Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Leather CoverWhen Amazon sent me a Paperwhite 3 to review, they included an Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Leather Cover, and I’ve been using the cover for a couple of weeks now, long enough to form some impressions.

I like the cover. It feels good in the hand, and it has a tiny bit of extra “cush” which other covers don’t have. The sleep/wake function performs flawlessly, and the magnet closure holds the cover closed, kind of no matter what I do with the case. The leather material feels nice to my fingers, although, because it is textured and patterned, it doesn’t actually feel like leather to me. I prefer my leather smooth.

According to the product listing, it’s “Designed by Amazon to be the lightest and thinnest protective cover for Kindle Paperwhite.” More on that in a minute, but it is thin and doesn’t add much weight or bulk to the Kindle. It folds back easily for one-handed reading, even for long reading sessions. Over the weekend, I curled up with a very good book (series review coming as soon as I finish the final book) for several hours, reading one-handed, and experienced no hand cramping or discomfort.

Because Amazon hasn’t changed the dimensions of any of the various versions of the Paperwhite, this cover will fit them all, from the first version to the latest.

As I said, I like it. However, here’s the question. “Is it worth $39.99?” I’ve reviewed and enjoyed Inateck covers, and they are currently running between $12.99 (for the model I reviewed first) to $15.99 (for the one I reviewed in May). That’s lots less. Is the Amazon case worth more than twice as much?

I’m going to have to say no. The $15.99 Inateck case is actually a tiny bit thinner than the Amazon case. It’s also a bit narrower. Not that it would make a practical difference in use, but Amazon shouldn’t be claiming the “thinnest” case anymore. I’ve liked the feel and quality of the Inateck cases. I’ve been using one of them for more than 6 months, and it hasn’t shown the slightest bit of wear, so you’re not sacrificing quality or longevity by purchasing the cheaper case.

I guess it comes down to how important leather is to you because that’s the only practical difference between the Amazon case and the third-party ones. My feeling is that if the feel of leather is important to you, it would be better to spend more and go for something like the Oberon case. Yes, they cost more than the Amazon case, and they are heavier, but if you want a gorgeous leather case which doubles as a work of art, you can’t get better than Oberon. (I’ve never had one because I’m not crazy about the loop fasteners Oberon uses, but I still drop by their site and admire them on occasion.)

Now I’m curious. Have any of you spent your own money for an Amazon leather case? Did you think it was worth what you paid for it? (No fair responding if you managed to get it on sale!)

5 COMMENTS

  1. No, I’ve never paid for an Amazon case. I did buy an EVA zip case for my PW, but I don’t use it anymore.

    I do have a case I bought, and that I use on my PW. It’s an old jetBook cover, which fits perfectly and works better than the EVA case. Let’s just call it being green and recycling the case long after the reader is gone.

    And then there is the late departed Kindle Keyboard EVA zip case that I used for the Nexus 7 that replaced the jetBook, and which is now used for a Samsung GT8. The Nexus 7 is still used at home, caseless. The GT8 has a cellular modem, better for travel and needs a case.

    In a world where protective cases outlast readers 3:1, maybe we’re doing something wrong. I’m sure I’ll find a use for the EVA PW case someday.

    Regards,
    Jack Tingle

  2. I’m a big fan of my Inatek cover – nice aqua color that stands out so it’s harder to misplace; the synthetic material is easy to clean and hasn’t shown any wear yet; and the sale price was less than fifteen dollars. I would totally have gotten a leather Amazon cover, but 40 bucks? No, thanks, I don’t need to impress anyone, and I’d rather spend the extra money on books.

  3. When I bought my PW 2 I just added the original Amazon case (just as Amazon wanted me to 😉 ) it’s 29.99€ in Germany (Kindle stuff is a bit cheaper here, because there is a serious competitor (Tolino)).
    The case is great, fits perfect, offers great protection, has that nice leather touch. So I think it is worth it’s money.

    Later on I bought a PW for my brother and since I am not rich, I opted for the Inateck case for him. I asked him, if he wanted to swap – he did not. The same happens with my boyfriend. So I finally bought my own Inateck case. It is 2mm thinner and also 1mm narrower and 2mm shorter than the Amazon leather case. That doesn’t sound like much but you can feel it, it fits better in my pockets, it’s easier to hold…
    I like the case, but after some weeks you can already tell, that the Amazon case is more durable.
    So there is no clear winner for me.

  4. For my Paperwhite 1, I got the Amazon leather case. For Paperwhite 2, it was a rooCase which I have likely used more than the leather case, and it shows no signs of wear. At the time I bought it, the cost was around $12 or so and that is the case I’m now using on Paperwhite 3. I also like the Omoton smart cover which is what I have for the Voyage, cost around $15. All of the covers mentioned have the magnetic open and close feature. I would never again buy an Amazon leather cover because I think the others are just as good.

    Juli, what cover did you get for your Kobo Glo HD? I am using one made for the Kobo Glo and it fits just fine but the magnet part does not function.

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