Wow, that's a pretty subjective question, picardo! However, we have two Kindles in our household (I have the DXi and my husband, the K2i), and neither of us uses the cover-type protection, as we both like to read our Kindles without covers on them. Instead, we have the M Edge Page Sleeves
http://buymedge-px.rtrk.com/products/kindledx-page.psp; his is a smooth green one and mine is the pebbled purple leather shown here. We love them, and they provide great protection when we aren't actually reading — we put them right back in their sleeves — but don't create a lot of bulk if you want to put them in a bag or tote.