BATH AND BEYOND: ESSENTIAL WATERPROOF GEAR

Get better acquainted with our subaquatic gadgets and what they can do for you

Ultimate Ears Megablast

Get the party started at home, at the beach, in the pool, or even when wild swimming, with the unbeatable Megablast, a portable Wi- Fi/ Bluetooth speaker that delivers bass-rich, true 360° sound. There’s integrated Alexa Voice Service, so you can control playback hands-free, shouting orders from the pool or bath. Naturally you can also ask Alexa to give you a news or weather update. As well as being waterproof, it’s dust- and drop-proof, so perfectly capable of living life outdoors.

£ 269.99, ultimateears.com

i360 Waterproof Sport MP 3 Player

Soundtrack your swim with this lightweight MP3 Player. It’s waterproof to three metres, and runs for up to 10 hours on a full charge. Although we found it a little fiddly to wear at times, if tunes are a motivating factor during your aquatic workouts, this MP3 Player is affordable enough to be worth taking a punt on. The 8GB model we tested offers enough room to store up to 2,400 songs, and there’s a slightly cheaper 4GB model (£39.99) that holds up to 1,200 songs.

£44.99, i360online.com

Apple Watch Series 4

The best smartwatch on the planet is now more comfortable to wear, and rocks a bigger screen for easy reading of data and notifications. As we tested, it’s fully waterproof and fine for use in a range of fitness scenarios, in and out of water. As well as helping you stay on top of your diary and notifications, the Watch Series 4 is focused on boosting your wellbeing: auto workout detection is a boon, with new yoga and hiking workout tracking. Fall Detection and Emergency SOS are potentially life-saving. From £399, apple.co.uk

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite

Now slimmer and lighter, with a six-inch Paperwhite Carta E Ink 300ppi display that’s a big step- up from the previous model. Text looks crisper, almost like real print on paper, which is hugely welcome if you enjoy reading paperbacks. The all-new Kindle Paperwhite is also lightweight (at 182g) and dinky, so you can throw it into your backpack or coat pocket for reading on the go. The IPX8 waterproof rating means it’s safe for use in the bath, pool and hot tub, and the screen can be rotated to an orientation that appeals to you.

£119.99, amazon.co.uk

Google Pixel 3 XL

If only big-screened phones appeal, check out the Pixel 3 XL, Google’s latest smartphone with a generous 6.3-inch OLED display to work and play on. It has a big battery life to match, offering a full day’s use for the heaviest of users, with nifty power-saving modes boosting battery life even further. As proved in our test, the Pixel 3 XL will survive an accidental dunk in the toilet or bath, or being exposed to bad weather if you decide to break it out in the rain and use its sensational camera system.

From £739, store.google.com

Lenovo ThinkPad T480

In terms of waterproofing, the best thing about the already swish Lenovo ThinkPad T480 is the spill-proof keypad. It stood up to our water sprinkle test, so it should be good with random drinks spillages, not that we recommend you throw tea on it just for the sake of it. There’s plenty of other features to love too, including the ThinkShutter, a webcam cover that you open and close to enhance your privacy. An integrated global LTE- A feature keeps you connected, whether you’re near Wi- Fi or not, for working on the go.

From £949.99, lenovo.com