The quick verdict
I am a huge fan of my Kindle, and there is no way I am going back to regular books. The short version: it is way easier to hold than a physical book, it is way easier to read thanks to the adjustable light and the e-ink screen, and it holds a whole library without taking up a single shelf. The biggest compliment I can give it is simple: I read far more since I got it than I ever did with paper books.
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Reason one: it is way easier to hold
Reading a small paperback and reading a large hardcover are very different experiences. Hold a big, heavy hardcover over your head on the couch and it gets uncomfortable fast. A long book is awkward at the start too, because there is so much book on one side and so little on the other until you are well into it.
With a Kindle, none of that exists. It is small and light, you can hold it in one hand or two, and I added a PopSocket to the back of mine, which makes it truly one-handed: I can hold it and turn pages with the same hand. The result is a much more ergonomic experience and way less hand fatigue. I can read on a Kindle for hours in comfort, where a large physical book starts to wear on me in about an hour.
Reason two: it is way easier to read
This might be the most important one. The Kindle has a built-in light that adjusts from brighter than I have ever wanted it, all the way down to off. With a paper book, you have to orient yourself to catch the light, move seats, or turn on a lamp, and in some spots reading is just a strain. With the Kindle I can always find the perfect light level for the environment: outside, inside, complete darkness, it does not matter.
Then there is the e-ink screen. If you have never seen one in person, it is not like a phone or tablet screen at all. It looks like the words are printed on the page itself, with no visible pixels, and you can make the text as large or as small as you want. Altogether it is a far more customizable and eye-friendly reading experience than print.
Reason three: no physical books to store or move
This one took me a minute to appreciate. I used to save every book I read. I was never a huge reader, maybe one or two books a year, but over time I still built up a large collection. If you ever move house, that collection is a massive pain, and it takes up real space in the meantime. And if you are not going to re-read a book, there is not much point in hoarding it.
On a Kindle you can fit ten, a hundred, a couple of hundred books on the device and switch between several reads on the go. I honestly do not miss owning the physical books. My one caveat with digital is ownership: with a physical book, nobody can go back and change it later. With a digital book, they can. That is worth knowing, and it is the one thing print still wins.
Bonus: the built-in dictionary
One bonus feature: because it is digital, the Kindle has a dictionary built in. Come across a word you do not know, hold your finger on it, and the definition pops up. It is a handy feature, and if you like building your vocabulary as you read, it quietly does that for free.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Small and light enough for true one-handed reading, especially with a PopSocket
- Adjustable front light and e-ink screen make reading comfortable anywhere
- Stores hundreds of books with zero shelf space
- Built-in dictionary, adjustable text size
Cons
- Digital books can be altered or removed in a way physical books cannot
- No cover art, no shelf presence, none of the physical book experience
- One more device to charge, even if it is only every few weeks
FAQ
Is a Kindle easier on the eyes than a phone or tablet?
Yes. The e-ink screen looks like print on paper rather than a glowing display, the text size is adjustable, and the front light can be set to suit the room, which makes long reading sessions much more comfortable.
How many books can a Kindle hold?
Hundreds. Even a heavy reader will struggle to fill one, and your whole library travels with you.
Can you read a Kindle in the dark?
Yes. The adjustable built-in light goes from off to very bright, so reading in complete darkness is no problem, without lighting up the room like a phone would.
Final verdict
I read more with my Kindle than I ever did with physical books, and that is the whole review in one sentence. It is easier to hold, easier to read, and it removed a house full of stored books from my life. If you have been thinking about an e-reader, these three reasons are why I would tell you to buy one.