Customer Reviews

Patagonia Kindle Case (Fits 6" Display, 2nd Generation Kindle)

5 star:		(114)
4 star:		(96)
3 star:		(52)
2 star:		(44)
1 star:		(54)

 

 

Like many Kindle 2 owners I was debating between purchasing the Patagonia case or the Amazon case for the Kindle 2. I purchased both, evaluated them for a few days, and returned one. Here are the pro's and con's of each:

Amazon Case +'s and -'s:

+ $10 cheaper than the Patagonia
+ Unique latching system that no other case offers
+ Makes the Kindle 2 feel more like a book.
+ Has a nice velvety interior
+ Has a very professional / business like look

- Smells kind of funky
- Does not prevent liquid or dust from getting into the Kindle 2 when it's not being used
- Kindle sort of flops around since it's secured only by the left side and not the back (obviously velcro is an easy work around to this)
- Noticeably heavier than the Patagonia for extended reading periods
- I doubt the Amazon case will protect as well as the Patagonia in the event of a fall since it's not sealed.

Patagonia +'s and -'s:

+ Water-resistant and dust resistant due to having zipper's (The zipper's are a bit stiff, but they are very sturdy)
+ Lightweight
+ Has two carrying handles on the outside
+ Has a small pouch on the inside to store a cleaning cloth for the screen or add another layer of foam protection
+ The nylon straps work surprising well to secure the Kindle. They are not as good as the Amazon case, but you don't have to worry about the Kindle falling out.

- The Patagonia should be priced at $29.99. No reason for a $10 premium, but then again $39.99 is not much to protect a $359 gadget.
- The foam could be thicker for the price and the front portion should be thicker to offer extra protection for the screen. (The easy work around to this is to simply cut two small pieces of foam and insert in the back and front of the case)
- I am not a huge fan of recycled nylon. I prefer ballistic nylon instead. Hopefully the nylon holds up over time.

In the end I went with the Patagonia for two reasons:

1. I read my Kindle 2 for at least 1 to 2 hours at a stretch. The lighter weight of the Patagonia really makes a difference over extended reading periods.

2. Water / dust protection is a must for me. Since the Patagonia is completed sealed when closed, I am less worried about where I place my Kindle 2. I don't have to worry about crumbs, water droplets, cat hair etc. getting into my Kindle 2. Overall, an excellent choice. I rate it 4 stars only because it is a bit overpriced.

Update 3-8-08:

1. If you push too hard on the upper left corner of the case, the Kindle sometimes pops out at that edge. Not a big deal, I just changed where I hold the Kindle.

Otherwise the case has held up fine and I cannot reiterate how useful it is to be able to completely zip this case shut.

Patagonia uses environmentally friendly materials, donates 1% of profits to good causes and offers a satisfaction guarantee on their products as well.

Note - if you don't want to have to deal with straps to hold the Kindle in, and you always read the Kindle out of the case, you might consider the Belkin Neoprene Sleeve Case for Amazon Kindle 2 which opens on just two sides for you to slip the Kindle in and out of. I now use the Belkin case and not this Patagonia one myself!

I'm not sure how Gary managed to review ALL the Kindle 2 covers BEFORE they were available, but I only have this one and I like it. It seems waterproof, it adds a little cushion without too much bulk, and its not obvious what I'm reading. I almost got the $99 leather case for its elegence, but opted for the practicality of this one. If youre looking for the absolute slimmest, look elsewhere, but for throwing it in a bag, this is the best choice. (I'm clumsy, and probably need the extra padding.)

Good points: Made solidly, water resistant cover, agree w/ review stating the extra padding would be good for throwing in a bag but still keeps a very slim profile, Patagonia has some great products and does stand by them with their Ironclad Guarantee.

Not so good points: Zipper is very tight and somewhat difficult to get around the corners, the corner tabs are small and disengage the Kindle 2 easily, why are there two "handhold straps" on the front & back? These just look like they will get in the way. Not much room for any additional accessories (light, power cord) on the inside.

