JAVOedge Nook Touch Tweed Flip case review
For those of you chomping at the bit for the Barnes & Noble Nook Touch now that it’s a clean Benjamin ($100), you’re probably going to want to put a nice case on your new gadget. Sure, it may be built extremely well, and feel great in your hand, but it only takes one minor mishap that leads you back to B & N for another shiny replacement. The trouble with finding a case is balancing price, looks, protection, and quality. The JAVOedge tweed case sure looks the part, especially if you like to lounge in a leather chair to read a book while puffing on a pipe. But does this nicely styled leather and tweed case provide the protection and quality one desires? My dear Watson, hit the jump to find out.
Design & Build Quality
As soon as I got my hands on the Tweed case from JAVOedge, I started reminiscing about one of my favorite authors, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle . The look and feel of this case is a complete throwback to the classic days of reading. The nicely textured tweed covering the front and rear of the case with the nice brown leather accents giving it the classic literature look. This is really a nice throwback to the days when you needed to fill your pipe with the best tobacco you could get your hands on, set the fire, and get lost in some great literature. A nondescript logo button sits on the front just to let your friends now who makes the case.
The interior is lined with a synthetic leather, which is always better for nature, and it has a smooth and durable feel. The top flap has an ID card holder, as well as a pocket liner for papers. Your Nook will slide into the leather sleeve to keep it place. The leather sleeve covers most of the front of the Nook, sans the display of course. This turns out to be a problem when you go to flip through pages using the front hardware buttons, as the leather partially blocks them, making it a little more difficult to flip to the next page. From there, the corners expose little cutouts, which basically let your Nook play nice with the case. This lets the Nook sit properly in the sleeve, but it’s still completely protected. JAVOedge even through some magnets in at the corners to keep the front flap closed when not in use, which is great because it really cuts down on the overall size without needing some sort of latch.
The rear of the case is what most people will either be interested in, or turned off by. Minus the cutout for the power button, the Tweed Flip Case has a nice little stand built into the rear, but beyond that, it’s a pretty clean design. You can opt for the standard book style tweed case, but the Flip alternative gives you a handsfree option which you won’t find with a normal case. Whether this is your thing will depend on your reading habits, as it does provide more bulk with the stand. One issue I’ve found with the stand, from a design standpoint, is that the tweed pattern doesn’t line up with the rest of the rear. Instead, the pattern comes through at an angle, slanting left to right, and throws off the extremely pleasant design. This might vary from case to case, and I could have easily just got a bad one, but it’s worth pointing out nonetheless.
Daily Use
The big draw to this case is clearly the rear stand which provides hands free operation. This isn’t something I thought I would use much, but I could see the obvious benefit. The way I usually read though, doesn’t lend to an ideal situation to take advantage of the case. I generally read in bed, on the couch, or outside on a chair. None of those places has a table where I’d want to place the Nook to read hands free. However, pulling it out while sitting on the barstools in my kitchen gives me a nice spot to plop it on the counter and fully reap the benefits of the hands free design.
Beyond the stand, the JAVOedge case is built well and designed nicely. I’ve had some positive comments from several people already in the short time I’ve had it wondering where they can get one. There is plenty of protective padding, which lends itself soft to the touch when you have it in your hands. This padding is great to have, but between this and the stand, it isn’t the thinnest Nook case (nor the thickest though). Personally, I would prefer the option to go sans ID card holder and note sleeve. That would really slim it down even more, which would bring it into the slimline territory.
Conclusion
The Tweed case from JAVOedge blends a gorgeous design with hands free operation of your ereader at a very reasonable price. I’d prefer a little slimmer option, foregoing the note slots, but this isn’t the case for everyone as they do come in handy. The built-in stand is a nice benefit to have, though it may benefit some more than others. If you’re looking for a unique and eye catching case for your Nook or ereader, the Tweed case definitely should be on your short list. Especially when you’re reading the classics.
[JAVOedge $25.95]
