KlearKase joins booming Kindle enclosure market (updated)
By Vlad Savov 
posted June 11th 2010 5:52AM
posted June 11th 2010 5:52AM
Update: M-Edge pointed out to us a pretty major discrepancy between their products: the KlearKase isn't actually waterproof. It's only "splashproof," whatever that means.
KlearKase Announces First Always-On, Always-Sealed Case for Amazon Kindle
Just in time for summer, the KlearKase protects against scratches, water, dirt and drops while allowing normal use of the Kindle. At just 6 ounces and $39.99, the KlearKase is a better choice for everyday protection than the M-Edge Guardian case launched yesterday at almost triple the weight and double the price.
June 10, 2010 08:10 AM Eastern Daylight Time
SEATTLE--(EON: Enhanced Online News)--KlearKase, a firm founded by veteran Microsoft senior executives, today announced the KlearKase for Kindle. Unlike other Kindle cases, the KlearKase provides a fully sealed, protective environment while still allowing easy access to the Kindle's controls.
KlearKase delivers the ideal balance of design and protection for the everyday use of the popular Amazon Kindle e-reader. The case is designed to be left on all the time for continuous protection against spills, bumps, dirt and sand, as well as the rigors of travel, children and pets.
"The fully sealed KlearKase is designed so that you can leave it on all the time," said Bob Mckenzie, CEO of KlearKase LLC. "Our founders, and their families, have broken more than 6 Kindles between them. The Kindle is an amazing product and we love it. But it is not designed to survive a hard drop, a soaking, or the threats of mobile life unprotected."
Manufactured from specially hardened polycarbonate plastic, the KlearKase is beautifully transparent and weighs only 6 ounces. The case has been in development for more than a year. It features unique design elements that enable normal use of the Kindle and great protection without the bulk and high cost of other cases. The company is seeking patent protection for these advances.
The KlearKase will be available on Amazon.com later this month at an introductory price of $39.99. KlearKase plans a national promotion to coincide with the release. Pre-orders will be accepted beginning next week. The product is positioned as an alternative to the M-Edge Guardian, announced in January and finally launched yesterday. The Guardian, priced at $79.99, weighs over a pound. It weighs three times more than the KlearKase and costs twice as much.
"The Guardian is a wonderful case for those who want to read while submerged under water," said Bob Mckenzie. "It is rugged and innovative, but it is also heavy and expensive. For the Kindle owner who wants to read by the pool, or even in it, the KlearKase offers protection all day, every day, at a fraction of the cost of the M-Edge Guardian."
KlearKase LLC was founded by a group of technology veterans with decades of experience building mobile electronic devices. When the founders looked at the cases available on the market, they did not find the right balance of design and protection required for everyday use. The solution was KlearKase: a fully sealed, transparent, "life-proof" case.
The founders include Dick Brass, who ran the Tablet PC and eBook businesses while a Vice President at Microsoft; Will Poole, formerly VP of Microsoft's Windows and Unlimited Potential groups; and Bob McKenzie, former General Manager of the mobile software division at Microsoft and manager of its automotive software division; as well as Dave Vaillancourt, who brings more than 30 years of experience manufacturing plastic and waterproof products.
Since when we live in sea ?
@potretr Have you never read a book in the bath?
@potretr
Never been on holiday I see.
@potretr Dude you are a loser, say you are in pool, hot girl jumps in, so you dive under water and start looking, she knows that you are a perv so she goes under as well to catch you in the act..............as soon as she does you pretend to read.
Do i have to explain EVERYTHING to you.
Reading in the toilet is serious business.
@Eli Haj
I guess he means while a mobster is trying to drown you. I mean, if you are a diver, the process might get a bit boring.
@AaronX Isn't the toilet the room, not the bowl?
So far, my waterproof Kindle case comes from a company called Glad. The Ziplock bag also fits my iPad, costs pennies, and weighs less than either the M-Edge Guardian or KlearKase.
Finally! A truly immersive book reading experience!
Scuba divers can finally read their kindles while taking a break from swimming
What I'd really like is a similar case for the Sony PRS-505, and no, the Aquapac 364 and a Ziploc bag are not good options.
@ZSX I was considering getting one of those aquapac cases, what's wrong with them?
Billion dollar market maaan. Actually it would be cool if every gadget was waterproof, just like all other utilities.
Extra large ziplock bags.
Though 40bucks isn't too bad considering how much the Kindle costs.
KINDLE OTTERBOX DEFENDER CASE
Dick Brass has Balls of Steel.
Does it make your Kindle slow, bloated, and useless like Rational ClearCase?
Not a kde front-end for the rational source control system then?