This is a great cover if you are heading into the great outdoors - beach, mountains, etc., and I agree that the extra padding in a bag will be useful, but the jury is still out as for a day by day use.

I just got my case today, after seeing the Amazon branded case for the Kindle that my girlfriend got yesterday. I have to say I am unfortunately very disappointed in the case. My disappointment all stems from the one negative point you will see recurring through most of the posted reviews. The elastic corner restraints are worthless. They slip off the corners of the Kindle much to easily. In the ten minutes I have used the case each time I reopen the case after closing it I am greeted by at least one, usually two of the Kindle's corners having slipped free of the restraints. If your plan is to use the case merely as a slip cover to be fully removed before using the Kindle then this case could work for you. If you plan to leave the device in the case while reading then steer away from this case. Eventually you will grab the case which is soft and flexible and your Kindle will pop free of the case and bad things may happen. Why Patagonia did not take advantage of the case slots on the side of the Kindle to attach their case is beyond me.

Like many other reviewers, I investigated all of the covers for my new Kindle 2. As an outdoorsy girl, I'm a big Patagonia fan, so I was really glad to see they make this product. In spite of my immediate bias, I did read the reviews of the other covers, but in the end, decided to purchase the Patagonia.

I've been using it for a month now, and my initial bias has only been reinforced. I love it.

Advantages: It doesn't have the funky smell of neoprene, it zips completely shut, it is lightweight and slim, and most important, it is environmentally sound.

Patagonia is an exceptional company - I wish other businesses would take note. They endeavor to minimize the carbon footprint of every product, and they treat their employees very well. Also, their stuff lasts a really long time! I still wear a jacket I bought from them almost 20 years ago! So, I feel good about the longevity and durability of this case.

Some reviewers have complained about the Kindle falling out of the case. I haven't experienced that at all - the four corners are very snug. I just unzip the case and read my Kindle still in it. Occasionally I take the Kindle out to read it naked-style, then squoosh it back under the corners when I'm done. Maybe if I carried it around unzipped it would fall out, but I don't do that; it's only unzipped for reading. (Don't carry it around unzipped and it won't fall out!)

Another complaint is the snug zipper. Yeah, that's the norm for outdoor gear. Why? Tight seals are safer seals. The rain and debris stay out better. Also, as it loosens over time, it won't become too loose. Just pull the zipper OUT as you pull it around and its easier.

The padding is thick enough that I feel comfortable tossing it in my large, crazy purse of chaos. The straps on the outside aren't useful as handles, as others as have complained. But they are good for eyeglasses, your book light, or attaching it to something else. Best of all, when you're reading your Kindle, your hand slides nicely under the straps for a comfy handhold. If I want thicker padding or bigger handles, I can put this case inside of something else. I think of it as those sleeves we get for our laptops, just enough to keep it safe inside of something else.

Is it worth the $10 more than most other covers? You betcha! It looks great, works well, will last for many years, and its easy on the environment. Think of it as a worthy best friend for your Kindle!

I needed a case that I could use to protect my Kindle 2 when I drop it in one of my bags and go knocking about. I bike ride frequently so the concern was finding a case that would protect the Kindle from jarring and bumping around a good bit.

After checking out all the available Kindle 2 cases, the Patagonia book cover looked like the best option for maximum protection. However, that's not necessarily true as I discovered.

Here's how my initial experience with the Patagonia Book Case for the Kindle 2 breaks down:

PROS:

- Very good padding all the way around, front and back.
- Made of recycled material, so good points for the "green" factor.
- Convenient pick up handles on both sides.
- Nice corner loop for hanging or strapping to the outside of a backpack.
- Two large, well-built zippers with nicely concealed zipper teeth.
- The concealed zipper implies the case is slightly water resistant, I'll test that on my weekend bike ride and report back.
- Convenient, oversized stretchy inner pocket for papers, etc.
- Can hold the Kindle 2 in place using four web corner slots.

