The Best Google Nexus 7 Case Isn't Actually a Google Nexus 7 Case...

Yeah, went all philosophical on your asses with the title but it is true, the one and only case I would only recommend for Nexus 7 tablets is actually a case I used with one of my past tablets.

Poetic Nexus 7 Case

The first style case design is by Poetic.  It holds the tablet by sliding it in and securing it shut with the flap and velcro.  This makes it too bulky for my personal taste.  I also don't like the bezel being covered in this ugly pleather.  It also isn't very snug so the edges rise up a little, hopefully later variations of this case have fixed that issue.

Another reason I bought this case was it's rotating feature.  Landscape mode is great and all, but sometimes you need to put it in portrait mode to crush your friends in 'Words with Friends.'

 

 The way the case rests when in portrait mode isn't the most stable, you have to make sure you don't press on the tablet too hard or it will dislodge from the cases ridges and your tablet will do a trust-fall on your desk.  

This particular case doesn't have the auto sleep/awake feature, which isn't a deal breaker for me.  It also has holes for the speakers.  Unfortunately, the one main feature I was looking for, rotating view, is also one of it's biggest downfalls.  The case uses a thick metal swivel for the rotation feature and it bulges out.  It swivels very easily too, if you have the case wide open, laying flat on a table, you can spin the tablet like a spinner, like a Twister selector.  This kind of sucks when you're laying down in bed reading, and you loosen your grip for one instant and the tablet swings into your face

Clamp Style Case

 

Here's a real first-world dilemma, if I want a rotating Nexus case, I have to use a quite fugly, bulky looking case.  The other option is to forgo the rotating feature in place of a clamp style case.  It has a sturdy hand strap, but a really thin strap to secure the case when it is closed.

The clamps do a good job of keeping the case secure, but in order to use the tablet in landscape mode, you have to disengage the bottom two clamps.  I can't see these two clamps maintaining their grip when you're constantly moving the tablet in and out of these two clamps.

The case is thin and clean looking.  It has holes for the speakers and the auto awake/sleep mode. 

Rotating HTC Flyer/View 4G Case

Thankfully, I had an extra rotating case from one of my last tablets, the HTC View (Flyer).  The HTC View is actually thicker than the Nexus 7, but otherwise it has the same dimensions. 

The tablet fits snugly and is very secure. Quite frankly, it looks much cleaner than the previous clamp style.

It doesn't wobble when you use your tablet in portrait or landscape mode.

The case has a perfect cut out for the micro-USB slot, even the slot for the Nexus 7 power button and volume rocker is in the same spot as the HTC View's volume buttons.  Unfortunately, you do have to cut the case to get better access to the Nexus' volume button and I did not have much finesse when I did this, but it works and the case isn't falling apart.  There aren't any holes in the case for the Nexus' speaker, and I didn't want to ruin the structural integrity of the case by doing so.  You can still hear the speaker pretty well and it's not like you're using this tablet because it has a "rocking sound system," so this isn't really a big deal.

The swivel motion is fluid but there is enough friction in the movement, that the tablet won't swing on its on. Sorry if the pictures and text show up all wonky, multiple picture and Blogger don't get along. So in the end, the best case for the Google Nexus 7 tablet is actually a case made for the HTC View/Flyer. With a little modification for the volume buttons, this case delivers.