ebooks | Kindle Slip Covers: Looking for Recommendations

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Kindle Slip Covers: Looking for Recommendations

I'm looking for recommendations for one of those Kindle slip-covers/cover-thingies. I'm leaning towards purchasing one, since I don't want to damage the screen of my Kindle while I transport it, but I'd love to hear some feedback or suggestions or reviews from other Kindle owners before I plunk down cash.

I'm not looking for one of those Kindle covers that has a light in it. I'm really looking more for something I can shove into a purse or backpack and not worry about the Kindle being damaged. For it to look nice would be a great bonus. I'd prefer to buy something that's made in the USA (or at least not China) or handmade, but I'm open to general suggestions.

Has anyone had any good experiences with these things? Bad experiences? Suggested companies? Companies to stay away from? Must-see Etsy stores?

edit - I have a Kindle version 3. :)

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I got one of these fabric covers for my Kobo and I love it. It's not a sleeve, but that's mostly how I use it; if it's in my bag, I can flip the (otherwise secure) straps off the top corners of my ereader one-handed and pull it out, and then slip it back in (slightly less secure, but only slightly) when I'm done. It's been fantastic for all kinds of travel--subway, bus, train, plane, car, walking, you name it.

Awesome, I'll check that store out! Thank you! :D

What version of Kindle? We bought a leather case/cover for K2 for my daughter (came from China) and it's working very well for her. She never has to remove it from the case.

I have an M-Edge Executive Cover for my Sony, which I can't find a link for because they no longer make them (or my edition of Sony), but the Kindle versions probably work just as well; I'm very happy with it for my Sony. It does, however, lose some of its pretty from the constant folding-in-half backwards (whydahell would I want a cover that makes the device have a footprint twice as big as it has to be?), and the fold-in flap is pretty worn out from pushing it aside & folding it out of the way.

Oops, I'll edit in the version into my post! I'm not used to thinking in 'versions' for the Kindle, as I'm such a new owner. XD

I will check out those cases, thank you very much! Especially appreciate the details about how it's holding up to wear, and the folding-by-necessity. :)

It's not that you need to mention the version as much as you need to know it before you throw down money or take someone up on an offer of a gift. Every version is slightly different and they won't fit in a case designed for a different one. (Pretty much all the ebook readers do this; we're pretty sure they're all deliberately driving a changing secondary market. It's annoying.)

The K2 came with a foam sleeve that my daughter coped with for a long time; it worked very well in the purse/backpack but was annoying for reading at the table--she had to decide whether to put it back in the sleeve when she was getting up to get a soda (nuisance time) or leave it open & unprotected.

The Oberon design covers are very, very pretty (they were selling notebooks & blank book covers at Renfaires for years before they did ebook covers), but don't strike me as all that practical; I prefer to read with the cover folded back out of the way, and the fancy artwork would wind up getting wrinkly on the spine. Still, if you like the pretty (and they have some *gorgeous* designs), they're well-made and durable, and they stand by their work.

"Every version is slightly different and they won't fit in a case designed for a different one. (Pretty much all the ebook readers do this; we're pretty sure they're all deliberately driving a changing secondary market. It's annoying."

Oh, this is really good to know! I knew that the first Kindle was a vastly different size, but I had assumed that the second and third versions were the same size. This may have saved me from wasting money. :)

Hm, there was no foam sleeve with my K3. They must have done away with it, alas.

Oh my gosh, those Oberon design covers are gorgeous. Hm, I think you're right that they definitely lower the practicality with their design. Definitely something to think about. At the same time they're really pretty and made in the US, so massive amounts of points for those two categories.

Thank you for linking that company, I'm actually strongly considering them due to the sheer aesthetics and the made in the US factor! :D

Just beware your Kindle can break even in a cover, mine did even though I never dropped it.

Ouch, I'm sorry to hear that!

Is there some kind of equivalent of the Red Ring of Death for Kindles that I should know about?

No, there's either a working Kindle or there isn't. No diagnostic tools are included.

I just got this quilted Kindle 3 cover as a gift for a friend and the same in another fabric for myself. We are both in love with it. It's a perfect fit, light weight, padded without being bulky, closes securely with a button and loop, and opens on the side (rather than the top) so I don't have to take the case out of my purse; I can just unbutton the case and slip the Kindle out and back in.

It's not hard-sided or thickly padded, so if you're going to be rough with your purse or pack it might not do. But it's perfect for the way my friend and I handle our purses.

Oh, that's super pretty! Thank you, I'll check out that shop! :D

I've got the Marware one and I love it. It's ecofriendly, and doesn't rely in the Kindle joints some other covers do. Also, the possibility to be able to read one-handed is a neat one in case you like to take notes, hold to a bar in the subway, etc.

I have the same one for my Kindle3 and I agree that's it great. I love it on the bus b/c I can read one-handed and not worry about dropping it if someone jostles me or the driver slams on his brakes.

Some of the reviews complained about the leather smell but I found no problem with mine and I've had it for 6 months. I feel that it's quite protected too when you have it closed up and in your bag.

