big Is The Yeti SideKick Dry?
The Yeti SideKick Dry is surprisingly big and much bigger in person than you would think simply by looking at the product images online.
Looking at the images I assumed it was a small pouch, probably about the size of a regular smartphone.
However, in reality it's much bigger than this and can fit multiple phones, wallets, keys and other knick knacks before becoming completely full.
Below you can see the dimensions of the Yeti SideKick Dry. Make sure to double check these before buying so you aren't shocked at how big it is like a lot of people are.
Does The Yeti SideKick Dry Have Internal Pockets?
The Yeti SideKick Dry is one large pouch with a single mesh elastic pocket on the side to help keep things organized.
It would be good if it had more pockets for organization on the inside but given it's not an extremely big pouch you can still find things fairly easily.
The original Yeti SideKick Dry (with the zipper) had 2 internal elastic pockets next to each other. The current SideKick Dry (with magnetic opening) only has one.
Does The Yeti SideKick Dry Have a Zipper?
The original version of the Yeti SideKick Dry had a waterproof zipper which was how you opened and closed the pouch.
The current version of the Yeti SideKick Dry does NOT have a zipper. Instead it has a magnetic seal to open the pouch as well as a velcro strip that keeps it in place when folded over.
Is The Yeti SideKick Dry Insulated?
The Yeti SideKick Dry is made from the same tough waterproof material as the Yeti Hopper soft sided coolers. However, the Yeti SideKick Dry is NOT insulated.
It is designed to keep items completely dry but it is not designed to keep things cold or warm.
Is The Yeti SideKick Dry Worth It?
Like pretty much everything Yeti makes the SideKick Dry is an expensive piece of equipment.
At around $50 it doesn't come cheap and considering you're likely already forking out hundreds of dollars on a cooler it can feel like a big much to add $50 for a waterproof pocket.
However, also like everything Yeti makes, the SideKick Dry is extremely well made and extremely durable.
It's also really easy to use and the fact that it's waterproof makes it the perfect addition for any Yeti Hopper cooler. You can even throw it in your cooler with the ice and water and whatever is inside it will stay dry.
You can attached the SideKick Dry to your Yeti soft cooler or you can use it separately, giving it a level of versatility.
If you can afford it then I would say without a doubt YES the Yeti SideKick Dry is worth it. But if you're tight on money get the Yeti cooler first and then see if you want to add the SideKick Dry at a later point.
See the latest price of the Yeti SideKick Dry at Yeti.com
(or compare to the price of the Yeti SideKick Dry at Amazon)
Is The Yeti SideKick Discontinued?
I've written an entire article on whether or not the Yeti SideKick Dry is discontinued and you can read more about this topic over there. But in short:
The Yeti SideKick Dry is NOT discontinued. It is one of Yeti's most popular soft cooler accessories. From time to time Yeti do discontinue old colors and replace them with new ones and sometimes they have stock shortages leading to the SideKick Dry being out of stock everywhere.
Where Can You Buy The Yeti SideKick Dry?
Yeti.com – Buy or Get Notified
My favorite place to buy my Yeti gear (other than my local store…who I try to support) is Yeti's own website.
On their website Yeti have every product and there are even some “Yeti.com exclusive” products or colors available.
I like buying from Yeti.com as I know the product will be 100% authentic and I know I won't be overpaying.
See the latest price of the Yeti SideKick Dry at Yeti.com
Amazon.com
Amazon can also be a great place to buy Yeti products. Yeti have an authorized store on there and often you can find colors on Amazon that have been discontinued and aren't available on Yeti's website.
Also when things are out of stock at Yeti's website sometimes there is still stock at Amazon.
See the latest price of the Yeti SideKick Dry at Amazon
Ebay – Stock Often Available, Older Stock Too
If you can't find what you want on Yeti's website or Amazon then Ebay is another great place to buy Yeti products.
If you want an older discontinued product you can often get them on Ebay as well.
See the latest prices and stock of Yeti SideKick Dry Bags at Ebay
Your Local Store
Sometimes you just can't beat the experience of your local store.
You can see the products in person, compare them to each other, choose your color and walk out with it then and there.
You can support a local business as well which is definitely a plus and sometimes stores have stock when things online are sold out.
