virgoreader

The Kindle is kind of a staple for readers, especially on romance bookstagram/booktok because romance readers consume more books than the average reader. 

Last summer I purchased a Kindle and... spoiler alert... I still reach for my phone or laptop to read on, 9 times out of 10. But I definitely see why people like them, and I wanted to lay out the pro's and con's of a Kindle so you can make a more informed decision on purchasing one. 

What is a Kindle?

The Kindle is an ereader from Amazon that allows users to download and read ebooks, newspapers, magazines, and other digital media. 

I have a 32gb Kindle Paperwhite, with ads. You can either pay extra to get a device that doesn't have ads on it, or if your device has ads, you can call customer service and have it removed for a fee. 

You can read books on Kindle Unlimited (if you have the monthly membership), buy ebooks/ magazines/ comics via Amazon that will be sent automatically to your Kindle device, or you can send documents to your Kindle to read. 

The Kindle is meant to be a low tech device. Some people like this, because unlike on a tablet like an iPad you can't switch apps and browse TikTok or Instagram - you can really only read on it. And while this doesn't bother me, the actual tech limitations did... see below.

My Thoughts on the Kindle

Lets start with the cons first... 

1. There's always a lag of at least a few seconds every time you click something. And when you click something the screen will flash inverted gray scale colors before continuing on. 
2. I did not realize the Kindle does not support continuous scrolling. Maybe this isn't a big deal for those of you who prefer tapping / swiping for the next page anyway, but I am a continuous scroller for life. This was deeply unsettling to me.
3. Because the Kindle (at least the Paperwhite and other lower end models) is entirely grayscale, any highlights you make are, well, gray. This makes it much more difficult for me to annotate books, since I have a color highlighting system for ebook annotations.
4. Overall, I find it less convenient. I will never reach for my Kindle in my day to day life, because it is so much easier for me to read on my phone than remember to pack and take out a second, slower device. 

And now the pro's:

1. While I listed grayscale as a negative because it prevents me from being able to annotate with colored highlights, the flip to this is that the grayscale helps prevent migraines and is visible in direct sunlight. I took my Kindle on a cruise with me and had a blast reading on the top deck. 
2. I also took my Kindle with me on a road trip in summer 2021 and didn't get carsick while reading - so overall it is great for travel and I enjoy having it just to use on trips. I can read without worrying about draining my phone battery and the charge on the Kindle lasts forever.
3. The low tech aspect is actually a big pro for some people because it locks them into "reading mode". Personally I can enter "reading mode" on any device as long as the book is good so this isn't a big pro to me but I totally see why others like having the distinct, separate device. 

Overall...

I don't regret buying my Kindle. Even if I only use it for traveling a few times a year, I like having it for those occasions. Also, I use it for ebook photos for my Instagram, since it's easier to photograph than an iPad. 

To be honest, I'm the queen of buying tech-y things just to try them. My husband and I have a drone we've never used, I bought a gimbal when I thought I was going to be a YouTuber (HA), I have two types of Polaroid cameras, two DSLR cameras and a point and shoot, we have two iPads... So a Kindle was just sort of "another thing to try".

But should you buy one?

Some things to think about...

• Do you have disposable money to spend on an ereader? - If not, totally okay! I love reading on my phone but you can read Kindle Unlimited on a computer, too. If you do have money for an ereader, think about...
• Do you want a device solely for reading? Or are you looking for more of an all-in-one tool like an iPad? - I had an iPad before I bought a Kindle and I love it. I used to read more on my iPad and enjoy using the Kindle app on there because I can do color highlights. I also like the iPad because I'm able to use my Apple Pencil for things like Procreate and Goodnotes. 
• Are any of my "cons" deal breakers to you? Honestly, I use the Kindle on vacation because I already bought it, but if I had known it didn't have continuous scroll I probably wouldn't have bought it. I wouldn't be able to read in direct sunlight on a beach vacation, but I'd just pack more physical books for poolside reading and turn to my iPad when indoors.