How to Pick a Kindle (Yes, There Are Different Kinds)

The public library is an interesting place. It reminds us of one of those liminal spaces on Instagram, albeit one filled with boomers trying to figure out how to use the computer. It represents nostalgia-core at its finest and reminds me of when I was just a young lass trying to rent an NSYNC CD. The multimedia section may have been my favorite back then, but now I’m a 27-year-old who reads something other than SparkNotes!

Ever since it first launched in 2007, Amazon’s Kindle has been the undisputed king of e-readers. It made instantly downloading books and keeping them at your fingertips easy-peasy—no more having to deal with scary teens at your local dead mall or having to see the saddos loitering in the get-rich-quick section at the local Barnes & Noble. Seven years later, Kindle Unlimited was born, which ensured you could then read as many books as your scholarly heart desired. Don’t feel like reading tiny words? Now you can even listen to audiobooks on a Kindle with an Audible subscription. A well-stocked bookshelf will always hold a certain appeal, but having a device to store your entire Goodreads wishlist is obviously much more convenient.

Now, if it’s your first time (finally) buying a Kindle, you’re probably thinking, which model should I get? And that’s a great question. We’re here to help you discern the best Kindle to read in the bathtub, take on the plane to a destination wedding, or simply bring to the bar. As Dr. Seuss put it, “The more that you read, the more things you will know.” I just shed a tear.

Just got paid? Friday night? Good thing the most affordable and basic model is the latest edition of the good ol’ OG Kindle, which goes for just under $100. It’s the lightest and most compact of the lineup, which means you can tote around the entire Harry Potter series in a package that weighs less than six ounces. And don’t worry, just because it’s the most affordable of the bunch doesn’t mean its tech is any less impressive for immersing yourself into a world of wizardry. It has high-resolution displays for sharp text and images, an adjustable built-in light with a glare-free screen, 16 gigabytes of storage, and a battery life that lasts up to six weeks with a single charge. What’s more, it has a 4.7-star rating with more than 12,000 reviews on Amazon. “I’d go as far as saying the Kindle is arguably the most underrated invention of the early 21st century,” one reviewer wrote. That’s a bold statement. 

The basic Kindle is great, but the Paperwhite looks more like a traditional print experience and can turn your pages 20 percent faster, in case you want to speed read like a true literary lad. A good storyline is all about setting the mood, and the adjustable warm light will elevate any dramatic tear-jerking scene (and will spare you eye strain). The device is also slightly bigger and has up to 10 weeks of battery life. The boys at book club will be envious. This [we] promise you.

Weekly trips to the bookstore are all fun and games until you start looking like a hoarder. We can’t all have a spacious at-home library, but the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition has a whopping 32 gigabytes of storage space so you can store thousands of books regardless of your real estate situ. The front light auto-adjusts for the perfect amount of brightness, depending on whether it’s day or night. “In my view, the adaptive screen brightness works flawlessly, effortlessly adjusting to various lighting conditions,” according to an Amazon reviewer. More reason to believe its 4.7-star rating. Yippie-yi-yay, space cowboy.

Self-care is all about alleviating stress, which means you should be able to take your Kindle in the bathtub—no strings attached. Thankfully, the Kindle Oasis is waterproof and has been tested to be trustworthy in withstanding accidental water dunking. It also has buttons to easily turn pages instead of swiping your wet, shriveled fingers across the screen. Hit the lights and get a candle going, since you’ll still be able to read thanks to the white-amber glowing screen. 

If the Kindle lineup went to college, the Scribe definitely went to Yale. It’s the only version that features a 10.2-inch digital notebook and pen to jot down your thoughts on Hamlet. You can also convert handwritten notes to text and share them, making it perfect for your next book discussion. It also has Photoshop vibes with its built-in lasso tool that can be used to resize, move, cut, copy, or paste notes. It also boasts the longest battery life of any Kindle model. Bye, bye, bye to dead electronics.

Library card? We don’t know her. 

The Rec Room staff independently selected all of the stuff featured in this story. Want more reviews, recommendations, and red-hot deals? Sign up for our newsletter.