Belkin Universal Case for 7- to 8-inch tablets is lightweight for your slate (pictures)

For protecting and transporting your slate, a good case is a no-brainer. The Belkin universal case for 7- to 8-inch tablets is light and provides a solid, but basic, amount of protection. Check out the full review here, or click through for more photos.

The front flap can fold into a stand and provide two different viewing angles for watching video or typing.

There's a small and stationary border on the edge to keep the tablets securely inside of the case. Its thickness accommodated all of the tablet well -- it slipped right in like Cinderella's foot in the glass slipper, but less romantic.

On the left side of the back panel you'll find two corners that stretch out like bungee cords.

The cushy protective corners almost look like bumpers on a bumper car. They give the Belkin case a drab utilitarian look on the inside that contrasts its minimal outward appearance.

When not occupied, the corners return back to their original position. After fitting a variety of tablets inside of it, they didn't seem to lose their stretch.

Open and empty, the case looks odd, but from this angle you can see the protective border and stretchy corners that anchor the tablet.

Small tablets, like the Google Nexus 7, fit fine inside of the case, but leave extraneous space around the edges.

From the outside, the tablet case looks like a journal or book. The feel of the polyurethane cover is smooth and comfortable to the touch.

The inside of the case has a soft texture that reminds me of microfiber cloths -- a nice treat for your screen.

With exception of the Amazon Kindle Fire HDX 7, the Belkin case allowed for easy access to the power and volume buttons on the right or top edges of the tablets we tried on it.

The flap on the back exposes the rear camera and a pop of color. The tablet seen here is the Asus Memo Pad 8.

Here is the Google Nexus 7 trying out the Belkin case's camera flap. It looks like a tooth poking its head outside of a sleeping bag.

Small tablets benefit from the stable design of the Belkin case, however midsize slates fit it better. If you prefer a streamlined fit, 7-inch tablet owners should keep their options open for something smaller.