What are some things to know before buying a kindle?

The newer basic ones are great and just like old paperwhite versions.

Definitely pay the extra 10 pounds to have it without adverts (actually I've twice bought one with the adverts then persuaded customer services to take them off free of charge).

Buy a cover you really like. Personally I love the fintie ones. Lovely designs and feels like you are holding a book plus it turns the device on and off when you open and close.

Only turn on the wifi to download books then turn off to preserve battery.

I do love mine but if I read something really good/classic I still like a real book version to keep on the shelf.

Same. I have a paper white and a basic one that's also got a light and tbh apart form readings in the bath I wouldn't bother with the paper white

Never thought I’d say this, but I love my kindle.

it’s easy to hold and read from, and it’s backlit which means I can read in bed without the main light on (which pleases dh). You can change+the font size, easily look up words you don’t understand the meaning off, change screen brightness etc.

There’s always book deals, so I rarely buy books costing more than 99p. Websites such as Bookbub are good for highlighting deals also (I get a daily email with recommended book suggestions).

The battery life is really good, and it’s slim so easily fits into my handbag if I want to take it out.

Always thought I’d be a bookie, but I’m a convert.

Yes my Oasis has the physical page turn buttons which I like. You can programme them to suit your comfort as to whether the higher or lower one turns the page forward or back. You can also just swipe with your finger as well if you prefer.
Lighter to hold than even a paperback while reading in bed.

I have a basic Kindle from 2012 and love it. It's basic, but that's all I need. I dint see a phone or tablet as a replacement as the reading experience is so different. The only thing I use the Kindle apps (on Mac, iPad and iPhone) for is recipe books, which don't display well on the e-reader.

Quick breakdown of difference between current models (or what is important to me). All current Kindles come with built in lights (which used to only be the Paperwhite and above models). The Kindle Paperwhite and Oasis are waterproof where the standard edition isn't - though my ancient Kindle is fine for reading in the bath. The Oasis is the only model which has physical page turn buttons. Kindles nowadays come with the option for "Special Offers" and I would choose to pay more to not have ads on my lockscreen, but might not be important to you.

When DH got his Kindle he got a refurbished one and it's been perfect so well worth checking if there any available.

Another vote for Kobo - I love mine. Not only can you rent books from the library, but you don't have to give Jeff Bezos any money each time you want to buy a book.

I find Kindle is much better for reading books for all the reasons others have said but I find that the Kindle app on an iPad is much better for magazines so I use both.

I had a kindle e-reader but love my kindle fire much more, it's fantastic to take abroad as can use the internet, use the library online, watch netflix. I don't find it hard on my eyes at all and it's size means it's much better than a phone. I think it's also cheaper than a dedicated e-reader.

If you buy new, it's worth getting a case but you don't have to spend a fortune to get an expensive one - the cases I have cost about £10 and I've had them for ages. I bought a new Paperwhite in 2019, and was going to give DP my old one, but I haven't really switched over and have stopped pretending I'm going to! The old one is still going strong but it has very limited storage.

You don't need to store every Kindle book you buy on a device - you can just add the ones that you're considering reading soon etc. I've had to remove books to make space for new acquisitions, but you can remove them from your device while keeping them in the library to download. But newer Kindles have much bigger hard drives and I'm sure most users don't have nearly as many books as I do.

Yes that's another advantage of the phone, you can use apps for the library ebooks as well as kindle. Also audible and library audio books. I did love my original kindle back in the pre smartphone days but it really is obsolete for me now, I should probably sell my paperwhite.

You can borrow library books was kindle fire, too, though not with a paperwhite.

I would definitely recommend the Paperwhite. I read in bed without disturbing DH, when travelling or camping, of course it works in the day too. It's given me back my love of reading. There's nothing to stop you having a Kobo too if library books are important. If you find yourself held up you can just bring up your current book on the phone app and read a bit and it will sync with your Kindle. You can also load up pdfs to it, I use it for knitting patterns too.

I've had a paperwhite for years and although I love a physical book, I was running out of space.

I can read at night without disturbing DH, it's light so I can hold it one handed and slip it in a handbag. The battery is not as good as it used to be but still lasts weeks.

