Review: A nicely made case, but not as good as Belkin can do
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 11 29, 2013
For the past year, I've had my Kindle Fire HD (7") in a Belkin Glam Tab Standing Case. It's a great cover with all the features I wanted, including a magnet that activates the Kindle Fire's AutoWake function, and a magnetic clasp that keeps the cover securely closed. It's such a great cover that I'm baffled why Belkin didn't include these features in the Chambray cover for the HDX. The Chambray makes up for the lack of a magnetic lock with an elastic bungee that holds the cover closed, but after having the convenience of AutoWake, I'm not willing to give it up. To me, that's at least one star off my rating.Other than that omission, the Chambray is a fine cover. It's attractive and well made, with close, tight stitching, and it looks durable enough to last a long time. The folding mechanism is well designed and allows the HDX to be propped up in landscape orientation at angles from about 45 degrees to about 75 degrees. It's a very effective design that keeps the tablet from slipping, even if it's accidentally bumped. For hand-holding, the front cover folds easily against the back, and if you want a little added feeling of security, you can slide your hand under the bungee.Besides the appearance of the case and the functionality, the next thing I look at is how securely the tablet is held in the case. The Belkin Chambray cover for the HD had four elastic clips that held the tablet at the corners. With the Chambray for the HDX, it's an entirely different mechanism, a plastic frame that snaps around the Fire. That's a much more secure system than the elastic clips, and I guarantee that the HDX is never going to fall out of the cover. In fact, removing it intentionally takes a bit of effort.Other than the lack of AutoWake, I like everything about this cover, but the absence of a tiny magnet to activate the Kindle Fire's AutoWake function is inexcusable in a cover for this price. But other than that, it's a very impressive cover, and if you won't miss AutoWake, it's definitely worth a look.By the way, I wondered where the word "Chambray" came from, so I looked it up. It refers to a cotton plain weave fabric similar to gingham, which was invented by a Frenchman named Jean-Baptiste Chambray a long time ago.