Are you thinking of buying a Kindle? There are so many things to adore from this e-book reader, from its compact size and portability, to the ease of buying e-books.

Don’t get me wrong. I LOVE physical books and still want to collect copies from my favourite authors.

But I got my first Kindle over five years ago and can’t go anywhere without it now. If you’re considering this purchase, let me try to convince you that it’s a good idea.

Jump to:

• Advantages of Buying a Kindle
• Disadvantages of Buying a Kindle
• The Best Kindle to Buy in 2021
  • Amazon Kindle: Best Overall
  • Amazon Kindle Paperwhite: An Awesome Upgrade
  • Amazon Kindle Oasis: For a Splurge
• Is it worth buying a Kindle?

Advantages of Buying a Kindle

From its size and function to sheer convenience, here’s why I think you should buy a Kindle.

Compact and portable

A Kindle weighs less than most paper books. It’s lightweight, compact, and portable, not unlike a regular smartphone. One of my favourite things about this gadget is how easy it is to carry around and use. Sometimes, a hardback is just too massive to bring everywhere and pulling out a physical book when queuing in public can feel like too much.

In addition, Kindles have ergonomic designs and are meant to be held comfortably. With a wide viewing angle, as well as portrait and landscape modes, it’s easy to get cosy in any position.

Your entire library in one device

Your device is basically a portable library of all your favourite books that you can fit in your hand. Wherever you are, you can easily flick through any book or reread classics just because you can! Real books can be lost, or simply not be where you are, yet you can always have a Kindle with you.

If you’re an avid traveller, I can’t tell you how life-changing it is to always have an entire library with you. Flying with more than two or three books can be a hassle, but with a Kindle, you’ll never run out of books to read on the beach!

It’s like reading real paper…

One of the worst things about reading on your phone or tablet is that the LCD display can be harsh. Staring at it for too long will strain your eyes, which is why Amazon’s e-ink technology is a real game changer.

This means the screen on a Kindle resembles a paper instead of an LCD. It reflects light just like a physical book and has no backlight, so your eyes won’t feel tired even after hours of reading.

But no need for a night light

Reading paper books at night is impossible and using a lamp in the dark can cause eye fatigue. While you can’t use earlier Kindle versions for reading in the dark, the new Paperwhite and recent models come with tiny LED lights around the screen.

I’ve found that this LED system is perfect for bedtime reading. It’s bright enough that the words are comfortably visible, but unlike a phone screen that can disrupt your sleep.

Incredible battery life

A phone or tablet can last you a few hours of continuous use, but the Kindle is designed for reading, and reading only. It means it has an incredible battery life of weeks if you read only an hour each day.

Even if you read non-stop, have your LEDs at max brightness, and Wi-Fi always on, the battery can easily last you a week. Meanwhile, charging it will not take more than two to four hours at a time.

Get any book anytime

How many times have titles sunk deeper into your TBR List just because you haven’t had the time to buy them? Or books that are just hard to get where you live? The best thing about having a Kindle is can you get (almost) any book anytime.

Whether that’s in the middle of the night in your own bed, or early morning when you’re at the beach somewhere, just make a few clicks and you can have any book you want.

Handy digital features

I’ll be honest. For me, the digital features are probably one of the least exciting part of buying a Kindle, but I know many people love them.

You can highlight quotes, organize notes, bookmark pages, and connect to your Amazon and Goodreads account. There’s even a build-in dictionary! Not to mention the endless customization you can make, from the font type and size to themes.

You can still buy physical copies

Yes, there is something appealing about “real books” and flipping paper pages as you read. But buying a Kindle doesn’t mean you can’t also buy physical copies. Sometimes, I prefer to buy an e-book when I’m not sure if I would enjoy it.

Yet for authors or series I have known and loved, it can be more gratifying to buy the physical books.

Disadvantages of Buying a Kindle

Yes, I’m advocating for people to buy a Kindle, but I won’t lie and say it’s all perfect. There are still some downsides to it…

Price for e-books can add up

It’s true that e-books are cheap and only a fraction of the cost of physical books. It doesn’t change the fact that you’re paying for what is essentially an electronic product you can’t really see or touch.

