So you’re thinking about getting a Kindle? Kindles can be a fantastic way to read, and I personally own a Kindle Paperwhite and love it. But I’ll also be the first to admit that there are pros and cons of Kindles that it’s good to know before you buy!
So if you need help deciding whether buying a Kindle is right for you, here are the Kindle pros and cons you’ll want to consider before taking the leap into the e-reader world!
What is a Kindle?
A Kindle is an e-reader created and sold by Amazon, that allows users to read e-books, magazines, newspapers, and more from one handy device.
While Kindle is the overall name of these e-reader tablets, there are several different models within the line that all offer various functionality at different price points. You can learn more about the different types of Kindles here, but for our purposes we’ll be discussing the Kindle line in general and the pros and cons of using one!
Pros of Using a Kindle
Now that we know what a Kindle is, it’s time to talk about the advantages and disadvantages of Kindles. Here are the positives of reading with a Kindle:
1. Kindles are portable and convenient
One of the biggest benefits of Kindle Paperwhites and other Kindle devices is how portable and convenient they are.
Kindles are so light and slim, which makes them much more portable than your average paper book. It’s easy to carry it pretty much anywhere with you, and allows you a host of books at your fingertip.
This feature makes it great for carrying in your everyday life, but also makes it fantastic for traveling. Rather than having to pack 6 books for your week-long vacation (come on, who hasn’t? 🙈), now all you’d have to do is pack your Kindle!
And since it’s so easy to carry with you everywhere, you’ll always have a book or two or a hundred on hand whenever you want them!
2. Kindles allow you to choose from a lot of books
When considering the Kindle advantages and disadvantages, it is important to note that it allows you to choose from a lot of books and access them anytime you want.
You can buy thousands of ebooks on Amazon, get Kindle formatted books from other sources, or even use a subscription service like Kindle Unlimited. You can carry as many books with you as you want at any time, which means you’ll always be spoiled for choice on what to read at any given moment.
3. Kindle ebooks are cheaper than print books
Another of the advantages of Kindle over books is that the Kindle ebooks are usually far cheaper than the paperback versions or audiobook versions of the same books.
In general ebooks are cheaper than print books, so it’s no surprise that purchasing Kindle ebooks would be the same and offer you lots of savings over time!
4. Kindles offer free books too
Another fun perk of Kindles is that you can get free books to read on your Kindle too!
There are lots of ways to get free Kindle books. You can browse this list of Amazon’s current free Kindle book offerings, sign up for a free trial of Kindle Unlimited, or use other websites for free Kindle-formatted books like Project Gutenberg.
Getting free books through these or other methods is a great way to keep your book buying costs down!
5. Kindles let you access your library’s ebooks
Speaking of free books, did you know you can also access your library’s collections on your Kindle?
Many libraries in the US allow you to borrow books to read on your Kindle through apps like Libby. All you have to do is have a library card number, and then you can log into Libby and see what books are available for download!
This is a great way to save money on books and enjoy reading some of the most popular recent releases in the book world on your Kindle.
6. Kindles have a glare-free screen
Another huge plus to using a Kindle, especially when compared with other tablets and e-readers, is that it has an excellent glare-free screen.
This allows you to read even in bright sunlight and you won’t get any glare! With its e-Ink technology, it honestly feels much closer to reading on paper than it feels to reading on a traditional tablet or phone screen.
7. Kindles offer a built-in dictionary
Do you find yourself ever having to stop and look up words when you read? If so, Kindl’s built-in dictionary is going to be a game changer for you.
Kindle’s dictionary feature allows you to long tap on a word and it will bring up the dictionary and allow you to see what the word means right there, right away! This is a fantastic way to increase your vocabulary, and is also a big help if you’re reading books with lots of older or more unfamiliar language.
8. Kindles offer built-in translation features
Speaking of cool features that enhance your reading in real time, Kindle also offers a built-in translation feature!
Just like using the dictionary feature, all you have to do is press and highlight the text you want to translate. Then tap “more” and tap “translation.” You’ll get an instant translation right there in your book while you’re reading, and it can translate both words and full sentences!
9. Kindles have a built-in book light
When considering the pros and cons of Kindle Paperwhite, Scribe, Oasis, etc., another point in Kindle’s favor is that (most) have a built-in light for reading at night!
Since newer models of Kindle have a built-in light, this means you can read at night without needing to use a reading light or turning on the light. Many of the newer versions of Kindle also offer an adjustable warm-light screen and even dark mode as well, so you have all sorts of options for lighting your reading!
10. Kindles are accessible
Another huge positive to using Kindle is that it’s accessible for people with disabilities or health issues.
For instance, since the Kindle is so light it can be much easier for those with arthritis, carpal tunnel, etc. to hold them and read. The page turning functionality can also be helpful for issues like these.
And the Kindle also allows you to change the font type and font size, so it can be helpful for people with eye issues, dyslexia, and more.
Making reading more accessible and easier for everyone is an incredible thing, and the Kindle does a really good job of this!
11. Kindles have a long battery life
Because of Kindle’s low-power e-Ink screen, it also has a really long battery life compared to other tablets and devices.
In fact, Kindles can go for weeks before needing to be recharged! It’s such a huge difference from reading on your phone or tablet that you’re sure to be surprised by how long you can go between charging!
12. Kindles allow you to search your books
Another feature that I personally love on Kindle is that you can search your books for words, phrases, and sections you want to find.
Looking for a specific section? You can simply type in a word or phrase you remember and click through until you find it! While it’s not as easy to “flip through pages” to find something on a Kindle as on a print book, this search functionality is nearly as good as the analog way—and sometimes even better.
