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Waterproof leg cast covers: the right length, and washing without a fall

By the Life in Good Form editors. Updated 2026-10-13.

We research products from makers' specs and health sources; we do not run hands-on tests. Links to Amazon may earn us a commission at no cost to you. How this works.

Pick the length from the top of your cast

Measure around the widest part of the cast, usually at the heel or ankle, and around the leg where the seal will grip, and compare both with the maker's chart. A cuff that has to be stretched hard over a heel can tear.

The slip risk

NHS Lothian's occupational therapy advice for people in a cast says leg cast covers can be slippery. A plastic sole on a wet tray is an easy way to fall while you are already off balance on one leg.

If you have been told not to put weight on the leg, the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital's occupational therapists go further: they do not recommend using the shower or bath at all. They suggest a strip wash at the sink, sitting on a stool placed opposite it, to reduce the risk of losing your balance. Ask your team when a shower becomes safe for you.

A safer way to wash with a leg cast

1. Check the cover for holes. NHS Lothian suggests testing a new cover on someone without a cast first.
2. Sit on a stable seat to put the cover on, with the seal smoothed onto bare skin.
3. Wash sitting down, with the covered leg resting outside the water or out of the stream.
4. Dry the outside of the cover before you remove it, so drips do not run inside.
5. Rest the leg raised afterwards. Michigan Medicine suggests a pillow or blanket roll under the calf, so the heel of the cast does not press on the bed.

Plastic bags are not a good substitute. NHS Lothian says they are not suitable because water can get in, and Michigan Medicine notes that any bag or cover can leak and only protects against splashes.

Why the cast has to stay dry

The NHS advice for a broken ankle is not to get a plaster cast wet. Frimley Health adds that plaster takes about 48 hours to dry fully, while a synthetic cast takes about half an hour, and that wet padding takes a long time to dry and can make the skin soggy. A soaked cast may need replacing, so call the plaster room rather than trying to dry it yourself.

Other things that help at home

• Loose trousers without zips or buttons, as NHS Lothian suggests, go on over a leg cast more easily.
• Clothes with pockets let you carry a phone while on crutches.
• A long-handled shoe horn and sock aid can help with the other foot. See our pages on the long shoe horn and knee scooter for getting around.

What to look for when you buy

Questions people ask

Can I stand in the shower with a leg cast cover?

It is safer not to. NHS Lothian warns leg cast covers can be slippery, and the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital suggests washing seated when you cannot bear weight.

Can I put my leg in the bath with a cast cover?

Keep the covered leg out of the water. Covers can leak and are meant for splashes, according to Michigan Medicine.

Do leg cast covers work on a walking boot?

Some do, if the cover is wide enough at the foot. Ask your clinic whether you may take the boot off to wash instead.

How should I rest my leg after washing?

Raise it with a pillow under the calf so the heel of the cast is off the surface, as Michigan Medicine and Frimley Health suggest. Keep moving your toes, and your knee if the cast allows.

What length leg cast cover do I need?

One whose seal sits on skin above the top of your cast: half leg for most foot and ankle casts, full leg for long casts.

Sources

• Occupational therapy advice for people in a cast (policyonline.nhslothian.scot), NHS Lothian
• Managing activities non-weight bearing (roh.nhs.uk), The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
• Cast care instructions: do's and don'ts (med.umich.edu), Michigan Medicine
• Instructions and advice about your plaster cast: lower limb (fhft.nhs.uk), Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust
• Broken ankle (nhs.uk), NHS

Sources checked 2026-10-13.