Aquaman very happy
The case I use can be cheaply acquired at your local grocery store.
www.ziploc.com
@Hitrichelovek
Congratulations! You're the one-millionth reader to make this joke! Tell him what he's won, Johnny!
@daaper
I admit I'm guilty of making a comment without reading other's comments... but it isn't a joke. Went on a trip to a resort in Mexico a few months back with my kindle. Our villa had its own hot tub and pool... and I protected my kindle from splatter and submersion with a heavy duty ziploc freezer bag. Worked very well. Looks a bit laughable for sure... but it works.
@Hitrichelovek
KlearKase is designed to be always-on for everyday protection beyond the tub and pool - because accidents happen when you least expect them.
More details at http://www.KlearKase.com
The Kindle PornKase
Hey Engadget editors, do you actually read about the product before posting? The website for this thing clearly states, "This product is not waterproof." From the KlearKase site:
Q: Is the KlearKase completely waterproof?
A: The KlearKase is splash proof, but not waterproof.
Q: What if I drop my Kindle and KlearKase in the water momentarily?
A: Since some users may not secure the silicon plugs, we can’t make promises about results from submersion. The founders of KlearKase have been using their KlearKase in their tubs and poolside without issue, but we cannot guarantee that a KlearKase falling into water will not leak.
All a fancy way of them saying, we won't take responsibility when your Kindle gets ruined.
I've been using a ziplock bag like a lot of other people, but it's annoying and cumbersome to use. That's why a lot of people, myself included, are excited about the M-Edge Guardian. A company that stands behind their waterproof claims, imagine that.
This is about people that got fired from Microsoft, now doing a waterproof case that cannot get wet! Way to go people!
No thanks! I'll take the guardian any day. It's actually waterproof and it even floats. The guardian seems to be a much better decision for reading on my boat or taking on vacation.
The Ziploc bag actually is a valid solution, unless you read near water on a constant basis. I used a gallon sized bag when I decided to read the Kindle in the bathtub. I'd previously just risked it without mishap, but figured eventually I'd end up dropping it. The Ziploc is easy, you can read clearly through it, adds negligible weight, and it's still easy to push the buttons.
Let’s talk about waterproof.
Can you get the KlearKase wet? Of course you can get the KlearKase wet!
It can get splashed, soaked, and drenched. I’ve spilled cups of coffee and cans of soda on mine and wash it regularly under running water. I’ve used it in the tub and the pool and it holds up fine. And unlike the folks on this thread who trashed it, I actually have a KlearKase.
Why then don’t we call it waterproof? Because waterproof means immersion proof and immersion is different. At some depth, the seals that keep the inside dry won’t hold. If the removable KlearKase plugs that protect the on-off switch and the charging port are not firmly set, they can leak too. That’s why we don’t bill it as waterproof, even though it’s pretty darn close.
If you need a truly waterproof case, we think the Guardian is great. But, waterproof comes with a price. The Guardian weighs more than a pound — three times more than the KlearKase, and 150% the weight of the Kindle itself. A Kindle in the Guardian weighs almost 1.75 POUNDS. That’s heavy.
Also heavy is the Guardian’s price: $80, vs $39 for the KlearKase. That’s not because the Guardian folks are cheating you — it costs more to make diving gear.
And there are other problems: The Guardian is only waterproof to one meter -- that's a pretty shallow pool for $80. To turn on or off your Kindle in a Guardian, you have to open the case. How waterproof is opening your case in the pool?
The KlearKase, by contrast, is designed for everyday trauma, not water sports. It will protect against spills, splashes, drops, food, kids, scratches, pets, beach sand, harden dirt, etc. Even a hosing, a bath or (careful) use in the pool.
It also costs half as much as the Guardian and it weighs a third as much. But it’s designed for a different mission. It’s designed so you can leave it on all the time. At the beach or pool, sure, but also while traveling or at the dinner table or with the kids. All the controls work just fine with the case sealed.
Finally, yes, you certainly can use a zip lock bag for Kindle protection and the price is pretty much zero. I've used a bunch myself. But the seal on the bag is hardly guaranteed. An accidental squeeze and it can pop right open. And the bag acts like a soft lens filter and makes the reading fuzzy.
By contrast, the KlearKase plastic over the Kindle display is optical grade polycarbonate — way better to look through than a baggie.
We built the KlearKase because we're Kindle fans and we wanted something better than a baggie and lighter than scuba gear. After six months of testing, we leave ours on all the time and it's saved our Kindles from certain death on several occasions.
We think you'll like it too. But we've been totally upfront about its design. And if you prefer the Guardian, or a zip-lock, that's fine too.