Before settling on this one, I spent hours drooling over the pretty designs and sleeves you can find on Etsy, but decided not to go that route as I wasn't sure how sturdy the fabric sleeves would be.

The Oberron sleeves are gorgeous, but far out of my price range!

Edited 2011-09-13 17:09 (UTC)

"Some of the reviews complained about the leather smell."

Haha, that kind of complaint reminds me of the people who move out to the countryside and then complain that all the working farms around them smell of animals all the time. Buy a leather product, get used to it smelling of leather! :P

Thank you for adding another opinion on the Marware case, it sounds like a strong candidate! :)

Haha, that kind of complaint reminds me of the people who move out to the countryside and then complain that all the working farms around them smell of animals all the time. Buy a leather product, get used to it smelling of leather! :P

I've heard of people who moved to the countryside and tried to make their neighbours prevent the cockerels from crowing. Or who took a room in an inn opposite to an old village church and were appalled that the church bells were ringing the hour. There's no helping some people.

Oh neat! I like the flip-case design, I'll have to take a closer look at that one! :D

I have the other one because they had ran out of the flip-case design when I bought it, and I can't complain either :)

Also, the New Yorker case (currently not available) is beautiful, but the one I have is so comfortable that I don't think I'd change it.

I just had to look up the New Yorker cases, and they are gorgeous.

I really like this one http://www.amazon.com/M-Edge-Yorker-Jacket-Drookers-Bookopolis/dp/B0051PO8ZC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1315944256&sr=8-1 (only four left in stock! Must be super popular, and the rest are totally not available!)

This is what I bought - not one you can read in, but simple protection. I looked into the covers that hold the Kindle while you read, and it appears that many of those are heavy and/or require the use of both hands to keep them open while reading, both of which defeated two of the major conveniences I see in using the Kindle. I also got myself a thin, adhesive protective skin; this one, but there are tons of other designs from that company. It was really easy to apply, even for someone clumsy as myself. I tried a display protection foil as well, but was unable to apply it without large, visible bubbles no matter what I did. I suspect that the reason was that the display is "sunken in", so any attempt to use a plastic card to get out the bubbles was stopped by the rim of the surrounding area.

Oh, that protective skin is neat! I'll have to look into one of those, for aesthetics if nothing else. Good to know that the display foil isn't worth my time, if one can't get the bubbles out.

I was actually looking at that exact sleeve earlier, but wasn't sure if people found it cumbersome to take it in and out. It's good to hear from someone who uses it and likes it! :D

The only problem I have with the bag is the sound it makes when opening, due the... don't know the English word at the moment... adhesive closing thingies. As I sometimes tend to read at my workplace during moments when I have nothing to do but should technically listen to someone else, I need to time the opening carefully or open it well in advance. When I read during subway trips and so on and know I will have to put the Kindle away quickly, I usually just leave the bag open in my handbag, so that slipping the kindle in and closing the flap only takes a second.

I actually really like Amazon's own Kindle cover. The Kindle can stay in the case all the time, which I like, and it's really easy to flip open and read one-handed. It feels pretty protective when I throw it in my bag, and it's not bulky at all. They're totally fleecing us by not selling the cover with the Kindle, but making us buy it separately, but it is what I needed in a cover!

Oh, it's good to hear that the default Kindle cover works well! Haha, agreed about them fleecing us. XD

Oh well, at least it's good to know that it's actually a quality product. :)

The kindle standard leather cover is robust, well-made, attractive and easy to use. It makes my Kindle look and feel like a real book - a slim, leather-bound volume of verse or something. I got the leather one because I wanted to protect the screen, and people used to armour themselves in leather.

Other covers may be even better, but I don't feel in any way ripped off with the one I bought.

I got this: http://www.amazon.com/M-Edge-M-Skin-Amazon-Display-Generation/dp/B004GEASNA/ref=sr_1_128?s=fiona-hardware&ie=UTF8&qid=1315921356&sr=1-128 in aqua.

But I put the whole thing in a zip-lock baggie if it's going to be raining hard.

That's really cool! Totally agreed on the aqua looking awesome.

Good to know about the usage of the plastic bag in case of rain. :)

JavoEdge Covers, also available via Amazon.com. Book & Flipcase styles; sturdy, with padding, full body covering, when closed the face of the Kindle will be protected.

I'm not sure if it'd protect it from accidental sitting on or dropping onto a hard/solid surface floor. But I can comfortably toss my device onto my bed, or a couch and am slowly moving away from paranoia about breakage, into carrying it in the case in a handbag or in a seperate (padded) section of a bookbag.

"But I can comfortably toss my device onto my bed, or a couch and am slowly moving away from paranoia about breakage, into carrying it in the case in a handbag or in a seperate (padded) section of a bookbag."

That is totally what I plan on doing with my Kindle! Okay, this is really great to know. I like their case styles too, thank you for linking that company! :D

For three of my Sony ebooks I've bought the M-Edge Executive covers. In this link here, it shows the ones they have for your Kindle 3. They're very well made, well cushioned and I keep mine in my purse so it's there whenever I want.

