Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I ordered this sleeve (aka a case) - Belkin Pleated Kindle Sleeve (Fits 6" Display, Latest Generation Kindle) Perfect Plum - for my latest-generation Kindle because I liked three of its features: (1) Its design which closes completely with a zipper, to protect my Kindle while in a purse or tote bag (or elsewhere, as noted below). (2) Its front outside zipper pocket, to carry the charging/USB cable and sometimes a bit of paper and a pen. (3) The purple color, a nice change from my usual basic black accessories. The sleeve arrived the same day as my new Kindle 3G Wireless Reading Device, Free 3G + Wi-Fi, 6" Display, Graphite, 3G Works Globally - Latest Generation. The back of the sleeve is thick neoprene fabric which provides padding for the device. There's ample padding all around the edges inside. The zipper opens wide enough to insert and remove the Kindle easily, without flopping completely open. The case is finished inside in a gray smooth knit neoprene fabric (padding included) which coddles the Kindle and won't scratch. The outside pleated front is made of a woven nylon or polyester fabric. The outside front pocket is lined with a soft gray fabric. The overall finish of the case appears to be first quality; no crooked stitching or dangling threads. The instructions say: "If it needs cleaning, you can simply hand wash the case with mild soap and water." I tested this yesterday! I took my Kindle (in its case) to a cookout because friends and neighbors wanted to see it. After the Kindle had been passed around and played with, and it was chow time, I zipped it back inside its case and laid it on a table. Then came the Chocolate Cake Incident, during which a couple of generous dollops of gooey chocolate cake and icing landed on my Kindle case. Leaving big stains when wiped off. (However, nothing bled through onto my Kindle.) Because I have a front-load washer with a "gentle" cycle, I didn't try to hand-wash the case. I applied some of the liquid laundry detergent directly to the stains, then put it in the washer for a gentle cycle in cold water. The sleeve wasn't damaged by the washing, and I set it out to air dry. I would not recommend washing this case in a top-load agitator type washing machine, or repeatedly in a gentler front-load washer. That might be too hard on the stitching, although it seems well-made and survived a machine washing. That said, I don't think I could have removed those chocolate stains with hand washing, and I'm sure that my scrubbing at them would have been harder on the case than the washer was. If in the future the sleeve seems a little grubby, I'll hand wash it. UPDATE: I still really like this cover but have quit using it for the most part. But *only* because I was finally able to get a differently-designed cover for my K3. The M-Edge Latitude Kindle Jacket, Black (Fits 6" Display, Latest Generation Kindle) is the case I had for my K2 and wasn't available when I bought this Belkin cover. I prefer reading my Kindle without removing it from a cover, but I know that not everyone shares this preference. That said, I do not regret for a second that I bought this sleeve. I still have it and may use it again. As to complaints that it doesn't provide enough protection for the Kindle - I can only urge people to use common sense. You can't put your Kindle into this sleeve and then dump it regardless into a bag of heavy or sharp objects, where the Kindle could be punched or smashed. This cover will keep random objects from dirtying or scratching the Kindle. But I would never put my Kindle (in this or any other case) at the bottom of a bag of heavy books or similar objects. This isn't bubble wrap or heavy-duty packing.