# Octovo Solis K3 Light Review



## anothertribe (Sep 26, 2010)

Was the wait worth it? 

The Solis was delivered a few days ago and I have to say I am suitably impressed. The packaging that the Solis arrived in had a 'Apple-esq' feel to it. Octovo appears to be taking a leaf out of the computer giants design book both in packaging, design and the Out Of Box (OOB) experience. A simple instruction sheet is included, mainly to explain installation of the battery (included) which was not immediately obvious to me at least.

Packaging aside, the Solis light itself is simplistic yet elegant in it's design. Constructed of aluminum it is very light and even with the 'AA' battery installed does not add any significant weight to the Kindle nor upset the natural balance of the device to any appreciable amount. I was at first a little apprehensive about the reflective aluminum finish and initially would have preferred a colored powder coated finish to match the Kindle. It turns out however that this finish is somewhat of a chameleon and during reading at night the Solis matches it's surroundings and blends in perfectly.

The light is powered on by simply swinging out the top arm 90 degrees to the body of the Solis, simple and effective. The Solis attaches to the Kindle using a pressure fit by what appears to be a neoprene or similar material affixed to one side of the mounting 'shoe'. This shoe is attached to the aluminum body of the Solis by a couple of Philips-head screws (it is obvious that the only difference between the Solis for various e-Readers is the fitting of a different shoe and I would hope that Octovo considers providing the option of purchasing just the 'shoe' kit so for example current Nook owners could continue to use the Solis on their new K3). There is no movement once the light is attached and the amount of pressure appears to be just right without fear of damaging the Kindle surface whilst allowing for easy removal. The mounting 'shoe' angles the light forward by 15 degrees which does dictate the position that you have to hold the Kindle in order to avoid having the bright LED shine in your eyes or cast a bright spot on the screen. This angle however has been carefully considered and I found that the natural angle that I hold my Kindle at generally eliminates any hotspots with only a slight and occasional glare from the LED light bouncing off the top of the bezel where the Amazon logo is located that can be corrected by slight realignment of the reading angle of the Kindle. The Solis works just fine with the standard Amazon cover folded back on itself when reading.

The Solis utilizes a single high intensity LED for it's light source. According to Octovo this light should last for 40 years and one can expect 25 hours of life from a single 'AA' battery. Not having used the Solis for over 25 hours I cannot vouch for battery life nor the claim of a lifespan of 40 years for the LED. The LED shines a neutral colored and moderately bright beam that I find very easy on my eyes. I could not detect any appreciable tint to the color of light that is shone. The Solis does a very nice job of evenly illuminating the screen of the Kindle 3, there is a slight hot spot top center and the very bottom of the screen is illuminated slightly less. These illumination inconsistencies however are very minimal and one really has to be looking to notice. I found that during the course of a reading session the Solis essentially 'disappeared'.

Overall I am very pleased with the Solis and have no reason to consider alternatives, it is my opinion that Octovo has executed the product extremely well. Highly recommended and worth the wait.

I have no association with Octovo, I am purely a satisfied customer sharing my personal opinion on the Solis to aid others that may be considering this light for their Kindle 3.

AT


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## Bonbonlover (Oct 17, 2010)

Great Review. Thanks I hope to get one of these lights soon. 

**You might think about posting this in the 'Review' thread so it doesn't get lost in this one**


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## anothertribe (Sep 26, 2010)

Thanks.

I missed seeing the official review forum, perhaps one of the mods can move this posting accordingly.


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## Barbiedull (Jul 13, 2010)

I have had an Octovo Solis on my *k2* for a few months. It is a very good light.
The battery DOES last a while. As the battery power gets low, my light will start to
dim. I always feel like I'm throwing out good batteries because they do still work,
just not enough. (I will probably switch to rechargable batteries.)


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## slavetoabunny (Sep 17, 2010)

I ordered mine last week and can't wait to get it.  I'm looking forward to reading in bed without bothering my husband!


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## Straker (Oct 1, 2010)

I really like the design of the Solis but, at this point, I just can't justify spending $30 on a light.


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## mayfire (Nov 11, 2010)

Thanks for the thorough review. I ordered mine on Nov. 29 and I'm still waiting for it to arrive.


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