Limited Edition Premium Leather Origami Cover for Kindle Voyage

Every so often something comes along that just makes me happy. Happy to look at, happy to feel, happy to own. This is one of those rare things that fits all three. I am a huge leather fanatic. I know a lot more than most people about leather. That also has the unfortunate effect of my disliking almost all leather that is out there. Simply put, I know too much about it. In a way, it is a little sad. I remember my first bonded leather book, and how excited I was to get it, and for such a reasonable price! Now I know all about what bonded leather is, and what it isn't, and I'm no longer impressed. So, when I saw this was available, I ordered it right away, even though I already had the standard Kindle leather cover, and I didn't have particularly high hopes. I was irritated that I didn't know about this one in advance, and that I already bought the regular leather one, too. The standard version is a traditional coated leather, which is hardly leather at all by the time they are done with it. It is shaved, painted, and coated with plastic. It isn't fake leather, but it is too close to that, and it has that slippery plastic feel from the coating, along with the uniform look that happens when leather is painted with a thick coating of paint. Overall, disappointing. I guess it is better than the all plastic version, but I can see the argument against that. It certainly isn't worth the price. I just got it because it is better than plastic (to me), and there wasn't a good alternative. But, now there is an alternative. And it isn't a marginally better cover in an exclusive color, it is actually really good. Like, astonishingly good. So good, I dropped what I was doing and wrote this review, because I think everyone has the right to know about this. They are calling it a limited edition. I don't know what that means, but it might mean you can't buy this forever. Do you have a Kindle Voyage? If so, buy this. Right now. Before you can't. This is aniline leather, meaning that instead of painting over it, they dyed it. Painting leather covers everything. It hardly matters what is underneath, because you can't see any of it in the finished product. Aniline leather is a different story. Because it is dyed, you can still see the actual leather underneath. That means it has to be at least a certain quality. If done right, like this one is, it has a matte finish, not shiny at all, and has natural color variations at the creases. The picture of this is actually very accurate. The lighter areas at the creases are really there, and it looks absolutely fantastic. I'll add a photo of mine, both front and back, so you can see that you are truly getting what you are paying for here. Do not, under any circumstances, put leather conditioner on this cover. Doing so will obliterate the lighter areas and make it all one dark brown tone. That would be a shame, because it looks so good out of the box. The back of the case is often ignored, but is a great subtle matte finish, with a terrific feel in the hand. I'd buy the case just for the improved back. It sounds odd, but the matte finish makes the Voyage much easier to hold, and feels great. It doesn't look as great as the front, by any means, but it looks a lot better than the shiny coating of the standard leather case. It does have the same magnets and origami folding action as the other official cases. So, if you like that, it is there. If nothing else, it gives great lines to the leather, so that's a good thing. And, the on/off action of the magnets is extremely useful. This isn't just recommended. If you have a Kindle Voyage, you should absolutely get this. Seriously, don't even hesitate. It really takes the Kindle to the next level. You will look on it with pride every time you see your Kindle. That's worth a lot! Sean P. Logue, 2015

I absolutely LOVE this case. Definitely a great addition to my Kindle Voyager, and it wouldn't feel right without it at this point. Finish 5/5: When I first opened the case and saw it, I was a little dismayed. It had some scratches on it, and didn't look 100% new. After I took it out of the box, set it down, and noticed that just in that little action I had managed to put a little scratch on the case, I realized that it was indeed new, just very easy to scratch, I was again, dismayed. It looks tremendously cool, and smells like real leather, which it definitely is. After my initial dismay and after using the case for a month or so, most of the scratches have faded significantly. This case ages like real leather. It's TREMENDOUS. The case looks better now than it ever has. Case Aspects 5/5: The case holds the kindle very solidly in place via the use of magnets. It seats inside the case and has slight edges to keep the Kindle aligned perfectly inside. I have had absolutely NO problems with my Kindle falling out, nor have I even thought about it. The magnets are super strong. The case front flap is also held in place via magnets, but slightly weaker ones. It turns on the Kindle when you open it, which is great. I haven't had any problems with my case coming flopping open either. It's super nice. The way the case lid folds to be able to hold the Kindle up is great as well. It IS a bit difficult to learn how to fold it quickly at first, or, it was for me, but once you get it down it hold solid. I haven't ever had it fall over without a very deliberate push. My only complaint on this front is that you only have one configuration for standing it up. Not a big deal at all, but it would have been nice to have a slightly more inclined option, just for another viewing angle. Overall, I love this case and would buy another in a heartbeat. Well worth the extra money over the normal Origami case, and definitely worth the money over some of the shoddier third party options.

