Review: "DustJacket" case from Speck Products

Summary

This thickly padded, lightweight case looks ordinary, but its built-in kick stand sets it apart on functionality.

Pros

• thickly padded and slightly oversized to provide protection
• has a built-in stand!
• built-in Kindle tray is easy to use and holds the device firmly
• cheaper than the Amazon Kindle case

Cons

• stand is connected via fabric hinge, making it hard to position the Kindle perfectly upright
• the extra padding and softness makes it a little bulky
• kind of plain

Speck Products got its start making hardshell protective cases for Apple gadgets, and now the company has expanded to other devices. It’s released a couple of cases for the Kindle 2 that are meant to protect, decorate, and even provide some extra functionality. But are they worth your money?

In this review I’ll look at the DustJacket case with built-in stand, which retails on Amazon for between $22-35 (depending on the store).

Full Review

Styling

The DustJacket case is a thickly padded, faux-leather covered binder style case, with a thick “micro-fleece” lining to protect the screen when the cover is closed. The Kindle snaps into a terrifically well designed plastic tray on the right, which holds the device firmly but also lets you remove it quickly and with one hand, unlike the latch mechanism on Amazon’s case. The power/sleep switch, audio jack, volume buttons, speakers, and mini-USB charging port are all left uncovered for easy access.

On a basic level, you can’t go wrong with plain black, although the DustJacket comes across as a little too plain for my tastes. (It’s also available in red.) On the other hand, if you’re the kind of person who doesn’t want to draw attention to your Kindle, this might be a quality you’d like.

As to the padding and overall thickness, here’s where it gets even more subjective. I personally like the flat, minimized profile of the Amazon Kindle case, because it provides basic protection but doesn’t add much bulk.

And that bulk is what I don’t like about the DustJacket case–it simply makes the Kindle too thick in my opinion.

Some Kindle owners might find this bulk a good thing, because it ostensibly provides greater protection. If you think the Amazon case feels too light or thin, you’ll probably like how this feels in your hands.

Functionality

The secret weapon on the DustJacket cover is its built-in kick stand, which lets the user prop his Kindle on a desk or table without having to first remove it from the case.

Although I used to think stands were somewhat unnecessary, I’ve since changed my mind; I now use one almost every morning to read my Kindle at the breakfast table. A stand is a great way to allow for hands-free reading. The last stand I reviewed was well made and super light, but you couldn’t leave it on and also use a case with it. I was pretty excited therefore to test out the DustJacket’s built-in version.

My verdict: it’s okay. It works, but there are some limitations you should be aware of.

First the good things. The stand folds flat into the inside cover of the case and is covered in the same black fleece, so it’s almost invisible until you want to use it. It stays closed via two velcro corners and will probably never fall open unexpectedly.

But there are two problems with it, one which is probably temporary and another which you’ll probably always have to deal with.

The temporary one is that the case, when new, doesn’t fold back all the way when you open it to use the stand. I’m almost certain this is because I haven’t had a chance to break it in, and over time it will fold back more easily. In my tests, however, the Kindle-holding side of the case sort of floated above the rest of the case when I propped it up as a stand:

The more problematic issue is the kick stand itself is connected to the cover with fabric, not plastic or metal, and that means there’s not a firm point of contact between the leg and the cover. That leads to a slight stability issue–never enough to tip the Kindle, but enough to make it hard to get the Kindle to stand exactly perpendicular to the table; it was always tilted a few degrees to one side or another.

If small details bother you, this might bother you. If on the other hand you think I’m crazy for even bringing this up, then yeah, you’ll never notice it.

Conclusion

Who might want to buy a DustJacket case? Someone who:

• wants a stand for hands-free reading, but also a case;
• thinks the Amazon case is too thin or doesn’t provide enough protection;
• wants a practical, affordable case;
• wants an inconspicuous look.

My only caveat is that you should be honest with yourself about how fussy you are over details, because although it’s structurally sound and well built, the fabric hinge on the kick stand could potentially drive OCD types crazy.