I've tried a few other covers but found they just didn't work as well for me due to being flimsy or it just didn't fit my comfort level in keeping my ebook reader safe. If you want, you can always add a light later on, too :)

That's the third recommendation I've gotten for M-Edge products! I'll definitely have to put them on my list for serious consideration.

Also, oh my gosh, your icon is beyond adorable. <3

I really like the M-Edge products, and their customer service is amazing! If nothing else you should take a look at what they have. If you wind up buying one of their covers I'm sure you won't be disappointed :)

My icon is my little ten year old Maltese female, Tenacity (Teni for short). That's her giving me her best "Give me cookie NAAAOOOOO!" look. ^^

It must be a very successful look, because she's a cutie! :)

Thanks. She's far too successful for her own good. XD

I bought a Tecknet cover from Amazon.co.uk for my Kindle 3, as it was about a third of the price of Amazon's own covers. Not sure if you can get them in the US - they're a British company and the product is here. I got the purple one, have had it about a month and I love it.

Actually, just checked it and Amazon.com do stock them.

Oh, I like that price point very much! So much cheaper! :D

I like the purple color, too! Thank you for tracking it down on Amazon.com for me. :)

I SINCERELY recommend heading to Target (if that is at all an option) and checking out what they have, since you'll be able to touch things and possibly see how it'd work for you.

That being said, I got one that is similar to the M-edge (can't remember name of, and my Kindle (2) is at the other end of the house at the moment) and have no complaints. My friend Ashley got one of a similar style, but with a pop-up kickstand thingy that is very handy for "Want to read but need hands for something" mode.

I didn't even think of checking out physical stores! Target is totally an option for me, I'll have to do that before I make any kind of purchase.

The kickstand is a neat idea. I mostly have my hands free, but it's great to know that I have that option! :D

I have this sleeve for my Kindle, which I really like. It holds the Kindle securely and has a nice soft lining so it won't scratch the screen, and since it's just a case, it doesn't make the device bulky since you have to take it out to read it.

I had one of the Amazon leather Kindle covers, which I don't recommend (unless they've changed the way they make them.) When I bought mine in December, they were exactly the same as the lighted ones, but without the light. From my understanding, they painted over the gold-plated prongs that hold the Kindle in place, so when the paint inevitably scratched off, your Kindle would do all sorts of fun things like shut off and not remember your place, because it was trying shorting out trying to power a light that wasn't there. Yay! (Not.)

"From my understanding, they painted over the gold-plated prongs that hold the Kindle in place, so when the paint inevitably scratched off, your Kindle would do all sorts of fun things like shut off and not remember your place, because it was trying shorting out trying to power a light that wasn't there. Yay! (Not.)"

That is horrible! D:

Wow, I'm glad for that warning. I definitely won't buy one unless I can confirm that they're making the covers a different way.

I like that slip case! It looks super portable.

Oh, this is just because you've got a WoW druid or shammy, but I've got to link the covers that

elf posted earlier.

Some of these are just absurdly appropriate for a druid or shammy. XD

http://www.oberondesign.com/shop/cart.php?m=product_list&pageNumber=&catID=&c=81&v=&r=&id=&sortBy=&search=&shopByPrice=&viewAll=1&customListIds=&venID=

Yeah, I'm not sure if they are making the covers a different way, but if you do decide to get one of the Amazon ones, I'd go with the lighted one just to be safe. XD

I've seen those leather covers before and they are gooooorgeous! I'd definitley buy one if I could afford it, hehe. And yep, my icon is of my troll shaman. :D

I currently use a case by M-Edge but it is the one for Nook, actually, and I have a Kindle. I went to Best Buy and they had the SAME case, same look and everything but hte one for the Kindle was ten dollars more. I looked at the one for the Nook and the only difference was that it was a fraction of an inch taller. I bought the Nook version and it fits my Kindle perfectly. I've never had a single problem from it at all. So, just wanted to throw that into the ring, that M-Edge's Trip Journal series for Nook works on Kindle just fine and might be cheaper. Plus, I love that it doesn't LOOK like a Kindle case so that theft is possibly down, or at least makes me feel that way.

Oh wow, that's really good to know! $10 difference, that's quite a bit. I'll definitely have to try shopping in person, if the size differences are so small and the price difference is that big!

I don't know about ALL cases, but for THAT model, that is what worked for me. plus, the case i got was in blue (my favorite color) and the kindle version only had green haha.

i bought a pattern from http://www.etsy.com/listing/62925761/the-original-padded-kindle-cover-pdf and have made four gorgeous covers from it (one for my kindle and three for various friends). it's easy peasy if you have a sewing machine. and extremely economical.

I totally have a sewing machine, and I probably should learn how to machine sew! That is a gorgeous pattern, and I definitely have some cloth lying around.

Thank you for the link!

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Kindle Slip Covers: Looking for Recommendations

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