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About the only thing I miss about paperback books is reading in the tub. I don't think there are any waterproof ereaders so this is not a shopping question.

I have considered using the text to speech of my kindle keyboard, but pretty sure I would be tempted to try and pause or change the volume or do something else stupid that gets it wet and kills it.

I have considered putting either my Paperwhite or keyboard in a gallon-size zip lock bag and trying to read through the bag. I have not tried reading through the bag, because if it works I would be tempted to jump in the tub and try it. Not sure if I am ready to pay the price of that experiment if it failed.

Are there any viable options for reading an ebook in a tub full of warm water?

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    I found the ziplock bag interferes with the touch screen...
    – Chad
    Commented Feb 14, 2014 at 19:50
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    How do you read paperbacks in bathtub? Aren't your hands wet? Don't they get strained by holding the book above?
    – user13107
    Commented Feb 15, 2014 at 7:20
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    I'm wondering: are there waterproof paperback books?
    – MikeB
    Commented Feb 15, 2014 at 16:10
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    I'm wondering where you got the waterproof paperback books!
    – Michael Hampton
    Commented Feb 15, 2014 at 21:34
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    If the book gets a bit wet, it will dry and still be readable (mostly). And if it gets really wet the investment is a lot less then a ereader.
    – James Jenkins
    Commented Feb 16, 2014 at 0:14

15 Answers 15

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Waterfi sells waterproofed Kindle paperwhite. It's rather expensive ( approx. $100 more than a non-waterproofed Kindle ), here you can find a video review.

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I lay an old shelf (from a shelf unit I tossed out) across the tub to make a table. It works for my ereader and I even use it for my laptop sometimes (it's wide enough that I don't have to worry about the laptop getting knocked in by accident). I keep a towel next to the tub within arms reach to ensure that I can dry my hands off, if needed.

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    The line break in your answer after "I keep a towel next to the tub within arms reach to ensure that I can dry..." made me seriously question the feasibility of drying a laptop that has fallen into a full bathtub.
    – wchargin
    Commented Feb 15, 2014 at 5:59
  • @WChargin:haha nice
    – Jason Down ♦
    Commented Feb 15, 2014 at 17:10
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I know you're looking for a technical solution, but I just use my ereader :)

Unless you drop it in the water, it'll work just fine.

I've been ereading in the bath for years now and haven't had a disaster yet.

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You didn't mention any budget limitations, right? Ok, then.

First, install a large screen TV above your tub. Base your TV screen size on the distance between the "head" end of your tub and the wall with the TV screen. 42 inch (diagonal) will do fine for most bathrooms.

Buy an Apple TV and connect it to the large screen TV. I'm assuming you already have a WiFi network.

Buy an iPad. Download the reader app of your choice. I prefer the Kindle app. When you are ready to read in the tub, you will switch your iPad to show its screen on the TV.

Here's the real key. Buy a Griffin MouthStick. It's a stylus designed for persons with limited or no use of their hands. For our purposes, it's just a really long stylus. Now, you can put your iPad safely away from the water and still be able to turn pages.

This is the perfect setup for reading in the tub. You can probably do the whole thing for $1000.

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    +1 For originality and not sparring the budget ;)
    – James Jenkins
    Commented Feb 21, 2014 at 22:34
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    I'm missing a Kinect here :P The idea of a stylus is neat, but nothing beats waving gestures in the bath...
    – Hazzit
    Commented Feb 22, 2014 at 2:41
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I've heard of people doing the ZipLoc bag thing with their devices in the tub. I would trust it, as long as the reading quality wasn't impaired too much. Just make sure you check the bag for leaks first. Odds are that even if you dropped it in the tub and there was a leak, not enough water would get in to do any real damage, but it's always better safe than sorry.

