I wanted to find a better alternative to the official Kindle cover, as well as something that used the corner system rather then the hinge system. This leather mCover from ipearl seemed to be exactly what I was looking for! Initially, I wanted the black cover, but since that was sold out, I decided to go for the blue.
The cover that arrived is a bit darker than the blue pictured on the product page, which is actually fine because I LOVE the color. It's a bit.. well, TARDIS blue, for you Doctor Who fans. The elastic on mine is tight and has no trouble holding the cover securely.
After two days, the case still has a weird chemical/plastic smell, but I'm assuming it will fade over time.
The one thing I am disappointed about -- the thing keeping me from giving a five star review -- is that the upper left corner of mine seems to be sewn a bit wrong. The left edge is too short and is not the correct height to hold the Kindle. As a result, the upper corner pulls towards the spine of the cover, which is rather unattractive and annoying. Blue mCover® Leather Folio Cover Case for Amazon Kindle 3 (Fits 6" Display, built-in inner pocket)
Update: My Kindle still sits in this cover. Easy to keep clean, charge, and read with the cover folded back. Now, it looks just like a nice Journal Cover. Protected the Kindle when Cat decided to dance on it and knock it on the floor.
When folded back for night reading - its best to clip the Verso light on the Cover and not the Kindle (reading in the Kindle Forums taught me this lesson). I hope you enjoy the price savings and your mCover as much as I have.
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I did a lot of research for covers. I purchased the Kindle 3G Wireless Reading Device, Free 3G + Wi-Fi, 3G Works Globally, Graphite, 6" Display with New E Ink Pearl Technology on December 17th, and wanted to check it out before deciding on a light and cover.
I watched videos on Covers, You Tube Videos, and reviews about the non-lighted Kindle Covers causing reboots.
I wanted something that would allow me to take the Kindle out, but also carry securely. I also wanted no hooks to the kindle itself (reports in the forums of kindles getting cracked if someone opens the cover incorrectly). This puppy does the trick. Just slide the top of the Kindle into the edge corner holders, and the slip the bottom corner holders around the bottom edge. Slip the elastic band over the cover, and walla - secure kindle.
Its a deeper blue (I wanted black, but they were out of stock). However, it looks good, and now I don't mind. Easy to keep clean. You can either store things in the pocket, or cut the included insert to size, slip in - and use as added screen protection (I haven't done this yet - but have kept the insert). The corner straps don't cover anything vital, no keys. Its the perfect fit.
The cover itself is seemingly patent leather feel, the pocket and right edge of top cover feels more vinyl like. The inner is a suede/felt type material - all is blue.
I would keep this cover in a purse or backpack. If you are taking out solo in the elements - then perhaps a freezer bag wrapped around - since this doesn't cover the sides of the kindle.
Now, I wanted the red one of these: Verso Clip-On Reading Light for Kindle (Turquoise), but again they were out - and the turquoise matches the cover.
My preferred choices when you want to save more money to spend on books ;-)
Edit to Add:
The smell seems to be part of the construction, and does wear off as time goes on (had mine since 12/27/2010 - again, speedy shipping from Amazon).
I have included some pictures above, which demonstrate the corners inside, and the actual color of the cover.
I spent a lot of time looking for an inexpensive cover for my Kindle 3. There are a lot of nice covers out there, but the average price of a cover seemed to be between $30 and $40, and I just wasn't willing to spend that much for something so basic.
Surprisingly, my searches on Amazon hadn't turned up the mCover, I stumbled across it in an independent review of Kindle covers that included many I hadn't seen before. The mCover seemed to be exactly what I'd been looking for: a decent cover at a very good price. I ordered it without hesitation.
To my delight, the mCover has turned out to be pretty much everything I want in a cover. I've been using it daily for a number of weeks now and have not found any fault with it at all. The major selling points are:
1) It's thin. One of the things I like best about the Kindle is that it's thin and light -- if it weren't I wouldn't carry it. The last thing I want is to stick it in a bulky cover. The mCover doesn't add a lot of bulk. Closed, it's just over 1/2" thick, about the size of a thin paperback. It feels very comfortable in the hand.
2) It's protective. The front and back are hard covers which do the job of protecting the Kindle from any knocks it might take in a bag, backpack, or from being inadvertently dropped.
3) It's secure. The mounting system is simple and unobtrusive, with a vinyl holders on each the four corners. It covers very little of the Kindle, but I have no worries about the Kindle accidentally coming loose.
4) It's well-made. Overall, the materials and the fabrication are better than I've seen on covers that cost three times more. The stitching is neat and clean, the vinyl and fabric is good quality, and there are no indications of sloppiness such as glue blobs or crooked seams. It looks and feels well-made.
5) It lies flat. One of the things I don't like about nearly all other covers is that they use a rigid spine. When the front cover is folded around behind, these covers create a wedge shape. Not only to I find this annoying to hold, but when you set the Kindle on a table to read it, such as during a meal, it lies at an angle. The mCover has a soft spine, so when you fold the front cover around back it stays flat. Thank you ipearl!!
OK, I have ONE very minor gripe about the mCover, and it's hard to even call this much of a gripe. A couple of the vinyl corners that hold the Kindle in place are sewn on a little out of square with the corners of the cover. In at least some instances this seems to be a side effect of an intentional decision rather than sloppiness. For example, the bottom right holder is sewn on so it mates up with the elastic cord that holds the cover closed. This junction is now aesthetically pleasing, but this has pushed the bottom of the holder out a little bit to the right, which makes it out of square. On mine, the upper-right holder is also not quite square. You can see this in many of the pictures of the mCover. I will note that this doesn't affect function at all, but to a perfectionist's eye like mine it's always noticeable.
Overall, I can't see any reason to buy any other cover. There might be fancier covers, or ones made of real leather or other nice materials, or covers that are thinner and lighter than the mCover. But unless those covers begin to approach the mCover price point, I'm simply not going to buy them. The mCover provides everything I need at an excellent price. - Kindle Accessory - Kindle 3 Case - Leather Kindle Cover - Kindle 3 Covers'
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