[7" Kindle Fire HD Accessories] needabottle:
MoKo Ultra-Lightweight SlimShell Standing Case on the left and MoKo Slim-fit Folio Cover Case on the right

At first it seemed like an easy choice. The case had to be thin and light and add little to the Kindle Fire HD but offer a reasonable amount of protection. I narrowed the choice to the MoKo Slim-fit Folio Cover Case and the MoKo Ultra-Lightweight SlimShell Standing Case. Both were available on Amazon from BSCstore for $12.95 and free shipping. I had both open in different browser windows and when I made my mind up for the Ultra-Lightweight SlimShell case I hit the buy it button. The next day I got the shipping notification and to my dismay I found I had bought the Slim-fit Folio Cover. Jim at BSCstore must have been reading my mind because about then I got an email from him thanking me for the purchase and if there was anything that wasn’t right to let him know. Hmmm, nice customer service, I thought. I emailed him back and told him what I had done and that I’d return the case and order the SlimShell. He replied and said no hurry to send it back and he would get the other one out right away. I have no affiliation to BSCstore but I like the way they do business.

The Slimfit Folio arrived the next day and to my surprise it wasn’t as thick or heavy as I had expected and the hand strap which I thought would be large and obtrusive was actually a pretty good fit.

The Fire HD clicked in securely and was held in place by 6 lips (4 on the corners and 2 on the sides) and with the cover locked closed I felt assured that the whole thing could take a few knocks and the Fire HD would survive nicely. The faux leather feels like real leather and the soft fabric interior gives great protection to the screen and case. The cover automatically shuts down and restarts the screen when you close and open it. The edges of the fire are well protected and the case has a cutout on the hinge to allow access to the USB and HDMI ports when the cover is closed. The cover closes and locks due to a lip on the outer edge which clips round the edge of the Fire HD. It really secures the cover closed but is well padded and there seemed no danger of it marking or scoring the edge of the Kindle.

The cover doesn’t fold back completely when using the Fire HD in one hand but it isn’t a problem. Actually it is the fact that the Fire HD is fairly wide that makes one handed holding more of a chore than say the Nexus 7. However, the hand strap does make it easy to secure everything to your hand.

Propping the Fire HD up to watch a movie requires removing it from the bottom 2 securing lips, but it is easy to do and the ridges in the inside of the case cover allows a number of angles.

All in all I was pleasantly surprised with the Moko Slim-fit.

Two days later the Ultra-Lightweight case arrived. Definitely much lighter and I doubt the Fire HD would survive as well if it took a tumble. The Fire HD clipped into a form fitting shell which protected the sides and corners but left openings to access the buttons and ports.

The cover was thin soft plastic which had a certain amount of grip to it when it was doubled back. It also folded in half and hooked into a slot on the back to allow the Fire HD to be propped up to watch a movie.

The cover has the same switching on and off effect as the Slimfit folio but it doesn’t lock into place. However an elastic strap at the back of the case allows the cover to be held closed. It can also be used to secure the case to your hand.

The fact that the cover folds completely back does make it easier to hold one handed

Both cases had good ‘vents” for the speakers and access to the buttons and ports were easy.

The problem now is; which case do I keep? If you want thin and light then it has to be the Ultra-Lightweight but if you want a bit more protection for not a lot of extra weight and bulk then it has to be the Slimfit folio…. Decisions, decision……

In fact both cases are well made and do the job very well and for 13 bucks can’t be beat.