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  • With Kindle Voyage I use the Ikea ISTAD sealable bags: ikea.com/gb/en/products/cookware/food-storage-organising/… --- I do not have to worry about the touch screen because Voyage has the flat but real buttons. When closing I just take care of pushing out as much air as possible. It is important to have the plastic directly lying on the display to have the clearest image possible. These bags seal well but even if there is a small hole the moisture (or water if submerged shortly) would get inside too slowly to be able to damage the device.
    – pabouk - Ukraine stay strong
    Commented Jul 17, 2018 at 8:11
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There are waterproof ereaders. Or at least I know of one ereader that heavily markets itself as waterproof: the Kobo Aura H2O.

The question says "I don't think there are any waterproof ereaders so this is not a shopping question."

So, does the existence of the Kobo Aura H2O make it okay to consider this a shopping question, i.e. does its existence make my answer relevant?

Only time and votes will tell.

The question title seems general (it refers "an ebook" not "a Kindle book") but the question body seems Kindle-specific. So perhaps the question really meant to say "I don't think there are any waterproof Kindles so this is not a shopping question."

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I've just got Sony Z ultra, and I love it. It is waterproof and has rather big screen (6"). So it is solid option for taking to bath tub

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Following up on the ziplock bag idea: Check with a store selling skin-diving/scuba equipment. There are underwater camera enclosures which are basically glorified ziplock bags (heavier material, better sealed), and which are designed to be waterproof to much greater pressures than you'll find in a tub. I presume that, by now, there are similar enclosures for small tablet computers, possibly even some specifically designed to work with touchscreen devices (which could get ... interesting ... in an underwater environment). One of those would probably do the job for you.

It might not be cheap, it might be overkill, but if you want something really intended for the purpose...

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  • For what it's worth, I recently saw bags at a camping store specifically sold for this purpose, with the promise that capacitive touchscreens would work through them. Price was about $10.
    – keshlam
    Commented Nov 3, 2014 at 15:12
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My wife and I use a ZipLoc bag for reading in the tub and have done so for years. Have dropped my Kindle in the tub on one occasion and it turned out fine.

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There are special cases called BeachBuoy.

They claim that the cases are waterproof for at least one hour at five meters depth and are certified IP57/IP58 (for me this sounds like about one meter, still plenty for a bathtub).

I am not sure if I would really trust it, but since it is certified it is probably fine. Especially when you only use it in a bathtub where it will probably only get some splashes of water and a little foam.

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I use a ziplock bag with a Kindle Paperwhite all the time. Works perfectly! It doesn't interfere with the touchscreen. I had purchased a waterproof case from Amazon, but it's kind of a pain to get the Kindle in and out of and I have found its overkill since the Ziplock works great.

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You also might want to consider this product when it becomes available:

http://www.the-digital-reader.com/2014/02/27/pocketbook-launch-waterproof-ebook-reader-aqua/#.Uw-XPq2x5QI

It's not official yet and the company is Ukrainian, so they may have export issues (or far worse, an invasion).

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  • It is confirmed now also on the company website (sorry, could only find the German announcement). It should be presented on march 21st.
    – Tim
    Commented Mar 5, 2014 at 9:08
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I really like the no budget answer by user2149757

But after thinking about that answer for a while; I am thinking a better solution would be to use the computer ebook software of your choice, with the PC hooked to the large screen TV as a monitor (strategically place over the tub), then use voice recognition software to turn the page. Removes a couple pieces of hardware and simplifies the process, and lowers the physical effort required to turn the page.

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    Hard-core ereading in the tub!
    – Jason Down ♦
    Commented Mar 3, 2014 at 21:08
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For people who need to use what they already have and don't always have disposable income:

1) Place your current e-reader (ex: iPad) next to the bathtub, but not in the bathtub. If you have a stand to go with it, just use that. If not, hopefully you can prop it up against something.

2) Have a hand towel nearby to dry your hands before flicking a page.

3) Try to sit comfortably in the bathtub - Tubs may vary.

4) Try to enjoy.

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I use a Redpepper waterproof case for my Paperwhite, It's inexpesnsive and works great,I've dropped it in a lake, left it out in the rain during a hike and never had a leak.

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