Reviewed and Compared: M-Edge Touring Sleeve for nook

When M-Edge offered me the chance to review one of several new nook cases and covers, I jumped at the chance, as I'd been eying their Touring Sleeves for quite some time. I prefer reading "au natural", which is to say carry an eReader in a sleeve for protection, but hold the physical device case-free while reading.

The Touring Sleeve, like most of their products is not specific to the nook - they have versions for all three Kindles (original, Kindle 2, Kindle DX), plus all current Sony Readers. They've already announced plans to release this product (and many others) for the Apple iPad given it's near-certain success in the marketplace. The full review after the jump.

Available in six colors, the sleeve sent to me was the Navy Blue, which while certainly blue is not overly dark, in a good way. Some navy blue products are barely indistinguishable from black.

The sleeve shipped in a cardboard box with the M-Edge logo on it, wrapped in a plastic bag. My box had a business card in it and it's possible that the actual purchased products may come packaged slightly different - but it arrived in flawless shape.

Inside the sleeve itself was ample padding to prevent the neoprene sleeve from becoming misshaped in any way, along with a product slick. Also inside was a very well printed glossy slick entitled "Get to know your M-Edge Sleeve Jacket for Amazon Kindle". Obviously as a brand new product virtually identical in every way to it's Kindle counterpart the material did it's job, but over time I'm sure they'll have nook specific branding.

Very effective, the brochure showed the unit it all it's various colors and provided information important to understanding the case:

• That it contains an "easy to clean" Neoprene exterior.
• Pointing out the stowaway carry handle.
• Showing the Polar Fleece interior to protect your device against scratching.
• Showing the zipper that reveals a cable pocket for accessories.
• Showing the dual zipper design that allows for charging without removal.

ON SLEEVES, VERSUS CASES:

To me, the key differences between a sleeve and a case are:

• A case is left on while reading, but may leave portions of your reader exposed. They can be fairly well protected against drops and falls, but objects can poke and scratch them fairly easily.
• A case adds weight while you read - but keeps protection available while reading. A eReader is removed from a sleeve prior to reading, leaving it lighter, but vulnerable to a fall if you drop it while reading.

No one can tell you which you'll prefer, in my case - it's a sleeve. Your mileage will vary.

ON CHARGING WHILE IN THE SLEEVE:

One critical thing I was looking for in a sleeve was the ability to charge it without removing it from the case. While it's nice to be protected while on the go, I can't tell you how many things I've knocked over from nightstands, both at home and away in hotels. Having to remove the device from the sleeve exposes it to a drop, and I was unable to find a solution to this problem until M-Edge released their nook product line.

Barnes and Noble themselves offer a few true sleeves, all cost at least $10 more than the Touring's $29.99 price point. I'm not one to balk at a few dollars, but wasn't happy with any of theirs, of which three major styles exist:

The Hutton envelope (available in many colors, brown leather shown) is a nice looking case that I almost purchased many times. It fails the charging-while-inserted test. There's no opening for a Micro USB cable, and with the case opening to the side, there's no way to insert the cable with merely the flap open - you would have to remove the device completely.

Jack Spade Dipped Industrial Cover, available in two colors. While $65 is well within my price range, it's enough to have to run by the wife, which means I'd be better off finding an alternative. This case solves the charing problem, as you could insert the nook upside down to leave the charging port accessible. That's a bit clunky - but it would work. It does not solve the issue of exposure - other than that small strap, the entire top of the case is exposed.

The Mercer Slip case exposes not only the top of the nook, but the front of it as well. It's the same price as the Touring, but has the most exposure to damage of all the sleeves I'd looked at, and in my opinion the blandest styling. I thought the other two styles offered by Barnes and Noble were gorgeous on their web site, I couldn't envision desiring this case, quite honestly.

There are some other sources for sleeves, and I hope to be able to investigate them in future reviews, but since the vast majority of nook owners will have at least seen Barnes and Noble's offerings, I thought it was apropos to look at the options available from the maker of your eReader.

So how does on charge the nook (or other device if you bought a Sony or Amazon version) without too much exposure? Simple, the dual-zipper design:

As you can see, by incorporating a second zipper, you can open the device just wide enough to snake that charging cable right into the case.

Aside from a nook back cover and matching case that supports PowerMat or a similar wireless charging mat, I can't think of any way to possibly expose your device less during charging, and while such a solution might be doable, it sure sounds like it'd add some considerable heft to the sleeve and eReader!

ON ZIPPERS:

M-Edge hasn't skimped on zippers. There are a total of four - two that control access to your nook, one that controls access to the hideaway carrying handle, and one that provides access to the accessories pouch. Each comes with an M-Edge embroided pull handle for ease of use.

