Now that I got a Kindle Paperwhite, I felt like getting a case for it. My old Kindle Keyboard had one, though a third-party leather kind, and it protected my Kindle 3 pretty well, if adding some amount of bulk to it. This new one felt like it needed a case, even though it seemed sturdy and hardy enough to withstand the slings and arrows of everyday life.

I set about looking for a case, but it seems at this early juncture there aren’t a lot to choose from. I thought the home-grown case made by Amazon seemed the best bet, even though it was priced pretty high by the online store—about US$40. I ordered one.

So it arrived promptly, and it was a simple, sturdy, thin case made of rubber and leather. The kind I got was all-black, although you can get it in other colors. This new case won’t fit a regular Kindle or a Kindle Touch, it’s made specifically for the Paperwhite.

The entire thing is covered all around by a nice textured premium leather cover, with the inside faced with a nice cloth-like material with their “kindle” logo discreetly imprinted on the inside cover.

The Kindle snaps into a full-frame rubberized backing (eliminating the need for straps on the front) with a cutout at the bottom for the power switch and the micro-USB port.

There is a metal magnetic clasp on the side that puts the Kindle to sleep or wake it up as you open or close the thin cover, conveniently eliminating the need to turn it on by the power switch, which admittedly was a little hard to access (although you still have to swipe to “unlock” it—it would have been nice if it opened directly to the page you were reading), and keeps the cover firmly closed.

The cover is actually kinda small and fitted to the size of the Kindle, a size which you kinda forget sometimes—for the sake of perspective, here’s a picture to scale with my hand:

The leather case is nice and classy, and doesn’t add much bulk to the Kindle Paperwhite. It can fold back while you’re reading, conveniently getting out of the way. With the rubberized full-frame attachment, it isn’t in any danger of falling out at any time (in fact, it was hard to remove when I had to take a picture of the case without the Kindle in it), and it seemed like a wonderful casing made specifically for the all-black Kindle Paperwhite. It seemed right at home with the Kindle.

It’s a bit expensive, at a third of the cost of an entry-level Kindle Paperwhite itself, but take it from me, they don’t come any better than this.

LIKES

• It fits like a glove and doesn’t look cheap at all
• It isn’t bulky—it doesn’t add much weight and size
• It’s made of great materials—thick rubber and textured premium leather
• It has a nice magnetic clasp that puts the Kindle to sleep or wake it up when you open or close the cover

DISLIKES

• It’s kinda expensive

PRICE US$39.99

AVAILABILITY Online at Amazon

Adel

Adel Gabot is a freelance journalist, writer, editor and Palanca award-winning fictionist. In his spare time he loves Macs, his iPad and iPhone, old Sean Connery 007 movies, Stephen King books, his Kindle Paperwhite, his Nexus 7, his video games, Green Tea ice cream, Aeropressed coffee and a good Merlot. His favorite noodles: Ma Mon Luk mami.

email: agabot@gmail.comwebsite: http://blog.adelgabot.comtwitter: @adelgabotfacebook: adelgabot