I Bathed for Two and a Half Hours Because of This Tray

The longest bath I’ve ever taken lasted two and a half hours. That’s a somewhat loose estimate; I didn’t use a timer. I did, however, watch five episodes of Fleabag. (I watched the sixth in bed, pleasantly sluggish, my still-damp hair swaddled in a terry-cloth towel.) While I wouldn’t necessarily recommend a two-and-a-half-hour bath, I would suggest buying the tray that made it possible.

I never knew how much I needed a bath tray until I bought this one. Made of naturally water-resistant teak, it comes with three neat little notches for razors and other bath-time essentials. If, after your grooming routine, you feel like dipping into Exit West, the tray sports a book rest. If you prefer living as dangerously as I do, it can also be used to prop up tablets and laptops for bath-time FaceTiming or TV streaming. There’s even a slot to hold the bottom of a stemmed wine glass, which is just the nudge I need to drink out of an appropriate vessel, rather than an overlarge coffee mug or, say, the bottle. The tray also has a circular rest for soap (it’s probably worth mentioning that I spent several months thinking it was a well-ventilated coaster), and if you enjoy a well-staged bathroom, you could rest a lit candle on it for added ambience.

Adjustable to any size tub, thanks to its retractable wings, the tray has the naturalistic appeal of an expandable Danish secretary desk (I don’t even mind resting it on the bathtub when not in use). It makes me feel almost productive, even if all I’m really doing is lounging, drinking, and catching up on prestige television. Who really needs a fancy table when you can create one out of your tub?