Forma Forma Sleepcover review

MGlitch · 11-25-2018, 10:28 AM

So I decided to pick one of these up, I opted for the black, I presume there is no structural difference between it and the plum. Unless someone wants to speculate on the weight of the dyes used I don't see any reason to think the two are different.

The cons:

1) Whatever material they used for the screen side of the cover tends to leave a fine layer of dust. At first I thought this was some weird ghosting going on from the screensaver mod, but then I saw it on the bezel. I've since tried the following 'fix' of wetting down that side then I set the case with the Forma still inside down on a paper towel with the flap open so the damp material was pressed against the paper towel to dry. I did this just last night, so I don't know if it's resolved the issue.

When I say fine layer of dust, I mean something which I only noticed in a few lighting situations, and only because I use the nightmode feature to invert the screen. With the traditional black text on white I could not see this even in the same lighting situations.

2) The branding. This is a pet peeve of mine, I hate when companies put intrusive branding on their products. For the most part Kobo is really good about this, their branding is subtle and tasteful. However the branding on the Forma Sleepcover is reflective chrome which takes up the better part of half of the flap that covers the buttons. This isn't a huge deal, but compared to the branding on the Forma itself it seems a rather odd departure.

I intend to solve this by using a skin from decal girl. I took advantage of a deal and have a few of the solid state black skins currently on order (they haven't shipped yet but Decal Girl estimated delivery was today *shrug*). I wanted the skin regardless as the padding around the buttons on the Forma tends to be a magnet for oils.

3) The weight, I have not seen any official weight given for the case, someone mentioned that their kitchen scale put it at 130 grams. I don't have a scale that will work for the case, but UPS put the whole package for the case at 181.437grams (converted from 0.4lbs). The Forma itself is 197g. So the case is not an insubstantial addition to the Forma.

Personally I don't mind this, I'm only including it at a con because it's something I'm sure people will care about. I actually find the added bulk nice but I'll cover this later.

The pros:

1) The sleepcover aspect works perfectly. It's not something I thought I'd actually use but I figured I'd try it out and I really like it. I realize this isn't much of a 'pro' since it's a feature, but I seem to recall various sleepcovers for other Kobos not working as intended. Though I think those were third party ones.

2) The added bulk actually makes Forma easier to hold. The material on the bit your hand holds is also a little more grippy than the back of the Forma itself.

3) The feel of the case is nice. I detest when companies and reviewers claim 'premium feel' as a perk, and this is not that. It simply feels like something you would want to hold.

4) It feels like it should protect against keys and misc. other small objects that are in a bag. It may also add a little protection for a fall. However I would still avoid putting the Forma in a bag with heavy sharp edged object. I would also not suggest trusting in the case to absorb the impact of every fall.

My overall impression:

I like this case, is it worth the price? Probably not. But the market has as of yet to offer up anything really compelling as an alternative. There's all of one third party case I've seen on Amazon and that seems to be a very generic design with straps to hold the Forma in. I don't think it would fit as nicely, nor feel as good. And it's going for 39.99 so you're not saving much. So if you want a case, your options are pretty limited. I think this is a well designed case, which will give you a small amount of protection from what the Forma is likely to encounter in day to day travel.

I think it'll hold up to wear and tear fairly well, unless you set out to try wear the front covers bends out. And it does support the Forma in landscape mode, though you would need to have the buttons at the bottom.

abdirahim · 11-25-2018, 01:18 PM

Thanks for your review, very thorough! :-)

Is the mechanism or grip that holds the device in the cover such that it would be easy to remove daily when one wants to read? (To keep things light.)

Related: do you think the grip design or material might be such that it is likely to wear out more quickly doing that?

MGlitch · 11-25-2018, 02:43 PM

The case is designed with a small lip of a hard rubber/plastic type material. The lip in no way comes anywhere near to the actual screen it overlaps the bezel very slightly. However it feels very secure and even holding it upside down and shaking it doesn’t separate the Forma from the case.

It’s easy to get in, and out by either pushing the Forma down to insert or pulling it up to remove it from the case.

When removing it I ust don’t try to slide the Forma out, you’ll find it’s quite difficult to do anyway. I’ll note that I did have to slide it in a little when I first installed it in the case and it will move along in that one direction until it comes up against the far edge of the case. The button side is left with its long edge exposed likely because of the power button and the charging port. Hopefully that gives you an idea of how the case works.

I don’t think doing this even multiple times a day would wear the lip out to an extent you’d have issues.

