At just over 56% of the cost of the Kindle, the cover is quite pricey... and I'm not entirely convinced it's worth it.

For your money you receive the neatest and best-fitting case/light combination available. The leather is smooth and well-stitched (for those of you who own Amazon Kindle Keyboard covers, the whole outside part of the new cover is now made from the same texture leather as the smooth section on the right-hand side of the front cover). The Kindle clips snugly and neatly into a hard rubbery tray-type slot which has sculpted edges to allow access to the page turn buttons, power switch and micro USB port.

A couple of good, hard presses and your Kindle is safely housed - and not coming out again in a hurry. The inset design is a really nice feature, making Amazon's the only case I've found that doesn't in some way obscure the front of the Kindle, whilst giving the best protection to the corners and sides that I've seen anywhere. The Kindle connects to the case via the two little square metal 'tabs' on its reverse side - these make contact with 2 small retracting prongs in the tray slot of the case. Very neat, and very easy to set up. The new, centred position of the reading light definitely feels less vulnerable than the pull-out style of the Kindle Keyboard covers.

One of the best features of the Amazon lighted leather cover is that it shares power with the Kindle, without causing too significant a drain on battery life (in my experience, less drain than having Wi-fi switched on). There's no need for heavy/cumbersome batteries that need replacing and add significantly to the bulk of the case - you just recharge your Kindle as/when needed.

The packaging the cover comes in is really minimal - a DVD/CD style envelope and the cover in a plastic bag inside. There were no instructions at all (and they're really not necessary), but also no sign of a warranty document: unusual for Amazon who include a 19-page brochure with even a basic camera lens-cleaning pen... though I'm confident that if anything goes wrong an email to Customer Services will work its usual magic.

So why not five stars for the neatest case + light solution around?

The case is very small, very light, very neat and extremely pocket-friendly. But what it's gained in functionality it has lost in quality. It doesn't feel anything like as robust as the Kindle Keyboard case. Although the felted lining is the same, there's no cushioning at all in the front cover and the spine is disappointingly floppy (there won't be anyone needing to ask if it can be bent back: it does this on its own). The reading light points directly down the page, creating a slightly shaded area in the upper corners of the screen and as it has no shielding at the top it shines into your eyes. Above all, though, I'm disconcerted by the lack of any form of closure. This doesn't inspire me with a great deal of confidence that things won't work their way between the cover and the Kindle screen when it's in my bag.

I loved the previous generation of covers, and expected to feel the same about this. Instead, it's a slightly damp and expensive squib that protects the Kindle in exemplary fashion at the back and sides but overall hasn't been as well thought-out as it could have been.

I've had this cover for a couple of weeks now. Initially my impressions were fairly positive. But not wholly. I agree with the reviews that question the price tag on this and prefer the standard of the Kindle Keyboard covers. For the price, this feels flimsy and the presentation is poor. The fit of the Kindle is tight, but the slot it goes in is rubberized, so a tweak to one of the corners of the case releases it. The light is OK. The power-sharing with the kindle is excellent. NO BATTERIES!!!! But the light is not even on the screen and shines in my eyes.

On receiving this I thought the fact there's no way to close the cover would be my biggest problem. It isn't. The biggest issue has been the lack of durability for the leather. It looks nice when you unpack it. The Wine Purple is a lovely colour but the leather is ridiculously easy to damage. Just using the case for bedside reading caused a number of marks: I have no idea how!! And one trip in my handbag has left nasty unsightly gouges. My coover is beginning to look like a teenager's school shoes. And my bag wasn't exactly crammed. It had my purse and keys in it, the covered Kindle and a couple of receipts. My keys are stored in a leather key protector, so there was nothing obvious you'd expect to cause damage.

Amazon, this case is poor. After nearly a year and a half of regularly carrying it around with me, my Kindle Keyboard cover seems close to pristine. After a couple of weeks the new cover is badly marked and I avoid taking it with me, as I feel I need a cover and closure for my cover. Totally impractical.

I preordered this cover at the same time as preordering the kindle. At the time I was aware I would have to wait to receive it and given an estimated dispatch date of the 22nd November, the date arrived and my cover was dispatched on time; as I still had a pile of paper backs to get through its arrival a few weeks after my kindle was not a problem, although I can understand others' disappointment.

Bought it when the colour was described as purple but the images fortunately give an accurate representation of the colour and I am very pleased with it (Had it been a more vibrant purple I would have probably opted for black).

Fits snugly and securely around the kindle as you would expect and does not interfere with the ease of using the device. I've read comments about people wishing it were padded but I feel this would then add too much bulk and extra unnecessary weight to such a sleek design. As for it not having a mechanism to keep it closed; personally I like the simplicity and this "book-like" quality. The light is fantastic and reading in bed the front of the cover can be held at an angle to stop any light escaping and disturbing your other half (This would be my husband's favourite feature)!

It seems like a quality product that I am happy to pay £50 for but I guess only with time and continued use will I see how it holds up.