Smallest Pelicase Guide: Micro Cases, Small Protectors and Compact Storms 🤏

Ask people to picture a Peli case and they will describe a big black roller full of camera gear. Look through our order history and a different picture appears: the cases we ship most often fit in one hand. The smallest Peli cases are the most personal ones. They hold the phone that cannot die on the kayak, the medication that cannot warm up on the beach, the car key that cannot drown in the surf, the memory cards with the wedding on them. Big cases protect equipment. Small cases protect the things that end a day when they fail.

This guide is updated for the 2026/27 season and covers two families that make up the small end of our catalogue: the Micro cases (Peli 1010 to 1060), built around pocketability and a rubber liner, and the small Protectors (Peli 1120 to 1300), which are full professional cases scaled down and fitted with Pick N Pluck foam. We go model by model, using the dimensions and weights from our product pages, and finish with a table that matches each case to a typical job.

Why small cases are harder to engineer than big ones

A big case has room for engineering: thick ribs, several latches, deep gasket channels, mass that shrugs off abuse. A micro case has to keep the same promises, IP67 sealing, crush resistance and decades of latch cycles, inside an object small enough for a jacket pocket and simple enough to open with cold wet hands. Every millimetre of wall thickness competes with a millimetre of interior space. That is why a tiny case costs what it costs: it is the same engineering as a large case, only miniaturised.

One vocabulary note before the tour, because it decides purchases. Micro cases protect contents with a rubber liner (or optionally foam), while the small Protectors use Pick N Pluck foam, a pre-scored grid of cubes you remove by hand to match your item. Liner cases are grab-and-go and universal. Foam cases are tailored. That split is the real dividing line between the families, more than size itself.

The Micro family: Peli 1010 to 1060

The 1010 to 1060 range is the entry gate to the Peli universe. All five models are IP67 certified, which means dust-tight and waterproof to 1 metre for 30 minutes. They have a rubber gasket around the lid, double-throw latches, stainless steel hardware and a pressure equalisation valve. The 1030 to 1060 use a GORE-TEX membrane in that valve. Here is each one as listed in our store.

Peli 1010: the pocket vault

The smallest of the five, about the size of a chunky wallet. Its interior measures 11.1 x 7.29 x 4.27 cm (0.35 litres), the empty weight is 0.18 kg, and it floats with up to 0.23 kg inside. It suits car key fobs, memory cards, a day of medication, SIM cards, rings and a few banknotes. The transparent version lets you check the contents without opening the lid. The rated temperature range is -23 to +93 degrees Celsius. If you are buying your first Peli case, this is the likeliest candidate. See the Peli 1010 Transparent.

Peli 1030: the slim courier

Longer and slimmer: 19.05 x 9.83 x 6.17 cm outside and 16.18 x 6.65 x 5.23 cm inside, 0.56 litres, 0.28 kg with the rubber insert and 0.45 kg of buoyancy. It is the shape for a slim phone, a passport with cash, a power bank or sunglasses, and it slides into a jacket pocket or handlebar bag. See the Peli 1030 Waterproof Case.

Peli 1040: the phone bodyguard

Built around the modern smartphone. The interior is 16.51 x 9.83 x 4.45 cm (0.72 litres), the weight is 0.32 kg with the rubber insert, and the buoyancy is 0.57 kg. It comes in four variants: solid black, solid yellow, clear with black rubber and clear with yellow rubber. Measure your phone without its own case first: handsets up to roughly 16 cm tall and 9.5 cm wide fit. Beyond the phone there is room for cards and keys. See the Peli 1040 Phone Case.

Peli 1050: the kayaker's classic

A touch deeper than the 1040 at 16.03 x 9.35 x 6.99 cm inside (1.05 litres), weighing 0.38 kg with the insert. The buoyancy of 0.79 kg lets you recover it from moving water, and the carabiner-ready loop clips to a PFD, backpack strap or belt. It takes phone, keys, documents or a compact action camera with a spare battery. If you are unsure what IP67 really promises, our plain-language IP67 explainer settles it. See the Peli 1050 Kayak Case.

Peli 1060: the long micro

The longest of the family: 20.96 x 10.8 x 5.72 cm inside (1.29 litres), 0.47 kg with the insert and 1.13 kg of buoyancy. It holds a large phone plus folded documents and keys, a batch of SD cards with spare batteries, or prescription medication with a phone. Black, clear with black rubber and yellow versions are listed. It is also a good travel-document box for passport, vaccination card and emergency cash. See the Peli 1060 Documents Case.

