Review: BlackBerry Playbook Ballistic Tough Jacket Series Case

Web Site: http://www.goballisticcase.com/products/blackberry-playbook-ballistic-tj-series-case

Pricing: $69.99

Rating:

BlackBerry Playbook Ballistic Tough Jacket Series Case provides excellent protection for your Playbook. However, the protection comes with a sacrifice – the weight. The case provides three layers of protection.

Also the case has thicker Ballistic Corners for drop protection and a removable cover that can also be used on the back as a kickstand.

First you wrap your Playbook with the silicone layer, once it is in there, the hard plastic part snaps onto the silicone all around the unit. This combination provides a very tough protection. Let’s take a look at couple of pictures.

The Empty Unit, without the front cover:

With the Playbook inserted:

Back of the unit:

The front cover easily snaps onto the front, completing the protection (your Playbook will feel like a tank, literally thanks to weight). I liked the design of the front cover though, as it can be quickly removed and attached to the back of the unit. There you can push out the kickstand and voila. This will be a great way to interact with your Playbook on your desktop, for example to read news or watch movies. There is only one angle available with the kickstand. Also, unlike the Otterbox Defender, there is no screen protector included. To me, this is better, as I prefer to use my own screen protector, instead of being forced to use what comes with the case.

The ports on the device are accessible easily both on the top and bottom. The silicone covering the power/volume keys makes it easier to push these buttons, especially the power button. I wish there was a L shaped MicroUSB cable/adapter. This would definitely come handy when you are working on it extensively and using the kickstand. The kickstand was initially a bit hard to open, it secures itself pretty tight. However, after a week or two, I managed to open it without any need for a tool.

Overall I like the design and the protection the case provides. My biggest gripe is the added weight, as I love my Playbook being so lightweight. It feels like a feather compared to my Android 10″ G-tablet from Viewsonic. The case nearly doubles the weight of the Playbook (15 oz. Playbook vs 11 oz. case). However, if I am traveling I will most definitely store my Playbook in this case.

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