Several weeks ago when I ordered an Amazon Kindle Fire for my wife’s Mother’s Day gift I knew from my own use of 7” ultra mobile tablets that she’d need a good, slim case/stand for it.  Ordinarily, when I take my Blackberry Playbook with me as I leave the house in the morning, I generally carry it as I would a notepad or a soft cover book.  Veronica I knew would be loading it into her Coach Messenger bag along with her iPhone, calculator and God only knows what else.

My benefactor who gifted me the Playbook thought to include a Blurex Slim Leather Portfolio/Case for Blackberry Playbook that has proven to be an extremely high quality, durable, attractive case/stand that even after almost a year of daily use appears brand new.  Having rated it as a 5-star performer it made sense to go back to that well to see if they had a case specifically designed for the newer, but related Kindle Fire.  Sure enough, visiting both their site and Amazon there was just what I was looking for.  But unlike the case for the Playbook, the Blurex Kindle Case Stand was offered in five colors other than black.  There was Brown, Carnation Pink, Razzmatazz, Tangelo and Venetian Red, all executed in grained litchi leather (synthetic leather).  I was leaning toward the Venetian Red but my daughter suggested the Black because “mom doesn’t like to draw attention.”

Blurex Slim Leather Folio Case/Stand for the Kindle Fire
Like its Playbook cousin, the Blurex Slim Leather Folio Case/Stand for the Kindle Fire serves as both a protective case as well as a multi-tiered stand for the Fire.  The exterior is a well finished black grained litchi leather, while the interior seems to be a suede (or synthetic Ultra-Suede) surface that serves to both protect the tablet and supply a little more “grab” for the device.  The front cover that closes over the Gorilla Glass screen is slightly padded to provide an extra degree of shock proofing.  The only manufacturer identification is the discreet blurex embossed into the lower right corner of the cover. 

As a Case
As you can see in the product image, the back panel of case is smoothly hinged.  The Kindle Fire is held to the back cover by 6 leather clad tension points.  Predictably, four of these tension points are found on the corners, with the additional two found near the top of the back cover.  This clever design allows the bottom of the Fire to swing out of the case when it’s to be used as a landscape stand.  The front cover also has a 2 ½” tension clasp that allows it to be closed securely over the tablet.  When closed, the few external controls and receptacles of the Fire are fully accessible.

The beauty of this Blurex case is that it barely increases the size of the Fire while adding only .2lb to the weight of the tablet.

As a Stand
Since I could foresee Veronica using her Fire to view streamed video from both NetFlix and our Amazon Prime Instant Video I knew she would appreciate how effortlessly it converts into a multi-tiered stand.  Officially it’s described as a two-tier stand, but in fact it provides three different viewing angles.  To use it as a stand, the bottom of the Kindle Fire is removed from the hinged back cover.  The opened front cover is then used as the base.  When in this position, the bottom of the Playbook can be inserted into one of the two channels embossed into the inside cover. The two embossed channels permit viewing at 45 or 75 degrees.   A third shallow viewing angle can be created by allowing the Fire to rest against the tension points of the front cover.  This is the most useful angle when using the virtual keyboard in landscape orientation for any period of time. 

While the case can support the Kindle Fire in the Portrait Mode by standing it with the front cover set to a 90 degree angle, neither of us find that to be a particularly useful position.

Use while reading
When used as an eReader this slim cover is hardly noticed.  The front cover folds back completely until it is flush against the back cover and only the 2 ½” tension clasp on the front cover protrudes about ½”.  I find it actually aids in keeping a secure hand grasp on the tablet.

Durability
Although it’s only been in use for a few weeks, extrapolating from my experience with my Blurex cover for my Playbook I anticipate a long uneventful productive life for this cover.  Even the use of a synthetic leather has its advantage here.  If a drink is left on the nightstand overnight alongside the Kindle, there’s no chance for moisture from the sweating glass to damage the leather.  It can be wiped dry no worse for wear.

There are going to be some who are leery of Blurex’s use of litchi or PU leather.  I have heard some reviewers on Amazon complain of a strong chemical odor.  I say, “bull feathers”.  Neither of our cases had an odor other than that of something new.  In fact, when I wrote the review on the Playbook version of this case I was unaware that it was anything but real leather.  That’s how good the finish of this case is.

Bottom Line
The Blurex Slim Leather Portfolio Case for the Amazon Kindle Fire is exactly the degree of protection I think most normal users of the Fire are going to need.  No, it’s not an Otterbox, but how many of us need that kind of additional bulk?  It’s a stylish, well designed and constructed case/stand that probably meets the needs of most tablet owners.  Don’t have a Kindle Fire?  Not to worry, Blurex offers similar covers for your iPad and the most popular of the current crop of Android tablets.  I highly recommend it, particularly at the current on-line price of less than $15.

Quick Links: Amazon Kindle Fire

                    Blurex Slim Leather Portfolio/Case for Blackberry Playbook 

                    RIM Blackberry Playbook - 16GB

Rudi

Recommended: Yes