Is it me or are Kindles expensive?

[pinklite]

I am getting back into reading again and was looking at buying myself a Kindle. I had one a few years ago but ended up selling it as I didn't use it enough.

I've just been looking and I didn't realised they were £90+.

I've looked on Vinted for a second hand omand couldn't find a reasonably priced one on there either.

Are they really worth the money?

I barely used mine tbh. And I found that kindle books were getting quite expensive. I do use the app on my phone and iPad a fair bit though.
I found my kindle quite clunky and not all that user friendly compared to my phone.

I think a kindle is worth it but not kindle unlimited

I would also ask your friends. Someone may have upgraded to a paper white and have one spare etc

I love my Kindle. I first got a basic one about 10 years ago and then traded it in for the most basic model again last year, so I got a £15 credit and 20% off. Not a Paperwhite, but it's got a touchscreen and a backlight so felt like really trading up from my old one which had buttons and no light.

Dh hates Amazon so will have no truck with Kindle, but he's wedded to his Kobo.

I've also got various reading apps downloaded to my phone: Kindle to sync with my actual Kindle; Moonreader for other ebooks; and Libby for the very occasional times that my library's actually bought the book I want to read.

I have the most basic model which I think was about £70-£80 when I bought it a year or so back as a replacement for a really old one . I use it every day though . I also have kindle unlimited which is worth it for me as I read 2-3 books a week so try to get the KU included ones unless there's something I particularly want that's not included (may be one per month).

I think the kindle Apps on iPhone and iPad are very good but the kindle is easier on my eyes .

The kids kindles are the same as adult
Ones and much cheaper

It's much less tiring on the eyes to read for long periods on a Kindle rather than a tablet, and the screen doesn't reflect, so it's great for reading outside. I think if you want to read lots, those 2 reasons, plus the battery life, make an ereader a much better option.

Fussy Librarian is also very good for free/cheap kindle books

I have found that since getting older, I've struggled to read on anything that isn't a bright backlit phone/tablet.
I've literally just bought a new iPad so I can use the Readly app for magazines. I think I would have enjoyed my kindle more if my eyesight wasn't so dodgy I won't give in and get varifoculs because that's an admission of getting old!

I use a matte screen protector, no reflection, almost feels like paper. I know some models of Kindle allow apps however having a tablet gives you a wide range of different reading platforms which is useful when some books are only released on one platform

My issue is that my normal ipad is just too big to read comfortable on in bed (side reader) or taking with me commuting.
My kindle fits in my handbag, even my DD's smaller ipad is too bulky.

I am seriously considering treating myself to a Kobo as I read a niche romance thrope (MM) and my library is not stocking those, they aren't available in print outside Amazon in the UK, so no cheap The Works or supermarkets but they are often part of Kobo+. They are nearly all indie authors.

It would mean I would also continue using my library which is decently stocked but only by authors who publish traditionally and are wide available in print, they they also stock the e-book. I use them for other genres.

Well I love mine! I use it every night so it's well worth the money. I've had it for years. I get Amazon Prime so get loads of books for free.

I agree Kindles can be very cost effective. I have a long wish list and only buy books when the ones I want to read are 99 p. I've made it a habit to look at the Kindle daily deal list and my wish list, sorted low to high price. I probably buy around 5 books a month on average so it costs less than Kindle Unlimited and I get the books I want, most of which aren't on KU.

I have an original Paperwhite and a 10th generation one. The latter is my main kindle and is waterproof which is good because I go to a spa a couple of times a year and it means I can read it while in a hot tub.

The other one is about 10 years old and is my 'emergency back up', which I'm very glad I have as I once left my main kindle in a hotel while I was working away the day before I went on holiday. They posted it back to me, but otherwise I'd have been without my kindle on holiday, which is unthinkable.

OP if you're unsure, I'd look on ebay. I don't think you need all the bells and whistles like 3G or extra storage. If you set the filters to new never opened and excellent refurbished, you can get a slightly older one for about £60 so a decent saving compared with direct from Amazon.

Or you can chance it with an older one for under half that, but watch out for people selling the broken ones as I'd assume you don't want one of those, although I think they can be fixed fairly easily.

I've got an Amazon fire tablet with the Kindle app on, so much cheaper

Love mine and they last for years

But it misses the whole point of a Kindle:

Long battery life
Not backlit so looks like a book, can be read in bright sunshine and doesn't have 'blue light' issues
Is only for reading so doesn't have internet/social media/scrolling distractions

The battery lasts weeks.
You can read it in bright sunlight, I put mine on dark mode at night, you can put a blue light filter on it. And social media is only on it if you install it, which I haven't.
The kindle app is all I use mine for and have done for over 10 years with no issues.

I definitely don't have the self control to resist doom scrolling so kindle is much better than tablet for me