Product Review: UPCase Waterguard for 6 to 7 Inch Tablets

My Kindle in its UPCase

Many of you who've been following me for a while know a few things about my reading habits, such as: (1) Although unsure about them at first, I do enjoy reading eBooks. (2) I love to read while sitting in the pool during the summer. (3) I've only read physical books out in the pool because-- let's face it-- if the worst happens and I drop one in the drink, only one book gets ruined; whereas, if I drop my Kindle or Nook in the pool, it's a much  more expensive proposition to replace the eReader and re-download all the books on it.

My husband, Denis, loves to read on his gizmos. He goes through quite a few audiobooks and eBooks, and he's got a waterproof case for his MP3 player so he can float around in the pool while listening to one of his books. He decided to take a look for some sort of waterproof case for eReaders, and he found the UPCase.

The UPCase Waterguard is for any 6-inch to 7-inch tablet, so my Kindle and Nook both qualify. Just slide one inside the UPCase, and seal it shut. The first seals are like the "yellow and blue make green" seals on Ziploc plastic bags. Once those seals are (easily) secured, the bag gets folded under a few times so the final seal can snap into place. In the photo above, you can see the black band across the top with the two yellow buttons. For any of us who can lay claim to the World's Greatest Klutz title, the UPCase has an attached (and adjustable) neck strap, so you won't have to dive after your tablet if you drop it in the water.

I had no trouble turning on my Kindle through the UPCase, although it did take me a few seconds to get the hang of turning the pages through it. The first obstacle I came across was being able to see the screen. Yes, I was out in the blazing Arizona summer sun, but I was sitting in the shade. Then it dawned on me that I would have to change my Kindle settings from the sepia screen I normally use to the white screen. Once I made that adjustment, I could see to read just fine. Keep in mind that I was sitting in the shade. When I attempted to read while in direct sunlight, there was too much glare on the plastic.

Like many other owners, I also have a few games loaded on my Kindle, and I wondered how easy it would be to play one of them through the plastic of the UPCase. I wouldn't recommend it.  As you can see in my photo, creases can form in the plastic, and-- depending on the game-- those creases can have quite an effect on how well you play.

Would I recommend the UPCase? Yes, with a reservation or two. It is watertight, and will protect your tablet from dust and sand as well. The adjustable neck strap is an easy way to keep track of your tablet, too. As long as you read while sitting in the shade, you should have no problem, but if you want to earn new high scores on those games you have loaded, wait until you're someplace where you can take your tablet out of the UPCase.  For $10 at Amazon, I think it's a good buy.