Kobo has announced a new version of its top-end eBook reader that you can read near the pool or sea without fear of dropping it. The Kobo Aura H2O is waterproof for up to 30 minutes in one metre of water, so will survive a dunking.

It is IP67 certified when the port cover is closed, so even if you fancy reading when on a floating airbed, you can do so safely.

The waterproofing does not mean Kobo has skimped on other features. Like the conventional Aura reader, the Aura H2O has a 6.8-inch touchscreen Carta E Ink display with 265dpi. There's a 1GHz processor inside to ensure things, such as page turns, run smoothly. And the 4GB of internal storage can be expanded by up to a further 32GB through microSD card.

It also has a battery life of up to two months.

Like the original model, the H2O also comes with the company's ComfortLight technology that evenly distributes LED lighting down the front for reading in the dark.

Connectivity comes through Wi-Fi and the device weighs 233g.

The Kobo Aura H2O uses the Kobo bookstore for purchases, which boasts over four million eBooks, comics and magazines. Reading preferences include TypeGeniusm with a choice of 10 font styles and 24 font sizes. Even the font sharpness and weight can be adjusted.

It supports EPUB and Adobe DRM, for importing external books, and file support includes PDF and MOBI too. CBR and CBZ are also supported for comic book reading.

Games pre-installed include Chess, Sudoku, Solitaire and Word Scramble.

The Kobo Aura H2O costs £139.99 in the UK ($179.99 in the US and Canada) and will be available both online and in-store from 1 October. You'll be able to pre-order it from kobo.com from 1 September.