I ditched my tablet for a Kindle and never looked back

I have a massive book collection that has filled up three bookshelves in my home office and two additional bookshelves in my living room, and I have countless other books that are in a box because I have no space for them. It made a lot of sense for me to grab a Kindle, and while I still buy physical books, I try to balance that with my Kindle since there’s borderline no such thing as running out of space on a Kindle (like there is for a bookshelf). I never have to sell off my library or store anything in the basement.

Before buying a Kindle, I had to do a lot of research — I already owned a Samsung Galaxy Tab A that I picked up to read comics. I went for it because it was a budget tablet, displayed color, and had a large screen that supported full-sized comics through the Marvel Unlimited app well. I also dabbled in reading books on it, but I wasn’t sold.

As you might know, phone, tablet, and computer screens aren’t the greatest for your eyes, and I find it difficult to read anything at night. Blue light filters helped a little bit, but they weren’t perfect. I discovered that Kindle devices don’t have this issue, which made my purchase decision easier. It’s been a revelation to be able to fall asleep right away instead of tossing and turning for an hour.

The screen is a big selling point

I didn’t realize how big the difference was

I never realized how difficult it was to go to sleep after staring at a screen for hours. I typically watch something on TV before going to bed, and that meant my phone or tablet was on my nightstand. I never had an issue falling asleep after turning off the TV, but I started to struggle mightily with my tablet while reading. That hasn’t been the case since getting a Kindle, and it’s something that has carried over to many models.

While it’s easy to write it off as marketing lingo, the E-ink display truly makes a difference. It’s difficult to explain to somebody who hasn’t seen a Kindle screen firsthand, but it is a big deal. I can also stay up late without any issue reading on my Kindle, thanks to the front-lit screen. I don’t like to throw around things being a game-changer that often, but in this case, it really is one. A Kindle is so much better to read on, and I don’t think I’ll be going back to my tablet any time soon for it. It’s not the same as reading a physical book, but I also don’t need to keep a light on to read anymore with a Kindle.

Obviously, a Kindle isn’t going to replace a tablet outright. I eventually replaced my Galaxy Tab A with a Galaxy Tab S6, and while I don’t read traditional books on it, I do like to read comics and watch Netflix on it. A Kindle isn’t good for that by any means, so while it comes ahead in reading books, you have to be aware of its limitations. Something that blurs the lines a bit is the Fire Tablet –they used to be called Kindle Fire Tablets, but Amazon dropped the naming scheme. I wouldn’t really recommend these to people looking for a Kindle, however. They don’t have the E-ink display, so they’re closer to a regular Android tablet than they are to a Kindle.

Not all Kindle devices are created equal, so it’s important to do research about what you need beforehand. For me, a regular Kindle with a front light is more than enough because it’s cheap and gets the job done. Yes, the Paperwhite might be brighter and faster, but I found I don’t need that with my Kindle. My 2022 Kindle is much faster than my Paperwhite from the mid-2010s, so it’s not like improvements don’t hit the whole line.

Pick the right Kindle for you

What’s right for me might not be for you

The Kindle line started small with just one option, but it eventually grew to include the likes of the Oasis, Paperwhite, Colorsoft, and Scribe. These are all part of the Kindle family, and each of them works perfectly fine for reading your books. However, each of them has key differences, and you don’t want to spend more than you need to. For example, the Colorsoft is a Kindle that, as the name suggests, displays color. This is good for comics and graphic novel readers, but it probably doesn’t get much use if you only read regular books.

One of Kindle’s newest models is the Scribe, and while it’s a very well-put-together product, it’s also something that a lot of people won’t find very useful. For starters, this device costs $400, so it’s far pricier than other Kindle products. The standout feature of the Scribe is its note-taking abilities, and it gets a lot of praise for that. However, I already have a tablet that came with Samsung’s S-pen, so I don’t have use for this functionality. I understand if it’s something you’re looking for, but it’d just go to waste for me, and I’d end up spending way more money than I’d want to.

No matter the Kindle you buy, it’s going to be a great device for reading, and you won’t have that eye strain problem you have with most other screens. This is the big thing for me, and it’s why I can’t get rid of a Kindle despite loving my tablet. My Kindle may not let me watch Netflix or scroll through social media, but it does a much better job at letting me read books than my S6 ever could. At the end of the day, that’s what I want my Kindle for.