Review: Like armor plating for your Kindle Fire
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 01 28, 2014
Having previously had an OtterBox on a cellphone, I expected the Kindle Fire case to be a tank, and it is. Seriously, this thing is like encasing your Kindle Fire in armor plating. Just taking it apart into the four constituent pieces is impressive with all the layers of cushioned protection that it gives. I remember the first time I took an OtterBox apart, it wasn't so easy, and with the HDX case, I fumbled around a bit before getting it apart the first time. Once you see how everything fits together, however, it's much easier.My HDX fit perfectly in the OtterBox. All the openings lined up correctly, including the speakers, front camera, light sensor, charging port, audio out port, and microphones. The charging port and audio out port are covered by silicone flaps to keep out dust when they're not being used. The power switch and volume control are covered by the silicone backing, but the backing has molded buttons on it that pass through to the HDX, and they work well. At first, I was a bit skeptical about the built-in screen protector. It was thick enough that I wasn't sure that all my touching and swiping would be sensed by the HDX's capacitive touch screen. I shouldn't have worried - it works fine, and the screen protector gives a lot more protection than the thin screen protectors that adhere to the screen.With the OtterBox, you can pop off the plastic shield that covers the HDX's screen and hand-hold the HDX, or you can use the shield as a stand to prop up the HDX in either the landscape or portrait orientation, with two choices of angles - 30 degrees or 60 degrees.All of this protection comes at a price, although many users will consider it a small price to pay for the extra measure of protection the OtterBox gives. I weighed the case, and it's 10.7 ounces, which is almost as much as the HDX weighs (10.9 ounces). The extra weight is enough to be noticeable when you're carrying the HDX, but for handholding the HDX, you can drop the outer plastic shield, which is almost half of the OtterBox's weight.I haven't decided if I'll go with the OtterBox for my HDX, or if I'll keep my slimline case. But I'm retired and my HDX seldom leaves home, so it doesn't need a lot of protection. If I was carrying it around much, or if I had kids with an HDX, I would slap on the OtterBox in a heartbeat, and have a lot more confidence that the HDX would survive whatever daily disasters awaited it.