Why We Don't Make Clear Kindle Cases

If you've been searching for a clear Kindle case, here's the honest answer to why we don't make one — and what we'd suggest instead.

Clear cases yellow, and faster than you'd think

Clear cases are made from TPU or polycarbonate. Both are transparent plastics, and both react to UV light and to the oils on your hands. The plastic slowly oxidizes, and as it does it turns a warm amber color — first at the corners and along the edges where you hold it, then across the whole panel.

How fast depends entirely on how you read. Keep your Kindle in a bag and it might take a year. Read outside, leave it on a windowsill, or take it to the beach and it can start showing within a few months. Anti-yellowing coatings slow it down; nothing stops it, because the plastic itself is what's changing.

It's also the one kind of wear you can't ignore. A clear case just looks grubby, and there's no cleaning it off — the discoloration is inside the material.

What we make instead

Our cases are opaque vegan PU leather with the design printed on the front and the back. There's no transparent plastic in the cover to turn amber, so the thing that ruins a clear case simply isn't there.

You lose the ability to see your Kindle's original back, which is the main reason people want a clear case. What you get instead is a cover that stays presentable, a design that's the point of the thing, and a few extras a clear shell can't give you: a fold-out stand, a card slot and a hand strap.

If you still want clear

Fair enough — it's a real preference, and we'd rather be straight with you than talk you out of it. Plenty of shops sell them. Just know what you're buying: keep it out of direct sunlight, expect some yellowing within the first year, and treat it as something you'll replace rather than keep.

If what you actually wanted was something minimal that doesn't shout, our Quiet Bookish collection is the closest thing — calm, tonal designs that stay out of the way.

Questions

Not sure which case suits how you read? Check our size guide for fit, or email contact@casenoir.com and we'll answer within one business day.