Top critical review
3.0 out of 5 starsLove screen instant on, kickstand is pretty bad.
January 10, 2018
I ordered this case after receiving a Fire HD8 for Christmas, and have been pleased overall. The case fits snugly, feels very sturdy, and has a pleasing finish on both the hard plastic back and the flexible front cover. I appreciate that there are ample cutouts for all the buttons, a given typically, but also a cutout for the Micro SD card slot, which some cases I've used in the past didn't account for. I also love the instant-on function of the case where it will turn the screen on when you open the front cover without having to hit the power button. This is extremely helpful, and was so unexpected I found myself still pressing the button, turning the screen off, for a couple of days before I got used to this great feature.
One gripe I do have with the case is the "kickstand" feature of the foldable front cover. The front cover is supposed to fold into a triangle to act as a kickstand, however in use it's somewhat difficult to get it to hold correctly, and then when it does the cover has a tendency to spring open as soon as there isn't a restraint holding its shape. It's a neat feature in practice that just doesn't always work correctly.
Edit: I ended up buying a new case for my Fire HD 8. It got to the point that the kickstand simply wasn't good enough for my usage needs. I often watch videos to fall asleep while at hotels, etc, and found that I could not satisfactorily balance the tablet on my chest without it falling over. The magnet itself didn't seem to be able to hold the kickstand in the triangle position reliably either. Unfortunately most cases these days use the same folding stand concept, so I will have to do some research.