Plus, it becomes easy to buy books you may not even want to read just because they’re on sale and ridiculously cheap. Before you know it, you’ll be spending more than you think and end up with a backlog of obscure titles in your digital library.

It’s a nightmare for studying or research

As a literature student, I’ve read many books on my Kindle for university. Let me say this: it is a nightmare for academic purposes. You can’t skim through an e-book to look for something quick. You can’t use post-its to mark specific paragraphs. And while you can type notes, it’s nowhere near as convenient as handwritten annotations.

In short, if you’re writing an essay on a particular book, my advice is to just buy a physical copy and save yourself the headache. Referencing is also hard because page numbers can change when you change the font size.

It’s still an electronic device

I mentioned the Kindle’s excellent battery life and being able to read in the dark. At the end of the day, it’s still an electronic device. You need electricity to charge when the battery finally runs out, and Wi-Fi connection to purchase new books.

No SD card slot

This one’s not a big drawback, because an 8GB Kindle device can easily store 6,000 books. But what happens if you want to have 6,001 books? It’s a bit unrealistic, I know, but the fact there is no room for external memory might be something to consider.

It’s not a real book

When all is said and done, the Kindle is an excellent gadget that simulates the experience of reading a paperback. But it’s still not a real book. No matter how advanced the technology gets, I don’t think it can ever replace the feeling of adding to your bookshelves, the excitement of matching book spines, and the nostalgia of browsing through a second-hand bookshop.

The Best Kindle to Buy in 2021

We’ve talked about the pros and cons of having a Kindle. Say I’ve managed to convince you, which Kindle should you buy then?

Amazon Kindle: Best Overall

Amazon Kindle is the entry-level and best basic type of Kindle you can get. The latest version was updated in March 2019, and now includes backlight. It’s the most affordable option and still offers the essential features.

It has a sleek and slim design, responsive touchscreen, and a higher resolution display. Meanwhile, the battery can last up to four weeks or more, depending on how often you read.

You can even connect your Bluetooth headset to stream audiobooks via Audible. Note that audiobooks will take up much more storage, which you have 4GB of with the Amazon Kindle.

The only drawback is that the design may be too basic, although it shouldn’t be an issue if you just want something to read e-books on. It also lacks the waterproof feature. Unless you plan to read in baths or the pool, this shouldn’t be a problem.

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite: An Awesome Upgrade

Screen size: 6-inch
Storage: 8, 32 GB
Resolution: 300 ppi
Weight: 209 g
Battery life: six weeks
Latest price: $130

If you’re willing to spend a bit more, the Kindle Paperwhite can be worth it. For just a few more bucks, you get a waterproof device with a much brighter and clearer screen. This makes it even more comfortable to read under bright sunlight.

The Paperwhite also offers a considerably larger storage (at 8 or 32 GB), stronger battery life, and improved screen of 300 ppi. This is the best quality screen on a Kindle you can get, which is the same on the Oasis.

However, note that Amazon likes to upgrade each of the Kindle model, and we can expect this 2018 version to be renewed soon. It could pay off to wait for this upgrade.

Amazon Kindle Oasis: For a Splurge

Screen size: 7-inch
Storage: 8, 32 GB
Resolution: 300 ppi
Weight: 188 g
Battery life: six weeks
Latest price: $280

Some people don’t like setting for just the basic option when they can splurge on the most premium choice available. In this case, the Kindle Oasis is perfect for you.

Yes, the price is almost triple the Amazon Kindle, but you do get what you pay for. It has a larger screen, a ridge design for better ergonomics, and physical buttons to navigate pages.

Its unrivalled technology features 25 LED lights for even backlighting, which you can adjust to glow warmer for less eye strain. The result? The screen is as paper-like as any electronic screen can get.

The Oasis is not as lightweight as the Amazon Kindle, but more so than the Paperwhite. If you want to get a high-end Kindle, this might be it. And while you’re at it, get the premium leather-bound casing too.

Is it worth buying a Kindle?

If you’re even remotely considering buying a Kindle, I think you should do it. There’s no need to go all out and buy the most expensive model.

I personally own the Paperwhite and it has been nothing short of amazing. It was an excellent investment, considering it’s been my best friend during long flights and road trips, and quiet nights in my bed.

Did I miss any important advantage or disadvantage of the Kindle? Let me know in the comments below!