If you’re like me, you probably enjoy reading books anywhere and everywhere. You’ve probably read by pools, in the bath, at the beach, or even in a hot tub. And while your vision of reading in a hot, relaxing bath was incredible, the real experience had an added element of stress: “What if I drop my book?” “What if someone splashes really hard?” “What if a giant wave comes and my Book is ruined?”

We’ve scoured the internet for a few tricks that you can do to help protect your books in these watery settings. (Some more practical than others.) Check out the solutions below, and let us know if you have any other clever tricks for keeping your books dry in watery settings.

#1 Biblio-bath (Unfortunately, it looks as though this company isn’t around anymore.)

They may have a small collection of classic titles, but this company has found a way to make these popular titles, including Mark Twain and Shakespeare, completely waterproof. They aren’t as pretty as real books yet, and a little pricey, but they give me hope that maybe someday we’ll see libraries full of water-proof books.

Pros: A fully waterproof book collection is a dream. Dunk them, spill water on them, drool on them when your eyes can’t stay open anymore, and your book won’t even show a drop.

Cons: There are very few books to pick from, and they are a little bit pricier than normal books. For the amount I’d spend on them, I might as well take my chance with having to replace a few books.

#2 Waterproof Covers

Sure just waterproofing your book cover won’t protect your book if it takes a swim, but this can be great protection in those splash zone areas. This is a DIY project, so it’s probably best for the book wyrm with a little free time on their hands and a little crafty, know-how.

Pros: Cheaper, seems more practical than other options, and can be applied to any of your favorite books.

Cons: Doesn’t fully protect your book and takes time away from reading to create.

#3 Bamboo Bathtub Caddy

This bath tray might just be making an appearance in my bathtub soon. Complete with a wine glass holder and book holding grove, this may be a more secure bathtub method than simply holding the book in your hands. This works for both tablets and print books. However, one wrong bump and the whole display might go overboard.

Pros: Can hold your book or tablet, as well as a wine glass, out of the water with minimal effort.

Cons: Only works in bathtubs and doesn’t actually do anything to protect your books from water.

#4 Slightly-Less-Secure Inflatable, Floating Bath Caddy

No, that’s not what it’s really called, but that’s exactly what it feels like. While this product looks fun, I get anxious just looking at it. Could it work? Possibly, on a perfectly clear, windless day where I’m all alone and barely move a finger as I read. However, it does have a 4-star rating on Amazon, so maybe I’m being too critical and it really works great. (Anyone willing to test it out?)

Pros: Portable, and everyone will know you’re a serious book wyrm when you show up to the pool with a book floaty.

Cons: No way to protect against splashing if others are in the pool with you and security bar seems like it would make turning pages a challenge.

#5 You-Bumi Waterproof Book Cover Bath Bag

Now here’s an option that will protect your entire book from water, but the execution might be frustrating to use. This device only has a couple small thumb holes built into it for turning pages and holding the book. Also, I’m not sure if the product provides enough room to turn the pages without bending and smashing them.

Pros: A product that actually protects your whole book from water, cute thumb holes.

Cons: Cute thumb holes will let water in when dropped and they don’t seem very user friendly.

#6 A Water Guard Bag for Your Tablet

This solution is basically like the book bag above, but seems like a more practical solution (cheaper too). Since you don’t need little thumb holes to swipe or scroll through your pages, this super-advanced ziplock bag allows you to fully water-proof your device while reading anywhere there’s water. This seems like a winning solution to me.

Pros: Fully waterproofs your device, reasonably priced, and user-friendly.

Cons: Only works for tablets up to about 8 inches, smaller tablets may slide around inside case.

#7 A Waterproof Case for Your Tablet

This is basically the same theory as the waterproof bag above, but unlike the bad which will fit most tablets, you must ensure that there is a waterproof case specifically made for your device to partake in this solution. If there is, then this could be a great solution for you.

Pros: Fully protects tablet from water, and is perfectly fitted to your reading device.

Cons: Some devices may have better quality cases than others, you’ll have to buy a new case every time you get a new device, and it’s slightly more expensive than the bag.

So there you have it, 7 solutions for giving your books a little extra protection by the water this summer. Have you ever lost a favorite book to the water graveyard? Tell us what happened and if you’ve thought of any other clever ways to protect your books from water damage in the comments below.

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