The Best Kindle Paperwhite Cases of 2023

Amazon dominates the market for ebook readers, and for us, the Kindle Paperwhite is the best of the bunch. It’s compact, lightweight, and glare-free, with a direct connection to Amazon’s extensive ebook and audiobook catalog and many public libraries.

The most recent Kindle Paperwhites are also water-resistant (IPX8). You shouldn’t attempt to read underwater, just in case you were planning to, but you’ll be protected from rain, pool splashes, accidentally dropping it in the bath, and the occasional drink spill.

Thanks to that inbuilt water resistance, heavy-duty cases aren’t really necessary, but you should still protect your device from scratches, drops, and general wear and tear. That e-ink screen can be surprisingly fragile if you’re not careful.

When choosing a Paperwhite case, it’s worth considering how and where you’ll be reading. How often do you use your Kindle? Do you need a kickstand to prop it up? Will it mostly be used at home or often live in a purse or backpack? Do you care about its aesthetics?

We’ve put together our picks for the best Kindle Paperwhite cases at the moment, for both the current 6.8″ (11th-gen) Paperwhite and the previous model, based on their price, level of protection, aesthetics, and extra features like built-in kickstands and hand straps.

Best Overall: Amazon Water-Safe Fabric Cover

The Kindle Paperwhite Water-Safe Fabric Cover is designed by Amazon to perfectly fit the 11th-generation Paperwhite Kindle. It’s a simple, reasonably priced case that gets the job done.

The case is extremely thin and lightweight, adding barely any additional bulk to your slim e-reader. The firm cover is coated with a durable fabric similar to soft canvas, and is available in three different shades: black, blue, and lavender.

The material is water-resistant to complement the waterproof Paperwhite. Amazon recommends trying to avoid getting it wet, but it’s not going to fall to pieces if you do. The case has a magnetic closure to keep the top cover in place: closing the cover puts the Kindle to sleep, and opening it turns the device back on.

Our only real nitpick here is that the cutouts for the ports on the top and bottom of the Kindle run for almost the entire width of the case. This reduces the protection a little on the corners where you’d expect many knocks and bumps to happen. The most fragile part, the screen, remains fully protected, however.

Overall it’s a simple, functional case that does a good job, offers reasonable protection, and is made by the same company that produces the Kindle itself. On that basis, it’s our top Paperwhite case pick.

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Best Leather Case: Twelve South BookBook

The Twelve South BookBook for Kindle Paperwhite is a one-of-a-kind case for the 10th or 11th-gen Paperwhite. It’s definitely not for everyone, but if you’re looking for complete protection on all sides or want a case that will draw attention, the BookBook stands out in a crowd.

The Twelve South BookBook case is designed to resemble a vintage book cover, and does a surprisingly good job of it. It’s made with genuine leather that’s purposely hand-distressed, with gold foil edges, stitching, and embossing. The leather naturally wears over time for a real vintage look. 

The case zips up for full protection when not in use, and the hardback cover and spine add genuine crush protection, which is a bit of a rarity. It has a microfiber interior lining, an integrated kickstand, and as with many Kindle cases, puts your device to sleep or wakes it up by closing or opening the cover.

The downside is that the extra features and added protection add quite a bit of bulk to your Paperwhite. The case is 8oz and an inch thick, compared to the 0.3-inch thickness of the Kindle Paperwhite itself.

Separate versions of the BookBook are available for the 10th and 11th-gen Paperwhite, so just be sure to pick up the right one for your model of Kindle.

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Best with Kickstand: CoBak

If you like to prop up your Kindle while you reading on it, the CoBak Kindle Paperwhite Case is an affordable option that has both a kickstand and a hand strap built into the top cover.

Like most others, the case has a magnetic closure and auto wake/sleep function that turns your Paperwhite off when not in use. The kickstand fits snugly into a small cutout when you’re not using it, so it doesn’t dangle or get in the way. There’s also a small pocket for storing a couple of credit cards at the top of the stand.