I bought a waterproof bag thing from ebay with 3 zip locks for reading in the bath.

I like my little basic kindle. It's front lit rather than back lit, but I can't tell the difference. It's kind on my eyes - I have very poor vision in one eye now, and can't look at any glare on a screen.

DH likes his Paperwhite, which is now very old but still going strong.

It depends what you like, really. Personally I wouldn't use a Kindle Fire to read on - I use mine to watch TV. And I find the app on my phone only useful if there's no glare and the screen brightness is turned right down.

Try the kindle app on your phone first, I have a paerwhite and virtually never use it because the app does absolutely everything I need it to and is with me wherever I go. The paperwhite feels really clunky by comparison, I miss the side buttons for turning pages on my original kindle. I only tend to use the paperwhite on holiday and probably won't even bother with that this year as I have a new phone with really good battery life.

I find reading on the Kindle a far better experience than reading on a phone or tablet. Much easier on the eyes. The Kindle light doesn't seem to strain my eyes and I can read comfortably for much longer.

I've had kindle paper whites for years and love them. Fantastic battery lasts weeks and weeks. I can read in the dark without disturbing anyone. I can read in sunlight on holidays etc with no glare. Compact and light. Holds tons of books.

I have Amazon prime so rarely pay for any books. The book shop interface is slightly clunky by modern standards but manageable.
I use mine twice a day every day minimum.

Make sure you know which type you’re buying. As Florence says the Kindle Fire is a tablet not an e-reader. If you want the specialist e-readers don’t buy a Fire! If you read a lot I recommend the dedicated e-readers as the screen is so much easier to read on. I can’t read for long on my tablet screen as it hurts my eyes but can read for hours in the proper kindle.

I use a kindle fire. They're an extraordinarily good and easy to use general purpose tablet, well integrated with the Amazon book library. I used to love physical books, but they take up loads of space. For me a digital reader is an absolute no brainer. Hundreds of books in something not that much bigger than your phone. The 7" is only about £65, and the bigger sizes not much more. They aren't the highest performing tablet - but compare their price to (say) an ipad?

I've used a 10" kindle fire as my primary tool to complete my MSc in Computing with AI, using the word processing open office tools, and virtual desktop utilities to talk to the university servers. So there's a lot you can do with them.

If you're sure that you only want the e-reader capabilities then the specialist kindle readers offer a slightly more "paper like" experience.

As someone else mentioned, you can also just buy ebooks on Amazon and use the kindle app. If you already have a decent smart phone then you could start by ordering an ebook and reading it on your phone to see if you like the digital experience. The kindle fire and e-readers offer a better reading experience, but the kindle app actually works pretty well. I often use it on my phone.

Oh - and you're not limited to books. There's a lot of magazines you can download too.

Hope this helps!

Paperwhite is a rip off and no better than the basic one.

It's only worth paying the extra if you want to read in the bath/ might get it wet.

Every day there’s a handful of books for around 99p - today’s selection are some Miss Marples, and Ubsettled Ground by Clare Fuller (which is a good read).

Then every month there’s a much wider selection of monthly deals for £1-2, although I can find the lists tricky to navigate.

so for only a few pounds a month you can have quite a big library to read.

I love mine as can change text size. Mine isn't backlit which I also love as it's better for my eyes.

Deal of the day
Also a benefit of eBay is that quite often a case is included and the cases can be expensive.
For example...there's a Paperwhite here, with case for £15!
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/155450767158?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=P7FT_HTZSsC&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=4goRqXKbS7q&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Definitely look at eBay. They can be ridiculously cheap because people sell when they upgrade.
The are amazing for travelling because you can take your whole library with the for no extra weight.
I currently have a Paperwhite and a Voyage. The Voyage is slightly smaller in size
I would go for a Kindle over the app because the screen is matt, not shiny and I like the fact that it's basically a book and doesn't do anything else so no distractions.
There's a Kindle Deal Of The Date, which offers books for 99p and you often get new releases cheaply.
I thought the Kindle was the best invention since the wheel when it came out. Like an iPod for books. It's genius.

Check your local library, I ended up also buying a Kobo because I can get free books from the library