Review: Verso Arc Light for Kindle - from LightWedge

Terence Eden — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 21:32:26 +0000

As you may have guessed from previous posts, I love my Kindle. I often read late into the night, which either means keeping a light on and annoying my wife - or using a book light. Normally, I'd be happy just annoying her - but I can't resist the allure of buying new technology!

I tried a few generic book lights but they were either too dim, didn't fit correctly, used obscure batteries or - as with the official booklight case - ensconced in vegetarian unfriendly leather.

Then, I discovered the Verso Arc Light - manufactured by a company called LightWedge. It's got everything I was looking for in a book light.

Small and light
Rechargeable via micro-USB
Bright
Fits other eBooks

Gratuitous Demo

Before I get into the specs - here's a demo of how it works.

The movement on the light is slightly odd. I like the way it gently slides out - but it does make it feel a little flimsy.

Rechargeable

I looked at a number of ebook lights and their either required batteries - which may be hard to find if you're on holiday - or a proprietary charger. Lightwedge have done the smart thing and made the Arc Light rechargeable via the same connector as the Kindle. That means when I go away I only need to take one cable to charge my Kindle, light, phone, and BlueTooth. Viva USB!

Bonus - it even has a charging light to let you know it's charging and when it is completely charged. It took a few hours to fully charge, but you can charge it a little at a time. It will even charge and light at the same time. At 15 hours of light on a full charge - you shouldn't need to plug it in too often.

Accessories

As well as coming with a standard micro-USB cable (no US plug - just the cable) there are two adapters to make the light fit other ebooks - they specifically mention Kindle 1,2,3,DX, Sony PRS-300 & PRS-600, Kobo and nook. I found that the fit was snug, even with a gel-case on my Kindle.

It's unlikely to fall off unless you give it a sustained shake. It's padded, so it won't scratch or mark your device.

Price

The Arc Light retails online for US$40 (~£25) - and that's before shipping from the USA. Luckily, I found a dealer in Ireland selling the Verso Arc Light on eBay. Total cost including shipping was €25 (~£22) and was delivered within a week.

Let There Be Light!

The light is bright and covers the whole screen. Naturally, it's slightly darker towards the bottom of the page - but still bright enough to read easily.

Verdict

As I said, it feels a little flimsy. Others have complained about build quality - but mine seems all right so far.

I would have liked a little carry case or pouch to keep it insulated from knocks and bumps while it isn't in use - but that's a minor niggle. The USB cable it came with was fine for charging - but didn't seem to support data transfer from my phone. As cables are ten-a-penny, it's not much of an issue.

Overall, a great accessory and a must-buy for any Kindle owner with a partner who needs their beauty sleep!