One of the downsides, such as it is, about the
Kindle: Amazon's New Wireless Reading Device and any other device using the revolutionary eInk display is that, just like a paper page, you need external light to read it. By far I think that a non-lighted display is a great thing as it seems far less tiring to my eyes, but it also means that one must have decent lighting in order to read the screen comfortably. This is even more important since, for some, the contrast of black text on a gray background is hard to get used to.
That's where having an accessory like the Mighty Bright XtraFlex2 Light becomes really important. The light is by far the best reading light I personally have seen, with it's long flexible neck which makes finding just the right position a breeze. The wide mouth clip is strong but not overly tight, making it easy enough for me with my limited strength and manual dexterity able to open it, but also leaving more than strong enough to attach firmly to any surface. In my case, I place my Kindle in the
Kindle Reader Stand, so I attach the Mighty Bright to the back of the stand.
I love that the lights are LED. A previous reading light I've owned had a small traditional light, and it got hot very quickly. Being disabled and therefore normally using the light on a bed, trying to stand it next to my book (as it had no clip on mechanism) always left me worried about it falling over and burning me, or my inadvertently touching the exposed bulb. Not a problem with the Mighty Bright LEDs, which always stay cool to the touch. Also the ability to use either one or both of the twin LEDs is very useful, as one can (presumably) cut down on battery drainage when the brighter setting is unnecessary.
As for glare on the Kindle screen, a problem other reviewers have mentioned, it is a minor annoyance, but I found the simplest solution is to position the light so that it extends around or just below the Kindle's upper corners to rest off to the side of the screen, with the light itself angled more directly toward the Kindle itself, or perhaps aimed toward a point just to the side of the screen. That seems to keep enough light on the screen to read while keeping the reflection of the bulb off the screen itself. But I am lying down on my bed with the Kindle in its stand beside me more on eye level. Your experiences may vary as you will likely be viewing from a different position.
I can't speak to battery life as of yet as this is an early, first impressions review, after having owned and used the light for a few hours as I write this. But the Mighty Bright looks and feels solid and well made, and with that and its usefulness to me in helping me to further enjoy my Kindle experience, I'd say it's well worth the somewhat high price of $17.99.
Even if this isn't a product you will use every day, for anyone who wants to have the full range of "must have" accessories, you should put the Mighty Bright at the top of your list.
- Gregory Bernard Banks, author, reader, reviewer
