Why is it that, so often, cases that come with products are really poor. That certainly is the situation with the Kindle case, which is bulky and allows the Kindle to fall out of it easily. If you want to secure the Kindle in the case you have to use a built-in elastic band that covers the scroll wheel and pointer. I was forced to add a piece of velcro to the back of the Kindle and another on the case to secure the unit. Very poor design.
M-edge has two Kindle cases and they kindly sent me review versions. Today we’ll look at what they call the Leisure Jacket. This is a case made of black suede-like material that has a transparent vinyl cover, a foam frame and a zipper closing. As you can see from the picture, you can read the Kindle and access all the buttons through the vinyl. There is a small cutout for the scroll wheel. To protect the Kindle’s screen just insert it face down. This is a very clever idea and ideal for reading at the beach, pool, or anywhere else where the Kindle might encounter water or dust. The suede feels nice and secure in your hand and everything fits perfectly. M-edge charges $29.99 and I think it’s well worth it. A lot of smartphone cases, which are a lot smaller, cost more than this. I notice that they have cases for the Sony, Cybook, iLiad and eFlybook as well. eFlybook? That’s a new one on me.
Next up their Executive Jacket.
I’ve had my Kindle since release day last November. I don’t seem to have the problems with the cover that some folks do. The cover is also no more bulky than a hardback of similar size so I don’t see that as a problem. I like that the cover is large and stiff enough to offer some decent protection to the device. I carry a lot of stuff in my messenger bag daily and I ALWAYS have my Kindle in the included cover to try and afford it as much prtection as possible in that sometimes “hostile” environment.
I also leave the Kindle in the cover when using it – I find that to actually be more comfortable than holding the Kindle “naked”.
The little plastic mechanical key that holds the Kindle in the cover has never failed me. My Kindle did start to fall out once but that was because the battery cover had come loose. My bad – I had just replaced the battery and apparently didn’t secure the battery cover properly.
The trick I have found is that if you lay the cover flat and gently slide the Kindle towards the center of the cover you will feel the plastic latch “click” into place. Once that happens I can hold the cover by the left “page” and jiggle the whole cover/Kindle up and down and it does not fall out.
To be fair, there is likely to be some covers that are not quite sewn to the proper tolerances so perhaps that is the source of the problem for those folks. My guess is it is largely the case that many of those folks just have not really developed the right technique for ensuring that the Kindle has actually locked into place.
As for the M-edge Leisure Jacket well…I get the same functionality from a 10 cent ziploc bag. Plus, the ziploc bag is waterproof and will float.
You make a point about the ziploc. However, having dropped by Sony and destroyed it, I will never keep the Kindle in something without padding – just for my peace of mind. 🙂
I had their version for the Sony 500 before it died.
Well made, no issues. However, for water & dust proof, look into the aquapac. Great customer service whenever I have ordered from them.
http://www.aquapac.net/
[…] TeleRead […]
[…] I first got my Kindle 1, I reviewed two of M-Edge’s cases here and here. Now that I have my Kindle 2 I contacted M-Edge and they were good enough to send me […]
My guess is it is largely the case that many of those folks just have not really developed the right technique for ensuring that the Kindle has actually locked into place.