Review: Sony Reader Lighted Reading Case

I’ve had the Sony Reader (PRS-505) since Christmas and I really have come to love it. It’s only since school has ended that I’ve really had a chance to read a lot, and that has highlighted a major issue, not only with the Reader but other eReaders — lack of a backlight.

The new PRS-700 model includes a light, which is great; except that it’s not sold in the UK. The PRSA-CL1 retails in at around £30-£35 and with the price of the Reader being £199 it may well be worth looking at importing the new 700 model from the US despite the screen being of a poorer quality.

Design

Sony always do a great job with the design of their products, and the lighted case is no exception. The design is similar to the included leather soft case case but adopts a more stylish black than the standard ‘tan’. It is easily removed if you wish to hold the Reader naked, using the hinge clips in exactly the same way as the included case. I did however find the case to be much more rigid and supportive, not moving around as much and making the reading experience that much more enjoyable.

Tan and Lighted Case side-by-side

The case however does add a fair bit of weight to the device, weighing in at 240g. It is also substantially thicker and wider than the tan case included with the PRS-505. Having said that, I like the additional weight. It makes the device easier to hold and feels much more case like when the light on the book is flipped to the left. The size is also not an issue and the ability to read in the dark makes it a much more useful device.

The Added Weight and Thickness Are No Issue

The light also has some nice design features. The clear plastic cover protects the screen and lights it at the same time. It’s made from a stylish matte black plastic and chrome, complimenting the Reader’s design nicely. The PRS-ACL1 also includes two light levels, which help to maintain battery life and are good if your eyes begin to hurt.

Pros & Cons

The pro of the lighted case is fairly obvious, giving the ability to read in the dark at ease. There are however many cons, and some of them are quite substantial. While the light is extremely effective, it is very susceptible to picking up dust. This isn’t a major issue and the text on the screen is very much still readable, but it can be a little distracting.

The device also requires it’s own power source, running from AAA batteries. It would have been nice for Sony to have allowed it to use the Reader’s battery, but I guess this was done to keep the Reader’s battery life as good as possible (I get about 1-2 weeks on a full charge with constant reading). The light does last a long time though, with Sony claiming as much as 38 hours usage on the lowest lighting setting.

Glare is an issue when using the case during the day as the Reader is lighted using an overlay that covers the e-ink screen fully. This is an innovative way of lighting the screen and prevents the ’strobing effect’ you get with normal back lights, giving a clean and well lit area to read from. The glare can be combated easily though as the screen overlay can be flipped off of the screen allowing you to read with ease.

The PRS-ACL1 Lit In A Dark Room

Text from the device while lit is extremely clear but is lacking of a little contrast that you would usually have when using the Reader without the case. This however, is almost unnoticeable and when using the device in the dark you simply do not care.

Text On The Reader

One final gripe I have with the case perhaps is me just being too ‘wanting’. I feel that it would have been nice if Sony made the case from leather, rather than the ’soft case’ material they used for the standard tan one. You either have a light, or a leather case and it would be nice to have both.

Overall

Overall, I feel that the case is a fantastic one. It’s stylish and matches the Reader’s design supremely. The light works well and really is one of those accessories that really is a necessity. While there are some issues, I would say that they £30 for the ability to read wherever you like really outweighs those cons and I would recommend the PRSA-CL1 to anyone with a PRS-505.