The Micro range has other numbers, such as the 1020, between these sizes. If a between-size matters for your item, write to us. Sizing advice is free, and we would rather you get the right shell than the nearest one.

The small Protectors: Peli 1120 to 1300

Cross from Micro into the 1120 to 1300 range and the character changes. These are not pocket accessories. They are full professional Protector cases that happen to be small: the same polypropylene copolymer shells, double-throw latches, O-ring seals, automatic pressure equalisation valves and Pick N Pluck foam as the big siblings, with a lifetime guarantee where applicable by law. This is where "protecting my stuff" becomes "casing my equipment", and where the numbering follows the logic we explain in what Peli model numbers actually mean.

Peli 1120: the smallest true Protector

The smallest hard case in the Protector line. It ships with Pick N Pluck foam in the base and convoluted foam in the lid (a no-foam variant exists) and comes in black, yellow and orange. Typical loads are a compact camera, memory cards and batteries, a GPS module, a rangefinder or emergency medication such as an epinephrine pen. See the Peli 1120 Protector.

Peli 1150: the deep small one

Roughly the size of a large hardback book, with more depth than the 1120. It is offered with or without foam in black, yellow, orange and silver. Handheld radios, compact camera bodies, first-aid kits, hard drives, signal meters and calibration tools are its usual contents. It also works as the sealed inner vault inside a bigger bag. See the Peli 1150 Protector.

Peli 1170: the flat specialist

Black, yellow, orange and silver, with or without foam, and rated IP67. Our product page lists lenses and compact mirrorless bodies, drone batteries and chargers, multimeters and inspection cameras, insulin and epinephrine pens, and jewellery. Firearms owners also use it with a custom foam cut-out where the law allows. See the Peli 1170 Protector.

Peli 1200: the classic

The case most people picture when they hear "small Peli case". It comes in five colours, black, yellow, orange, blue and silver, each with or without foam, which makes ten variants in total. It swallows an action camera with mounts and batteries, a compact camera with a spare lens, a medical or field test kit, a multimeter or small drone batteries. When a customer asks for a proper small case and is not sure which, this is where we start. See the Peli 1200 Protector.

Peli 1300: the deep classic

The taller sibling of the 1200, in black, yellow, orange and silver. The extra depth suits stacked contents, such as an upright camera body, layered batteries or an instrument with its probes coiled on top. The no-foam version also accepts a TrekPak divider system. Between 1200 and 1300 the decision is almost always a height question: measure your tallest item and remember that foam needs room too. See the Peli 1300 Protector.

For any of these shells, our workshop offers custom foam cutting, which turns a small Protector into an instrument-grade fitted housing.

Which model for which job: the quick table

The pairings we make across the counter

Car keys and key fobs: the 1010, in a bright colour if it goes near water. Daily medication: the transparent 1010. Emergency medication: the 1120 with foam, and for anything temperature-sensitive read our guide to travelling with refrigerated medication. Phone at the beach or on the water: the 1040 for the phone alone, the 1050 for phone plus keys and snacks. Passport and documents: the slim 1030 or the long 1060. Action camera kit: the 1050 for camera plus battery, the 1200 for mounts and spares. Compact camera: the 1120 for the body alone, the 1150 or 1200 with a lens. Drone batteries: the 1170 or 1300 with plucked foam cells, mindful of airline rules on lithium; our power bank and battery rules guide covers the aviation side. Watches and jewellery in transit: the 1120 or 1200, and the dedicated deep-dive is our watch storage guide. Spare keys, SSDs and backup cards: the 1010 or 1120, kept as the "if something goes wrong" box.

Small case, dry bag or padded pouch

The small Peli case competes with the dry bag and the padded pouch, so here is an honest referee. A dry bag wins on volume and price and is the right answer for clothes and towels, but it offers no crush protection and its roll-top seal depends on technique. A padded pouch wins on weight and is fine against scratches, but padding is not sealing. A micro hard case costs more per litre and wins every scenario that combines water, pressure and valuables: the kayak capsize, the checked bag, the beach bag with a wet towel on top, the motorcycle pannier on a rainy motorway. Our rule: soft solutions for the replaceable, hard shells for the irreplaceable. The test is simple. Would losing it ruin the day? A passport would. A t-shirt would not.

