If you don’t mind buying slightly used products, Amazon’s official premium leather cover for the 12th generation Kindle Paperwhite and Kindle Colorsoft is really cheap right now, especially the ruby color.
The regular price of the premium leather cover is $64.99 at Amazon when purchased new, but currently it can be had for as little as $13.44 in “acceptable” used condition, and ones in “good” condition are only a couple of bucks more at $15.77. Or you can get one in “like new” condition for $17.02, but their idea of “new” is pretty questionable (as I found out).
I recently decided to buy a cover for my 12th gen Kindle Paperwhite, and I noticed that Amazon had used premium leather covers for really cheap so I thought I’d go that route after my luck last time.
With the last gen Paperwhite, I purchased three different open-box covers from Amazon that were listed as “like new” condition for really cheap. All three ended up being as described for the most part (the leather cover had a few light smudges on the inside flap, but otherwise they really did seem like they were in like new condition).
This time I wasn’t quite as lucky. Last week I ordered one of the ruby premium leather covers in “like new” condition for $19 and some change (the price keeps going down), and I definitely wouldn’t describe it as like new.
The first thing I noticed was a bunch of obvious scratches on the front and back of the cover, especially on the back. Some of the light scratches fade away or fade into lighter scratches when rubbed, but some of the marks are deeper and more obvious and won’t go away. However, I expected this going in.
On the product page Amazon put up the following “We want to to know” disclaimer after a bunch of negative reviews got posted soon after the new covers first launched:
Our Premium Leather Cover develops a natural patina and may mark with use. It arrives with an authentic scent from the leather tanning process. These characteristics are normal for high-quality leather and ensure your cover tells your one-of-a-kind reading journey.
Given what I paid for the cover, I don’t have a problem with the condition (except for the fact it should have been labeled as “good” condition, not “like new”). The leather feels nice and soft and the scratches don’t bother me, but there is one other problem.
My biggest issue with the “like new” cover is it smells like perfume, not leather. Luckily it’s not a strong smell, and it’s not bothering me as much as I thought it would (hopefully the perfume will continue to dissipate), but I can smell it on my hands after holding the cover. That’s definitely something to take into consideration when buying used covers if you’re sensitive to that sort of think. Someone might have used it for a month before returning it, so the “used” condition can vary considerably, despite the labeled condition.
All in all, it’s a nice cover even if it does show marks easily; that’s something you should expect if you’re going to get one. The quality of the leather is a big step up from the last regular “leather” cover I got for the previous gen Paperwhite, which felt more like vinyl than leather.
I applied leather cream to mine (Ruby) and it has made a world of difference. It still marks easily but not nearly as easily as before. I personally love the feel of my cover more then the look, but I highly recommend the cream regardless.
I also bought one in “used – like new” condition, and it had considerable wearing of the microfiber, lots of crumbs and bits of dried skin inside and even a small patch of coffee or old blood soaked into the microfiber. I have found Warehouse Deal grading pretty reliable, but this was off by two or three grades and will be returned. Still a great price if the questionable grading doesn’t bother you.