The outside is made from splash-proof PU leather. It’s nothing fancy, but the price is right. There’s an anti-scratch microfiber lining on the inside to keep the screen from getting scuffed, while the hard exterior adds some crush protection.

To make room for the integrated kickstand and hand strap, the case is a little larger than other options. At a little under 0.7 inches, it’s around twice as thick as the device itself.

Available for both 10th and 11th-gen models, and available in a wide range of colors and designs, it’s a solid performer at a reasonable price for those wanting a kickstand or hand strap for their Paperwhite.

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Best Flip Case: Fintie Flip

So-called “flip” cases have become quite popular among Kindle owners lately, and for good reason. At least with the well-made ones, the front cover flips over to form a sturdy stand that lets you prop up the device and easily read hands-free at one of several different angles.

The Fintie Flip Case is our pick here: reasonably priced, available in a range of colors and styles, and strong enough to handle some abuse. The company makes Kindle cases in other styles as well (we mention one below), and in our experience, they’ve always worked well and provided impressive value for money.

No matter which color or style you go for, the outer material of the case is made from durable PU leather. The inside, by contrast, has a soft microfiber lining to prevent scratches and scruffs to the comparatively fragile e-ink screen.

The standard auto-wake/sleep feature when you open and close the case is supported, and there’s a magnetic closure to stop the front of the case from flapping around or opening up when you don’t want it to.

Many cases provide minimal protection for the bottom of the Kindle, leaving most of the area around the charging port exposed. That’s not the case here: while you can still access the USB socket and see the little LED light alongside, the rest of the base remains well covered.

If you happen to have the Signature edition of the Paperwhite, it’s worth noting that the case material is thicker than some of the alternatives, and you’ll likely need to remove it to use wireless charging. The cabled charger is unaffected, as mentioned above.

Flip cases like these are less prone to tipping over than those with the generic flap-style stand at the rear, especially when sitting on soft furnishings like cushions or bedding. If you tend to do a lot of hands-free reading in those situations, this is likely the case to go for.

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Best on a Budget: Fintie Slimshell

If budget is your top priority, the Fintie Slimshell Kindle Paperwhite Case is a cost-effective option. It comes with many of the same features as the branded Amazon case for less than half the price.

The inside of the Fintie case has a soft lining that prevents scratches, while the firm lid has a magnetic closure that automatically turns the Kindle on or off when it opens or closes. It’s made of synthetic leather for added grip, but don’t expect more than what you pay for in terms of look and feel. 

This lightweight case comes in plain black and a couple of eye-popping floral designs, depending on whether you’re trying to blend in or stand out from the crowd.

We’ve been using the 10th-gen version of this case for over three years, and it’s spent much of its life bouncing around in a backpack. The corners have started to fray in the last six months, but that’s the only sign of wear. Given how little it cost, frayed edges after a few years are far from a deal-breaker.

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Which One to Choose?

Overall, your Paperwhite case choice comes down to how you prefer to use it. Is a kickstand important to you, or is it more important to have a lightweight case that matches the thin design of the Paperwhite? Do you want something that comes in a variety of patterns and will stand out in a crowd, or are you looking for a more understated design?

For most people, Amazon's basic Kindle Paperwhite case is the best option. It’s reasonably priced, hard-wearing, and can either blend into the background or stand out from the other side of the room depending on which color you choose. 

If you want to prop your Kindle up on a stand while you’re reading it, check out CoBak's reasonably-priced case or Fintie's flip case. When it comes to style, Twelve South's high-end vintage model is very much the way to go.

Finally, if you don’t care much about aesthetics and just want a cheap, effective case for your Paperwhite, Fintie's basic slimline model has you covered.

📕 Are you a book-lover looking for more? Check out our roundup of the best apps, e-readers, and services for book lovers, and learn how to take your public library along on your travels.

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Main image via Maarten van den Heuvel (beach e-reader), product images via Amazon