How Long Does Kindle Take to Charge? [Complete Guide!]

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I’m sitting at the airport waiting for my flight when I realize that my Kindle is running low on battery! This is when I start to wonder if I’ll be able to fully charge my Kindle before I take off? One question pops in my head – how long does Kindle take to charge?

Generally speaking, a Kindle device can take 2 hours to 5 hours for a full charge. The charging time can vary based on several factors including the Kindle model, battery level before beginning the charging process, and the charging capacity of the charger used among other reasons.

But, what causes such a difference in the charging times of the Kindle device, and how long does each device typically take to charge? In this article, I’ll break down the charge time of a Kindle based on various situations. Plus, I’ll also share with you tips on what to do if your Kindle is charging too slowly!

So, let’s get started!

How Long Does Kindle Take to Charge? [Timings Compared!]

The time it takes to charge a Kindle varies from one device to another. Furthermore, you also have the option to charge a Kindle using either a 5W charger or a 9W charger, which can complicate things further. 

So first, let’s understand exactly how long each variant of Kindle takes to charge.

Below, I’ve tabulated the various Kindle products and the time it takes to charge each variant. 

S. No	Kindle Device	Time to Charge (as per Amazon)	Actual time taken (through tests)
1	Kindle	4 hours	3 hours 02 minutes
2	Kindle Paperwhite	5 hours	3 hours 18 minutes
3	Kindle Paperwhite (Signature Edition)	5 hours	–
4	Kindle Paperwhite Kids	5 hours	–
5	Kindle Oasis	3 hours	1 hour 45 minutes
6	Kindle Fire 7 Tablet	4 hours	–
7	Kindle Fire 8 HD	5 hours	–
8	Kindle Fire 8 HD Plus	4 hours*	–
9	Kindle Fire HD 10	4 hours*	–

The timings in the “As per Amazon” column are based on Amazon’s recommendations. 

However, in reality, the overall time does vary. Although I haven’t been able to test all Kindle devices, the timings for the ones which I have tested are also mentioned in the “Actual time taken” column in the table above.

Please note, that the actual charging during the test was done from about 5% of battery to full charge. Furthermore, the test was carried out using the 5W charger.

Also, when I say full charge, I found it interesting to note that the time taken to charge from 90% to 100% was the highest for any 10% charge increment!

I considered the full charge of the battery at 96% when the orange light turned green at 96% indicating a full charge. However, it took additional time for the battery to reach 100%.

Here’s a table indicating the time it takes for the increment in charge levels of the Kindle battery

S. No	Kindle Battery Charge Level	Time Taken
1	5% to 10%	12 minutes
2	10% to 20%	16 minutes
3	20% to 30%	21 minutes
4	30% to 40%	20 minutes
5	40% to 50%	21 minutes
6	50% to 60%	21 minutes
7	60% to 70%	20 minutes
8	70% to 80%	21 minutes
9	80% to 90%	21 minutes
10	Orange light turns Green (at 96%)	25 minutes
11	96% to 100%	30 minutes
	Total Time	228 minutes

How Long Does it Take to Charge a New Kindle?

The time taken to charge a new Kindle can be in the range of 2 to 5 hours. The time can vary based on multiple factors including the existing battery level, the Kindle version, and the type of charger used when charging the Kindle.

Related Article – What Charger Does Kindle Use? [Full List for Each Kindle Device!]

It is worth noting that the time taken to charge a Kindle device the first time is just the same as it usually takes to charge a Kindle device! There is no difference in the charging process of a new Kindle device as opposed to a Kindle that has been used for a few days!

How Long Does it Take to Charge a Dead Kindle?

Generally speaking, a dead Kindle can take anywhere between 3 hours to 4.5 hours to get fully charged. It can take 15 to 30 minutes of additional time than usual when charging a Kindle device with a completely dead battery.

If your Kindle device hasn’t been used for a long time, chances are that the battery of your Kindle has gone below the minimum charge threshold. Thus, charging it can take slightly longer than usual.

How Long Does It Take for a Kindle to Charge Enough to Use?

If your Kindle doesn’t start due to a low battery and you want to charge just enough to start it, you may be wondering how much time will it take for Kindle to charge enough to start using!

Interestingly, it takes about 5-10 minutes for Kindle to charge just enough to boot the Kindle device and start using it. That said, it is recommended to charge your Kindle for at least another 30 minutes. This will give you about 20% of the battery charge.

How to Tell if Kindle is Charging?

There are two primary ways to know if your Kindle is charging or not –

1. Orange light indicator – if your Kindle is charging, you will see an orange light next to the USB charging port (note – check out my other article to know what the orange light blinking means on a Kindle)
2. Charge icon on the battery – another way to verify if the Kindle is charging is to look for the “charging” icon (resembling electricity or the lightning bolt) inside the battery icon.

