Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo and a myriad of others sell officially branded cases to protect the e-readers from damage. Amazon has the widest selection, they have Kindle cases made of leather, plastic and even cork. Cases often cost anywhere from $25 to $50, depending on if you want genuine leather or synthetic. There is also a ton of aftermarket cases out there that feature different designs and a slew of different colors and even imagery. Do you own a case for your e-reader and do you use it?
Amazon has plenty of cases their complete line of Kindle e-readers. The 10th generation has different colored cases made of a watersafe fabric, rustic leather, and vegan leather cork that is made of recycled materials. The make the same kind of cases for the entry level Kindle, Paperwhite and Oasis. If you take a quick look on Amazon there are plenty of other popular cases made by Casebot and a bunch of others.
Barnes and Noble only has a few cases for the new Nook Glowlight Plus. They have a generic one that features a midnight blue,that is kind of miminamist. Their other designs are full of vibrant color, one has a bunch of reading glasses and one has flowers, that is it. You don’t really get a selection of materials to choose from, which is a bit disheartening.
Kobo only has one official case for each of their products they are currently selling. This includes the Forma, Clara HD and Aura Edition 2. They are all sleep covers, which means they have a magnet that puts the e-reader into sleep mode, drawing little power, when you open the case it wakes it up.
Amazon has the best selection for Kindle covers, while Barnes and Noble and Kobo are sleeping at the wheel. Sony, Boyue, Onyx and other brands all have only 1 design they ship their e-readers with for free or offer it as an optional accessory. It is like everyone but Amazon doesn’t care about selling cases.
I believe cases are critically important for an e-reader. Plenty of people have purses, backpacks, briefcases or messenger bags and there are lots of things that could damage an e-readers screen during the daily commute or public transit. Spending $25 to $40 will protect your device from the rigors of the world.
Do you have a case for your e-reader? Did you buy a custom design from Decalgirl or other brand? Did you buy an official case? What is holding you back?
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
