A complete guide to buying an e-reader or tablet case cover (2024)

Are you looking for a case for your new Kindle, iPad, or Amazon Fire? Don’t rush, and read what to do to make the perfect choice.

So far, choosing a case cover for the e-reader, tablet, or smartphone seemed to be a less important, secondary task.

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Things change. Prices of devices go down. On the other hand, case covers are getting more sophisticated and feature-rich. Some are made of luxurious materials.

With a price of a solid Amazon Fire tablet going under $30 during Prime Day or Black Friday, it’s probable that you will find a cover that’s more expensive than the tablet itself.

There is also one more factor that makes choosing a cover a highly involving and exciting task: there are a plenty of designs to choose from. Obviously, the more popular the device is, the more case covers are available.

On Amazon, you will find dozens of thousands of items that are returned for a search phrase “iPad case,” but only hundreds for the Kobo e-reader.

When you add the ability to personalize the cover (which is up only to your imagination), the number of choices is endless.

In this post, you’ll find quick and simple tips that will help you choose the e-reader or tablet cover that suits your needs and expectations most.

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Quick guide to buying an e-reader or tablet case

1. Choose the right type of the case

There are plenty of covers available on the market. You can find different types, options, add-ons, colors, and patterns.

Most online stores offer case covers for tablets, e-readers, and smartphones, so at some point, a price comparison may become an essential factor.

A combination of features, colors, and patterns will make many people have a hard decision to make.

No matter how you call them, tablet and e-reader cases fall into three major categories, depending on how you apply and use them.

Case / Cover

There are many different kinds of covers. It can be a neoprene cover, it can be a case which opens like a book, or it can be a case which transforms into a horizontal or vertical stand.

What they all have in common is that you mount your device once and keep the case always on. There is no need to remove the cover if you want to use the tablet.

There are two main ways for holding the device in place:

• corner straps – elastic straps combined with a universal size of the case make it useful for many devices in the certain size range,
• frame – it’s made either of plastic or leather (or faux leather), and it’s tailored to fit one model, as cuts for camera, buttons and ports have to be taken into consideration.

On top of that, such cases very often offer an auto sleep/wake feature. When you open the front cover, the device wakes up; when you close, it goes to sleep.

Sleeve / Jacket

You may want to buy a sleeve if you need something to protect the device while on the go, but don’t always need it.

Another benefit is that you don’t need to hold an extra weight while using a tablet or e-reader.

Sleeves are also a good solution if you can’t find the proper cover for the device you own.

Any sleeve made for a bit bigger device will do the job. All you have to do is compare the sizes and proportions. In other words: sleeves and jackets allow for some flexibility.

Moreover, if you don’t want to buy a new cover every time you buy a new e-reader, the sleeve could be a good option – on condition that it’s durable enough.

Skin

Skins are laminated vinyl decals which you attach to the back and, sometimes, the front of the device. They are usually re-positionable, and won’t leave any residue after removal.

One thing to remember about skins is that they don’t give flexibility. When you order a skin, double-check if you’ve selected the right device. The cut-outs are made precisely for the specific model.

For many people, skins are just a way to make a device more enjoyable. The protection they give is problematic. You can prevent your iPad’s or Samsung’s back from scratches, but that’s all.

2. Know the dimensions of your device

Finding the relevant cover for most popular devices, like iPad or Kindle, is pretty easy. There are plenty of designs to choose from.

The only thing to remember is to double-check the model name, model number, or the release year. This way, you will avoid buying the case that’s tailored for the previous-generation device.

Things get more difficult if you want to find a cover for a less popular device.

First, it’s harder to find one. Secondly, if you won’t see a cover designed specifically for your model, you’ll have to look into more general solutions.

Many covers you find are “universal.” For instance, you can find “10-inch tablet sleeve” or “universal 6-inch e-reader case.” Those sizes measure the distance between two opposite screen corners. 6-inch is the typical screen size of the e-reader.

However, in many instances, the screen size of your device is not enough to choose the right cover, as different models may have different proportions. An evident example is Nook, which is much broader than other 6-inch e-readers.

