For Simpler Studying
{Photograph}: Nena Farrell
For those who’ve ever had an extended studying session that offers you hand cramps, these equipment may assist. You’ll be able to try extra choices in our Best Kindle Accessories guide.
Strapsicle E-Reader Hand Straps for $21: Connect one or each of those to the again of your Kindle—one is angled in your proper hand and the opposite in your left—and slide your hand in. Your palms will not cramp, you will not unintentionally hit the display screen and flip pages, and the reader will not slip out of your palms. There are three sizes meant to carry various kinds of e-readers. You must see precisely which fashions they work with on the Amazon pages, in addition to on this page on the Strapsicle website.
Lamicall Gooseneck Tablet Holder for $19: I love this device. Whereas I would not name it utterly hands-free, it’s a brilliant handy and comfy expertise, significantly if in case you have persistent ache in your wrists. The clamp is simple to connect to mattress frames and facet tables (there’s additionally a floor stand version for $70). It’s light-weight to deploy wherever and has sufficient resistance to the neck that it doesn’t fall ahead or out of the place you place it in. It did wobble a bit after I touched it to show the web page (or it acquired bumped by a curious cat), so I normally preserve a relaxation hand on it to carry it regular. If you wish to go totally hands-free, add a page-turner remote so you may learn with out lifting a finger.
PopSocket for $10: PopSockets aren’t simply in your cellphone; additionally they work nice on e-readers. Whether or not you will have a Paperwhite or a primary Kindle, it is one other nice answer for decreasing hand cramps.
Hello Clio the Original Kindle Belt Bag for $58: For those who’re at all times touring along with your Kindle however do not wish to carry a bigger bag, this can be a nice accent. It has a mushy inside to maintain your display screen protected, together with further pockets in your cellphone, keys, and pockets. It could actually match the fundamental Kindle, Kindle Paperwhite, Kindle Oasis, and Kindle Colorsoft.
The Bookish Goods Bookish Crossbody for $50: Want a bag in your Kindle Scribe? The Bookish Crossbody from Bookish Items matches the Kindle Scribe in its major giant crossbody pocket, and matches a smaller Kindle or Kindle Paperwhite within the entrance pocket. It is an excellent measurement to deliver a couple of issues with you together with a Kindle Scribe—catch me with this bag and my Kindle within the park this summer season with my kiddo.
Nomad 65W Slim Power Adapter for $49: Kindles have lengthy battery life, however former WIRED reviewer Brenda Stolyar nonetheless likes to hold a charger together with her on the go simply in case. This one from Nomad is her favourite. It is tremendous skinny and comes with two USB-C ports, so she makes use of it to cost her e-reader and cellphone concurrently (the left facet delivers 45 watts and the appropriate delivers 20 watts when charging two gadgets on the similar time). The prongs additionally fold up, so it matches properly within the facet pocket of a bag.
Do You Want a Cowl?
{Photograph}: Amazon
Kindles are, fortunately, not as fragile as our dear smartphones, however you should still wish to add a canopy to guard the display screen if you happen to’re ceaselessly toting it round in a bag. These aren’t padded for severe drops. The Youngsters’ editions include circumstances.
Fabric Covers for Kindle for $32 and Paperwhite for $37: These open like a ebook and are available in some variation of black, blue, pink, or inexperienced. They’re made out of postconsumer recycled material.
Fabric Cover for Scribe for $60: This one flips up and over like a notepad, and you may place it right into a stand too. There’s additionally a slot for the pen if you don’t need it to connect magnetically on a regular basis. It is also made with recycled supplies.
The Bookish Kindle Cases for $36: I actually like that this cowl additionally has a built-in strap, so you may benefit from the safety of a hand strap whereas studying and have the safety of a canopy once you’re not. There are a bunch of enjoyable colours too.
The Quirky Cup Collective E-Reader Sleeve for $29: Our workforce loves these beautiful sleeves, significantly the Sun and Moon version. They’re lovely and can shield your machine once you aren’t utilizing it, so you may throw it in your bag with out fear. The surface is velvet and the within is satin, with some padding in between and a zipper closure. On the again is a small zip pocket. On every product web page, you will see which gadgets match, however seek the advice of the measurements. There are additionally separate, bigger book and iPad sleeves ($35).
