M-Edge Latitude Jacket with Theater Stand 360 review
There are now more companies than ever that make accessories for our precious electronics. Most of these companies churn out cheap Chinese products and slap their logo on it hoping to sell in volume to make up for their lower quality products. Fortunately for us, there are still some companies that produce products with quality in mind. This attention to quality is really what sets companies apart. After getting my hands on the Latitude Jacket from M-Edge, I’m happy to say that this is a company that upholds their high standards. The Latitude Jacket (for short) is a well made product that will protect and help give you hands free action with your Nook Color (and other tablets such as the iPad). Read on for the full rundown.
Style and Build Quality
The newly available case for the Nook Color (and others) comes wrapped with a black nylon canvas exterior with a soft touch silicone sliver on the left front side. This isn’t that cheap nylon that starts to fuzz up after a little use, this is the good stuff. Very high quality. The Nook is encased on the inside by a double zipper system which provides plenty of protection from the elements and even some function. Having the double zippers, you can charge your Nook in the case, while not having to have the entire jacket open. Also on the outside, you have a zippered sleeve which you can store note cards, library cards, USB cable, etc. Being a member of the local library and needing my library card to rent books online from Overdrive, I always need my card with my Nook to have access to rented books. It’s always nice to have a pocket or a sleeve built into the case for this reason alone.
The inside of the case is where things get interesting. It’s lined with soft touch fleece, and recessed so there isn’t any contact with the screen is the 360 swiveling stand. The stand has 15 different locking positions for hands free use of your Nook. Not only that, but it can be swiveled 360 degrees to be used in many different angles. This adjusts from 0 to 90 degrees to help give the optimal reading or movie watching angle. The stand locks in place easily, and isn’t some cheap flimsy piece of plastic either.Of course, there are really only a couple of methods you would use (portrait or landscape), but why just have those couple options available when they give you so more?
The right interior side has the mounting system which hugs your Nook. This thing is tight, and when you secure your Nook into place, it won’t want to come out. I like that a lot. I can’t stand cases that leave your tablet/ereader bouncing around in an un-secure position. There isn’t a cutout for the rear speaker on the Jacket, but the sound seems to bounce from the case just fine.
The rest of the Latitude Jacket is pretty solid to provide plenty of protection when traveling, when used outdoors, or just if you have some kids running around the house. Using the zipper system to provide a cocoon for the Nook definitely takes the stress of using it in harsher environments out the window. As much as I like the Barnes & Noble Wren case, I don’t leave that lying around with my toddler running around the house. It opens up like a book, and there’s no telling what could still happen to that well crafted ereader.
Daily Use
This has been a great case to use daily, especially with my youngin’ rolling around. It doesn’t provide much bulk at all to the Nook, and brings a huge level or protection. As I said above, I have no problem leaving this laying out with her playing. She has even thrown it around a couple of times with no regard, and I’m happy to report that neither the Nook, nor the case suffered any damage from her fun time. This is about as durable as you can get.
I can’t say that I use the theater stand as much when I’m reading, considering it usually isn’t that long until I need to flick over to the next page. But it definitely comes in handy in plenty of situations. This let’s me do plenty of light browsing in the morning when the multi-tasking is kicking in. I can throw on some Pandora in the background with the Nook propped up, and obviously I have the ability to broswe through magazines and books at my desk while keeping my hands free. My wife likes to use it reading when catching some sun out by the pool. My daughter loves being able to watch Tinker Bell wherever she can get her hands on it. Being abletso throw the Jacket in a backpack or a purse without worry, and pulling it out to prop it up on a table for viewing is a really great option.
In reading use, it’s actually a pleasure. The fleece lining feels great when you fold the case behind. At 8.8 oz, it isn’t a heavy or bulky case either. I didn’t notice any extra strain or discomfort from the added weight, and having the zippers to close the case in the open position helped with the back not flapping around as well. Speaking of that though, I would like to see the zippers that flip around for interior and exterior use (think reversible jacket). This would make closing the case in the open position much easier. As it stands now, it’s not much of a problem though, it just could be a little simpler.
Conclusion
The Latitude Jacket with Theater Stand is an excellent product from M-Edge. Having an integrated stand built into a case is a huge plus that expands the possibility of any tablet or ereader. Being able to do so without adding any bulk is even better, as most cases with built in stands tend to add about 1/3 more thickness to the case. I’d like to see more color options, especially considering the company has some excellent custom case options for people to make. This thing is built extremely well though, with high quality materials used inside and out. If you need some added protection, or are looking for a case to add some theater action to your Nook ( or other tablets), I’d highly recommend this for anyone.
