Octovo Kindle Light
The past few days I’ve been using the new Octovo Kindle Light. Thanks to Octovo for giving us this advance look; the light will be available around the end of March 2010, through Amazon and through the Octovo site.
The light is constructed from high-end aluminum which gives it lightness, strength, and a sleek finish.
The underside has a plastic clip attached to it. This clip is sized to fit snugly over the top of the Kindle 2 (or Kindle DX). The lower side of the clip in the photo has a cushiony rubbery pad that grips the light securely to the Kinde.
The light is only 0.85 ounces (24 grams). (The AA battery adds another 0.85 ounces to it.) The total 1.7 ounces is light enough that it does not add noticeably to the weight of the reader.
The LED turns on automatically when the light’s arm swivels outward.
Here’s a shot in a darkened room, showing the pattern of light thrown by the LED. Octovo tells me that the LED is designed to bring forward the contrast of the text on the screen. The LED throws a soft tone; I found it reasonably diffuse so that it allows for ease of reading, even in dark conditions.
When viewed from normal reading angles, I found no glare or reflection from the light.
KindleWidow gives it her stamp of approval.
The battery is accessed by swiveling the arm to the rear, then sliding back the cover. The cover can then be lifted to access the AA battery. Octovo indicates the battery will last a minimum of 25 hours.
The light also fits onto the Kindle DX, shown below. The lower part of the DX screen isn’t lit up quite as brightly as the area nearer the light, but I found it adequately lit for reading over the entire real estate of the DX screen.
How does the Octovo Kindle Light fit when your Kindle is in a cover? I found it most satisfying to use when holding the Kindle “naked”, but I also tried it successfully on several different covers.
It works, for example, with the Amazon Kindle case, as well as Octovo’s weave case and quilt cases…
…and with TuffLuv’s flip and book-style cases.
The light doesn’t have room to clasp when your Kindle is in a case that use a retention system that claims the Kindle’s upper edge (such as Speck’s DustJacket cover, shown below).
Summary: The Octovo Kindle Light is a beautifully designed, lightweight, and nicely finished Kindle light. It works well with Kindle 2, lighting up the entire display evenly with a diffuse, eye-friendly bath of light. It also fits on Kindle DX, although some might find the light not bright enough for lower parts of the DX display. Not available for original Kindles. The replaceable AA battery is a plus for convenience. It’s available for purchase at the end of March, and will retail for $29.99. The light will come in a protective pouch, which was not available for this pre-release review. Octovo also plans to make it available for Nook and Sony eReaders. Highly recommended.
Specifications
Light: LED
Battery: One AA battery (not included)
Battery life: 25 hours
Price: $29.99
Available: March 2010 through Amazon or from Octovo
