I saw a post on Reddit the other day about how someone added wireless charging to their Kindle Paperwhite and I thought it was a pretty interesting workaround.
It doesn’t require any technical work and only costs a few bucks. Looking over some of the reviews at Amazon this is something that has worked for a long time, but I just never knew it was an option before.
Basically all you have to do is plug a Qi wireless charging patch into the Kindle’s USB port and then stick the patch onto the back of the Kindle and tuck it inside a case so you don’t have to mess with plugging it in every time you need to charge the battery.
The plug is small enough not to stick out and the charging receiver is flat enough to sit behind a Kindle in a case (although it might be a tight fit with some cases).
Of course you’ll need a Qi wireless charger as well if you don’t already have one for another device.
I haven’t tried this myself since I tend not to use cases with Kindles, and I’m not sure if it would work very well with the Oasis’s unusual design, but it looks like an easy way to add wireless charging to other Kindle models.
Search the word “kindle” on the page for the charging patch linked above and you’ll find a bunch of positive customer reviews saying it works well with Kindles. In the Reddit post there’s a link to a cheaper charger but it has worse reviews so you might want to shop around for the best option.
If you decide to try this make sure the orientation of the plug on your Kindle matches the charger. I’m not sure if all Kindles have the plug oriented with the narrow side up or not.
Neat! I just ordered one (and a wireless charger). I’m pretty sure I have extra wireless chargers but I’m not sure where I stashed them. All of my phone cases have Popsockets, so I use their wireless charger since it has a hole for the popsocket. 🙂 Thanks for sharing this.
Will this work for Kindle Fires? We have 5 and love them all but I definite hate having to plug them in..
Yeah, it’ll work with all kinds of devices. The article could apply to all makes and models of ereaders and tablets as well. I just singled out Kindles because that was what I came across on Reddit.
I didn’t even know this was an available option. I like that they have different variants to use with other devices as well. Definitely plan on getting one for my Paperwhite and likely for some other devices. I have wireless chargers set around in different areas of my home and this would make it much more convenient in charging everything.
Nice, I wonder if they have this with a USB type C connector.
They do.
I did this with my Kindle basic 2019 and love it. I purchased my tag and charging base at the Steren store in Mexico. I got the mid-range charger as the cheapest option didn’t seem to work. The charging tag is rated at 800 milliamps which slowly charges the device. I figure it’s not a bad thing as it would be less stressful on the battery. The point is that it works and it makes it a lot easier to keep it charged.
An update and word of warning: Today I had left my Kindle to charge on the wireless charger and a few hours later I went to check on it and it was really warm. The base was starting to melt and turn brown. So, maybe this isn’t such a good idea after all, or maybe it was the model I was using. I was using the Steren ELI-798 tag and the Steren ELI-795 charging base. I’m planning to take it back to the store for a refund, which I hope they give me. I wont be doing this again. It was nice not having to connect a cable to it, but it seems that at least with this particular model it was not a safe thing to do after all.
One more update on my experience: Steren wouldn’t refund my money, rather just exchange the damaged equipment with a new one. So, I attempted to use it again, but this time I used a much lower amp rated wall adapter. Turns out the power input of the charging base is 1.5 amps. I was using a 2 amp adapter. Now I found one that is rated at 850 mili-amps. And it works without getting hot. There is still some warmth, but not to the extent that there was before, which lead to the melt down. The lesson here is to make sure you don’t exceed the input rating of the charging base. You can’t just use a higher amp adapter thinking the charging base will only use what it needs.
Just an update… This works GREAT with my PW 4 and my Oasis 3. Both are in vertical flip cases and the change works through the cases. It takes a little maneuvering to hit the “sweet spot” with my Anker wireless charger, but it does work! I didn’t stick the charge receiver to the back of either Kindle as the cases hold it where it needs to be. I need to get another receiver for my Voyage. 🙂
Thanks for the update, good to hear it works with the Oasis’s design as well. My phone charger is finicky about the “sweet spot” too. The first one I had was really easy to find the sweet spot but the one I have now requires precise placement.