Review: Spendy but protective....
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 23, 2014
Just typing in Kindle Fire HDX case (or Kindle Fire HDX 7 cover, etc.) will return a vast collection of possible covers and cases that can be obtained for use with a Kindle Fire HDX (in my case the 7" variety).  That vast collection ranges in pricing from very reasonable to fairly spendy with pluses and minuses at all of those same levels.  Prior to getting this OtterBox Defender case, I had been using a Belkin 'cover' that I liked, but which I found a little frustrating because it didn't feature the auto wake functionality that was included in a less expensive Fintie case that I had purchased previously.  Again, just some examples of how at any price point I can find features that I like or find lacking.Not finding perfection in either of those two choices, I took the opportunity to get one of these OtterBox Defender cases for my Kindle Fire HDX 7" device figuring that I could at least put it to use and compare and contrast it against either of those other choices.  I've previously used (and continue to use) an OtterBox Defender case for my Samsung Galaxy S3 smartphone, so I'm already familiar with how an OtterBox Defender case works.  I've also helped my daughter obtain one for use with her iPhone and watched her make use of in a couple of configurations.  Like her, I like my Defender phone case and am glad that I have it, though I've been frustrated by the belt clip for it snapping apart and requiring replacement (and I have a co-worker that has suffered that problem and had to get a replacement for his belt clip for his S3 Defender case).In the case of the Kindle Fire HDX 7" Defender case there's no belt clip to be concerned with.  The Defender case is intended to be used for carrying the device in your hand, like an old school book.  It is also intended to be used to allow the user to stand the device up for viewing video, or browsing the web conveniently.  For that purpose this case works well.  Saying that, I do find a couple of negatives that are worth mentioning and consideration.  First up, while this case provides perhaps the best protection for your device you could ask for, it comes at the cost of adding weight and heft to the device.  While the other cases are more dainty in comparison, they are obviously less protective of the device and if it were to be dropped, the likelyhood of damage to the device would be much greater.  On the other hand (back to my complaint here), the idea of holding this device in hand for any longer period of time is no where near as appealing once you add the weight to the device.Beyond the added weight, the disassembly that is required prior to being able to use this case with your Kindle Fire HDX device is more than a bit frustrating.  It really should be thought of (in most cases) as something you would only want to have to do once because if you attempted to do it repeatedly you'd probably find yourself incredibly irritated at just how frustrating it is to take this case apart to get your device back to its original state.  Granted, most users would likely not be assembling and then disassembling repeatedly, but if you were to do it, you'd probably stop after just a couple of times though I would also note from the prior experience with the Defender case for smartphones that over repeatedly working with the cases it becomes less difficult to get the cases opened up and that would probably happen with this case as well.The OtterBox Defender Standing Case for the Kindle Fire HDX 7", like the Belkin case that I previously mentioned (and reviewed) doesn't support the auto-wake function for the screen, so turning the screen on (or waking up the device) must be done by pressing the appropriate button on the Kindle Fire device.  That doesn't really bother me with this type of case since it isn't a folio type or 'cover' type case, but it is worth noting in case someone was expecting to find that feature available here.I really like the feel of the Defender case as it is easy to grip (though again, the added heft does place a toll on the user) and not all slippery in your fingers/hands.  I also love that it includes the screen protector.  I've also worked with the manufacturer in the past to replace the broken belt clip/holster component on the smartphone case and found that they were very easy to deal with and were quick to ship out replacement parts -- meaning they definitely stand behind their products and support their users so they certainly build in the value of their support as part of their pricing.Final rating: 4 solid stars.  I like the product, but don't absolutely love it.  I appreciate it for what it is and tries to be and have tried not to knock it for what it isn't, though admittedly I lean more towards the folio cases or cover type cases and expect that would be my 'go to' configuration for use with my beloved Kindle Fire HDX 7" device.