Kindle Lighted Leather Cover

Description: The official Amazon Kindle Touch Case with Light comes in 4 different colors: black, brown, olive green and dark purple. The case is made from real leather which has a smooth exterior finish (different to the pebble-dashed Kindle Keyboard case exterior) and a microfiber interior that is soft and non-scratching on the Kindle device and its screen. The word 'Kindle' is embossed discretely onto the front cover and again on the inside. Again, where it differs from the Kindle Keyboard case is that it has no elastic strap or any other mechanism to keep it tightly closed when the reader is not in use but it folds closed well without having any fastener anyway. Amazon have kept the design of this case so that it's simple, sleek and stylish.

Lightweight Cover Dimensions: The Touch device fits very snugly into this form-fitting and lightweight case with its dimernsions of 7.3 h x 5 w x 0.6 d inches and 5.4 ounce weight. It affords the Kindle protection from knocks and scrapes, especially while being transported in a bag, rucksack or coat pocket, without adding any unnecessary bulkiness or weight.

One-Handed Reading: For easy, one-handed reading, just bend the front cover back behind the device so you can hold it with just one hand. It isn't too heavy to hold this way at all and makes for very comfortable reading.

About the Built-In Light: The LED light is built into the compact case design and it gets its power supply from the reading device. No batteries are needed and neither do you need to charge the case up in any way. The light pulls a small amount of power from the Kindle while in use. As the battery life on your Kindle Touch lasts for a mightily impressive 1-2 months, using the light doesn't cause any significant battery loss or drain. The light arm on the Touch cover flips out easily at the top of your case and it is made to sit at a pre-designed angle - so don't force it right out. The light comes on automatically when flipped out and will turn off when you either push the arm back in or close your case. Cleverly, the light only works when your Kindle is actually on and does not work on screensaver mode.

Attaching the Cover: Special contact points are located both on the bottom of your Kindle Touch and match up with some connectors on the bottom interior of your case. Your device literally snaps into place by first pushing the bottom end of it into the rubberised side of the cover. It's so much simpler to fit than the Kindle Keyboard or Kindle 3 Lighted Cover which has metal prongs or hinges at the spine. Once in, the reader sits in the cover very snugly, the cover flush with the device which will not fall out.

Access to Connections: You get full access to the USB cable connection for charging the Kindle, headphone jack, power on/off button and Home button with this cover. However, it does cover the rear speakers which muffles the sound a little so you'll need to bear that in mind if having the clearest audio sound is extremely important to you. It is only an issue when using the external speakers. Using the headphone jack will be the same as normal.

Need to know more about the Lighted Cover? Get Even More FAQs further down this page. Plus Videos too!

You'll discover all you need to know about this Lighted Cover further down this page. Get all the Kindle Keyboard Light Cover FAQs plus Videos too!

The Kindle 4 Light Cover works in exactly the same way as the Kindle Touch Light Cover which is explained in detail in the Touch Lighted Cover Section. It even comes in the same color choices: black, brown, olive green and purple.

The only real difference between the two cases is the dimensions. Because the devices are slightly different in size, the cases are as well. The case for the Kindle 4 measures 7 h x 4.7 w x 0.6 d inches.

Actually there are no lighted covers for the Kindle Fire device by Amazon. That's because the Kindle fire is a full color, backlit tablet - a bit like a smaller iPad. And it has a very bright screen. The screen brightness on the Fire is adjustable so you can make it brighter (unlike the other Kindle devices) and you can also dim it down when necessary too.

Even if you could purchase some kind of external light for the Fire tablet, there really would be no point in using one because it doesn't need a light. You can read this in a pitch black room with no trouble at all. For reading in extremely bright sunshine you'd be better off with a standard (non-color) e-ink Kindle which is optimised for reading in bright, natural light. That's just the difference between how the different devices are made.

* Kindle TOUCH Lighted Cover UK

* Kindle TOUCH Lighted Cover US and Other Countries

* Kindle Lighted Cover UK

* Kindle Lighted Cover US and Other Countries

1 Does the lighted cover work with Previous Kindles?

The lighted cover only works for the Kindle which it has been made for. You can get a Kindle Lighted Cover for the Keyboard Kindle, Kindle Touch and Kindle. The Color Kindle Fire does not need a cover with light because it is backlit. The dimensions of all the Kindle models are different which is partly why the cover would not fit previous models. Also the metal hinges on the inside spine which hold the Kindle Keyboard device securely inside the cover are not compatible with previous Kindle models such as Kindle 2 or 1. The latest Kindles (Kindle Touch and Kindle 4) use connectors at the bottom of the cases instead of the spine hinge system on the covers of the previous generation.

