I ran out and bought the Kindle 2 from Amazon pretty much the first second it was available.  I am absolutely in love with this device, which I reviewed last week, along with a bunch of my friends from Gear Diary.  We did not necessarily agree on everything, but there was one point we on which we reached a quick consensus: Amazon made a critical mistake by not including a case or sleeve with this fantastic new device.  Luckily, before my Kindle 2 had even arrived, I found that one of my favorite case manufacturers, Waterfield, was already on the job. 

Waterfield offers three cases for the Kindle 2.  We’ll take a look at the Travel Bag a bit later.  Today, I want to take a closer look at the Slip Case and the Sleeve case.

The Waterfield Slip Case is made from a water resistant vinyl material.  Sure, it may not look as professional as a leather case, but it features a rugged, durable feel which makes you truly believe that your Kindle is well protected.  And after spending $350 on a Kindle 2 device, isn’t that what you really want. 

In addition to this rugged exterior, the interior of this fantastic cases feature a soft padding, designed to protect your Kindle

The slip Case is designed to fit your Kindle 2, quite literally like a glove.  At first glance, I thought Waterfield might have made a mistake.  It just looked too small to fit the Kindle 2.  This concern was quickly dispelled, however, as soon as I tried to slide the Kindle 2 in there.  To say it fit perfectly would be an understatement. 

Now, here comes the best feature, which you cannot see in any of these pictures.  Buried deep within the confines of the front of this case is a piece of impact resistant plastic.  What this means is that any objects heading for your Kindle 2 (maybe a mug falling from the table) will be stopped short of your Kindle’s screen. 

The second case I want to take a look at tonight is the Sleeve Case.  This one comes in two sizes.  The smaller size is designed to hold your Kindle directly.  The larger case (which Waterfield sent me) is designed to hold your Kindle 2 while it is stored in another case or sleeve.  This means, you can use the extra protection of the Waterfield Sleeve case for transport, without taking it out of your normal protection.

It is made from the same nylon material as ballistic resistant vests (or at least it is extremely similar).  Now, I am not saying this case will protect your Kindle 2 from a bullet (who would ever shoot a device like the Kindle 2?)  but it will protect the Kindle extremely nicely from all of the normal incidences of everyday life.  With this case, you don’t need to worry about those large shears or the fish boning knife you keep in your bag.  They are not going to be able to find your Kindle through this one.

The bottom of the case even features some extra protection.  As you can imagine, this is the most often worn part of the case, so this was much appreciated. 

The Sleeve Case also features a protective flap, which keeps your Kindle 2 fully encased and protected.  One of the great things about this flap was that it does not hinge right near the opening, where it could impeded your reach into the case.  Instead, the flap hinges a few inches down the backside.  This means when you open it, it will swing completely out of the way.  Close it up again, and the flap is held securely in place by a large swatch of Velcro.

The last feature on the Waterfield Sleeve Case is a small pocket in the back.  Now, let’s be honest here, there is really only one peripheral you will ever need to use with the Kindle 2.  It does not use thumb drives or even flash memory.  So, the only thing you are really going to need an extra pocket for is the power cable.  So, either the pocket holds the power cable, or you are almost never going to really use it.

So, I crammed the Kindle 2 power cable in that pocket, and once again Waterfield surprised the heck out of me.  What looked like an extremely small pocket proved to have plenty of space to hold that cable with ease.  The only real problem I had with this pocket is that there is nothing to hold it shut.  It would be nice if there had been a small Velcro patch or even a magnet snap to ensure your power cable is safely secured within.

The only thing I did not like about Waterfield’s selection was the lack of a cover-style case.  The advantage of a cover-style case is that it protects your Kindle 2 while you are using it and reading a book.  This is important to someone like me who has a tendency to have things slip from my fingers unexpectedly.  Both the Slip Case and Sleeve Case are fantastic cases for storage and transport.  They each allow you to toss the Kindle 2 in your briefcase or back without worrying about scratches, dings, dents, or worse.   But once you take out the Kindle 2 or start using it, you are pretty much left to fend for yourself.  this is an unfortunate omission.  I really hope that Waterfield corrects this by adding a cover-style case to its line of Kindle 2 cases.

And don’t forget to stay tuned, because we will be looking at the Waterfield Travel case for Kindle 2 soon.

What I Liked:

• Rugged material
• Great padding
• Versatile cases
• Excellent protection

What Needs Improvement:

• No cover-style case
• No protection against accidental drops while reading

Where To Buy: Waterfield

Price: Slip Case ($27); Sleeve Case ($39)

Be Sociable, Share!

•