When you buy a Kindle from Amazon, all that comes in the box is the unit and a charger. If you feel more than a little trepidation over putting this $279 investment into a bag where it can get jostled and scratched, you will find yourself scrambling to get some kind of case or pouch right away.
Most of the Kindle covers sold at Amazon are meant to look professional, business-like, or unobtrusive. They’re fine, but if you want something with more pizazz, check out the collection from FernFiddlehead at the Etsy.com store. Etsy is a place where individual craftspeople show off their work and sell directly to people like you and me. This way they get the word out and have a nice display space without building hundreds of individual stores. There’s a lot of cool stuff on there for people who want products with personality.
I’ve been trying out the two FernFiddlehead Kindle cases pictured here. I’m using the version at the top as I move around with my Kindle, but this summer I’ll be moving to Mexico and my daughter will become the Kindle holder since we can’t lug 20 kids’ books down with us. So we’ll switch to the second cover pictured here when it’s in her hands.
Technically these are called “e-reader pouches” since you could also use them for a Nook, the Sony Reader John reviewed before, or some of the other e-book readers he checked out at the CES show this year. There’s basically just padded pouches (using polyfill) with a zipper, so they can hold any device that will fit the dimensions of 6 inches X 9 inches.
The only problem I’ve run into with these cases is that the length ends up being a shade less than 9 inches where the zipper closes, so you can’t just slide the Kindle in and out. You have to put it in at a slight angle and adjust, and pull it out at an angle when removing it from the case. No biggie, but a zipper that extends further than the case would make extraction easier.
These e-book reader pouches come in a variety of rotating designs according to what fabric the artist is currently working with, so what you see at the shop now will probably be different a few months from now. If you see a style you really like, in other words, snag it. These are not mass-produced cases that you’ll see other people using in the airport. These cases can show your own personal style.
Most can be washed in cold water and put in a dryer on low. They sell for $12 to $15 and shipping is a bargain: $2 in the U.S., $3.50 for Europe, $4 elsewhere, or free if you buy two or more items. See the whole line here.
My colleague Kara reviewed a line of padded laptop covers from FernFiddlehead a while back and liked the uniqueness of those as well. The shop also sells iPad covers, netbook covers, and iPod pouches. See it all at the Etsy FernFiddlehead store.