Five small-case patterns from our customers

• The glovebox constant: a 1200 with first-aid basics, a torch, a power bank and cash, living permanently in the car.
• The deck clip: a 1050 on a carabiner at a kayak or SUP deck line, holding phone, keys and a snack.
• The nested vault: a 1010 or 1120 inside a suitcase or camera bag with the truly critical layer (documents, medication, cards). Pairs well with our advice on what belongs in hand baggage.
• The handover case: a foam-fitted 1170 or 1200 that shuttles one delicate item between people, such as a drone pilot and an editor.
• The instrument case: a 1300 with custom foam for a meter, probes and cables that travel to site and back.

Caring for a small case

Small cases need very little maintenance, which is different from none. Rinse after salt water, because salt crystals are what ages gaskets and hinges, and thirty seconds under a tap resets the clock. Keep the gasket clean: wipe grit out of the channel with a damp cloth, avoid solvents, and never paint or sticker over the pressure valve. Take out and rinse the rubber liner after sunscreen season. Check the seal once a year by closing the empty case on a strip of paper at several points; firm resistance everywhere means the gasket is fine. Store the case away from direct sun with the latches loosely closed or open.

A small case through the 2026/27 seasons

Autumn 2026: motorcycle and festival weather. The 1060 keeps documents dry in sideways rain, and the glovebox 1200 earns its place on a dark breakdown shoulder. Winter 2026/27: the cold test. The Micro shells are rated down to -23 degrees Celsius, gloved hands appreciate a well-tensioned latch, and batteries stored in a sealed case with a desiccant sachet ride out the condensation cycles of a cold car boot. Spring 2027: paddling season opens, the 1050 clips back onto the deck line, and the action camera comes out of storage dry. Summer 2027: beach and pool season, with the 1040 on phone duty and the 1010 on keys and cards, and sand kept outside the gasket line.

Choosing yours: the five decisions

One, liner or foam? If the contents change daily, choose a liner (Micro family). If it is one precious item that never changes, choose foam (small Protectors). Two, clear or solid lid? Clear suits medication and documents you check compulsively, solid suits discretion. Three, interior dimensions. Measure your item, add breathing room for a liner or a solid centimetre of foam per side, and compare with the interior numbers, never the outside silhouette. Four, colour as a feature. Black hides, yellow and orange get found on beaches, in murky water and at the bottom of a boot. Five, the attachment story. If the case will clip to something, order the carabiner with it.

Small-case questions we hear weekly

Will my phone fit the Peli 1040?

Most compact to standard smartphones fit; the 1040 interior is 16.51 x 9.83 cm, and handsets up to roughly 16 cm tall and 9.5 cm wide slide in. Phone sizes change every year and cases do not, so measure your model without its own case and compare it with the interior figures on the product page.

Do micro cases float?

Yes, within limits. The 1010 floats with up to 0.23 kg inside, and the buoyancy figures for the 1030, 1040, 1050 and 1060 are 0.45, 0.57, 0.79 and 1.13 kg. Heavy metal contents reduce that margin, so clip the case to something anyway.

Can I padlock a small Peli case?

The 1030 latches can be locked with a small padlock, according to its product page. For the other models, check the product page of your chosen case for the exact latch arrangement before you buy a lock.

Why not buy one size bigger to be safe?

Because small cases live in pockets, deck lines and glovebox corners, and an oversized one defeats the purpose of the class. Buy for the item, not for the worry.

The smallest-case checklist

• Item measured and checked against interior dimensions, never the silhouette
• Liner or foam decided by one question: do the contents change daily
• Clear lid for contents you check often, solid lid for discretion
• Bright colour chosen for anything that goes near water
• Attachment point confirmed and carabiner ordered with the case
• Tall item: depth checked on the 1150 and 1300 before their flatter siblings
• Lithium batteries flying with you: airline rules read before packing
• Desiccant sachet added for medication, electronics and long storage

Final word

The smallest Peli cases end up mattering most, because they guard the single points of failure of ordinary life: the key, the phone, the passport, the medication, the one lens, the one instrument. Two families cover it, Micro for pocketable daily carry and small Protectors for equipment that deserves fitted foam, and the boundary between them is easy once you have seen it: liner versus foam, pocket versus equipment. Measure the thing, answer the five decisions, and the right small shell picks itself. If you are looking at two models with your item in hand, send us the dimensions and we will help you choose.