2 Do I need a light for the Kindle?

The grayscale e-ink Kindle is not backlit. The device doesn't operate like a brightly lit computer or mobile phone because the screen is designed to be totally comfortable for our eyes to read from. This means that if you're reading in a dimly lit area, you'll benefit from some kind of light source - just as you would with a regular book. If you tend to read in the evenings, in bed or whilst traveling, then a light would most likely be a good idea. You don't need a light for the Color Kindle Fire device because it is backlit and can be read in the dark anyway.

3 What is the cover made from?

The sturdy Kindle Lighted Leather Cover is beautifully constructed and made from real leather which has a pebble-grain texture on the exterior of the Kindle Keyboard cover and a smooth texture on the cover for the Kindle 4 and Kindle Touch. The Kindle Keyboard cover is available in a range of 7 gorgeous colors and has a thick, elastic strap with a smart leather Kindle tag, which holds the cover securely in place when closed. The covers for the Kindle and the Kindle Touch come in 4 colors and have a smooth leather exterior with no fastening. The inside of the cover is lined with a soft microfiber fabric in charcoal grey which is designed to protect the screen from getting scratched.

4 How does the lighted cover attach to the Kindle?

For the Kindle Keyboard: On the inside of the cover are two gold-plated prongs along the middle spine and these are used to hold the Kindle firmly in place. This hinge system ensures that the Kindle is attached securely to the cover and will not slip out.

For the latest Kindle 4 and Kindle Touch: The covers for these use connection points at the bottom of the reading device and the bottom inside of each case. The devices merely snap into the lighted cases and are a lot more user friendly for people to manage than the hinge system on the older Keyboard device. Image: Author's Own


4 Questions Down - 12 More to Come

5 Does the Kindle Lighted Cover need batteries?

The gold-plated prongs on the Kindle Keyboard cover provide two key roles. One is to attach the Kindle to the cover and the other is to conduct electricity from the Kindle's internal battery to the light in the cover. This exceptionally clever design means that you don't ever need to worry about batteries for your lighted cover.

Because the tips of the prongs are gold-plated, this gives a reliable and steady electrical connection to the light. This ensures that you have a light that's ready when you are. And no time wasted hunting for replacement batteries - ever!

The principle works the same for the latest Kindle 4 and Kindle Touch devices except that they use metal connectors at the bottom of the device and cover instead of the hinge system which wasn't very user friendly.

6 Does the light illuminate the Kindle screen evenly?

The light is hidden inside the top-right corner of the cover for the Kindle Keyboard and the middle for the Kindle and Kindle Touch models. Simply grasp the top of the cover to pull it right out and illuminate the whole screen. The light is a little brighter towards the top-right of the screen (Keyboard model) or top-middle (Kindle 4 and Kindle Touch models) and becomes gradually darker towards the point furthest from the light. So it doesn't light the entire screen with exactly the same amount of light. However, I think this would be the case with most light accessories because the light will always be brighter the nearer it is to the original source. If this gradual difference in light is something that would annoy you then perhaps the lighted cover's not right for you.

This particular cover at least doesn't suffer from the problem which most clip-on light accessories have - and that's a very annoying bright spot where the light shines brightest on the screen. This is something that really did bug me when I tried clip-on lights before the lighted cover became available.

7 Is the light very bright?

The LED light actually is pretty bright and certainly bright enough to read by in the middle of the night with no other light source. This is perfect if you're on your own but it might disturb a very light sleeper. Unfortunately there's no way to adjust the brightness of the light so you could dim it in this situation. But then if you did dim the light then it might not be good to read by! But yes it's certainly nice and bright for all nocturnal reading.

8 Can I read one-handed while using the lighted cover?

Even though the cover is very rigid, it has been designed so you can fold the front cover behind and to the back of the Kindle so you can easily hold the device and cover in one hand. It actually feels more comfortable to read with the cover bent back like this than to hold the hard Kindle device without any cover. Image: Author's Own

Kindle Leather Cover with Light UK

Kindle Leather Cover with Light Worldwide

8 Questions Down - 8 More to Come

9 Can you charge the Kindle while in its cover?

You can plug your Kindle in to a power socket with the supplied plug and charge while you are reading. You will also be able to use the light while your device is plugged in.

