Do you use a cover?

[taosaur]

I'd be hard pressed to say whether ergonomics outweigh protection in my decision to use a cover, but improving the comfort of using the device is at least as important as keeping it safe. Standing up on their own at a comfortable reading angle is right up there with library portability and variable font size in making ebooks preferable to print. Having rigging of various sorts to hook a hand through while needing just a thumb free to turn a page is also nice, whether in bed or in line or on a train. Doorstops have always figured heavily in my reading, so even tablets have had an edge in weight and manageability over pulp editions for many years. The cases I choose tend to add more than enough maneuverability to offset any weight gain.

Granted, I'm a biggish mammal with Nosferatu fingers, so YMMV.

[roger64]

I use a magnetic (wake/sleep) cover (95g) with my PW3 (205g). I feel very happy with it, so much so that I decided today to buy a magnetic cover for my old Kobo Glo and I am waiting its delivery.

[rem736]

i voted yes. but it's a compromise for me. i do have protection for my devices, but i rather not have a cover on while reading. there are some cases that do not provide front to back coverage. most of these are either made of a rubbery or tpu material or even rigid plastic with a bit of flex that just covers the back and the sides of the reader. this is what i prefer. it keeps the device light while i'm using it. when i'm not using it, it is usually in a thick protective sleeve or a zippered case for storage/transport.

[ZodWallop]

The Nook Simple Touch and to a lesser extent the Kobo Aura were designed to be comfortable to hold. Same thing goes for the new Kindle Oasis (though at least that cover adds something besides protection). I never understood taking such a nicely designed device and slapping it between two flat boards.

So no, I don't use covers. Though I do stick my readers in padded sleeves before chucking them in my satchel.

(The sleeve for my new Kobo is on the way. In the mean time I just made a sleeve out of bubble wrap!)

[shalym]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

The Nook Simple Touch and to a lesser extent the Kobo Aura were designed to be comfortable to hold. Same thing goes for the new Kindle Oasis (though at least that cover adds something besides protection). I never understood taking such a nicely designed device and slapping it between two flat boards.

So no, I don't use covers. Though I do stick my readers in padded sleeves before chucking them in my satchel.

(The sleeve for my new Kobo is on the way. In the mean time I just made a sleeve out of bubble wrap!)

I guess I don't understand how a padded sleeve helps protect from twisting/bending, which (I believe) is the way most eink screens are broken? I use a hard book-like cover at home, and if I need to take it out of the house, I put the ereader-in-cover into a fairly rigid leather sleeve.

Shari

[Ripplinger]

I've used a rigid book-like cover on every ereader I've owned, sleep covers once those were available for the readers. I take my reader with every time I leave the house so I want it protected. But even if I read only at home, the cover helps keep the dust off it and definitely avoids scratches on the screen (I'm downright anal about having zero scratches on any of my electronics). It's also a bit easier to hold in the cover. I've used a reader daily for over 6 years now and never broke (or scratched) one.

[Barty]

No. I can't use a cover.

For grip, I cut a sewing finger guard, flatten it, and tape it at the corner where I hold my kindle. Ugly and works great.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by shalym

I guess I don't understand how a padded sleeve helps protect from twisting/bending, which (I believe) is the way most eink screens are broken? I use a hard book-like cover at home, and if I need to take it out of the house, I put the ereader-in-cover into a fairly rigid leather sleeve.

Shari

I was under the impression most e-readers break when their owners drop them in the tub, roll over on them or step on them.

The padded sleeve mainly protects the screen when I'm carrying it around in my satchel. I've never had a problem doing this in my years with e-readers. I do have a case on my phone, since that's a device you are more likely to have in hand when walking around or climbing stairs. I tend to not have my e-reader handy when I'm doing my swashbuckling

[Ripplinger]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

I was under the impression most e-readers break when their owners drop them in the tub, roll over on them or step on them.

One of the most common ways a reader gets a broken screen though is by slightly flexing or twisting the reader. If it's in your backpack for instance and something is putting pressure on a part of the reader, that could easily crack the substrate. That's why a more rigid case is preferred and used by most, it's not just to protect the screen from scratches.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by Ripplinger

One of the most common ways a reader gets a broken screen though is by slightly flexing or twisting the reader. If it's in your backpack for instance and something is putting pressure on a part of the reader, that could easily crack the substrate. That's why a more rigid case is preferred and used by most, it's not just to protect the screen from scratches.

Sorry. I understood your point. I was just:

A: being funny
B: pointing out what has worked *for me*

But I suppose if I were going to start carrying my reader on my parkour runs, I'd rather keep my reader in a rigid box and still read it naked (I'd probably not put anything on the reader either).

What's the point of buying something with a design like the Oasis and then putting a cover on it that turns it into another flat slab?

[kyteflyer]

I have rigid cases on my PRS-650 and my Kobo Glo HD, but I never have them on when actually reading. They get in the way because of how I hold the reader in my hand.

[Barty]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

What's the point of buying something with a design like the Oasis and then putting a cover on it that turns it into another flat slab?

People buy a $500-$800 phone (ooh it's so light, so thin! It's got chamfered edge! it's metal! it has glass on both sides! It nestles right into your hand!) then immediately slap a $10 case on it

[Ripplinger]

Originally Posted by Barty

People buy a $500-$800 phone (ooh it's so light, so thin! It's got chamfered edge! it's metal! it has glass on both sides! It nestles right into your hand!) then immediately slap a $10 case on it

Because after spending that much for a phone, I'm going to do all I can to protect it from nicks, dents, dings, bangs and scratches, so it doesn't quickly look like a piece of junk after awhile. Although I'd never spend $500 on a phone, and I've never spent as little as $10 on a good case.

[Barty]

Originally Posted by Ripplinger

Because after spending that much for a phone, I'm going to do all I can to protect it from nicks, dents, dings, bangs and scratches, so it doesn't quickly look like a piece of junk after awhile. Although I'd never spend $500 on a phone, and I've never spent as little as $10 on a good case.

Eminently sensible. I'm not saying people shouldn't. I just think it's funny / ironic.

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by Barty

People buy a $500-$800 phone (ooh it's so light, so thin! It's got chamfered edge! it's metal! it has glass on both sides! It nestles right into your hand!) then immediately slap a $10 case on it

I never understood that either.. I did buy a very expensive phone last year and the most heard complaint was: it has a plastic back cover instead of glass/metal/whatever-expensive-material! The first thing I did was buy a nice bumpercase to protect my phone, and I'd have done that too if the phone had a very expensive back cover...