CoBak Clear Case for $8: The perfect half about having a transparent case is that it protects the again of your Kindle and lets you embellish it with stickers beneath. We advocate this fun sticker pack ($5).
Nice Studying Lights
{Photograph}: Simon Hill
For those who learn earlier than mattress however do not wish to disturb sleeping companion, youngsters, or roommates, spend money on a studying mild. All of the Kindles now have a entrance mild, so you do not want one, however these can nonetheless be helpful, particularly if you happen to swap between your Kindle and bodily books. Beneath are a couple of of our favorites. You will discover extra in our Best Reading Lights guide.
Vekkia 14 LED Book Light for $16: That is our high decide. It is a clip-on mild with an adjustable gooseneck and two swiveling mild bars that pack seven LEDs every. You’ll be able to cycle by means of 5 ranges of brightness and three heat colours. It is comparatively giant, although, so it is not nice for small paperbacks. The clamp opens as large as 2.1 inches and serves as a secure base to put on a nightstand.
Glocusent LED Neck Reading Light for $22: This studying mild wraps round your neck, so it seems to be foolish. However it’s a wonderful different to a clip-on studying mild whereas remaining hands-free. It is light-weight, adjustable, and comes with three colour temperature modes in addition to six brightness settings. It is rechargeable and gives as much as 80 hours of battery life at dimmer settings.
Black Diamond Wiz Headlamp for $28: That is our favourite headlamp for youths. It is comfy, and the adjustable straps are available in numerous colours. It has three brightness settings and an IPX4 water-resistance rating, so you do not have to fret about splashes. It turns itself off routinely after two hours, in case they go to sleep with it on. It takes two AAA batteries.
About These Older Kindles
Amazon would not launch new Kindles typically—the corporate normally takes a couple of years between fashions. At any time when a brand new one arrives, its predecessor’s inventory begins to dwindle. It isn’t that we do not advocate these per se, however we solely recommend these if you could find them on sale for the appropriate worth. In any other case, we advocate shopping for the most recent model.
Earlier than making your buy, cross-check the value with the most recent mannequin to be sure you’re spending a good quantity much less on the older machine.
- Kindle (2022, 11th Generation): That is the smallest of the lot at 6.2 inches tall and 4.3 inches large, with a 6-inch display screen. For those who discover tablets too cumbersome to carry with one hand, take into account this one. With this mannequin, Amazon doubled the storage to 16 gigabytes and upgraded the show to 300 pixels per inch (PPI) decision (up from 167 PPI). It is powerful to search out, however if you happen to handle to snag one, you should not spend greater than $50.
- Kindle Paperwhite (2021, 11th Generation): That is the subsequent step up from the fundamental mannequin. It has a brilliant 6.8-inch display screen with adjustable heat lighting, a quick page-turn fee, a USB-C port, and 16 gigs of storage. It is waterproof too. I just like the Signature Version (8/10, WIRED Recommends), which additionally contains auto-adjust brightness and 32 gigabytes of storage. I do not advocate spending greater than $100 if you could find them.
- Kindle Scribe (1st Generation): The Scribe (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is a superb choice for note-takers. It has an enormous 10.2-inch display screen for taking notes, marking up PDFs, or drawing, and quite a few paper codecs you may select, like college-ruled or dotted. It additionally comes with the Fundamental Pen, which feels pure to put in writing with and attaches to the facet of the Kindle magnetically. I solely advocate it for $230 or much less.
- Kindle Kids (2022): That is the kid-friendly model of the entry-level Kindle. It comes with a canopy, a 12 months’s subscription to Amazon Youngsters+, parental controls, and a two-year guarantee. I do not recommend spending greater than $70 on this one.
- Kindle Paperwhite Kids (2021): The Paperwhite model is a step up from the Kindle Youngsters. It has a high-resolution 300-ppi show with an adjustable heat display screen and can also be waterproof. You should not spend greater than $110 on this one.
What’s the Greatest Technique to Purchase or Promote an Older Kindle?
