How much do I love my Oberon Design cover for my Nook Touch? Enough that I was looking forward to a new cover for my Kindle Fire almost as much as I was looking forward to the device itself! From the moment it arrived, I had it the Fire in my large Oberon sleeve waiting for the release of the new cover. It is here now … so does it live up to my expectations? Read on and find out!
The Hype:
We took extra pains during our design phase in order to come up with something that really compliments this new eReader/Tablet.
Because of the weight and somewhat higher cost of the Kindle Fire we have made a new attachment system for it. We have incorporated a rigid bumper and two mini bungee cords up top. This makes for a very secure mount and easy removal and installation of the device. We have included a platform system for holding the Tablet on its side to watch movies, as we do on our iPad covers. (See detail page..)
* 5.5″ wide x 8″ high and weighs 7.8oz.
* Corner straps and top bumper provide ‘shake & drop’ security.
* Cord & tab platform device for horizontal tabletop reading.
* Cover easily folds and stays open.
* 100% wool felt LCD screen protector.
* Large side pockets & small pocket for I.D. or cards.
* Matching Britannia Pewter button.
* Marine grade replaceable mini bungee cords (Includes extra bungees)
The Reality:
My first glance at the Oberon Design website a few months ago showed me a company that makes some really cool looking covers for eReaders that allow you protect your investment while looking stylish. Now that I have been using my Tree of Life cover on my Nook Touch since August, my appreciation for what they do has only grown deeper.
My Nook cover has worn slightly, softened a bit, and generally feels like a gorgeous piece of leather wrapped around a great book. With the standard case my family bought I would often remove the nook for reading. Now I never take it out of my case – it is part of the comfortable reading experience. I know that sounds a bit dramatic, but there is a psychological factor at play that makes the feel similar to bringing out one of my classic leather-bound collectible books.
The Kindle Fire is larger and considerably heavier than the Nook Touch, so I wondered exactly how that would translate into my usage as a reader compared to as a standard tablet. But, of course, that is a matter for a different article! However, I was concerned about how well a standard eReader cover would work for something as heavy as the Kindle Fire – it is literally twice the weight of the Nook Touch in spite of having a screen that is 16% larger.
When Oberon put up the first pages for the new Kindle products, there was a design that immediately caught my eye – Celtic Hounds in the Wine color. It looked like a classic leather-bound volume and the color seemed like it matched the design and the dark color of the Kindle Fire well.
As I noted in my earlier reviews, one thing I love with Oberon is their minimalist approach to packaging. I am sure it saves money as well, but getting as many over-wrapped, over-packed, plastic-everywhere things as I do, it makes the minimal USPS small box and one sheet of thin wrap with a single piece of tape stand out all the more.
After unwrapping, I noted several unique features on the cover: there are two bumpers to hold the Fire securely, and a long non-elastic strap under the Fire holder. This extra strap is for positioning the Fire as a media player. Getting the Fire into the case is even easier than the Nook. There are two elastic bands to hold the upper corners, and with the bumpers and secure leather straps on the lower corners the Fire isn’t going anywhere. I even held the cover by the opposite end with it open and shook it a bit to see it the Fire would break free (about 6 inches over carpet, of course), but it wasn’t going anywhere!
Using the cover as a media stand was something I found immediately intriguing: Oberon has designed a system that uses the weight of the fire and a simple tether along the edge to maintain position. You simply fold the cover back on itself, extend the non-elastic tether and hook it to the other side, and stand the cover on a table. I could then play a movie and the angle felt just right as I watched with my kids sitting at the table.
But for me, most of the time I have been using the Fire as an eReader – and I have found that I love the feel of this cover just like I love my Nook cover. It fits great, opens quickly, and keeps my Fire protected at all times and has a soft felt surface touching the screen. And nearly every day since I got it someone has asked about the cover or commented on the gorgeous design.
I recorded a video overview which provides a look at the design and functionality of this cover. If you are looking for a cover for your Kindle Fire that is elegant and sturdy and will let you stand out from the crowd, definitely check out Oberon Design!
Where to Buy: Oberon Design
Price: $70.00
What I Like: Excellent construction; great designs; perfect fit; great feel; retains portability; easy insertion and removal; innovative media stand function.
What Needs Improvement: It isn’t clear how the ‘media stand’ will work over the long-term as the leather softens and tabs wear.
Source: Manufacturer supplied review unit
Now where have I seen that Oberon design before? 😉 Of course, mine’s for an old-fashioned dead tree product.
Awesome! I just love the classic design and really appreciate the workmanship of their stuff!
What a wonderful review and instructional video. Just from views of the cover I knew my husband would love it, but I worried about the actual quality and how to use all those straps, but you addressed all Rhodes concerns.
Thank you very much!
Hikeeba
Now that I have been using it for even longer I am more thrilled than ever. It is wearing very wel and shows no signs of difficulty in terms of the media viewer stand or the straps.
These look awesome and I need a cover for my new fire, but I am concerned about the protection it provides over a more padded zipper case. Any comments on how the oberon functions in this catagory? Are any of them zippered?
As far as I know none of them are zippered. They DO have ‘sleeves’, which work great for the Fire as well.