Kobo has been making e-readers for over ten years and have released a wide array of e-readers. They have always relied on selling accessories, such as cases. Some of these are just basic cases to protect your e-reader, most of the modern ones have sleep cover technology. When you close the case, it magnetically keeps it closed and puts the e-reader to sleep, which preserves battery life and when you open the case, it automatically wakes it up. These are the two types of cases that Kobo has been selling for over a decade. They did something new with the Kobo Sage, they developed their first power cover, which has a battery, effectively doubling the battery life.
The Kobo Sage PowerCover keeps your e-reader luxuriously protected, and delivers on-the-go charging via the 1200 mAh battery. Just slip your Kobo Sage into its PowerCover with easy magnetic attachment, and it will charge from the built-in battery. While PowerCover keeps your HD touchscreen safe, it also automatically sleeps and wakes the device when you open the cover. If you’re pairing your Kobo Sage with Kobo Stylus, the PowerCover has a designated slot to keep your stylus close at hand and ensures you will not lose it.
The PowerCover is one of the heaviest cases we have ever reviewed, mainly because it has a battery and some components. It has a few different magnets too, one to hold the stylus into place and another to keep the Sage locked down. It also has third magnet for the sleep cover functionality. The inside of the case is a soft plastic that is not malleable and felt, where your screen would be facing towards. The outside of the case is made of plastic, but the front of it, looks like faux leather.
The charging process is quite interesting. When the Sage is connected to the Cover and low on the battery, you will get a notification on the top corner that says “charging from powercover” and it gives numerical values. So it will tell you how much juice the Sage has and also how much battery life remains on the cover. In order to charge the cover, you need to have the Sage attached to it, and Power the Sage, when it is over 100%, it will then begin to charge the cover. Once both are at 100%, you are good to go.
Kobo Sage Powercover
$110.00Pros
- Sleep Cover Case
- Will charge your e-reader
- Designed only for the Sage
- Magnetic Stylus Holder
- 1200 mAh battery
Cons
- Impossible to find, sold out everywhere
- Need a USB-C cable, none are provided
- Case is heavy
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.