These gadgets can take a beating

If you've ever spilled your tea or coffee at your desk, you'll see the utility of Logitech's washable keyboard. Source: Supplied

SOME gadgets are tougher than others, writes Jennifer Dudley-Nicholson.

1. PANASONIC LUMIX FT5

Panasonic, $499, panasonic.com.au

Rating: 4.5/5

This is the gadget equivalent of a tank. Panasonic's latest tough camera lacks subtlety, but its coloured metal faceplate, rivets, textured plastic inserts, and double-locking battery compartment deliver its message efficiently. This camera is waterproof to 13m, shockproof to 2m, squeezeproof to 100kg, dustproof and able to withstand -10C temperatures. You could throw this camera on to concrete, dent its facade, and it would still take a photograph afterwards.

2. SONY CYBER-SHOT TF1

Sony, $249, sony.com.au,

Rating: 2.5/5

This doesn't look like a tough nut. The Cyber-shot TF1 is a palm-sized shooter weighing just 152g. This budget seafarer promises to withstand life beneath 10m of water for up to an hour at a time, drops from up to 1.5m high, low temperatures and dust. This camera captures 16.1-megapixel images but, sadly, users shouldn't expect high-speed performance.

3. TELSTRA TOUGH 3

Telstra, $192, telstra.com.au,

Rating: 3.5/5

Pick up Telstra's latest super-robust mobile phone and it's like a trip down memory lane, when phones were not so smart and quite a bit more clunky. It's horses for courses and this is a rugged phone made for people who treat their devices roughly, whether they're a tradie on the job or someone doing some seriously robust sport.

4. ARMOR FOR iPHONE 5

OtterBox, $109.95, www.otterbox.com

Rating: 4.5/5

If you were to place iPhone cases along a scale of toughness, the OtterBox Armor would be your final destination. OtterBox makes a range of cases with the Armor at the top of the range. It's dustproof, waterproof (at 2m for 30 minutes) and drop-proof (at 3m). It has a couple of clear advantages over its nearest competitor, the LifeProof Fre, in that it's easy to open the two side clips and pop your phone in and you can barely tell there is another layer of protective cover on top of the screen.

5. WASHABLE KEYBOARD K310

Logitech, $49, logitech.com/en-au,

Rating: 4/5

There are not many technology product reviews where the first important step is to make a cup of tea - and then throw it over the technology. Anyone who has ever spilt their cuppa on a keyboard will see the appeal of this washable keyboard. The first thing to note is that it is a comfortable, full-sized keyboard, with its robustness just being an extra bonus. We covered it with hot tea, washed it and left it to dry for eight hours.

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