For two days I have been trying to come up with something to like about the Kradle, an oversized, utilitarian stand for the Kindle. At first it seems impossible: Why on earth would you need a stand in the first place? One of the Kindle’s big advantages is that it has no pages and so can be lain down on the table while eating, say, and you don’t have to hold the thing open with one hand while shoveling caviar and foie gras (my usual breakfast) into your mouth with the other.
But I tried. I investigated every one of my normal reading positions and after that I went through yet more in my head. First, though, the Kradle itself.
The Kradle is fashioned from ABS plastic, either in an anonymous dark gray or a beige the color of a prosthetic limb. It weighs almost nothing, and feels like it should last forever. It is also one of the ugliest accessories I have ever seen, more like the molded interior of a gadget’s box rather than the gadget itself. The Kradle is all angles, every one of which is perfectly designed to hold both the Kindle and to offend your eyes. In short, the Kradle will probably never leave the house.
Once you get it out of the box (and finish reading the model number, the company URL and the proud “patent pending” boast so prominently molded into the top) you see three slots, and a collection of stick-on feet. These pads come in two types, felt or silicone rubber. After pushing the Kradle across the kitchen table and hearing the screeching scrawk of plastic on wood, I put the felt feet in right away and enjoyed sliding-silence — a blessed relief. Thus neutralized, the Kradle was ready for action. You have a choice of three slots, two of which are right next to each other and confusingly offer the same angle of 75º, or “15º from vertical” (it turns out that one is to hold you Kindle’s cover) and one that holds the e-reader almost flat (15º from horizontal). By cleverly propping the Kindle cover in it’s slot, you can also lean the Kindle against that for a 45º angle, too.
Silicone pads inside the slots hold the Kindle steady. When you press the page-turn buttons, though, you’ll want to squeeze them — a single-finger push flexes the Kindle’s body alarmingly, as it is held only by the base. This is worse in the almost-flat position as it is tricky to get your fingers between Kindle and stand.
All in all, though, it works just fine, holding your Kindle at a jaunty angle. But the problem remains: Why? I actually managed to come up with a few uses, although none that cannot be replicated by things already lying around. First, it could be a useful prop for hands-free reading when cooking. The trouble here is that the Kindle will go to sleep and you’ll have to touch it with greasy fingers to re-display the recipe. Also, a Kindle next to a cooking pot is probably a bad idea.
Next, reading at the table. Again, it does this fine, but no better than just laying it flat on the same table. On your lap? Nope. Not stable. Cafe? Bar? C’mon. It’s dorky enough reading an e-book in public without adding to the embarrassment, plus this takes up the room of a couple more Kindles in your bag.
Actually, there is one place that it could be handy: The stand has a hole where you can thread the USB cable. The problem is that it is extremely fiddly to get the cable through. It’s a shame. The device is well made and does its job just fine. It’s just that it’s a job that doesn’t need doing, especially not if it’s this ugly while it does it. $20.
Product page [Kradle]
