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How to Use a Laptop in a Pool?

How to Use a Laptop in a Pool?

If you want you use your laptop while in the pool, you have to take a few precautions to make your laptop waterproof. You will need to consider a waterproof laptop case or a waterproof laptop cover – or any of our recommended methods for waterproofing a laptop.

You should never use a regular laptop near a source of water – and especially not while you’re chilling in the pool. Dropping it in water would kill your laptop instantly, but it could also be a health hazard if you have the laptop plugged in.

However, being extra careful and thinking about waterproofing your laptops will make things a lot easier and safer, so that you can indeed enjoy using your laptop while in your swimming pool. So let’s get this started!

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How to use your laptop in the swimming pool?

Laptops are not good friends with water, on the contrary. We already learned how much damage a bit of spilled water on your laptop can cause – and we have plenty of that in a pool!

The more crowded it is, the higher the chances of having somebody spill some water on it or even you could do it by mistake. So you will have to waterproof your laptop or get something like a pool laptop holder to keep it as safe as possible.

There are other methods as well, but we’ll start listing them below from the safest to the least safe in our opinion. Use any or all of the recommended methods below if you’re planning to use your laptop in a pool.

NOTE: Unless you use a watertight box and keep your laptop inside it, there is no way to have a laptop that will be fully protected from water damage if it drops in the pool or any source of water. You can waterproof your laptop, but only protect it from water dropped on it and not the other way around.

Waterproof laptop cover for pool

A waterproof laptop cover for pool or a waterproof laptop case for pool is the easiest, most affordable and most stylish method of waterproofing your laptop.

waterproof laptop sleeve

The best option you have is choosing a neoprene sleeve or case, as these are known to be 100% waterproof. This way, any water that is spilled on the case won’t be absorbed and won’t get into your laptop.

If you want a sleeve, we highly recommend this one – which you can see in the image above. It offers incredible protection against water thanks to the removable 5mm neoprene sleeve, but also offers shock protection, welded seams and a double ziplock seal to make sure that no water gets inside it to damage your laptop.

Alternately, if you want something that has a more elegant design, the Inateck laptop case is a great choice for waterproofing your laptop and keeping it safe by the pool.

Pool Laptop Holder

You can always use a laptop stand. It is a must that your laptop should be fitted properly on the stand. This is one safer way to use your laptop near a pool.

But you should always take precautions when using a laptop stand by the pool (and never IN the pool). Make sure that it is still far enough from the pool itself so it won’t drop in the water. Also, it is ideal to use a laptop holder near the pool with some extra waterproofing methods (listed below).

Our recommended laptop stand to use by the pool is this one. Simple and effective, with a laptop holder included, so it won’t slip from the stand.

Use a waterproof keyboard cover

An extremely easy way for waterproofing your laptop is using a silicone keyboard cover. This is a very thin, transparent and waterproof sheet that will protect your keyboard and laptop from accidental water drops.

This isn’t an infallible method, but as long as you have the entire surface of the laptop covered, you will be much safer than without it. Plus, these silicone keyboard covers are really cheap and easy to carry around.

Our recommended one is this one, but in reality you can choose any as long as it fully covers your laptop’s keyboard.

Cover laptop with PVC liner

While this method won’t win any beauty awards, it is an effective way to keep your laptop waterproof. The PVC liner will keep water drops away and your laptop safe near the pool.

It has the advantage that you can still keep the laptop operating, even though the liner itself is not transparent. But you can remove it, use it, then cover it again to increase its resistance to water.

If you use this while your laptop is operating, make sure that you leave enough room for heat to dissipate. Also make sure you don’t cover and clog the exhaust areas of your laptop.

Ideally, you should use it in combination with a laptop stand and leave a bit of room at the bottom for air to circulate. So get your PVC liner, cut as much as you need and enjoy!

Check out PVC liner prices on Amazon

Use an air-filled mattress

A warning before anything else: use EXTREME caution if you choose this method and opt to actually get your laptop in the pool. Even large, safe mattresses could flip over or you could drop your laptop in the water.

Our recommendation is not to take a laptop in the pool. But if you really want to, make sure that it is running on battery (never, no matter what, use it in the pool when the charger is plugged in) and you use a large, stable air-filled mattress.

Air-filled mattresses are built from waterproof material and they float on the surface of the water. Therefore, anything you put on them (including yourself or your laptop) will stay away from the water.

But, as we said already, they can still flip over or move enough to see your laptop fall in the water. Plus, if there are other people in the pool, the risks increase – somebody jumping in the pool could simply launch your laptop in the water or spill water on it.

Therefore, using your laptop in the pool is not recommended.

Don’t charge your laptop by or in the pool!

No matter if you use the laptop by the pool or you take risks and put it on an air mattress in the pool, you should never plug in the charger and charge your laptop at the same time.

Electricity and water don’t work well together and even the smallest amount of water could see your laptop or charger short circuit.

Even more, this poses an increased danger to your personal health, as you can get electrocuted. So never try to charge your laptop when close to the pool or any water source.

Should you use your laptop in a swimming pool?

laptop by the swimming pool

It is recommended not to, as the risks are too high, even when you take all the necessary precautions to waterproof your laptop.

Using a laptop by the pool could result in it having water spilled on it or it dropping in the water. Both would cause damage to your laptop and even to yourself or whoever is using it.

If we’re talking about an outdoor swimming pool and you stay as far away from the water as possible, if you take the precautions recommended above, you should be as safe as possible (although never 100% safe).

Things change if you choose to get your laptop in the pool. The risks increase in this case and we recommend you not to do it. If you do take it in the pool, take all necessary precautions and be extra careful with your device. Try to spend as little time as possible in the pool with your laptop.

Finally, if we’re talking about an indoor pool, chances are that the humidity levels there are very high and all that moisture and humid environment could result in water sneaking into your laptop.

Conclusion

Hopefully, you now know everything about using a laptop by the pool and you will take all the precautions that are necessary to reduce the risks of it getting damaged or broken.

As we said, there is no way to guarantee 100% protection against water damage if you take the laptop in the pool, so if you really have to, make sure to always be alert and careful.

If you have additional questions or suggestions, don’t hesitate to let us know by commenting below. And if you’re looking for a great laptop, we already shared our favorites in the article about the best laptops for webcam modelling.