Wondering if a Kindle is worth it? As an avid reader myself, I had always wondered the same thing.
Back in 2019, I finally invested in a Kindle Paperwhite during Amazon Prime Days. After years of use, I’ve seen firsthand the benefits and drawbacks of e-reader life. And I’ve got the inside scoop for you!
Today, I’ll give you my 100% honest assessment of whether the Kindle Paperwhite is worth the cost and whether you should buy one. Read on for the details!
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Why I bought a Kindle Paperwhite
I bought my Kindle Paperwhite in the middle of a cross-country move. My reading life was taking a hit without library books, and I needed a way to access books from my old library before I could get my hands on a new library card. I also had a lot of traveling planned and needed a lighter way to tote my reading material with me. I waited until Prime Day and got my Kindle Paperwhite for about $50 off.
**Bargain shoppers, take note! If you’re looking for a deal, Kindles often go on sale for Prime Day or Black Friday!
The reading experience on an e-reader
Switching from a physical book to an e-reader was honestly not difficult. There’s no glare, so it doesn’t feel like you’re reading on a screen. Pages turn with the tap of a finger. The Kindle is also light enough to hold in one hand, which means it’s much more comfortable for reading hefty books. Kindle pages don’t hold quite as many words as a physical book does, so I do find myself tapping relatively often. However, now that I’ve been reading on a Kindle for a year, I don’t notice it at all.
Features I LOVE in the Kindle Paperwhite
To start, there’s the reasons I bought the Kindle in the first place.
It’s small. In terms of size, the Kindle has been wonderful. It’s small enough I can tuck it into a purse when we take public transportation, and it slides into even the most stuffed backpack.
I don’t have to drive to the library. I use my library’s Overdrive software to download library books, which works great! It’s been especially lovely during the pandemic, when my library’s limited hours don’t align with my work schedule. Plus, the library books return themselves! I’ve racked up an embarrassing number of late fees in the past, so this feature is brilliant.
Since owning the Paperwhite, I’ve discovered some additional features that have been extra amazing.
I can read anywhere – even in the dark. Beyond the gentle backlighting, which enables you to read in the dark without extra light, there is also a dark mode. It is easy on the eyes in low lighting (and amazing for reading in bed if you have a sleeping partner). If you’d prefer larger print books, you can also adjust the font size.
The family library is also great. It enable you to share books with other Amazon accounts in your family. My husband has our family’s Prime account, so books that I download from his account go straight to my Kindle as well.
The Paperwhite’s waterproofing is a fantastic bonus. As someone who has dropped library books in the pool before (yes, for real), I love the additional peace of mind for lakeside or poolside reading.
It’s perfect for travel – including backpacking. My husband and I have recently started backpacking, and the waterproofing, light weight, and slim size of the Kindle are perfect. Plus, I can pull my Kindle into my mummy bag’s hood and keep reading even when it’s chilly and dark.
The annotating features have also been surprisingly helpful. If you highlight or note something, your annotations are searchable later. When I was reading an autobiography to research for a writing project, this was incredibly helpful. I would highlight any quotes I thought I could use, then see them all collected in one place later on. Even better, if you’ve annotated a library book, your annotations are saved for you, even after the book is returned. If you ever buy the book or check it out again, your annotations will appear! The ability to search for key words was also very helpful. One caution: I did do more annotating and searching on my laptop using the Kindle web reader instead of the actual Kindle device, as typing is much easier with a real keyboard.
Also, the Kindle Paperwhite does enable you to download audiobooks and listen using Bluetooth headphones. I haven’t tried this feature – I typically just listen on my phone – but it’s there if you need it.
Features I don’t love in the Kindle Paperwhite
My one quibble with the Kindle is the navigation through My Library, the place where you access all of your books. Scrolling through it is not intuitive for me and feels more finicky than the iPhone software I’m used to. When trying to scroll through the library, I still sometimes accidentally open a book instead, and I haven’t found the exact perfect spot to click to bring up the home screen every single time. I have also been spoiled by drag-and-drop iPhone organization, so adding books to Collections, or organizational folders, feels a little clunky to me. None of these things are a deal breaker, but they are helpful to be aware of.
How I use a Kindle vs. physical books
I still read lots of physical books – though the Kindle has so many great functions, you just can’t beat the real deal! So how do I decide what to read where?