10 How is the Kindle battery life affected?

There is no doubt that using the Kindle Lighted Cover (UK Kindle Lighted Cover) does drain the battery on the Kindle at a faster rate. Because the Kindle has such a good battery life and can last for weeks on a single charge, you might find that your battery is perhaps lasting for 2-3 weeks instead of 4-5 weeks. It depends just how much you use the light and your device of course.

A number of Kindle users have calculated that you could use the light continuously for something like 22 hours before the Kindle would need to be recharged. If you're only using the light for perhaps a couple of hours per day then it's really not going to have a major detrimental impact on your battery. If it really is an issue, just plug your Kindle into a wall socket where possible when you use the light.

One great feature is that the light automatically turns itself off when the Kindle goes into sleep mode. Sleep mode occurs after around 10 minutes of no use. So, if you happened to fall asleep while reading, the Kindle would go into sleep mode and the light would turn off - both of which help to preserve the battery life.

11 Does the cover add a lot of weight to the Kindle?

The leather lighted cover weighs around 8 ounces for the Kindle Keyboard and less than 6 for the Kindle 4 and Touch models. For the Keyboard device it basically doubles the weight as the 3G + Wifi Kindle 3 is 8.7 ounces. So it's like holding 2 Kindles in your hand. The weight is much less of an issue with the newer models where the devices weigh less and so do the cases too.

The cover really provides good protection for such a lightweight device but you might not enjoy reading with the extra weight - especially if you read one-handed.

If you prefer reading the device without a cover, it's easy enough to remove the Kindle and then pop it back in once your reading session is over to keep your device safe from scratches and knocks.

12 Will the elastic strap break easily?

The thick elastic band which holds the cover closed (Kindle Keyboard cover only - the newer models have no fastener) when not in use is very good quality and in over a year of daily use, it hasn't yet stretched any larger or started to show any signs of wear and tear. But, if you were unlucky enough to get a cover which was faulty, Amazon have an excellent track record of replacing and/or refunding where this is the case. Image: Author's Own

Kindle Lighted Cover UK

Kindle Lighted Cover Worldwide

12 Questions Down - 4 More to Come

13 What happens if I fall asleep while reading?

If you should happen to nod off while reading (good book was it?) then your Kindle will go into sleep mode, the screensaver will come on and the light automatically turns off. This sleep mode kicks in after about 10 minutes of inactivity. The battery on your Kindle is preserved because the device is hardly using any power in sleep mode.

14 Can you adjust the brightness or angle of the light?

I assume that the Kindle light was designed to be in the optimum working position once extended fully because there is no way to adjust the angle of it. And you do have to have the light pulled out fully in order for it to work.

There is no way to adjust the brightness of the light. It's nice and bright and I could only think that in some situations you might want to dim it a little. Having said that most light accessories don't provide a way to turn the light down.

15 Are there other types of lights available?

There are plenty of clip-on Kindle Lights (UK Kindle Lights) available if you don't like the idea of using a cover or you just prefer to have a separate light. I did use clip-on lights before the lighted cover became available and I wasn't very impressed. You need to keep tabs on where the light is for a start once you remove it. Replacing batteries can be a pain, especially if you've run out and need to purchase more or power up some rechargeable ones. And the lights I used all had an annoying bright spot in the middle of the Kindle screen which was a big distraction to reading.

You could try a head-torch! It may sound a little odd but I know of a number of people who use a head-lamp to read either a regular book or an ereading device. You may already have one to try out.

16 Why is the lighted cover so expensive?

If you stop and think about it, the cost of a premium, real leather Kindle cover plus a good quality light actually adds up to around about the same price as the Lighted Kindle Cover. So it isn't really expensive at all when you compare like with like.

The exterior of the Keyboard case is beautifully textured and the designers have even thought to add a little indentation in the cover where the thick elastic neatly sits once the cover is closed. And the way the light is integrated so neatly into the corner of the cover is very clever. Well worth the money in my opinion.

As well as a top quality cover and light, you're also getting the sheer convenience of a light that's always there with your Kindle and ready to be used. And, for once, batteries are not needed! Image: Author's Own

Kindle Leather Cover with Light UK

Kindle Leather Cover with Light Worldwide

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The introductory or top image is the author's own image. All other images unless otherwise stated are used with permission as part of my affiliate links with Amazon USA or Amazon UK and Zazzle.