CONS:

- Merely OK fit and finish; my case had some wrinkles and bunching around the seams. Not completely unsightly but a bit of a mess to be sure.
- The case has no internal support other than the padding itself. This leads to two significant problems listed below:
- The first problem is poor screen protection. There is no firm insert inside the front cover that will prevent something from putting lots of point pressure on the screen, like something with an edge in my bag. While there is some padding, I'd expect at least a cardboard insert to protect the screen. I may put an insert of my own into the built-in stretch pocket to deal with this.
- The second problem is the case is kind of shapeless due to lack of internal support and this makes the corner webbing rather ineffective at holding the K2 in place. I was just planning to keep mine loose in the case but if you prefer it mounted, you may want to consider another case since this design won't hold the Kindle 2 firmly and it slips out easily.

I'd buy it again given the choices currently available but I reserve the option to change my mind as better protective cases come on the market.

I bought the Amazon Kindle 2 cover to use with my Kindle at home and then I bought the Patagonia cover to use when I want to take my Kindle with me in my pocketbook. I wanted to have a cover I could close all the way so no debris from my pocketbook could get into the Kindle and I also wanted to be able to leave my Kindle in the cover to read. The Patagonia cover seemed to fit that criteria. The Patagonia cover is well made with a nice amount of padding but the elastic corners that are supposed to hold the Kindle in are way too small. In my opinion they don't hold the Kindle securely enough. I'm afraid if I'm using this cover to read with while I'm somewhere waiting, that the Kindle could easily fall out. I'm going to return it and hope that Patagonia will come out with an updated version with better corners. I would buy one if they did.

In considering the Patagonia case, my main concern was protection from drops, debris, and water, so I conducted some tests of these risks. I placed an egg in a sandwich bag, put it in the case, and dropped it from three feet and six feet. The egg cracked at both distances. While I'm sure the Kindle has sturdier physical properties than an egg, it gives me some pause as to the case's protective qualities for an accidental drop.

As for water, I tried to simulate rain exposure by placing a tissue in the zipped case and spraying it for a brief period (3 - 5 seconds) with a kitchen sink spray nozzle. I would say the term "water resistant" (as opposed to "waterproof") is apt for this case, for while the tissue did not get wet, after a few minutes the inside of the case became a little damp, indicating that constant exposure to water might cause wicking of the moisture. This test convinced me that the structural integrity of the case was sufficient to protect against miscellaneous debris, though.

So, my conclusion is that the Patagonia case will serve my desired purpose of protecting the Kindle 2 from being damaged by the contents of my briefcase, but is probably not up to "roughhouse" handling, liquid immersion, or prolonged exposure to rain, etc. For those reasons, I'd give the case 4 stars (i.e., not perfect, but up to the intended task).

P.S. I haven't had any problems with the buttons being obscured when inserted in the case, as mentioned by some other reviewers. I also tested the ability of the straps to securely hold the Kindle by shaking the opened case over my waterbed. Gentle shaking did not cause it to dislodge from any of the straps, and I had to shake it fairly vigorously for one corner of the Kindle to pop loose. Of course, as has been mentioned, as the straps "break in," their holding power may lessen, but for the time being I'm comfortable that I will be able to read with the cover on without too much worry.

What I like best about this cover is the zipper, and the exterior gray hand-holds.

The hand-holds are especially useful as you slip you thumb through the front hand-hold strap, your other four fingers through the rear strap, and you can read with one hand without fear of slippage. To visualize, imagine pressing your thumb against your other four fingers like a shadow puppet. That is kinda how it works, although while reading you will obviously keep your hand in the open position. This is a unique feature.

The zippers are a bit tight around the corners, but I think that will change with usage (and a little silicon spray).

This is a great case if you have active pets around the house, as it is more impervious to their antics than some might be.

While I have not done comparison with all of the other available covers, on its own, given the zipper, padding, and exterior hand-holds, it rates a highly recommended if those features interest you.