The picture above is my Kindle 2 in a Guardian case floating in my kitchen sink with the water splashing on it full on. It stayed dry!
The M-Edge case is, I suspect, the only case you’ll see that comes with a 12 page instruction manual. Here’s what the M-Edge website says about the Guardian:
Made of molded plastic, the Guardian safeguards Kindle in all water environments up to 1 meter deep, from the bathtub to the pool to the ocean. The Guardian Case allows access to most of Kindle’s navigation controls through flexible sealed button cutouts. Users can even read hands-free in the water, because the Guardian floats level on the water’s surface. The Guardian keeps a secure, watertight seal around Kindle by utilizing a dual-hinge, integrated O-ring gasket and four-latch closure system. Three internal buoyancy chambers provide distributed flotation to keep Kindle afloat and upright for in-water reading. An anti-reflective film protects the Guardian’s screen area while allowing for uninhibited reading in sunny environments. There is a ring located at the bottom of Guardian so that the user can attach the included lanyard for additional device security. The Guardian is made of a transparent polycarbonate, custom molded interior, and soft mounting pads in order to provide additional support for the device.
As you can see the case really works. The keypad, joy stick and side buttons are all completely usable. The only button that isn’t accessible is the slide on the top to turn the Kindle on, so you must have the Kindle running before you put it in the case. Along with with case comes a lanyard and, in a thoughtful touch, a replaceable screen protector for the viewing area. Given that a case like this may very well take some hard use, the ability to protect the front is a good idea.
The case reminds me of some of the Otterbox cases that I’ve used over the years for my Palms and Pocket PCs. The Guardian has the same quality feel that you get with an Otterbox, and this is high praise, indeed, as Otterbox sets the standard for water resistant/proof casings. The Guardian costs $79.99 in black, red or blue, and anyone going to the beach this summer, or going boating or camping, or planning an extended sojourn in their bathtub or shower should take a close look. A lot better than a ziplock, and unlike a ziplock it floats.
That’s pretty brilliant. $80 is kind of steep for a plastic case, though. 🙁
Spider, yes, I’m hoping Amazon will have a nice discount on it.
Paul, I would not have had what it takes to test this new case in serious conditions 🙂
When I did a far-less dramatic entry on it yesterday, M-Edge’s page said it was due June 9, but you already have yours and the will to push water at it 🙂 It does look very protective.