Amazon has made some massive leaps and strides in terms of quality where its Kindle lineup is concerned – it feels like long ago that it first added a backlight, for example.
That’s not all that has changed, though, and more models arrive every couple of years. One welcome addition to some top-end options has been water resistance – find out all the key details, right here.
Which Kindles are waterproof?
Amazon started adding water resistance to its Kindles in around 2018, meaning there are now a few models that have IP ratings for their water resistance.
Those models are:
- Kindle Oasis (2nd generation, 2019 onwards)
- Kindle Paperwhite (4th generation, 2018 onwards)
- Kindle Paperwhite (5th generation, Signature Edition)
All of these versions have the same level of resistance – IPX8.
There are plenty of Kindle versions that therefore don’t have any water resistance – including all models of the basic Kindle, no matter when you bought yours.
Amazon Kindle Oasis
The ultimate reading device, this is for book lovers who consume books at speed and want the best device available to read them on.
How waterproof are these Kindles?
That IP rating (IPX8) might not have a big number on the end, but it’s actually a very impressive degree of waterproofing, making the devices much more hardy than just for a simple splash.
It means that they can withstand total submersion in water for up to 30 minutes, and at a depth of up to 1.5 metres (roughly).
In seawater those limits are much reduced, with only 0.25 metres of depth and 3 minutes of duration accommodated before your device starts to have real trouble.
So, if you’re reading poolside and accidentally drop your Kindle from the above list in for a moment, you should be alright – leave it in the bath overnight, though, and you’ll be in more jeopardy.