--- 6 MONTH UPDATE --- Still in love with this cover. Every time I use my kindle I marvel at its beauty. I carried it in a jacket pocked with some other items for a period and they scratched it up a bit, but true to form, over time, these scratches fade and add character. Cloth wears out where leather gets better. Looking over comments I see lots of people voting the cover down for reasons of weight, not liking the origami feature, and some not liking the look of the leather. Any cover is going to add some weight and bulkiness and some folks are just more sensitive to this than others. This cover simply doesn't weigh enough to make it a big deal IMHO. As for the leather and the origami folding, you bought it sight seen, and don't have to fold it if you don't want to so why down-vote or complain? For my part, I rarely use the stand and it doesn't get in my way. I think I've already mentioned how much I love the look. Leather comes in several finishes and there are plenty of user images to compare with so you really shouldn't be surprised if the finish isn't what you prefer. Everyone has an opinion about what Premium means--usually it means a higher price--and you should always be skeptical when you see that word. In this case, I agree with the label. In short, this cover gives the kindle some old-world charm that makes it look less like a modern-day piece of plastic. It takes the kindle from looking like little more than a toy into the realm of importance and seriousness. --- END OF UPDATE --- Some have called the Origami covers ugly. I wouldn't go there anymore than I would call them lovely, but this cover is--and feels--beautiful. I tend to favor function over form, and functionally this cover works well. It takes a bit of getting use to how to fold it but everything else is intuitive. the kindle is held in magnetically and that is perhaps the least lovable feature, though it doesn't seem to easily fall out, it just doesn't feel all that secure.

The case is beautiful, and I like it very much. I also have the standard (rubber/plastic) origami cover and will make a couple of notes in comparison. 1. In the photo, the product looks almost like suede, with a slightly rough texture. This is an illusion. In reality, the surface is as smooth as the standard cover. I am not saying that this is a problem, but am just noting it so that customers understand what to expect. 2. When folding it into stand mode, it feels significantly stiffer than the standard cover and the folds along the seams are not as sharp. The magnetic pieces do not snap together quite as firmly as on the standard cover. The result is that when folded, the stand does not feel quite as stable as it does on the standard cover. So far, this has not created a problem for me on a practical level, and even makes it slightly easier to unfold back into cover mode. However, the difference is noticeable and I could see how some might not like it. I do not know if the same holds true of the regular pebbled leather origami covers? 3. It is quite pretty, but as others have noted, the cover is VERY easily scuffed. Even if you are meticulously careful, do not expect to be able to keep it pristine. This is noted in the product description, some will probably enjoy the results of this, but I felt it was worth highlighting again. 4. I am opting to keep my standard cover for use on the road or outdoors, where heavier scuffs would be more likely. 5. I do feel that the product is somewhat overpriced, as are most official Kindle accessories; this seems to be the rule with such products, but it is quite attractive and unique. I appreciate having it, and feel that it gives my Voyage some real style. Update: After 2.5 years, I still love this case and it is holding up great. Has a few scuffs now, but they do not bother me at all.