11-25-2018, 10:28 AM	#1
MGlitch Wizard Posts: 2,855 Karma: 22003124 Join Date: Aug 2014 Device: Kobo Forma, Kobo Sage, Kobo Libra 2	Forma Sleepcover review So I decided to pick one of these up, I opted for the black, I presume there is no structural difference between it and the plum. Unless someone wants to speculate on the weight of the dyes used I don't see any reason to think the two are different. The cons: 1) Whatever material they used for the screen side of the cover tends to leave a fine layer of dust. At first I thought this was some weird ghosting going on from the screensaver mod, but then I saw it on the bezel. I've since tried the following 'fix' of wetting down that side then I set the case with the Forma still inside down on a paper towel with the flap open so the damp material was pressed against the paper towel to dry. I did this just last night, so I don't know if it's resolved the issue. When I say fine layer of dust, I mean something which I only noticed in a few lighting situations, and only because I use the nightmode feature to invert the screen. With the traditional black text on white I could not see this even in the same lighting situations. 2) The branding. This is a pet peeve of mine, I hate when companies put intrusive branding on their products. For the most part Kobo is really good about this, their branding is subtle and tasteful. However the branding on the Forma Sleepcover is reflective chrome which takes up the better part of half of the flap that covers the buttons. This isn't a huge deal, but compared to the branding on the Forma itself it seems a rather odd departure. I intend to solve this by using a skin from decal girl. I took advantage of a deal and have a few of the solid state black skins currently on order (they haven't shipped yet but Decal Girl estimated delivery was today shrug). I wanted the skin regardless as the padding around the buttons on the Forma tends to be a magnet for oils. 3) The weight, I have not seen any official weight given for the case, someone mentioned that their kitchen scale put it at 130 grams. I don't have a scale that will work for the case, but UPS put the whole package for the case at 181.437grams (converted from 0.4lbs). The Forma itself is 197g. So the case is not an insubstantial addition to the Forma. Personally I don't mind this, I'm only including it at a con because it's something I'm sure people will care about. I actually find the added bulk nice but I'll cover this later. The pros: 1) The sleepcover aspect works perfectly. It's not something I thought I'd actually use but I figured I'd try it out and I really like it. I realize this isn't much of a 'pro' since it's a feature, but I seem to recall various sleepcovers for other Kobos not working as intended. Though I think those were third party ones. 2) The added bulk actually makes Forma easier to hold. The material on the bit your hand holds is also a little more grippy than the back of the Forma itself. 3) The feel of the case is nice. I detest when companies and reviewers claim 'premium feel' as a perk, and this is not that. It simply feels like something you would want to hold. 4) It feels like it should protect against keys and misc. other small objects that are in a bag. It may also add a little protection for a fall. However I would still avoid putting the Forma in a bag with heavy sharp edged object. I would also not suggest trusting in the case to absorb the impact of every fall. My overall impression: I like this case, is it worth the price? Probably not. But the market has as of yet to offer up anything really compelling as an alternative. There's all of one third party case I've seen on Amazon and that seems to be a very generic design with straps to hold the Forma in. I don't think it would fit as nicely, nor feel as good. And it's going for 39.99 so you're not saving much. So if you want a case, your options are pretty limited. I think this is a well designed case, which will give you a small amount of protection from what the Forma is likely to encounter in day to day travel. I think it'll hold up to wear and tear fairly well, unless you set out to try wear the front covers bends out. And it does support the Forma in landscape mode, though you would need to have the buttons at the bottom.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Short review of Forma	tschucha	Kobo Reader	7	10-30-2018 05:21 PM
Forma sleepcover	MGlitch	Kobo Reader	11	10-29-2018 05:09 AM
Aura One Sleepcover	aceflor	Kobo Reader	1	09-09-2016 10:31 PM
Aura HD Sleepcover not working	Wreckerrm	Kobo Reader	8	02-07-2014 02:40 AM
Anyone got Glo sleepcover?	ShellShock	Kobo Reader	6	10-04-2012 01:58 PM

11-25-2018, 01:18 PM	#2
abdirahim Member Posts: 10 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2018 Device: Kobo H2O	Thanks for your review, very thorough! :-) Is the mechanism or grip that holds the device in the cover such that it would be easy to remove daily when one wants to read? (To keep things light.) Related: do you think the grip design or material might be such that it is likely to wear out more quickly doing that?

11-25-2018, 02:43 PM	#3
MGlitch Wizard Posts: 2,855 Karma: 22003124 Join Date: Aug 2014 Device: Kobo Forma, Kobo Sage, Kobo Libra 2	The case is designed with a small lip of a hard rubber/plastic type material. The lip in no way comes anywhere near to the actual screen it overlaps the bezel very slightly. However it feels very secure and even holding it upside down and shaking it doesn’t separate the Forma from the case. It’s easy to get in, and out by either pushing the Forma down to insert or pulling it up to remove it from the case. When removing it I ust don’t try to slide the Forma out, you’ll find it’s quite difficult to do anyway. I’ll note that I did have to slide it in a little when I first installed it in the case and it will move along in that one direction until it comes up against the far edge of the case. The button side is left with its long edge exposed likely because of the power button and the charging port. Hopefully that gives you an idea of how the case works. I don’t think doing this even multiple times a day would wear the lip out to an extent you’d have issues.

Advert