The battery icon will undergo a subtle change and include a charge icon inside the battery when the Kindle is charging.

Moreover, if your Kindle is charging, you will also be able to see the battery level indicator increase in percentage.

How to Know if Your Dead Kindle is Charging?

The most reliable way to know if your dead Kindle is charging is to check for the orange light. It may not appear at first. In some cases, the orange light may even be blinking. Wait for a few minutes, and the orange light will become stable indicating that the Kindle is charging.

When your Kindle battery is completely dead, you won’t be able to start your Kindle device. In fact, in such a scenario, you will only see an exclamation mark on the screen of your Kindle device alerting you to charge your battery immediately. 

Since you won’t be able to see the home screen of your Kindle device, or the battery charge indicator, the only reliable way to know if your battery is charging is to check for the orange light.

Kindle is Charging Very Slowly?

There are multiple reasons why your Kindle can charge slower than usual. Perhaps it is your charger at fault or the charging cable. If your Kindle is old, it could be that the battery just can’t hold enough charge.

The most common reason for your Kindle device to take longer than the times mentioned earlier in the article is usually the charger or the battery of your Kindle. Since Kindle doesn’t come with a charger in the package, people often end up using any charger for the Kindle.

This can not only affect the time it takes to charge your Kindle, but it can also impact the battery of your device in the long run!

That said, there are a few others things that you should check before arriving at a conclusion.

I’ve written a detailed article with 8 reasons why Kindle charges slowly and how to troubleshoot a slow charging Kindle! Make sure to click on the link and check out the article!

How to Charge Your Kindle Faster?

Fortunately, there are a couple of ways you can charge your Kindle faster. 

When charging your Kindle device, make sure to use a wall mount charger instead of connecting your Kindle to the USB port of your computer. This is an easy way to speed up the charging process.

When using the wall mount charger, one thing that I’d recommend is to always use the Original Amazon OEM charger for your Kindle device (5W). If you use a phone charger, chances are that the technical specifications are different from the charger made for Kindle and it can impact the time to charge the device.

Furthermore, if you own a Kindle Fire 10 HD, make sure to use the Original Amazon 9W Charger. This will reduce the charging time of your tablet by half as compared to a standard phone charger or even a 5W Amazon Kindle charger!

Lastly, make sure that you put the Kindle in “Airplane Mode” while charging. This can positively impact the charging time of your Kindle device. Additionally, using your Kindle when charging can increase the time it takes to charge your device. So, try to avoid using the device when charging!

It is important for me to highlight that these are generic tips that are effective in most cases. However, I’d highly recommend that you first identify the key reason behind a slow charging Kindle. Go through my other article for knowing exactly why your Kindle might be charging slowly with additional tips to fix those issues.

Can You Use Your Kindle While Charging?

You can use your Kindle while charging it. However, using your Kindle while charging can impact the time it takes to fully charge the device.

Another thing to note is that sometimes when the Kindle battery is completely dead, the device may just not switch on altogether. 

In such a case, you may have to wait for 10 to 20 minutes for the device to have enough charge to turn on.

If you are charging your Kindle using your laptop and the USB cable, you will first have to disconnect or eject the USB drive from your computer in order to access the books on your Kindle library.

Kindle Not Charging? Here’s What to Do!

If your Kindle is not charging at all, chances are either the power adaptor, the charging cable, or the Kindle battery is not working anymore. 

Pro Tip! If your Kindle battery is affected, I highly recommend you to check out this simple, quick and an effective technique to recondition ANY dead battery and bring them back to life! This will help you increase the lifespan of old batteries, prevent buying new batteries, and save money!

While these are the most common reasons, there are actually multiple other reasons why your Kindle may not be charging anymore. Check out my detailed step-by-step tutorial on what to do when your Kindle is not charging!

How Long Does the Kindle Battery Last?

Generally speaking, a Kindle battery can last 4 to 10 weeks on a single charge depending on the Kindle model you own and the age of the device.

Older devices tend to lose charge faster as the battery loses its capacity to hold the charge for longer when it ages.

I’ve captured all these details with other important facts in another article. Make sure you check out my other article for full details!

Furthermore, if your Kindle is not able to hold the charge for long, there may be quite a few reasons behind this. If you want to troubleshoot this issue, check out my other article on why Kindle battery is draining fast and how to fix this problem!

How to Turn On Kindle When it Is Charging?

You can switch on your Kindle when it is charging. The steps involved in turning on your Kindle device when it is charging are the same as the steps to switch on any Kindle device.

All you have to do is simply press and hold the power button for 2-3 seconds and release it, and your Kindle device will turn on. If your Kindle device is in sleep mode, just press the power button once, and it shall display the “Home” page on your Kindle.

If your Kindle device has suffered a deep loss of battery, it may take 10-20 minutes for your Kindle to charge before you can switch it on. After that, follow the steps described above.