I am such a book fanatic and love reading one any time I get the chance.  Several years ago, it wasn't uncommon to spot me out and about with a huge novel half sticking out of my purse, but since then, I've converted to the eReader way of life via the Amazon Kindle 3.

It's just so much more convenient to have all of your reading material instantly available at your fingertips.  Everything from my favorite newspapers, books, magazines and even blogs are all contained inside the thin frame of my Kindle.  Unfortunately, I haven't taken my Kindle with me as often as I'd liked to simply because I'm scared that I will damage it in some way.

While my thick novel could take a beating, my Kindle most certainly cannot.

That's why I was happy to discover the Kindle 3 Commuter Series Case from OtterBox.  Keep reading to learn more as I took this protective case out for a spin around the block:

Never Fear Those Drops and Shocks with an OtterBox Commuter Case

The Commuter Series of protective cases from OtterBox was designed with active lifestyles in mind.  These durable cases use multi-layer technology to safeguard your electronics from the following:

The super tough outer back piece of the OtterBox Commuter Case is made from a thick polycarbonate which successfully protects your device in the event of drops.  Couple the polycarbonate shell with the flexible silicone surrounding layer and you have a protective force to be reckoned with.  This silicone layer successfully plugs up any and all points of entry (save the speaker and ports on the bottom), shielding your device from dust.  It also provides a great grip, so that hopefully, you'll be less likely to drop your device.

The silicone layer of the OtterBox case does hinder the page turning keys slightly, but to me, this isn't really a big deal.  There's only one thing that I consider a downside to the OtterBox Kindle 3 Commuter Case and that concerns the included screen protector.  Unlike the Defender Series cases, which include a built-in screen protector, the Commuter Series contains an extraneous protective sheet which must be applied directly to your Kindle's screen.  The problem is, the screen protector that OtterBox includes is quite shiny, which then throws a horrible glare on the reading area.

One of my favorite features of the Amazon Kindle 3 is the anti-glare screen which is easy on the eyes like a paperback.  Because I'm not willing to give up that feature of my eReader for the protection that could come from the OtterBox screen protector, I installed the Commuter Series Case without using it.  Now, I have an obvious "chink in the armor", making me still a little leary to just drop my Kindle directly in my purse for fear of scratching the screen.

If somehow OtterBox could design an anti-glare screen protector and include that along with their Commuter Series case, they'd have a great product.  Until then, I recommend using a sleeve coupled with the Commuter case for the ultimate in protection.

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Disclosure: I received the Kindle 3 Commuter Series Case in Black from OtterBox in order to facilitate my review. No other compensation was received. This product review is based on my own personal experiences with this item and is completely honest and objective.