One thing that I’ve come to realize over the years is that I much prefer using an ebook reader without a cover on than using one with a cover. It doesn’t matter if it’s a Kindle, a Kobo, an Onyx ereader or something else.
I don’t like how covers add unnecessary bulk and extra weight, and how they make holding an ebook reader less comfortable.
It’s not like an ereader is at high risk of being broken while you’re holding it and reading. It might slip out of your hand once in awhile but a short fall is unlikely to cause any significant damage. E Ink screens are fragile but they aren’t that fragile.
I think covers are great for transporting an ereader, and they’re a must for putting an ebook reader in a bag or backpack with other loose items, but when it just comes to reading at home I don’t see the need for a cover.
Plus I like being able to view the book cover on my Kindle or Kobo when it is turned off. I find that glancing at a book cover makes me want to get back to reading that book again, much more so than just seeing an ereader lying on the table in its case.
Using the new Kindle Paperwhite 5 made me realize how much more I like the feel of it without a cover on. When I got the Paperwhite 4 years ago I also got the matching cover at the same time and always kept it in the case, so I never really got to appreciate how much better it feels to hold without a cover on.
What about you? Do you like using your ereader caseless or do you prefer to keep it in a cover all the time?
I keep the cover on while reading out and about. If I am home, I take the cover off when reading.
I do the same.
No cover for reading. Slip case for travel.
Lou Sevens here- I always keep the covers on as I often take them out in the car or on trains or business trips.
I just purchased my first kobo Clara HD and what I have been looking for is a shockproof rubberized non slip case that only goes on the back of the device, wrapping around all edges with no cover flap. Then the eReader will be better protected from drops and then have a bag specially the size of the device for taking the eReader out of the house
I am a never cover guy. If I do go out with it I transport it in a small tablet bag most of the time. Too bulky and cumbersome to read in case.
I never remove the cover.
Same basically. I still read some one my old kindle keyboard (love those page turn buttons!) and it’s a fraction of the weight without the lighted case. Otherwise I almost never remove them.
Generally, but especially the Oasis. You rave about the “premium” metal build, but it’s slippery as heck! It basically has to be in a cover to keep a grip on it.
And it’s cold too.
I put a skin on mine. I just put the back on. The design on the front distracts me while reading. It helps a lot.
Yes, very slippery. I returned it simply for that reason. I already have clammy palms and the Oasis seemed like a broken device waiting to happen. I much prefer plastic over metal for that reason.
I always keep my cover on my kindle. Even when just reading at home. I’m to accident prone to have one without a cover.
Yeah same here, just have to breathe on it and that’s it at times lol
I keep my Kindle Fire in a case at all times just because that’s what I’m used to. Plus, I have a stylus attached to it with one of those plastic spring keychains to keep from losing my stylus again. I have found that I have less chance of typos with all of my tablets and smartphones if I use a stylus with them, but I lose styli on a regular basis if they’re not chained to the device in question.
Just my $.02.
>^.,.^<
I always keep the cover on. I’m handicapped, and I particularly like covers that make the ereader easier to hold. My favorite cover is the snap button cover I use with my Kindle Touch. I’m able to snap the front and back together when it’s open and stick it on my left hand. I also like that this case lets me insert the Kindle upside-down, which works better with how I prefer to hold it. I tried getting something similar for my Nook Simple Touch, but it’s much stiffer and doesn’t work as well. But the Nook is a lousy ereader anyway, and I use it mainly as Android tablet. I think my cover for it is vinyl, whereas the one for my Kindle Touch has a fabric covering and spine. The case for my Paperwhite 4 has a hand strap inside the front cover. Although I can use it with my hand, it is even easier if I stick in a strap that comes with resistance bands for holding them in place over a closed door. This makes it easy to hold with my left hand while I turn pages with my right. My Kindle DX and Likebook Mars use the cases made specifically for these devices, and they don’t include any conveniences for holding the device. I run an app on my Likebook Mars to display everything upside-down, so that I can hold it more easily with my left hand. One convenient thing about the Likebook Mars case is that I can stick the whole thing snuggly into the slot on my lap desk. It also comes in handy for sticking on a Velcro strap I have on the panel for my exercise bike. With the Kindle DX, I mainly hold it on my lap. I also sometimes hold the Likebook Mars that way. For each of these devices, the case provides more friction, which helps hold it in place on a blanket in bed.
