AmazonFire 7" Zip Sleeve, Graphite

I recently purchased a  Kindle Fire HDX 7" Tablet , being fortunate enough to catch the last batch when they were offered on sale here on Amazon back in early December, and decided to try this enclosure / case in order to provide protection to the device when I'm not using it.I'm completely satisfied. I've had Amazon cases for my  Kindle Paperwhite (first generation)  and  Kindle Voyage  e-readers and have been happy with the quality, while accepting that they are somewhat more expensive than other cases that are available. This case is also very well made, with very high quality stitching and materials. It also is now being sold at a mark-down price, probably to clear out remaining stock just as they've been doing for the device itself, which removes the price issue and makes it a very attractive choice in my opinion. The biggest disadvantage at the moment is that only two colors remain available, the graphite (which I have), and the lime. Anyone thinking about getting one should probably not hesitate very long.The case interior is nicely padded and overall I think it will provide a very good basic level of protection for the device when not in use. The interior color of the graphite color sleeve is similar to the lime color shown as one of the exterior color choices (this interior color can just barely be seen in the illustration of the graphite color sleeve at the top of the page). The zipper closes to provide a secure and fairly snug fit to the device, a perfect fit. The zipper runs the full length of the top and side so that, when opened, the Kindle can be very easily slipped in or out. Interior tag identifies materials as "90 % PES, 10 % PU", which I believe indicates Polyethersulfone, a flame retardant synthetic material, and PU (natural leather that is covered with a layer of polyurethane) for the strap, which also has 'kindle' in raised letters embossed on it.As the HDX is a bit 'slippery' to hold, with smooth front and back surfaces, I much prefer keeping it in this case when not in use. The vertical leather band on the front of the cover also serves as a strap which is stitched to the cover at the top and bottom leaving sufficient room left so that you can put the palm of your hand through the strap in order to hold it securely - nice. My cover had no objectionable odor even when brand new.I also like having the case separate from the device, so that I can use the HDX without any added bulk from a case. The downside of course is that I have no added protection to the device when I remove it from the case and am actually using it, so for someone who might be prone to dropping the device or uses it in environments that would put it at more risk, a protective cover that stays attached to the device may be a better choice.This case is only roomy enough to hold the bare device. If you also have an enclosure case of some sort attached to it, or anything that adds bulk to the HDX, that will make it too large to fit into this sleeve case.Overall I like it very much and consider it a very good value, particularly at the current (discounted) price. Kindle Fire HDX 7" TabletKindle Paperwhite (first generation)Kindle Voyage

I got mine 2 days after my Kindle, and it's made a nice resting place for my Kindle when not in use.Quality:I certainly don't see any creases or obvious defects in workmanship like some other reviewers have claimed. The leathery handle material tends to pick up some finger grease occasionally, but that comes off easily with a cloth. While I can't say it's made of the most amazing material or quality, it's certainly comparable to many other sleeves. It beats the $5 - 10 eBay sleeves I've gotten for other devices, by far. I can't understand why people are leaving such negative reviews, that $30 is too much for something like this, especially when they clearly could see what it looked like in the product images (did you forget to zoom?) before purchasing. What I got was exactly as pictured and described, and I have very little room for complaints about the quality.Smell:I don't know what everyone else is smelling, but we're either all old here, have stuffy noses from seasonal allergies, or I just got a different batch than everyone else. I can smell the new plastic scent when I hold the sleeve directly in my face, but it's not overpowering at all. It's certainly magnitudes less of a scent than a new car, a new printer, etc. I didn't even notice it until I read the reviews. Your mileage may vary, depending on just how sensitive your nose is. Just know that if you get one from the same batch as mine, it's on par (or less) as most other electronics out there.Product:I'm a bit concerned about the relatively small margin between the device and the zipper. I'm afraid I'm going to not put the Kindle in far enough, and have the zipper scratching up the sides. Smaller margin means less wiggle-room for the Kindle while in transit, as well as smaller size for easier handling and fit, so I suppose it's a fair trade-off -- as long as I can remember to consistently push it in all the way before zipping. Inconvenient? Sure enough. But since a 7" tablet is all about size, I can certainly deal with it.Other reviewers have complained about lack of protection. Exactly what are you expecting? If you're wanting ruggedization, you should consider getting a full case or bag instead. This is a lightweight *sleeve*, meant for portability -- to protect the Kindle from light shocks and other objects while in an outer bag or pocket. That said, this sleeve has quite a bit of protection compared to most other sleeves I've had. I feel absolutely confident it provides enough protection for what I'll be carrying the sleeve in (my MacBook Air bag, or my coat's inner pocket).As long as you are confident that a compact sleeve is all you're looking for, I believe this will do the job just fine for you too.Update (May 4, 2012):Roughly half a year since I started using the case, and it's doing great. It goes with me whenever I go out, in my car door's pocket. Restaurants, beaches, doctor offices, and stores -- it's seen them all, and no wear or stains to speak of yet. It's protected my Kindle well, and its portability is indeed excellent.Despite my initial concern for the zipper scratching my Kindle because of its tight fit, I'm happy to report that such an incident has yet to occur, and my Kindle still looks brand new thanks to it.

