Basic Kindle or Kindle Paperwhite?

[LumenLights]

Not an AIBU but posting for traffic.

With Prime Day coming up this week I’m considering buying a Kindle. It will be my first Kindle and I hope it will encourage me to read more.

The problem is I can’t decide which one I want. Can anyone who uses a Kindle offer any advice? I’m worried the Paperwhite will be too big but also that the basic will be too small.

i found the size doesn’t matter as you can alter the size of the text.

Ive got a paper white and love it. Dd has got an ordinary kindle but prefers reading books as she says its too much like being on her phone/laptop.

I have a paper white and am very happy with it . I only read at night in bed so it’s good for the dark .

Hi @LumenLights

I love reading and have had a Kindle for about 15 years now.

Currently I have a Kindle Fire, which is great - good size re packability and size of page for reading ease.
I wouldn't recommend buying a model with a really small screen as I think you will find it very frustrating.

I spend a lot of time in a warm climate now, so would like to easily read outdoors, hence I am considering buying a Paperwhite. I will be interested to hear people's thoughts on them too!
Especially re how easy they are to read in strong sunlight.

You need to weigh up where/when you will likely use it, and go from there ...

Is it easy to read in sunlight?

Basic! I have a paperwhite and ended up buying a basic as well because the PW is just slightly too large for me to comfortably hold in one hand to read in certain situations and for a long period of time.

The basic is perfect size wise although I don’t think is ‘waterproof’ like the PW.

It was a choice where I assumed bigger and more expensive meant better but I was wrong (for my needs anyway).

I think my worry is the smaller Kindle will be too much like using my phone, and I really don’t want that. I also think there’ll be too many words which carry over onto the next line, unless I make the text size smaller. But I generally prefer smaller text.

The Paperwhite seems to be more similar in size to the average paperback which is a plus, but it looks massive next to the basic Kindle. As much as I don’t want the smaller one to feel like a phone, I also don’t want this to feel like a tablet. It’s also about 50% more expensive.

I’ll use it in bed and probably on the train. I’ll be able to fit both in my bag no problem but I do worry that the larger will be more difficult to hold and be a lot less discreet in public.

So many people seem to say this! But then I watch YouTube reviews and the basic seems so small.

I have the basic. It has the backlight on it which is great for reading at bedtime. The screen size is perfect, much bigger than my phone, but not too big to slip into my handbag.

The paperwhite is great for reading in bed and does not keep any other person in the room awake with its light

It’s a lovely size. I read on my phone before my Kindle and it’s not like that at all.

Could you manage a trip to JL or something to hold both?

Or if you can, order both and see what size you prefer then return the other.

I've had both and prefer the basic. They have backlights too so you can read in the dark with them.

It feels very different to holding my phone as it's a lot wider despite being the same height.

How is the PW different if they both have back lights? I was given mine so didn't have this dilemma.

I have a PW and I love it. I spent extra for the signature edition (wireless charging + more storage. I read manga/comics as well which take up more room than regular books). It's a good size and isn't heavy. I have a popsocket on the back to make holding it with one hand easier. I got it 3 years ago and it's still going strong and the battery is still good.

I'm not sure if the Basic is water resistant, but the PW I have is so it's nice to have the option to use it while in the bath. I'd rather drop my Kindle in vs my phone as it's a lot cheaper to replace if the water resistance fails.

Amazon should have a comparison chart, so use that to see the difference in features and weigh up if you think the PW is worth the higher cost.

Thank you all for your suggestions. It’s fairly split here just as it is everywhere else! Although it does seem common for those who have had both to prefer the basic.

Consider a kobo too. You can get books from the library (and buy). I haven’t bought a book for ages!

I love my paperwhite. Used to have a basic one but wouldn't go back to it.

Another vote for paper white, totally worth it if you are going to read outside in the sun. I take mine on holiday and it's waterproof so I don't need to worry about it getting splashed around the pool. It doesn't feel big at all. I've had mine 5 years and it's still going strong.

Loved my basic kindle - it died recently and I was generously gifted a paper white recently .

apart from being a bit bigger I really can’t see the difference between them but I know the paper white is much much more expensive.

have used both indoors and out doors in the sun and in the dark at night.

if I had to replace again today - I personally would but the basic kindle as can’t see what all the extra Money is buying.

checkout the kids ones too as previously I bought a kids kindle - it was identical to a normal kindle but had a 2 year rather than 1 year guarantee. Also kids unlimited for a year for free.

I have a paper white signature edition which has the auto adjust backlight. I absolutely love it but I read a lot, if I didn't read so much I would probably go for a basic as it does feel nicer to hold.

I have a paper white. It fits in my back jean pocket. Love it. Many books are bigger and heavier. So it’s not that hard to hold.

Love my Paperwhite. Feels like reading paper to me. Love that it's waterproof because I like to read in the bath. And the matte screen is great in sunlight. Depends where you're likely to read it, I suppose!

I have one of the newer front lighted paperwhites. 7" so bigger than my old paperweight but ok with one hand in bed. Adjustable brightness but also you can to e down to warmer colour of light. I live it

Love my Paperwhite. This weekend I was reading in the pool in 38C heat and bright sunshine so no problem reading in any level of light. I use a book type cover and still don't find it bulky (less bulk than a paperback).

I adore my paperwhite. I have used a basic Kindle for a bit and it was fine but I prefer the adjustable backlight colour of the paperwhite. If you've got small hands then the basic Kindle might suit you a bit better.