Never use covers at all. I keep my readers in sleeves when not reading. I tuck the sleeve in my purse when I go out. Never had a screen break.
When I purchased my first Kindle I decided to use it without a cover and quickly realized it was uncomfortable to hold. For all the traditional form Kindles (not Oasis) each cover was chosen to make it easier and more comfortable to hold. Those covers always stay. Trying to find a cover for the new Paperwhite.
For the Oasis models, sometimes I read with them in a cover and sometimes take them out. Just whatever I feel like at the time.
I was checking out covers for the new Paperwhite on ebay, and I found some that include both a hand strap and a stand. That’s what I expect I’ll get if I get the PW5.
I don’t like the way my Oasis feels without a cover. Cold or something.
This is very context-dependent for me. For storage and transport, the readers stay in the case. When reading, it can go either way. For instance, I often read on my morning walk (away from traffic). There’s the potential for a fall onto concrete or asphalt. I dropped my Inkpad 3 seconds after leaving the house once, and the case is a little roughed up, but the 10x more expensive reader made it through unscathed. Similarly, an Onyx Boox Poke and Kindle Oasis 3 were saved from certain demise by cases. With the Oasis, I stumbled (not reading at the time), and it flew out of my hand. Flew is barely an exaggeration. I picked it up 12 feet away. Again the reader was fine, and since the case is soft suede, it was mostly fine too.
When I am sitting at home or in the office, I rarely leave the case on. If it falls, it’s probably hitting a chair, bed, or couch on its way to a carpeted floor. That’s not going to hurt it. I’m also likely to be holding it over my head in these places, and a case makes that harder to do, thanks to weight.
I’m clumsy, so I always leave the cover on. Many years ago, I dropped something on the uncovering NST Glowlight and it damaged the screen. Luckily, the damage was only visible when I had it in nighttime mode, but I learned my lesson.
I read for hours at a time and appreciate my reader to be as light as possible; so no cover, but a nice protective sleeve for transport.
Never read with a case, transport with a sleeve. What everyone should try for about $10 is a 6 inch strap. It hooks on top and bottom of kindle. No extra weight and you hold it with either hand and read with one hand and turn pages with your thumb.
I wrap my Kindle in the dust jacket that comes with the book I’m reading. I take my jacket off to read the Kindle.
Oasis 2. Always with cover. I am even using the cover to keep device in hand or near me when in bed (so I do not need to hold it).
I dislike the weight a cover adds, but I always end up folding the cover back on itself and sticking my pointer finger between the flap and the back to make a tight grip. It’s my strategy on my K4, Voyage, and Oasis 3. I always find I drop the device way more without that grip point, so it’s less about the protection and more about the grip.
Exactly 😉 I find that this is more convenient and stable than holding the device without cover..
I switched to a slip cover for each of my readers several years ago. Having the extra flap on while reading just got to be annoying. Also, I believe that the slip covers have better protection for transporting the device because they are generally much better padded.
My Oasis is too cold to hold so it’s always in a case. While reading I usually slip fingers between kindle and a flap and I find it more comfortable to use buttons then. Also I don’t have to worry about it being slippery
I enjoy my Voyage the most when it’s naked.
I always have the cover on. I find it easier to hold and prop up on the table when having lunch.
No cover, just a sleeve for travel, and I use velcro and elastic to make a finger strap on the back so I don’t have to clutch the reader to hold it.
I have the cover on all the time. As a few others have admitted I am also a bit clumsy and have dropped my iPhone and Kindle multiple times. It’s not a weekly or even monthly occurrence but it does happen. Everything single time I do drop my kindle I’m glad it has a fair chance of being ok since it will likely fall with its back toward the surface where the cover is protecting it.
One time I left a kindle on the top of my car and drove away. As I got up to 25 or 30mph I heard a noise on my roof and saw something fly in the rear view mirror and yelled “aah!” When I got it off the road the cover was broken on its hinges and totally scoffed but my PW worked just fine without a scratch on it. New cover needed but not new Paperwhite.
In short, cover for me 24/7 I’m used to the extra weight. It feels just fine.
I prefer the cover. I find the device too think and light to hold without it. I have the most basic case for my Basic kindle and the cover actually helps me hold it.
