I wanted to start out this blog post with an insightful quote about reading, but I don’t think I need to convince anyone that reading is good for you. I think the area most people are struggling with is developing the habit of reading; I know I’ve been stuck here for the longest time. Thus, the Amazon Kindle has single handedly been my favorite purchase. In terms of the most value for my money, it is at the top of my list. No other investment of mine has made something as rewarding as reading so accessible.

The Kindle

While no piece of technology can ever replace the texture and experience of a real book (watch me eat my words in a couple years), the Kindle is the closest thing so far. Its signature feature is the e-ink display, which unlike typical blue light screens on our phones, tablets, and monitors, uses literal ink capsules to display the text on the screen. This allows us to avoid the eye-stain blue light screens tend to result in over longer periods of time.

Additionally, the Kindle only uses power when changing the state of the screen, not when it is static. This means it doesn’t draw any power when you aren’t flipping the page or scrolling through your library, leading to a battery lasting up to a couple weeks. You also have access to the entire Amazon Kindle store, which holds pretty much any book you could ever want to read. On top of that, you can also sideload e-books and PDFs by just emailing it to your Kindle.

Once you have a Kindle, there is no excuse to not read!

Other E-readers

While all the benefits of an e-ink display also apply to the Nook and other e-readers, there are some benefits unique to the Amazon Kindle.

• Much greater collection of books on Amazon Kindle store (Also means you can use Amazon gift cards to buy books)
• Integration with Goodreads
• Less buggy software experience
• Easier to use PDFs and import external e-books

You certainly cannot go wrong with any of the Kindle's competitors; it's just that you might be making some small tradeoffs in terms of quality of life.

Where it Fits in my Life

As someone whose sleep is very fragile, it’s important for me to have a very strict bedtime routine for me to be able to function at my fullest the next day. Unplugging from all blue-light electronics is the key step. Thankfully, this is where the Kindle, with its e-ink display, comes in.

I like to spend about 30 minutes to an hour before bed each night just reading.

It allows my mind to refocus all my attention from the thoughts that my day brought about to content that’s meaningful and important to me. While there are so many other ways for people to redirect their attention, reading is the one that is perfect for me.

Pros/cons of a Kindle

If you’re considering getting a Kindle, I’ve inserted a list of the pros and cons of a Kindle.

Pros

• Long-term savings due to the lower price of e-books
• Can read in any position (I like to read laying down on my bed on my side, nearly impossible to do that with a regular book and be comfortable)
• Books are only a button press away (Can also instantly download free samples from Kindle store)
• Really easy to email PDFs and other e-books to device for reading or future reference
• Makes highlighting/taking notes a breeze (Can also search through notes instantly)
• Instant definition of words just by holding on them (Also saves all words you’ve looked up and makes flashcards for you that you can study! Totally underrated feature)
• Very light and easy to carry around
• Can adjust text size (Great for those with poor vision)
• Integration with Goodreads
• Tracks reading habits and speed
• Recommends new books to read based on past reading history (Some might deem this a con)

Cons

• High upfront cost, definitely more expensive than a traditional library
• Harder to read books with a lot of colorful code samples or diagrams (especially relevant for Computer Science majors)
• Limited battery life (while it’s certainly very long, it doesn’t beat a paper book on this front)
• Intermittent software updates (Not common, but can be annoying from time-to-time)

Battle of the Kindles

Let’s say I have managed to convince you to buy a Kindle! Naturally, the next question to ask is: Which one? I’ll put my recommendation upfront: I recommend the Kindle (2019) if you’re truly on a budget and the Kindle Paperwhite (2021) if you want a little bit of longevity.

In terms of storage options, get the 8 GB option; E-books don’t take up much space and 8 GB will allow for thousands of books. The 32 GB option is nice for audio books if you want to connect bluetooth headphones to your Kindle, but there are no specific benefits to listening on your Kindle compared to your phone.

One more unfortunate consideration Amazon requires us to make is whether we want ads on our Kindle. To get the ad-free version it costs an extra $20, which might upset some people, or maybe showing ads lets Amazon lower the price by $20; depends on if you view the glass half full or half empty. Thankfully, the ads are very non-intrusive and only show up on the lockscreen when you aren’t using the device.

Nonetheless, because I view my Kindle as a long-term investment, I’d rather spend the $20 to not have ads. All the prices below are the ads version, so make sure to add $20 to each price if you also don’t want ads. If you aren’t sure, go with the ads version and you can pay the $20 later if you choose to do so.

Kindle (2019)

Price: $89.99 (8 GB)

This is the base level Kindle, ideal for those that aren’t into reading but want to try to get into it. This allows for a very low upfront cost and provides 80% of the entire Kindle experience. If you plan on reading PDFs, opt for the larger Kindle Paperwhite (2021).

Features:

• 6” display
• 167 ppi display
• 4 LED front light (Can’t change temperature of backlight)

Missing features:

• Larger and higher resolution display (Makes reading PDFs easier)
• Stronger backlight
• Adjustable warm-light
• Flush screen (The bezel here is raised)
• Waterproof
• Auto-adjusting light
• Buttons for turning pages
• Auto-rotation
• Wireless charging
• USB-C charging

Kindle Paperwhite (2021)

Price: $139.99 (8 GB)

This is the Kindle for those that know for sure they’ll use it on a regular basis, which justifies the slightly higher upfront cost. This Kindle provides 97% of the entire Kindle experience.

Features:

• Large screen size: 6.8”
• High resolution display (300 ppi)
• Stronger backlight (17 LEDs)
• USB-C charging
• Adjustable warm-light, for reading in darker environments
• 10 weeks of battery life
• Waterproof

Missing features:

• No physical buttons to turn pages
• No auto-adjusting light
• No auto-rotation
• No wireless charging

Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition (2021)

Price: $189.99 (32 GB)

This is the exact same as the Kindle Paperwhite 2021, but has wireless charging (wireless charger sold separately for $29.99) and an auto-adjusting light.

Kindle Oasis (2019)

Price: $249.99 (8 GB), $279.99 (32 GB)

There’s not much justification for buying this model, and it’s the one I have (The newer Kindles weren’t out at the time I bought mine). The price tag is too high for the marginal increase in utility from the additional features, which are:

• Slightly larger display (7” from 6.8”)
• Slightly stronger backlight (25 LEDs from 17)
• Physical buttons to turn pages
• Auto-rotation
• Cellular option
• Graphite or Champagne Gold color options

Not to mention, you’d be downgrading to micro-USB charging from USB-C.

Kindle Paperwhite Kids

Price: $159.99 (8 GB)

This one is exactly the same as the regular Kindle Paperwhite 2021, but with:

• A 2-year warranty instead of 1
• Included cover with various kid-friendly designs
• One year of Amazon Kids+ (Unlimited books curated for children)
• Extra vocabulary building features

Suffices to say that this is only if you want to get your kid to start reading, in which case this is the best option!

The Kindle has torn down the barrier between me and reading. It combines my passion for technology and learning, while allowing me to pursue it without the harms of a blue-light screen. I hope reading this has at least made you consider the benefits a Kindle has to offer and leads to you integrating one into your life.