13. Kindles are paperless
Although obviously Kindles do require resources to work, one benefit for the environment is that they are at least paperless.
So if you want to contribute to reducing waste and saving trees, Kindle could be a good step in this direction.
14. Kindles offer privacy
Lastly, Kindles also offer privacy for what you’re reading.
Maybe you’re tired of people noticing the cover of books your reading and deciding to strike up a conversation on your commute, or maybe you’re reading something with a cover you don’t really want people to see. Or maybe you have an entirely different reason for wanting to keep what you’re reading private!
But regardless of your reasons, Kindles can offer you privacy and keep others from easily seeing what you’re reading.
Ready to take the leap into the world of Kindles? Buy your Kindle Paperwhite now!
Cons of Using a Kindle
As you can see, there are so many advantages of using a Kindle. But there are also plenty of disadvantages of a Kindle too! Here are the cons of Kindles that you should know before you get your own:
1. Kindles aren’t a physical book
Let’s be real, you can’t get around it—Kindles simply aren’t physical books.
When it comes to the advantages and disadvantages of Amazon Kindle devices, this is the biggest hurdle for many book lovers.
Print books have a certain feel to holding them, a certain smell to the paper, and are an essential part of the reading experience for many people who love books. If this is you, you’re unlikely to love Kindle as much as people tell you that you should.
Because when it comes down to it, a Kindle is not a book. You don’t get the same feelings when reading a Kindle as when reading a book, because it’s still just a tablet—no matter how cool the e-Ink display is.
Now, I think that it’s possible for a love of real books to coexist with the practicality of a Kindle, but you know yourself…so if you know this is would be a deal breaker, then Kindle is not for you.
2. Kindle images are only black and white
Another slight annoyance with Kindle is that images currently only show in black and white.
The e-Ink screen only offers black and white as colors at this point, which usually isn’t that big of a deal for books since you’re mostly just reading words. But if you plan to read books with lots of pictures on your Kindle, it’s important that you’re aware they won’t show up in color.
3. Kindles may cause some eye strain
Another possibility to be aware of is that Kindles may cause some eye strain, or at least possibly more eye strain than reading print books.
However, as mentioned earlier, Kindles use e-Ink screens which are definitely easier on the eyes than traditional tablet screens. And some Kindles do have adjustable warm light backlighting, which can help too. But in general, it’s likely that reading paper books in natural lighting is slightly better on your eyes.
4. Kindle ebooks are harder to loan out
If you’re like me and like to recommend friends read your favorite books, you might often be giving out print books to people to borrow. Sadly, Kindle ebooks are harder to loan out!
Amazon used to allow you to loan a book out to a friend for two weeks, but they recently discontinued this feature. That means your only real options for sharing your Kindle ebooks would be to let your friends borrow your Kindle, or give them access to your Amazon account.
While those options might work for some people, it’s not really practical and in some cases might not be a good idea at all. So it’s pretty unfortunate that there’s no way to more easily share Kindle books with friends and family!
5. Kindles are more expensive upfront
If you’ve taken a look at the Kindle options, you might already know…but buying a Kindle device is quite a bit more expensive than buying a book!
While we talked earlier about how you can get cheaper books for your Kindle, the actual purchase of a Kindle itself can be a big investment.
Of course, buying a Kindle is a one-time investment and if you read a lot and buy a lot of Kindle ebooks then it should even out or be a better deal in the long run. But it can be hard to commit to such a big purchase up front.
If you want to give a Kindle a try, I recommend waiting and getting a Kindle when it goes on sale. Amazon offers good sales on Kindles several times a year, so if there isn’t a sale running right now then there should likely be one within a month or two!
6. Kindles might run out of battery
We mentioned earlier as well that the Kindle has a really long (weeks long) battery life, especially when compared with other tablets.
However, there’s still the possibility that your Kindle could run out of battery. After all, it will eventually need to be recharged! I recommend getting in the habit of regularly charging your Kindle so you don’t find it on an empty battery when you want to read, but this can be an extra step that some people don’t want to take when print books don’t even have a battery to run out of.
7. Some Kindles have ads
Another possible issue some Kindles have is that they have ads.
Amazon offers two versions of all their Kindle e-readers: one without ads, and one that is “ad-supported” (aka with ads). The one with ads is a little cheaper, while the one without ads costs around $20 more to keep you from having to see various books advertised on your lock screen.
Luckily, even if you buy a Kindle with ads, you can still convert it to no ads later if you find the ads bother you. (And sometimes, if you ask really nicely, Amazon will even upgrade you to the no ads version for free after you’ve bought your Kindle!)
8. Kindles are tied to the Amazon ecosystem
Lastly, another big disadvantage for many of using a Kindle is that it is tied to the Amazon ecosystem.
This means the books you buy on Amazon can only be read on a Kindle or on a device with an app that supports the Kindle ebook format.
Additionally, if something happens and you lose access to your Amazon account, you could lose access to all the books you’ve bought on Amazon. This isn’t a typical issue to have happen, but has happened to a few people in the past (usually for violating Amazon’s terms of service).
And of course, if you simply don’t like supporting Amazon and try to buy books from alternative/independent book sellers then you probably don’t want to be supporting Amazon with your Kindle reading either.
But if these issues don’t concern you, or all the positives (and there are a lot of positives) of using a Kindle outweigh them, then trying a Kindle can be a really good idea. You can also learn more about real books vs Kindles here to help you decide if giving a Kindle a try is worth it for you!
Ready to give Kindle a try? Get yours here now!