I keep my Glowlight 3 and Clara HD in Finte cases. I had a cover on the Glowlight Plus and it did add too much weight. I now have a Nice Netbook pouch I keep the Plus in when not in use.
I read all my novels on ebook readers. Adjustable fonts sealed the deal for me.
Complete opposite here. My readers are ALWAYS in a cover, because it makes them EASIER to hold, not harder! Gives me better grip.
They do add weight and that I could do without, but every time I try using a reader without a cover (as I did briefly with my Kobo Forma when I first got it), I end up putting the cover on.
Sleep/wake function with a cover is nice too! No button pressing to read, just open cover and go!
For what it’s worth, have owned some dozen different readers since 2011, never a screen break. On the grip side of the equation, in all these years, have ever only actually dropped a reader ONCE. That was a Sony 950 in an Oberon leather cover.
Another plus to keeping a cover on, reader is always ready to drop in my bag when going out of the house.
I rarely used my Oasis to read until I found a good case. Then, I realized how much difference it would make. For Oasis, the back is unevenly awful. Now, I started using my Oasis and put aside the paperwhite readers.
Imagine all these times I used Paperwhite to read and left the Oasis idle only because I did not feel comfortable to hold it.
So, a cove or a case is very important to me now.
I always keep my Kindle in a cover. I hold it like a print book with both hands. It feels natural to me. Holding it one-handed feels wrong to me.
For anyone worried about protecting their screens, cover or no cover, mind your e-readers around pets. My cat stepped on my first gen Kindle Paperwhite, and he must have put all 12 pounds of his weight into that step because 25% of my screen was forever frozen with the text of the page I was reading at the time. Letting the battery drain to 0% did not change anything. I had no choice but to replace it.
Personally, I think cats are magical because how else can they feel like a 150 pound St. Bernard when they are standing on your chest while in bed? (Or a herd of elephants running through the house in the middle of the night?)
Yes, this is true! I also have a cat and although not a large cat, she’s not at all discriminating about what she steps or pounces upon. And as my reader is often laying around on the bed where she likes to play, a cover offers that bit of extra protection. Particularly nice when some readers now have plastic screens instead of glass. Claws can scratch!
I had a cat who liked to get attention while I was reading and tended to drool a lot when petted, waterproofing, something I never thought I really *needed* in an e-reader came in handy then, LOL!
I use the cover all the time. I use the lid as a second point of contact allowing more control and easier reading with one hand. Basically I wedged my finger between the lid and the kindle. It’s very comfortable
I do the same. I read higher up that someone else does this too. I always thought it was kind of weird, and I was using it wrong, but there are at least three of us.
I never take my cover off of nook glowlight plus, i actually prefer it, the b&a case has magnets so when folded the cover stays behind the decide, and it’s rubberized so it adds a comfortable and secure grip, super easy to read one handed, and never uncomfortable for long periods of time.
I wish Kindle and Pocketbook cases were as nice as the OEM option for the Nooks. They’re not too fancy to look at, but they are far and away the most usable when on and super easy to remove when you don’t need/want it.
I do not use a cover like the one illustrated in this article.
When not in use I keep my ereader in a leather sleeve costing around 5$
I fitted a Hand Grip Strap Holder costing less than 2$ at the back of my device.
The Hand Grip is super adhesive, can be used many times,unlimited paste and does not leave any trace if it needs to be removed.
My e-reader is a Paperwhite 10th generation.
I dislike covers, in general.
But my current reader has a cover that folds into a triangle on the back, and it makes a nice grippy handle. It is such an ergonomics boon that I am willing to tolerate having a cover.
Always a cover. For 50 years I have always had a book with me. Now I always have a Kindle and it’s always and a case.
I have the Kindle paperwhite 2019 version that is smaller than my original one. It was hard to find a case, but when I did, it’s just like the original Amazon Kindle case, but it has a strap on the lid when you fold it back to slide your fingers into. I always leave the case on. The new paperwhite is way lighter than the older one.
I do keep a cover on any Kindle that leaves the bedroom. In the warm months, I like to read outside on a cement patio. Granted, if my Kindle would fall, I’m guessing it would fall screen first with the flap open. I also prefer to use a cover that has a hand strap so that I have a good hold of the Kindle while outside. Because we have a cat, I also hope the cover would protect my Kindle should she stand on it or just walk over it. (She’s 17 and doesn’t really retract her back claws much.)
