Review: Good cover, though pricey
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 3, 2013
This leather cover fits the paperwhite extremely snugly- so much that I'd say it's almost a permanent fixture. That's fine, because it really is very light and useful. The autowake works well, and the power port is accessible with it closed. This isn't a 'standing' cover, but that's not a big deal for this device anyway since it has no speakers. The flap folds flush backwards and is magnetic, so it stays closed. Overall, it's an attractive, light cover that offers good protection. Whether the paperwhite needs said protection to begin with is a bit debatable, but it's useful enough with the autowake to justify the 'weight tax.'As with its bigger Kindle Fire HD cousin, this cover is also NOT genuine leather. You'll note that the Amazon description very carefully does not claim such, using the deliberately ambiguous term 'natural' leather instead (meaning it isn't plastic or rubber). This is because it's bonded leather, which is considerably less durable than genuine full-grain leather. You can easily and permanently scratch and tear bonded leather of this type, even without a particularly sharp object. In fact, I've managed to do it to BOTH this cover and my Amazon KFHD cover already- not really sure how either! This doesn't compromise the functionality of the cover, but it does looks a bit unsightly. So far I haven't had problem with it getting moisture damage, but I wouldn't be surprised if that starts to show in time.That aside, the cover is darn expensive considering what it's made of. No question about it, Amazon is making a killing off these. If a competitor produced one that had the same features, they could probably undercut it by 50% or more and still make a profit. Eventually, I'm sure another one will come out that's as good or better, but so far it is the best choice I've seen. The many color options are also nice.Pro:Can charge closedAutowakeLight and functionalCon:ExpensiveBonded leather elements not particularly durable