Review: Amazon's own 5V charger for Kindles
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 09 30, 2013
This is the official AC wall charger that Amazon now recommends for the Kindle Paperwhite, Kindle Fire HD 7", Kindle Fire, Kindle Touch, Kindle Keyboard, and Kindle DX. It does not include a USB charging cable, but every Kindle to date has included a cable (USB Type A to Micro USB). (Many tablets and cell phones also use the same type of cable.) The output for the adapter is 5V~1.0A. Amazon states that this adapter will fully charge a Kindle Paperwhite in less than 5 hours.It's a good charger, well matched with the Paperwhite and other Kindles and Kindle Fires. A few years ago, I bought some extra Amazon AC chargers (Amazon 5W USB Charger) for the nieces and nephews when my wife and I upgraded and gave them our old Kindles. These older-model chargers have been very reliable, but their output is 5V~0.85A, so it would take longer to recharge a Kindle with one. Since I've seen special deals on the older-model charger recently, my guess is that Amazon will be phasing them out soon and going with the new charger that was just released.The charger itself is compact, very solidly made, and the folding prongs are a nice touch that makes it easier to pack the charger without poking holes in things. There are many other third party 5-volt power adapters on the market, but if you want the confidence of buying a genuine Amazon product, this is the charger you want. Alternatively, if you already have a DC 5V charger with an output current around 1 Amp, you can use it. It's your choice.