I suspect it comes as no surprise that those of us on GD who have an Amazon Kindle2 are big fans. At last count there were five of us from the site who have, use and rave about them. We love the portability, the exceptional battery life, the Whispernet for immediately downloading books and other materials, the Whispersync to keep various devices working together (since I also have an iPhone and a Touch this comes in very handy all the time), and we love the fact that the book selection and prices are excellent.
As with any device, however, no matter how good they are there are always complaints as well. Here too, there are a variety of things we might choose to change. For me, the biggest issues are the pasty white material from which the device is built, the delicate nature of the device itself and the fact that it doesn’t even ship with a simple slip case. They are small complaints but they are complaints nonetheless.
Fortunately there are a growing number of case options for the device that solve some, if not all these issues. They come in a variety of styles and price ranges and their numbers are constantly growing. We have, thus far, taken a look at a number of them. Today we’ll take a look at two additional ones that come from a new player — TrendyDigital. One of them has, in fact, become my daily case.
First up — The WaterGuard Waterproof Case
This is less of a case than it is a protective bag but so be it… let’s take a look.
Their Take:
The WaterGuard Waterproof CaseTM guards against any wet environment that Kindle 2 might be exposed to. It is a perfect companion when you bring your Kindle for beach reading. It provides great protection when you get stuck in a rainstorm or accidentally drop you bag in a wet surface. When using the WaterGuard case, the Kindle 2 can be slipped directly into the WaterGuard pocket and the transparent surface provides easy interaction with the keyboard and navigation buttons.
My Take:
I do a lot of my casual reading while on vacation (although the Kindle is changing that) and most vacations involved water. Since water and electronics don’t mix well, I was looking forward to this case.
Details:
* Designed specifically for Amazon Kindle ( work for both K1 and K2)
* You can operate the keeppad and navigation button of your Kindle right through the case.
* tested submersible to 12 feet (4 meters).
* The UV-stabilized material won’t be broken down or discolored by sunlight.
* WaterGuard protects against water, dust, dirt, sand and frost
* Wear around neck or shoulder with adjustable strap
* Ultra light weight – 2.8 ounces
The bag/case is a double-sealed unit that all but guarantees water won’t get in.
TrendyDigital knows this will never be a full-time unit so they include a nice bag to protect the plastic. (Let’s see, the $14.95 case comes with a bag, but the $360 Kindle doesn’t come with ANY protection…)
Getting the Kindle (it fits both generations) into the case is as simple as unsnapping the snaps at the top, opening the heavy-duty ziploc-esque bag placing the unit inside, sealing the double seal and snapping the top back in place. (It took longer to write that than it does to put the Kindle inside.)
While inside the Kindle remains fully readable and the side buttons, keyboard and control stick remain usable. In all, the unit puts a waterproof cover around the Kindle with minimal loss of functionality.
Since it is dry here in New Jersey it is not however, clear to me what will happen in a humid climate and weather or not we would see water build up inside. For my current situation, however, here is no issue and the waterproof case offers a great deal of security to an otherwise delicate unit.
What I Like-
Brings waterproof protection to the Kindle in an effective an affordable way
Easy to get the unit inside the case
Minimal loss of functionality while in the case
Inexpensive
Includes protective bag for times when it is not in use
What Needs Improvement-
Choice of Blue or Purple Stripe… how about black or clear
Unclear if humidity will build up inside
Offers waterproof protection but not bump or drop protection
WaterGuard Waterproof Case for Kindle 2 comes with Purple or Blue Edge and is available from TrendyDigital for an MSRP of $14.49.
Next Up… My new Favorite Case… The MaxGuard eReader Jacket
Their Take:
TrendyDigital MaxGuard eReader Jacket TM for Amazon Kindle 2 is the very best protection system for Kindle 2. The MaxGuard eReader Jacket TM is designed to maximize accessibility, portability and surface protection. Several unique design elements have been introduced into this book jacket. The Sure-FitTM compartment houses the Kindle 2 securely while allowing easy access to power switch, headphone jack, USB/Power portand charger indicator. The enclosed housing maximizes the protection on the whole unit while preserving the sleek & trim presentation of Kindle 2. The side button protectors are stamped into the case and provide custom fit protection and easy access to the navigation buttons on either side of the Kindle. The case has a notepad pocket at the side to keep a small notepad handy. The grip band in the back of MaxGuard jacket further secures the device while reading or traveling. The soft interior cushions your Kindle internally. Whether in an office, traveling in plane, relaxing in beach or at home, MaxGuard eReader JacketTM is the idea companion for your Kindle 2.
My Take:
This case solves at least two of my major gripes with the Kindle – it hides the pasty white material from which the device is made, and it offers excellent protection for a relatively low price.
Features:
Designed for Kindle 2 with high grade durable synthetic leather exterior, padded middle tier and soft microfiber interior.
Utilize sure-fit compartment to secure the Kindle 2 inside the jacket.
Use Stamped side button protectors for custom fit protection, surface protection and easy access to the navigation buttons on either side of the Kindle.
Exterior grip band for added security while reading or traveling
Material: High grade synthetic leather exterior, padded middle tier and soft interior.
Dimensions (when closed): 8.13 in. x 5.38 in. x 0.69 in.
Weight: 5.8 ounces
Rather than secure the Kindle with elastic straps that grab the corners of the device, 0r use the built-in (but I fear easily cracked) internal system for securing the device inside a case, TrendyDigital created a case that offers a pocket of protection into which the Kindle is slipped. It is tight enough to hold the Kindle securely without additional clips, yet it is easy enough to remove the Kindle from it if needed.
The fake leather feels like… fake leather; and while I would always prefer real to fake, it doesn’t look or feel half bad. Unlike the other cases I have seen, this case builds some pillowy padding into the material. This not only makes holding the Kindle more comfortable, but offers some minimal bump protection, as well.
The inside of the case is a soft felt and while the design of the case ensure that nothing easily touches the delicate screen, it is nice to know that the interior material is appropriate for reducing scratches. The side that does not hold the Kindle offers a pocket for holding a piece of paper or two.
While in the case ALL the Kindle’s buttons and controls are fully accessible. The buttons on either side of the device ARE covered, but after a while you get used to the way in which the buttons beneath the material needs to be pushed in order to have them respond.
The interior of the case is nice looking and, thankfully, covers everything but the keyboard.
In all, the case makes it feel like you are truly holding a thin book. Nice!
The exterior of the case, however, leaves something to be desired. It has a snap to hold it closed which is a nice feature.
It has a permanent strap for allowing you to get a better hold on the Kindle. I don’t like it or use it but it is a nice extra.
It also, unfortunately, has a bright, permanently affixed label for TrendyDigital across the top left corner. BAD!
Finally, TrendyDigital made an off choice with the case. If you hold it so that the bright, bad label is readable… the case opens to the right, the way a Hebrew book does. Because I know and am comfortable with Hebrew this isn’t an issue for me. At least a third of my books open this way, but the Kindle, with its CDMA Whispernet is primarily a US device. US books open right to left. Odd…very odd..
Over all, gripes aside, this is the case in which my Kindle currently resides.
What I Like-
Good affordable protection
Holds the Kindle without straps or clips
Hides much of the Kindle which, in this case, is a good thing.
Good protection even has the corners covered
What Needs Improvement-
I’m not a huge fan of pleather
Advertising stripe is UGLY and permanent
Opens right to left (???)
MaxGuard eReader Jacket for Amazon Kindle 2 is available from TrendyDigital for an MSRP of $27.99