The Kindle Korner... The Great Kindle Cover Up!

No, I'm not talking about some secret conspiracy involving that wonderful eReader by Amazon called the Kindle... I'm talking about making a personal statement with your Kindle, protecting your Kindle, traveling outside the home with your Kindle... I'm talking about Kindle Covers!

Did you get a Kindle for Christmas or Chanukah this year? Are you using a cover? A cover is not just decorative, but serves as a source of protection for your Kindle screen and body. And just as unique as the books on your Kindle, there are plenty of Kindle covers to choosefrom to express your own unique style. So let's take a look at some of what's available...

Oberon Design... Beautiful tooled leather covers with a 100% wool felt LED screen protector. To secure the Kindle you have a choice of ordering your Oberon cover with corner straps or velcro. I have the corner straps and they are very secure and easy to put your Kindle in. The leather is stiff, gets softer over time, and is designed so that you can fully open the cover and fold it back over itself for one hand reading if you want. With a pewter button that serves as the closure, there is a bungee cord that wraps around the button. Oberon Design still makes every cover "to order" and they are exquisite. There are currently 20 Kindle 2 Designs available in a variety of colors. Oberon Design also makes covers for the Kindle DX, Sony eReaders and now for The Nook! Check them all out at the Oberon Design website!

M-Edge... This company has 12 different designsto satisfy almost any taste. The original case for my Kindle 2 was the Prodigy Jacket. It's a solid cover with plush interior to protect the cover. Straps hold the Kindle in place and a tab closure to keep the cover closed. The Prodigy Jacket opens up like a book, but there is also a style that flips open and is able to stay open that way on a desk or table. Available in leather or synthetic leather, there are a variety of colors to choose from. (I have the beautiful fuchia leather one!) One other notable cover is the Leisure Jacket that is a clear vinyl jacket that is designed to protect your Kindle from the elements, such as sand, dirt and moisture if you are reading by the pool or at the beach. Looks like it would be perfect protection, and maybe a good choice for an activity such as kayaking! But my new cover that I received as a Christmas gift this year is one of the New Yorker Jackets! They are solid beautiful padded covers featuring artwork from New Yorker Magazine covers. The cover uses the Kindle-compatible hinge system that is essentially 2 little metal tabs that slip into your Kindle to hold it in place. In addition there are 2 corner straps. There had been some problems in the past with the Kindle cracking when using this hinge system, but I believe those issues have been resolved. There are currently 3 designs. My DH bought me the Booklover cover, which appears to be not available any longer, but it's the middle design below...

Check out all the covers at M-Edge's Website! They also make covers for Kindle DX and Sony eReaders.

Waterfield Designs... Waterfield makes these nice ballistic nylon sleeve cases. Your Kindle is not actually secured into a "cover", but they are protected as you bring it along to your next reading destination, and the sleeve serves as a nice place to store your Kindle too. They are padded and look nice. My DH has one of the Sleeve Cases for his DX, which comes in a vertical or horizontal version, with or without a strap. All these things are choices you make when you place your order. He ordered the horizontal, but thought the vertical might be better when removing your Kindle because you are grabbing the plastic as apposed to part of the screen. He ordered it without a strap, but I would have ordered it with a strap in order to carry it like a handbag. If you don't order the strap originally, there is no place to attach a strap later on, so think if you want that option before ordering. And there are no other color choices besides the black, but the black is very classic looking. Waterfield Designs also has a few other types of cases, to check out all their designs, go to Waterfield Designs Website!

Other Kindle covers can be found at JAVOedge, bobarra (which sells beautiful fabric covers), and KindleChaos (which offers hard shell cases). Plus we shouldn't forget the nice leather cover Amazon offers too! Thanks to Diane for commenting about how much she likes her Amazon cover! What's on your Kindle? Any other companies offering Kindle protection you'd like to share here? We're talking about protection today, but there is also Kindle Skins available, which offer the opportunity to change the look of your Kindle from that stark white color to something more personal... we'll discuss that another post...