I primarily use the Kindle to access the library. I also get daily emails with Kindle deals, and I occasionally take advantage of those, especially for popular books with long library wait times. Any time I’m traveling, I also prioritize loading up my Kindle instead of bringing physical books.
I still prefer buying a physical copy of a book for any reflective nonfiction reading that I’ll want to sit with over a long period of time. I also buy a physical copy of the book if I know I will want to read it more than once. (Or if I’ve read a book once and find myself wanting to return to it.) Those are the kinds of books I like to see on my shelves and actually hold in my hands.
Should you get a Kindle?
That depends! I would highly recommend a Kindle if you fall in any of these camps:
- Are you an avid library user? Imagine. No more missing hold pickup windows! No more library fines!
- Do you love a good book deal? Kindle deals are often in the $1.99 to $2.99 range.
- Do you travel a lot? Especially if you’re flying or backpacking, a Kindle will save you so much space and weight.
However, there are also a few circumstances when I would NOT recommend using a Kindle.
- Are you a college students hoping to save money on textbooks? I would not recommend a Kindle. While you can search for keywords, flipping through pages and skimming the text is almost impossible.
- Are you reading primarily for a book club? Any sort of discussion where you will need to reference certain pages feels just about impossible. I’ve tried to read books with tutoring students who are using Kindles, and finding specific paragraphs gets really tricky. We spend a lot of time searching for phrases, and I would overall not recommend it.
Kindle Paperwhite FAQ
I’m looking at the Amazon page and I see an option for Ad-Supported. What does that mean?
If you buy the ad-supported option, ads for other books will appear on your home screen when your Kindle is asleep. Ads will not interrupt your reading experience or appear anywhere in your displays once your Kindle is awake. Choosing ad-supported will save you a few dollars, and it’s honestly not a big deal. I have it, and it does not bother me.
Should I get a regular Kindle or a Kindle Paperwhite?
Both the Kindle and the Kindle Paperwhite work in pretty much identical ways. Their processing is the same, their screens look similar, and they both have backlighting to read anywhere. However, upgrading to a Paperwhite brings a few cosmetic and functional advantages. The Paperwhite is slightly slimmer, has a screen that sits flush with the casing, and boasts a brighter screen with crisper graphics. Functionally, the Paperwhite also has more storage capacity, a longer battery life, waterproofing, and the option to upgrade to cellular capability. In other words, you don’t have to be connected to WiFi to download new books.
If you’re not sure how much you’ll use an e-reader and want to save a few dollars, I think you can’t go wrong with a regular Kindle. However, if you’re a devoted bathtub reader, plan to read lots of graphic novels, devotedly listen to really long audiobooks, or really want that cellular capability, the Paperwhite is a great choice. I have not regretted spending the extra dollars.
Should I get the 16 GB or 32 GB storage?
I have the previous generation’s 8 GB option, and I have never come anywhere close to running out of space. E-books generally have pretty tiny files. The only reason you might have any concern is if you want to have a very large number of very long audiobooks all downloaded at once. Otherwise you should have zero issues with the 16 GB option.
Would you recommend a Kindle for kids?
Yes, with some reservations. The act of reading on a Kindle is not notably different from reading on a page, and there’s no chance of getting distracted by the Internet or games like there would be on an iPad. However, when I taught middle school, my team did not allow e-readers during silent reading time because it was impossible to monitor what kids were reading. (Kids may or may not have tried to sneak, ahem, inappropriate books.) If you’ve got a family account and aren’t worried a kid reading something not-so-kid-friendly, you’re good to go.
Would this make a good gift?
100% yes! Nearly any reader would be grateful to receive this. Bonus points if you include a cute case or Amazon gift card so the recipient can stock up on books.
How long does a Kindle last?
I bought my Kindle Paperwhite in 2019, and it’s still working. The response time has gotten noticeably slower, and it needs charging more often, but for a device I literally use every day, that’s not bad. My husband has a Kindle from 2014 that he barely used until this year, when he started reading more fiction, and that still works, too. When I finally decide to upgrade, I’ll update this post here.
What Kindle accessories do I need?
You do not need any Kindle accessories. Truly. I have a plain, unadorned Kindle (with no case, even) and I have had literally no problems for my 5+ years of ownership. The one circumstance where I could imagine accessories being helpful is if you’re nursing a baby and need to read one-handed. Potentially some kind of grip or page-turning device could be helpful there, but I have no experience or recs!