I use a spring-loaded stand to hold my Kindle in my bedroom for hands-free reading and for the remote page-turner, my Kindle needs to be naked.
Also, before the above contraption, I preferred to use a stand cover when reading in bed because when I fall asleep, my Kindle doesn’t fall forward and hit me in the face as often as a book-style cover did. 🙂
PS. I’m not a fan of the book covers for the current series that I’m reading. It’s about a circus caravan and the covers all have some sort of clown on them. I hate clowns. They freak me out. Seeing that darn cover every time I get settled in to read makes my heart jump a little. (As I’m writing this, I just realized that I can probably turn that feature off… since I have 5 books left in the series.) Off to investigate.
Whew! Well, that should help me sleep better. No more freaky clown people looking at me on my Kindle when I crawl into bed.
I keep the cover on. It has a slightly more ‘real book’ feel to it that way. It is slightly annoying at times however. Most covers are designed to be flipped around to the back, so that essentially you end up with a single piece device. Problem with that is most of them are fabric covered inside, which will get stained/oily/dirty from your hands in the long run. Also (depending on the reader) constantly taking the cover on and off will eventually scratch the casing of the reader itself. Another small benefit of keeping the cover on is you’re able to use it as a stand and prop the reader up on a table or on your chest if reading in bed, freeing up your hands.
In my opinion the Kindle Paperwhite Standing Origami Case is the best solution. I have been using such a cover for my last 3 paperwhite e-readers. Hands-free is a great advantage!
I use cases on my e-readers as they seem to hit the floor more often than I’d like. The cover I use is two pieces, the part that is on the body of the reader, I keep on all the time. The part that covers the screen, I only use when not reading.
Hello readers, here’s my two cents worth. I store my 7th generation Paperwhite and 9th generation Oasis in third party sleeves and take them out of their sleeves to read unencumbered by any case. When I read on my 8th generation Oasis I detach the battery case because I appreciate he lightness of the reader as it virtually disappears in my hands as I become immersed in my reading. I think that’s the beauty of Kindles and it’s why I prefer them over paper books.
I have always used an easel style cover and never remove it. The cover that opens @ the top or bottom allows me to not have to hold it while reading. I find the weight is negligible, and a cover feels more like a book when in your hands.
I prefer naked because cases add too much weight. My last Kindle was a 10th Gen Basic. Now I have a Paperwhite SE and weight is even more of a concern because the SE is hefty. I use a sleeve while home and when riding in the car when I know I won’t be getting out. When I home I rarely hold my device because I use a Flippy Jr. tablet pillow. I also use a page turner I got on Amazon this summer. These two products were game changers since I’m physically disabled.
For travel I prefer a flip cover because it’s safer. Luckily my favorite sleeve has recently been made available for the new Paperwhites so I’m still getting the same experience as I did with my Basic’s sleeve. I got the same color too. Now I’m just waiting for my favorite case to be made available.
I only use a back cover with my Oasis. It’s a YoungMe Slim Fit TPU Case (14.99 on Amazon) just for the backside. I add a couple of strips of black Dragon Grips 5 x 7 Grip Tape and it’s ideal. Happy reading!
I remember that I didn’t use a cover for my first ereader. But it turned out to be wrong decision when I put it in my backpack. My screen was broken due to no cover to protect the fragile part. I still recommend to use a cover.
Always in cover for Paperwhite (7th gen).
Mostly because of the auto wake up function.
Plus to avoid accidentally pressing the button – cover juts out over it.
Before PW I had Kindle 4 (RIP) and the button broke. It could not be fixed or replaced.
I’m always surprised by reduced weight when holding bare PW (to clean off accumulated dust, fur etc).
But ultimately I prefer texture of the cover.
For Onyx Nova3 it depends.
Lately I’ve been using it without cover and keeping it in a sleeve when not in use and during transport.
The added weight of the cover turned out to be quite substantial for me. It made reading uncomfortable, and my hands tired quickly. Plus the stylus is fixed outside the case which makes it catch on things.
The sleeve case fits the ebook and stylus inside, safe from harm.
For me, it depends on where I’m reading. At home, I prefer my Kindles uncovered. If I am outdoors, I always have a cover. I used to own an Oasis but sold it because that damn metal exterior made it quite slippery. It would be nice if ereader manufactures included covers for their devices, especially slippery ones like the Oasis and the Note Air.