Abstract: This invention relates to improved water-swellable material that can significantly withstand deformation by an external pressure, thus showing improved liquid handling properties. In particular, this invention relates to water-swellable material with an improved absorbent capacity/permeability balance. This invention also relates to a water-swellable material, comprising water-swellable polymers and elastomeric polymers, said material being typically in the form of particles, which comprise a core of water-swellable polymer(s) and a shell of said elastomeric polymer(s), whereby the water-swellable material is such that it can withstand deformation due to external pressure. The invention also relates to a specific process of making the specific water-swellable material of the invention.