To buy a cheap kindle for MIL to save £60?

[LongLiveTheChief]

It's my MIL's birthday at the start of December and then obviously Christmas a few weeks later.

DH and I have discussed buying her a kindle as she's taken a bit of a recent interest in reading but struggles with the rusting of the book (she had very bad skin on her hands) and also having the light on seems to keep my FIL awake.

We looked at the paperwhite which is backlit, perfect, but it's over £100. That's £50 for birthday and same for Christmas as it would be a joint present but this is still more than we would spend on people. I suggested buying the cheaper kindle, without the backlight, and buying a clip on little battery powered LED light instead?

We have a baby due in January and also having our bathroom gutted at the same time so we're frantically trying to save for other things at the moment.

AIBU, as I am the one that would buy the present anyways, to just go ahead? DH said I'm missing the point of the present as on its own, you can't read the cheaper kindle in the dark!

Help me with some more justifiable reasons other than the cost! Xx

I didn't want a Paper light version but also read with a lamp on. If MIL will gave to read in the dark then she needs the lit one. I also have a Fire which I love but not for much reading as the shiny screen tires the eyes. The Kindle uses paperless ink technology which you can read for hours without strain.

'Wankers' I didn't even know you could buy second hand on amazon. Are these checked my amazon to make sure they're in working order etc? X

I don't know if you have one near you but a place we always look at for second hand electricals in entertainment exchange (cex) you get a years warranty. Looks like you can buy online £80 for 'A' cond refurbished although looking on camel camel came it did drop to £80 new last Xmas eve!

I bought one from the warehouse many years ago and it was all packaged nicely in an unbranded box. It looked new tbh.

I do buy a lot of other stuff from the warehouse and although I think it's maybe not checked as thoroughly as it used to be, I've had 1 problem which was beyond a bit of tatty wrapping. I ordered a gaming tablet for DS which looked immaculate but someone had jammed the little touch screen pen in back to front. Given one of the features was that it fired up when you removed the pen, the fact that it was jammed resulted in it constantly switching itself off. That said, it wouldn't have been particularly noticeable and they replaced the item with no issues and couriered out a brand new one next day (there were no refurbished ones left).

Black Friday is running for 12 days starting tomorrow.

The warehouse deals only have a 30 day warranty so I'm a bit leery of buying them for a gift. Amazon do certified refurbished now which comes with a years warranty, but they don't have any stock.

The paper white is so worth the extra. Any other versions just don't compare. I've used the old style, the kindle fire, the kindle hd etc and they really really don't compare. Wait for a deal, as an Amazon own brand product it will be reduced at some point. Join the Christmas bargain thread as someone on there should give a heads up if its discounted. If its not reduced on BF, I imagine it will on the run up.

I bought a kindle paperwhite from Argos using only nectar points. If you' have nectar points this could be an option to reduce the cost?

A word if caution. Does your MIL have the basis IT skills to use one and does she have access to wi-fi to download books? My sister bought my mother, who us a big reader, one a few years ago and got an epic tantrum about how mother "simply didn't see the point of it when she can buy a book". She has steadfastly refused to use it ever since.

We got my mil the 3G version as she doesn't have wifi - she's 86 and a complete technophobe and I anticipated a similar reaction - but she loves it, and regularly downloads books. She was in hospital recently for 7 weeks, and it was a godsend as she easily reads several books a week

Costa to be fair my mother is one of those people who finds fault and complains about everything, so no real surprise about the Kindle, I suppose! Glad your MIL enjoyed hers!

I think it's the one an only time I've done something she's appreciated in 30+ years

Agree about maybe a cheaper tablet, which can use the Kindle app, plus library books - I'm pleased with what my online library offers nowadays, loads of ebooks, audiobooks etc. Once a library account is set up it's really easy to browse and get new books. Re screen brightness, there's an app called Twilight that you can set to reduce the blue tones (can't remember exactly the blurb), so you can set a timer for it to come on in the evening and it is much less of a strain on the eyes. We have it on phones and tablets and it works very well. Would not buy a kindle myself, too restrictive I think.

It's not just the lighting, it's the glare from normal tablet screens, the paperwhite is like reading a book

Another kobo fan here I have the backlit one because you can adjust the brightness which my previous clip on light one didn't and I need that with migraines got it in a Black Friday deal and you can drop it in the bath/pool etc and it doesn't suffer any ill effects

If your intending her to read with the kindle please don't buy her the tablet. The experience is nothing like the same, and it's far more strain on the eyes. They also weigh more and so aren't great for holding up in bed.

Like PPs - I would suggest waiting until the Black Friday deals start and having a look then for a paperwhite. I've had 5 kindles now and the best ones have been the paperwhites, especially for reading in the dark.

The clip-on lights vary quite a bit in quality; some of them are much better than others. When I had the Kindle without the lit screen (technically it's a different form of lighting from backlighting, but the way - backlighting puts more strain on the eyes. It's actually front-lit, just in a very cunning way) I had the 'official' Kindle cover with the integrated light, and it was absolutely fine.

However, I have a feeling that cover was absurdly expensive in itself and brought the total cost up to something not a million miles away from what they now charge for the Paperwhite anyway.

Agree with what others have said - how about making it a joint gift with another family member, or holding out for a Black Friday deal?

Or go for a Kobo instead - I've never used one but lots of people love them and there are lots of models.

Does it HAVE to be a kindle?

There are cheaper alternatives like the Kobo. I bought my mum one and it's great.

The integrated light cover was about £40 and you can't get them any more (I tried when mine broke last year).

Actually you might be able to get them for newer models, I was looking for one for an older one.

I got my dd a second hand paperwhite from ebay for £50. Works as good as new. obviously doesn't come in a box though.

If you haven't bought yet it's down to £80 at argos Also with 10% quidco.

If you know anyone who has a student account with Amazon they would get further discount, about 5% I think.

Amazon Black Friday deal for paper light £79.99 atm.

I bought a basic kindle for my teen and husband. I have a paper white. Teen prefers basic and husband and I share the others, usually using the paper white if available and whoever is sleeping last gets the paper white. However the basic is ok. It's nice and light and really good value for money. We have a clip on light which is ok, a case with integrated light would probably be better but this will push the cost up more. TBH the price different is so great that I'm not sure the paper white is worth t. Do wait for Black Friday though just in case. I wouldn't buy a fire, it's just like reading off a tablet screen and not the same experience at all.

The paperwhite is awesome. I spent the majority of the summer out in the garden reading whilst the children were playing. I wouldn't have been able to do that with the cheaper kindle or kindlefire.