Dan posted yesterday about Out of Print, a company that’s trying to put classic book cover art onto ebook reader cases. It seems the options keep growing for fashion-conscious readers! Here is a round-up of some other options for the case/sleeve shopper.
1) YOUR LOCAL CHAIN
In Canada, where I’m located, it’s Chapters/Indigo. I can’t speak for the options at Barnes & Noble or Borders on the American side, but Indigo stocks a wide variety of Kobo accessories at pretty reasonable prices. My boyfriend has the canvas bookstyle in brown which fits his Kobo Touch perfectly. I tested it with my Kindle Touch and it fits as far as size goes, however, it does cover up the buttons. Some of the other styles aren’t quite so fitted and will work just fine with the Kindle. I got this cheery yellow sleeve on sale for just $10!
The local electronics chain, Future Shop, also has a fair selection of cases, ranging from brand-specific Sony and Kobo cases to portfolio-style ‘luxury’ ones that look great and are suitable for any brand. I love the look of the Verso series but alas, they’re out of my price range.
2) YOUR BRAND’S WEBSTORE
Both Amazon and Kobo sell their own covers on-line, and you can get some snazzy options. Amazon has a cover with a built-in light as well as fashionable (and at times, quite pricy!) options from numerous vendors. And if you couldn’t find the colour you wanted at the retail Indigo store, the Kobo website is your friend. You can find them all on the website, often at discounted prices.
3) SPECIALTY ONLINE VENDORS
TeleRead has reviewed cases from the folks at M-Edge before; they have every style of case from sleeve to book-style to specialty models like kid-friendly and waterproof options. You can find every model under the sun represented here, including iPads and tablets. They also have a very cool ‘design your own’ option where you can upload your own pictures, add backgrounds or patterns or text, and customize the cover to your liking. There is also a gallery of designs other people have submitted; you can browse from there and order a ready-made cover if you don’t feel up to designing one yourself. M-Edge not your style? A Google search will turn up dozens of smaller shops.
4) ETSY
When I had my Sony Reader, I found the perfect sleeve for it on Etsy. Etsy is a virtual craft show—individual vendors sell their handicrafts in a giant bazaar-style site that aggregates it all together and lets you shop with a cart, easy payment and other unifying features. You’ll find padded sleeves, decals and skins, book-style cases and more, often with options that can be customized (for instance, this seller lets you choose from multiple fabric options, then asks you to specify in the comments which reader you have, for a custom fit). You’ll want to shop around, as prices vary widely. But so does selection, and most of these sellers are quite willing to work with you if something is almost—but not quite—what you need.
Do you have a favourite reader accessory? Comment below and let’s hear about it!
Although expensive Oberon covers are high quality and quite nice.
I’ll second Oberon for great Kindle covers.
Oberrondesign.com
Also, nobody will be finding covers or anthing else at Borders as they’re out of business and all stores are closed.
“I can’t speak for the options at Barnes & Noble or Borders on the American side.” Perhaps we need to update our information on the “American side” a bit. Borders has been out of business for awhile now.
I have an Oberon cover (Roof of Heaven, blue). It’s beautiful, and the leather is really nice to the touch, softer than you’d think.
Only downside is that it does not bend back well, so it’s not easy to hold the device in one hand with the cover on.
I look for a high-quality cover like Oberon in Europe. Does somebody have a contact address?
I’m pretty sure nobody else makes anything like it. It’s a very specialized procedure, and each image template is very expensive to make. So I think you’ll have to get it shipped overseas.