This is probably the best cover you'll find for the Kindle Voyage. That said, it's not perfect, and I'd give it only 3.5 stars, if I could. WHAT I LIKE: 1. The leather is really nice. 2. The way it attaches magnetically to the Voyage, the way the front cover attaches magnetically to the back cover when flipped-over, and the way the Voyage closes magnetically, are all nice. 3. The auto on/off when the cover is opened/closed is convenient and appreciated. 4. I'm definitely in favor of the flip-over-the-top cover style, which allows for the stand-up feature. If you ever read at a desk or table, you'll enjoy this. I don't see a downside to it not opening like a book. WHAT I DON'T LIKE: 1. The inside of the cover is a fuzzy micro-fiber, which is the surface you're going to be holding your Voyage by when you read, after you flip the cover over against its back. The micro-fiber is nothing like the feel or grip you get from the premium leather. The cover's leather is plenty soft and smooth enough to rest against the screen, and it SHOULD have been used on the all-important surface we're holding when we read. 2. The seam going around the front cover is what I'd call an "outie" seam; it gives the cover a semi-sharp edge that you'll feel sometimes when holding your Voyage with the cover flipped against its back. This should have been done better. So there you have it: it's a pleasure to look at and to hold when the cover is closed, and the stand feature and magnetic stuff are all great. But it's no better than anything else when you have it open and you're reading.

This cover has the same (excellent) stand feature as the normal origami covers. At first I wasn't sure I liked the odd look the folds give the cover. But after lying curled up in bed with a good book using the stand I was immediately converted. No more wrist ache from holding a book or kindle. Great. It also features a fantastic magnetic way to hold your kindle in place, which makes mounting your kindle as easy as slipping it into place. And it holds the kindle well. Only issue I have with this and all origami covers is that when you have it open, you can't reach the on switch. Normally this is no problem because when you open the cover it automatically switches on. But if it powers off, you either need to open and close the cover or partially close it and use the power button on the back of the kindle. But this is more a kindle issue rather than specific to this cover. And it's minor. So I'm still giving it five stars. The leather feels and looks great. Much better tactile experience than any other cover out there. Feels very classy in your hands. It's like a real leather bound kindle. It costs more, but for my money worth every cent. Any other downsides? None... as long as you are prepared to pay for it.

There are a lot of things to like about this cover, starting with the quality of the leather. It's quite similar to the leather used on Apple's iPhone cases , though a bit more sensitive to scratches and scuffs. Both Apple and Amazon spin it as though every case is a unique snowflake. You decide. The origami kickstand works brilliantly, though I'm not sure how it's really a functional feature. It's a cool way to display your Kindle Voyage if you're not terribly interested in keeping dust off of your display, but I've never found myself yearning to read my Kindle from a table. In fact, one-handed use is a big selling point to me. Speaking of which, that's where I really don't like this cover. It's heavy. Stupidly heavy. It easily doubles the weight and thickness of the Voyage, and the leather edges are a bit abrasive, if you hold the Kindle with your pinky as a bottom support. (It sounds weird if this is your first Kindle, but hold it for a while, and it'll make sense.) The heaviness is offset a bit by the magnetic holder making it easy to remove the Kindle, but that seems to defeat the purpose. At a lower price point, it would still make a nice accessory to have around, but at this price, I just don't see the value. Maybe if you hang around Kindle enthusiasts who are apt to say "Oooh, is that the *limited edition* cover?" and want people to say that to you, it's a decent deal. As for me, I'm kicking around getting my money back and opting for the Kindle Voyage 3-year accidental damage warranty , where I can save a few bucks, and just get the Kindle replaced if it gets dropped or damaged.

Of course, $84.99 may seem like a stiff price to pay for an e-reader cover, when one can purchase a good e-reader for less. But this cover is for the Kindle Voyage, which every reviewer has rated the best ever made, with outstanding resolution and front lighting. After I acquired my Voyage Wi-Fi+3G, I did not get a cover for a while because I liked the unit's small size and light weight. But the Voyage does deserve some protection. Some of the other covers on the market do not have a magnetic closure. The less expensive origami covers offered by Amazon I thought less attractive. But this cover is beautiful. It weights precisely what all of the other Amazon origami covers weigh, 4.8 oz. I like it because it is not a slick leather that is likely to slip out of one's hands. It is rather a rugged leather with a rougher finish, aliline leather. That means it is not evenly dyed, and will reveal marks and scratches, but that is part of the character of this leather, not a defect. This cover works perfectly: the origami stand mechanism works better than I thought possible. The front cover is not flimsy, and the entire unit is solid protection for the Voyage. For the best e-reading experience, I recommend the Voyage with this cover.