Does the Kindle Fire Zip Sleeve smell? Yes. Mine arrived today, and as other reviewers have shrieked to the blackened skies of woe, there's a light-to-medium plastichemical odor.Dealbreaker? Perhaps for some. Maybe my sense of smell has dulled a smidge over the years, but there's no way the sleeve's emanations will permeate a household, car, bus, bedroom, insert-enclosed-space here. After removing mine from the packaging, I parked it on my front porch in the fresh air for a couple of hours, and the scent is mostly diminished. I'm fairly confident the remaining odor will dissipate over time, but if it doesn't, I'm reasonably sure it's not going to induce mid-40s limb deformities. If you're overly sensitive to these types of odors, you'll probably want to save yourself the hassle and find something constructed from different materials.Yes, it's expensive. I knew that when I bought it. I certainly wouldn't condemn the sleeve to an asinine 1-star review based on its price. You *were* there when you clicked "Place Your Order", right? If the current release-time price is a dealbreaker, the solution is quite simple. Wait for the price to drop, or buy something else. Empowered purchasing, no?The Zip Sleeve is reasonably well-constructed and forms a nice snug fit around the Kindle Fire. The interior, as other reviewers have noted, is sufficient for protecting and cushioning the tablet. The zipper enclosure is solid. The color scheme is appealing, and the Amazon branding isn't obtrusive. I've had bad and good tablet and smartphone cases, and the Zip Sleeve falls in the upper 20% as far as form factor, usability, and construction go. I'll rate it here the same: 4/5.

First off, I do not see one thing that I would inform a potential buyer of this sleeve that contrasts what one should expect. Meaning, this sleeve is exactly what I thought I was receiving.It fits my Kindle Fire snugly and securely. The padding is not immense, but I did not expect a great amount or want that much since I wanted a sleeve, not a case. The feature I appreciate most in the Fire is its slenderness, therefore I only wanted a sleeve to add a bit of added protection without the cost of adding too much bulk. This sleeve does exactly that for me.Secondly, in regards to the infamous "smell," I did not experience that with mine. It could be an earlier production method that caused the problem for some of the reviewers, but when I stuck my nose to my Fire, I smelled precisely what I would expect a sleeve to smell like...in other words, I barely smelled anything and would have never even attempted to find out the smell but for the earlier reviews discussing it (which still hold merit!). Perhaps only the manufacturer and/or Amazon could tell us for sure if something was changed in the manufacturing process.Lastly, I am OK with the price (gasp!). You should always expect first party companies to charge a premium for their hardware's accessories. There are higher profit margins to be gained from the unnecessary "stuff" than the original hardware. Is the material and design worth 30 dollars? Absolutely not. But given this sleeve 1) has Amazon's name, 2) is intended for an Amazon product, and 3) is made solely for this particular model (Fire) of Amazon's hardware (Kindle), I am comfortable paying a bit more than a 3rd party product that in addition to not be developing for its own equipment, could be soliciting products that are intended for different models of hardware.With that said, I rate this product 5 out of 5 stars.

Electronics cases are a weird industry; most of them are relatively basic pieces of foam, neoprene or various plastics and cost a lot compared to what they are. Electronic device cases are kind of a necessary 'evil' in some ways.That said I'm still pleased with this case. Yes, it was thirty bucks but I do appreciate that it's a classy looking thing. I have the charcoal version, with the honey 'leather' strap and it's very tweed-like. Yeah, it smelled a bit when I first unwrapped it but that smell is gone 3-days later (I've had laptop bags that were waaaay worse. Like stinking up my entire apartment ...)The protection is adequate and I like how it zips only 1/2 of the way open (an "L-shaded" zipper) which makes it difficult for the Fire to slip out of the bottom as you unzip it. It's also nice and snug so the overall package is not too bulky.All in all, I'm pleased that this bag is a nice presentation. Usually I don't care about this stuff as I just want protection when I throw my electronics in my backpack. But this case merits being left on my desk for all to see ...PS: Many people seem not to know about AmazonBasics. I'd advise doing a search here on Amazon for that term and you'll see all of Amazon's house-brand cables, cases, CD-r and so forth. This is relevant as they make several generic neoprene cases for all sorts of electronics. Often time you can avoid the major brand names if you just want a simple case, even one that might be an inch too big, as you transport your devices to and from work or school. AmazonBasics have always been super good bargains, in general. Just a random example; not saying this is proper for a Fire necessarily but to give you an idea of what I'm talking about: B002VPE1Q6