It can be frustrating getting home after a long day, hoping to finish that Grisham classic on your Kindle- only to see that its battery has died.
On top of that, you realize you left the charger at work! Could things get any worse?
Wracking your brain, you start wondering whether you can charge your Kindle with a phone charger.
Lucky for you, the answer is most likely “yes“! Your phone charger looks like it’s going to swoop in to save your day.
The thought of using a different charger for your device for the first time can be quite the nail-biter.
Yet, you don’t need to worry.
Almost all of the micro-USB cable chargers compatible with Android devices can charge your Kindle.
In this article, we’ll get into detail on exactly what kind of chargers are compatible with Kindles, and the specific things that you should pay attention to.
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What Kind of Charger Can Be Used With A Kindle?
Generally, we fear that using a charger other than the one that came with the device might fry the battery.
However, that’s highly unlikely!
When it comes to charging devices, it’s mostly to do with the volts, amps, and watts involved.
Without getting too technical, we can say that these are just the measures of voltage, current, and power. Most chargers use the same capabilities and requirements in terms of these measurements.
All rechargeable devices have a specific voltage (V) allowance and amperage (A) input.
Most Kindle devices require a 5.0V input, which is also the standard Micro-USB voltage output.
Therefore, the most important rating to check on the phone adapter before using it with a Kindle is the voltage rating.
One of the most popular Kindles- the Kindle Fire, requires a charging input of 5.25 volts at 1.8 Amps. However, Kindle devices have a +-5% voltage tolerance. Hence, a 5.51 voltage or lower is acceptable.
On the other hand, the adapter needs a 1.8A current rating for optimal charging. Yet, using an adapter with higher amperage will not cause any harm to your Kindle device.
That’s because your device battery has a controller chip that regulates the incoming current. Thus, your device will only use as much current as it needs- however high the adapter amperage gets.
Although the USB-C is gradually becoming the industry standard, most Android devices still use a micro-USB. These cords can allow up to 15 Watts through up to 5 Volts and 3 Amps. Therefore, you can safely charge your Kindle with them.
Does A Kindle Need A Special Charger?
Generally speaking, manufacturers would advise that you stick with your device’s original charger.
In cases where you lose it, it’s also recommended that you get a replacement from the manufacturer.
However, several brands make excellent alternatives to the original.
Amazon Support advises users only to purchase USB standards-compliant accessories if they have to get an alternative.
Some Kindles come with a charger adapter and USB cable, while others come with just the USB cable. These accessories are the ones that are best suited for your Kindle device.
If your device comes with only a USB cord, you can purchase a compatible Kindle adapter on Amazon.
Alternatively, you could use any old Kindle adapter you already own or a compatible Android adapter.
Some newer versions of Kindle now support the USB-C cable. As such, you can charge these with most new smartphone USB-C chargers.
All Kindle devices allow an input rating of 9 Watts (5V/1.8A). The following is a list of Kindle models and compatible charging cables:
- Old Kindle Paperwhite – Micro-USB
- Kindle Kids Edition – Micro-USB
- Kindle Oasis – Micro-USB
- Kindle Touch – Micro-USB
- Kindle Fire- Micro-USB
- New Kindle Paperwhite (2021) – USB Type C
- New Kindle Paperwhite (Signature Edition) – USB Type C, wireless charging
Also Read:- My Phone Battery Charges Too Fast! Why? (SOLVED-2022)
Can You Wirelessly Charge A Kindle?
All versions of Kindle before the new Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition (2021) were only USB cable-compatible.
Although users created workarounds to charge Kindle devices with third-party charging pads, Amazon doesn’t officially recommend using them.
The newest Kindle comes with a USB Type-C cable and a signature edition wireless charging dock.
Wireless charging works by transmitting energy from the dock to the Kindle by electromagnetic induction. A coil in the Kindle device receives this energy and converts it to electricity to power the device battery.
The charging dock that comes with Kindle is a 7.5 Watt wireless charger in Qi-standard. It’s plenty powerful, able to fully charge your Kindle in about two hours.
Users have generally been very effusive about the new charging features of the Signature Edition Kindle. Based on the current trends, we can say that all Kindle devices will soon be USB-C compatible and wirelessly chargeable.
Also Read:- Why Do Phone Chargers Get Loose? (2 Likely Reasons!)
Related Questions
1. How long should I charge my Kindle battery?
Depending on the power of the charger, your Kindle may take anywhere from 1.5 to 3 hours to charge fully.
For example, Kindle devices come with a battery capacity of 1400mAh, with a charging input of at least 5 Watts.
A 5W rated charger can fully charge a Kindle in 90 minutes at the quickest. Of course, using a charger with lower wattage would increase charging time.
It is recommended that you charge your Kindle fully when you first unbox it. However, some experts do assert that devices that contain a lithium-ion battery last longer if charged to a level below 85%.
It’s totally up to you whether you want to try out that advice as well!
2. Does the length of my USB cable matter?
In short, yes.
Generally speaking, if two USB cables are identical in thickness and all other parameters except the length, their power transmitting rate will differ.
The difference is due to conductive materials’ resistance against the electricity that passes through.
The resistance level is in large part directly proportional to the length of the conductor. Hence, a longer USB cable provides less power to your device, which then increases the charging time.
3. What can I do to make my Kindle battery last longer?
Amazon says its Kindle devices can last up to a month with a full charge.
However, many users find themselves charging their Kindle up to a few times a month!
There are several habits you can practice to increase both the lifespan of your battery and the time between charges.
Firstly, ensure that you update your device’s firmware as much as possible.
By doing so, you’ll reduce the likelihood of experiencing a bug that would otherwise affect the battery performance.
Also, ensure that your WiFi is turned off when it’s not in use. In fact, it’s best to keep your device on Airplane mode as much as possible.
Another thing to do is check that your brightness is not excessively high and turn off the backlight.
Finally, as general advice, make sure to plug in the Kindle when utilizing the WiFi, e.g when downloading books.
In Conclusion
In summary, we can confidently say that most Android chargers are interchangeable with Kindle devices.
The first thing to check to guarantee compatibility is the type of USB cable being used.
Older devices mostly use Micro-USB, while new-generation devices utilize USB-C cables.
If you have the correct type of cable, proceed then to check the properties of the charger. These properties include the voltage (V), the amps (A), and the watts (W) the charger uses.
Following that, compare them with the requirements of your Kindle. You can safely charge a Kindle with a phone charger if all the properties match!
Knowing how to check for compatible chargers can save you from the trouble of carrying a different charger for each device you own.
Finally, paying attention to the tips and tricks we’ve mentioned in this article will help you to extend your Kindle’s battery life!
Phone chargers are one of them. Want to know what the other 14 Most Essential Smartphone Accessories are this year? Click HERE to find out!