I bought an official case but had to return it within a fortnight because through no particular misuse, the metal clips bent and were impossible to bend back into shape (they need to be super straight to fit). So I had a very specific need for my next Kindle case: Must not use the clips.
It's softer, shinier leather than the official case. It's a slip-in so no chance of breaking any hinges. The stand fixes are velcro rather than poppers, so there's a chance they'll wear down but even if the velcro didn't work the stand could still be used as long as it doesn't get moved around too much. It adds a fair bit of bulk to the kindle but again, it's much easier to slip it out for a lengthy read by hand than messing around with the kindle clips. When the case is closed, it is completely cased in apart from the page turning buttons, the clips and the headphone/ charger slots at the bottom so is much better for hanging around in the bottom of your bag.
All in all, I feel much more confident with this case than the official one.