Inside the sleeve there is ample space between the edge of the metal zipper and the base of your nook. The nook fits securely inside the case, with little wiggle room thanks to a tight top and bottom fit - but there seems to be little to no way of accidentally scratching your device's edges through contact with the inside of the zipper mechanism. Well thought out design!

ON HANDLES:

I don't think I would use the handle often (if at all). The Neoprene material itself is easy to grip (not slippery). I was able to come up with 1 1/2 gripes about the M-Edge Touring Sleeve, and the handle accounts for one of them.

The handle certainly works, but it's made of the same material as the pull straps on the zippers. I might be spoiled from years of expensive laptop bags and camera bags with rubberized, comfortable carrying handles - which admittedly might be overkill for a bag mean to carry a device that weighs in at well under a pound - but it just wasn't comfortable. Luckily, I can tuck it right behind that zippered compartment and pretend it wasn't there.

ON ACCESSORIES:


The accessory pouch can certainly hold your AC adapter, micro USB cable and a booklight. This is the only other minor gripe I have about the case, and it accounted for the 1/2 of the 1 1/2 gripes I mention in the preceding section. With anything much thicker than the USB cable, there's a bulge, since the pocket is fairly tight. It really didn't bother me, as I wanted a sleeve as small and light as possible - which would run counter to a cavernous, 5" deep pocket - but it did make me rethink what accessories to carry on a regular basis.

I settled on the micro USB cable (but not the charger). This lets you charge off any computer - and when I travel for longer periods I inevitably have at least one other bag, often two (computer & camera), and plenty of room for not just the AC adapter, but the mini surge protector I carry when traveling.

I'm just in the process of switching booklights, and regular use of this sleeve will help that transition. I've been carrying for quite some time the Capstone Multi-Pose 4 LED Black BrightBook Booklight. It's super bright thanks to 4 LEDs and lasts forever thanks to the use of 3 AAA batteries. It's also quite tall as a result of the batteries (most small lights use button batteries). I carried it as it unfolded fairly high and would never leave me without batteries (the AAAs would last near forever, and are also are super easy to find wherever you are) - but it contributed to the bulge.

I had recently bought a ReLight Rechargeable Book Light. It's also a four LED light, and the light appears to my eyes to be a bit less harsh. It doesn't quite last as long as other lights on the market, but comes with a rechargeable battery and a dock - so the problem is easily corrected. It's also longer than average lights, but much thinner than the above light. It sits in the accessory pocket without barely making a dent.

So all in all, I ding the Touring Sleeve apologetically - since it is an issue, but there are positive tradeoffs in size by keeping things svelte.

ON NEOPRENE AND POLAR FLEECE:


Living in South Florida I had to remind myself about things like fleece and the word polar. We crack out the gloves and wool hats when it hits about 55 degrees for that one or two weeks a year. All joking aside, the inner lining is made of Polar Fleece, and it provides excellent cushioning with no worry about damage to your device from a harsh material. It also seems to have no fuzzy bits and pieces coming off that show up as specs of lint on your e-Ink screen.

The Neoprene seems to provide fairly ample padding - this is no hard case, but it's a solid amount of protection. It's billed as easy to clean, so I threw some white donut powder on it to test that claim - no issues to report. While M-Edge was kind enough to send the sleeve to me for review, the nook I used is my own - so sorry, no drop tests here! Casually, I'm fairly confidant it's as protective or more than anything being sold by Barnes and Noble when it comes to surviving a fall - here's hoping it's something we'll never encounter!

The stitching on the sleeve seems to be very high quality and I have little fear of the stitches becoming loose over time.

ON PRICE:


At $29.99, it's very competitively priced. Sold through their own web front at www.buymedge.com or via Amazon, all styles are as of this posting in stock. While Amazon stocks some of their Kindle sleeves directly (allowing for free shipping), the nook cases are fulfilled by M-Edge direct, at a cost of $5 for shipping.

PROS AND CONS:


PROS:

• Extremely affordable option.
• Easy charging without device removal.
• Ample padding provides protection against accidental drops.
• Small and lightweight - no extra bulk.
• Extremely smooth materials.

CONS:

• Carry handle feels cheap.
• Accessories pouch tight - large items can produce a pronounced bulge.

CONCLUSION:

I absolutely love this case, and it's my current carry around case for the nook. I'm going to resist buying one for my Kindle, only in that if I get something else I can provide another review for the readers - but I like it that much. 

HOW TO OBTAIN A CASE:

You can purchase the Touring Sleeve (or any of their products) directly from M-Edge. Their products are also stocked by Amazon, purchasing through this link earns me a small commission from Amazon Associates.