Monday, September 10, 2012

Covers and Sleeves for the New Kindles

Travelling with a bare Kindle is not a good idea- you need a protective cover or sleeve to protect it from damage. As I've mentioned before, tho two choices boil down to a cover, which lets you keep the Kindle protected while using it, or a sleeve, which you have to remove before using the Kindle. Which one you choose depends on how you use your Kindle.

I've always been a fan of the lighted covers for the E-Ink Kindles. Even though expensive, the convenience of a built-in light powered by the Kindle's battery made it worth it. Now, the impending release of the Kindle Paperwhite with built-in front lighting makes a lighted cover unnecessary. But Amazon has upped the ante with new covers for the Paperwhite and the new Fire HD tablets that wake up your Kindle when opened and put it to sleep when closed. These covers also serve as a stand, which is especially handy for watching movies or TV shows on the Fire.

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Leather Cover

Amazon Kindle Fire HD 7" Standing Leather Case

Amazon Kindle Fire HD 8.9" Standing Leather Case

These are Amazon accessories- you can save money by getting approved Kindle covers made by other companies, and even more by buying a generic cover. But the selection will remain skimpy until the manufacturers design products to fit the new Kindle models.

Sleeves are a lower cost alternative to covers that you may prefer if you like to use your Kindle bare. I've always liked the extra grip I get from a cover, but that may change with the 8.9" Fire, which is likely to be hefty enough without the addition of a cover's weight and bulk. I'll have to wait and see.

Amazon makes basic zip sleeves for the E-Ink Kindles and other companies make sleeves for the Fire tablets.

Amazon Kindle Zip Sleeve

This sleeve fits the Kindle Paperwhite, Touch, and basic Kindle. I've used it with the basic Kindle and like it. I bought it primarily for hiking and backpacking when I want the Kindle to have more protection than a cover provides. A cover leaves the Kindle exposed on three edges, and for the dirty, often wet environment of a multi-day hike, I want the Kindle completely enclosed. In wet conditions I'll put the sleeve in a gallon zipper plastic bag for even more protection. This sleeve is also lighter than a cover.

Timbuk2 Plush Sleeve Case for Kindle Fire HD 7"

AmazonBasics Netbook Bag with Handle, Fits 7- to 10-Inch Netbooks, iPad, HP Touchpad

I have a netbook sleeve similar to this one that I've used with a 10.1" netbook. It should work well for the 8.9" Fire, and has room for accessories such as earphones and a USB cable and charger.

Speaking of which, Kindles used to come with a USB charger, but now come with just a USB cable. Since most of us have computers with USB ports as well as  USB chargers lying around, Amazon is probably right to assume that most of us don't need another USB charger. Computers and most USB chargers out out the standard 500 milliamps of current specified in the USB 2.0 standard, and that's enough to charge the E-Ink Kindles and the original Fire in just a few hours. But the new HD Fires have larger batteries to support those beautiful HD screens and faster processors, and take much ,longer to charge. For travel, you might want to get Amazon's Powerfast Charger, which charges all rthe new Fire's at a higher rate.

Amazon Kindle PowerFast Charger for all Kindle Fire Tablets

I'll follow up with hands-on comments once I've had a chance to use the new Kindles. As an avid reader on backpack trips, I'm especially excited about the Paperwhite. With its built-in front lighting and  eight week battery life, it should be the ultimate backpacker's reading device.

1 comment:

  1. Yeah i totally agree with the author of this post that, we must use kindle covers and sleeves while traveling with the kindle. I have also tried Amazon Kindle Zip Sleeve which was really excellent in use.

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