Two tablets may have the same screen size (let’s say 10-inch), but a different screen aspect ratio. As a result, you may end up with a cover which doesn’t fit your tablet.

There are two more things to keep in mind.

If you want to buy a cover on eBay or any other giant online store, which is not a producer’s site, you may find descriptions that are misleading or not specific enough.

For instance, be careful if you find a sleeve that just says “iPad” or “iPad Pro.” There are several generations of iPad, so you need to find a more specific information in the product description:

• model name
• model number
• screen size
• release year
• generation
• which model the case fit
• which model the case doesn’t fit

4. Don’t limit yourself to one store

Many people buy the cover together with the device. When someone buys the Kindle, it’s easy to add an original Kindle cover to the basket and have the job done right away.

If you, however, want to get something different or more affordable, you should extend your research to other brands and online stores.

Are you buying an iPad case? Sure, you can find a good one in the Apple Store, but give yourself a chance to see some refreshing new ideas. Switch to Amazon or eBay, and you will discover plenty of other designs, patterns, and solutions.

5. Take these factors into consideration

When you switch the store, you can immediately enter the area of comparing the options you get at hand. One thing is the case and its functionality, color, and quality.

Now, other factors can also influence your decision:

• availability
• price
• shipping costs

Availability

An assumption that the best Kindle covers are on Amazon limits you to only the most popular ones, selected from preferred Amazon partners. There are many producers of covers, which are not easily discoverable on Amazon.

Producers of covers, cases, and sleeves, run their own very well-kept sites. The ones we recommend are Incipio, Proporta, and Case-Crown.

It’s also good to check out possibilities in other giant stores. Go to eBay for cheaper cases. Visit Etsy for handmade sleeves and jackets.

Go there, and you will find great case covers that you haven’t seen before.

“Why sign up in another online store?” – this is the question which immediately comes to mind. The reason is that you can potentially save money.

Price

Prices at the producer’s site may be lower than in giant online retailers. Additionally, you can also find out that there are some promotions or that some models are on sale.

So, generally, if you find a good cover on Amazon, use Google to search for the original producer to check out how much is the cover there – and if there are any additional color versions or extra benefits.

Shipping costs

If you buy a device and cover together, you may assume that they will be shipped together, and this can reduce costs. But they may be sent separately, instead.

On Amazon, this happens when a third-party partner is selling the cover. Amazon ships the Kindle, and you pay for shipping. A case producer ships the cover, and you pay for shipping again. If you’re a foreign customer, shipping costs from the US may exceed the value of the cover.

There are cover producers, naming only Proporta or Gecko, which are based in Europe. Shipping costs to European countries will be lower.

6. Don’t hunt for the deals during shopping season

When it comes to case covers, the deals are not usually available when you think they should.

Don’t hunt for the deal during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. It’s the time when many e-readers and tablets are on sale, and lost of people are buying them.

And this means a harvest for case producers, as users usually want to buy the case right away.

As a result, case covers for Kindle or Amazon Fire can be more expensive in hot shopping seasons than during the rest of the year. Especially, that users are willing to buy the cases at increased prices because they have just saved a lot when buying the device.

Therefore, if you want to save money on the case cover, wait a few months and check back in March or April.

Where to buy case covers?

If you are looking for a case cover for your new Kindle, iPad, Amazon Fire, or any other device, make sure to explore these online stores:

Where to buy case covers and accessories

Amazon – the biggest online store offers the biggest selection of all kinds of case covers and accessories. If we had to pick one web destination for everything related to tablet and e-reader accessories, it would be Amazon.

Best Buy – the range of offered accessories is pretty limited, but the online store is worth checking out if you want to buy cases and accessories at reduced prices.

eBay – a proven place to shop for affordable accessories. Sometimes, you can pick up here the case that’s the same as the branded one you’ve found on Amazon but costs two-thirds of the price.

Etsy – this is our favorite marketplace for custom items, hand-crafted to order. There are a plenty of unique sleeves and jackets to choose from. Most of them are handmade, many can be personalized.

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