As per this thread I’m aiming to buy one of the new Kindles soon (probably the 6in non-keyboard version).
I guess a cover is worth getting, and I’ve seen some with a pop-out light which cost about £50 (so over half the cost of the Kindle itself). This compares to £20-30 for a basic cover with no light.
Is it worth getting a cover with an integral light? Most of my reading will be done at home in the same place I read paper books, so the light should be fine, but are there any times when you’ve been grateful you spent the extra and got the integral light? Or does it just add weight and drain the battery?
As far as I know, it doesn’t really drain the battery if you’re not using it, though I’ve not done any rigorous testing to verify that.
As to how useful it’ll be, that depends on your particular reading habits and situations. I use it sometimes at home, because the light in my bedroom isn’t the best. I’m also known to go out to eat by myself fairly regularly; when I do that, my “dinner companion” is normally a book–or now, my Kindle. Plenty of restaurants have rather low light, and it’s definitely come in handy there. Same thing goes if you’ve got a relatively quiet pub you might visit for a few pints and a few chapters.
My wife has a Kindle with a cover like the one you describe and she loves it. She uses it when she wants to stay up reading and I’m going to sleep, on airplanes, or when she is reading in a dark public place. It probably depends on when and where you read, although with a lightweight Kindle, you might find yourself carrying it more places than you did a heavy book.
I’ve had both, and now that I’ve tried one with a light, I wouldn’t go back. The early covers without a light sold by Amazon had a defect, so I received a free upgrade, but if I was purchasing a new one, I’d definitely pay the difference.
As others have mentioned, it depends on where you read. I can read at night without keeping my wife up, and I read on the road a lot in questionable lighting situations.
It’s got three white LED in the corner light (at least mine), and the battery impact is not noticeable to me. Perhaps instead of charging it every 3-4 weeks, I have to charge it every 2.5-3.5 or something, but nothing serious (unlike leaving the wi-fi on).
I have a Sony Reader (similar eInk, paper-like display) and I’m always amused by people who demand a lighted cover. It’s just like a book! Somehow, I’ve managed to successfully read books in all sorts of conditions over the last 35+ years.
I loved the light, but it broke after about six months of having it. That is, it looks perfectly normal but when you pull it out, it no longer lights up. Sigh.
It is amazing to use - you can curl up in bed, and have no other lights on and read comfortably. I miss it.
I don’t own a Kindle, however I can shed some ahem light on the subject. I have a Sony E Reader and before I purchased the cover with light built in it was pretty much useless as I always read at night in bed just before going to sleep.
The cover with the built in light is great. It uses a single AAA battery, however the battery life isn’t that great. I get about 3 weeks with it at about an hour a night usage. It uses LED’s and the light is white and easy on the eyes.
The biggest problem is the cost of the stupid cover. $60 for the damn thing. More than 1/2 the price of the reader itself. It locks onto the reader and does provide protection so it has that going for it. It is also either leather or leatherette covered. However, in my opinion the reader is useless without the light so my suggestion is to figure in the cost of the cover with the reader.
Now if you really want to hear me complain ask me about Ebook prices. Why in the world does a EBook have to cost $17 to $20? No binding, no storing, no shipping and no retail store. I thought that the selling point of the electronic readers was the big discounts on books. Seems to me that the publishers are getting very greedy.
I use it most when I’m in bed and about to go to sleep (no need to get up and turn off the light) but I also use it at bus stops, in transit, etc. Even in a reasonably lit room, it can be nice to have a little extra focused light.
The lighted cover is awesome. I work in a small, dark room most of my workday, and find it invaluable for the dim conditions. I prefer keeping my work room dim so that people I am watching cannot see me. Also, as others have said, it’s perfect for not waking an SO while reading at night. The light is very focused, spreads well across the entire page, and doesn’t increase the battery drain so significantly that you’ll really notice it. I received the free upgrade like someone upthread did, but I would totally put down the extra money for the lighted cover were I to buy a newer Kindle.
This happened to me as well so I ended up with the light. I’ve used it a few times, and while I like it, I don’t really read in the dark that much. There’s just me in the house so the few times I’ve used it it was because of the kids in the hotel room. Other then that I don’t need it. That said it does light up the book quite well so if you are going to read at night then go for it.
I got the cover mainly to protect the Kindle when traveling, but the light is really useful. The e-ink screen does need a bit more light than a regular book - and this solution actually turned out to be very good. Haven’t noticed much impact on battery life either.
I got the black one, though. A bit more manly I think
Thanks all, I will be mostly reading in bed in the evenings, so it does sound like a plan if the missus wants to sleep. I’m not too fussed about the extra weight and as long as it doesn’t completely hammer the battery life I’m fine charging a little more frequently.
I don’t think (m)any cover options are available for the new range, so might be a few weeks before some decent cheaper covers become available.
Not a Kindle-owner here, but remember there are third-party lights that you can obtain. I bought an e-ink Nook as a gift and they had the lights available. I don’t think those are customized for the Nook, and I’d bet Amazon has the freestanding lights as well.
While the idea of a cover with the light built in has some appeal, what if it quits working? Then you’ve go an expensive case, and you’ve got to either do without the light, buy a separate one, or spend the big bucks on a new lighted case.
Not what the OP asked, but: consider a case that can allow for the book being propped up on a table - e.g. so you can read while eating. I have a Nook, and I do prop it up, but I have to lean it against something. No easel built-in and I miss it.
Last year, I gave my daughter a Kindle in a pastel-green leather case with integrated light. My personal Kindle is older and unlighted, so I was quite interested in examining hers when it came in.
I like it, and considering how she likes reading in the dark, I presume that she likes it too.
Go for it.
My wife likes her Kindle cover with the integrated light. I have a zip-up “Latitude” cover by M-Edge. I like that I can fully encase my Kindle, it fits my lifestyle, but I have lamented the lack of a light.
Just a couple weeks ago, I bought a clip-on light and I’ve gotten some good use from it.
However $25 cover and a $20 light, awfully close to the $50 that the Amazon cover has.