Have an outdated Kindle mendacity round? Are you taking a look at a used one on the market? For those who’re attempting to determine what mannequin it’s, this Amazon page contains images, specs, and launch years for the whole lineup. As soon as you realize which one you will have, you might be able to trade it in for credit score towards a more moderen mannequin.
Most elderly Kindles most likely nonetheless work, simply with fewer bells and whistles. It is best to keep away from Kindles with keyboards or every other bodily buttons apart from page-turn buttons. Some older Kindles misplaced the power to browse, buy, or borrow new books immediately from the machine. Nonetheless, you will nonetheless have the ability to do that by way of Amazon.com in your pc or cellphone and have it despatched to your Kindle, which is a greater expertise anyway. These fashions embrace the Kindle 2nd Era (Worldwide), Kindle DX Worldwide, Kindle DX Graphite, Kindle Keyboard, Kindle 4th Era, and Kindle fifth Era.
How Do You Get Free Ebooks on a Kindle?
For those who purchase each single ebook you wish to learn on a Kindle, it might add up! However there are methods to avoid wasting cash whereas studying as a lot as your coronary heart wishes. It’s possible you’ll wish to subscribe to Kindle Unlimited for $12 a month. You’ll be able to solely select from the Limitless catalog, however there are hundreds of thousands of titles there, together with audiobooks and magazines. Begin out with the 30-day free trial.
For those who already pay for a Prime account, you are eligible for some free ebooks by means of Prime Reading. There usually are not as many choices as with Kindle Limitless, and in plenty of circumstances, you will see each Limitless and Prime choices lumped collectively; you will must look carefully to search out the free ebooks. It is nonetheless one thing, and there are even a couple of magazines.
If you don’t need one other month-to-month subscription and do not wish to proceed giving your cash to Amazon, make the most of the ebooks accessible along with your library card. Looking a digital catalog isn’t as magical as spending a day trying over each shelf in a library, however such is the book life (nobody says you may’t learn each!). We have now a detailed how-to on this you need to try, however listed here are a number of the takeaways:
- Get a library card in your native department.
- Examine your department’s web site for its book choices. Many libraries use a service referred to as OverDrive.
- Obtain on to your Kindle library. They will routinely be eliminated after they’re due again.
If you realize another person with a Kindle, you may lend books between your libraries, simply as you’ll with a bodily copy. Follow these instructions from Amazon if you wish to share an book, however remember that not all books might be loaned.
What Else Can a Kindle Do?
Kindles have useful options it’s possible you’ll wish to make the most of. Lengthy-press a phrase or phrase to see its definition, spotlight it, or take notes. It’s also possible to search the whole ebook for that specific phrase or phrase or translate it to or from different languages.
Phrase Sensible exhibits brief definitions in small textual content throughout the traces. Sadly, it is not accessible for all books, however when it’s, you may flip it on or off and select extra and fewer hints. Clicking the brief definition opens an extended one from Phrase Sensible and the New Oxford American Dictionary or Oxford Dictionary of English (you may swap between the 2), plus translations, and a Wikipedia web page, if relevant.
Whereas studying, faucet the highest of the display screen and click on “Aa” to alter font measurement or sort—there’s even a font referred to as OpenDyslexic that helps make studying simpler for individuals with dyslexia. You’ll be able to management margin sizes and line spacing from that menu too.
When a Kindle is related to a Bluetooth speaker or headphones, VoiceView Screen Reader (accessed by means of Settings > Accessibility) lets you use gestures to navigate your machine and reads aloud what you’ve got pressed. It should additionally learn a ebook aloud, although it would not sound almost as good as an audiobook.
Amazon owns Goodreads, so it syncs seamlessly to Kindles (press the three-dot menu > Goodreads). If in case you have a Goodreads account, you may overview the Kindle books you’ve got learn or browse your bookshelf and proposals. Lengthy-pressing a phrase or phrase, along with what’s talked about above, opens up an choice to share quotes on to Goodreads.
There is a internet browser too if you happen to’re related to the web (three-dot menu > Net Browser). It isn’t the perfect, so I might reserve it for emergency searches.
How Do You Replace a Kindle?
When Amazon releases a brand new software program replace, it is going to obtain and set up to your Kindle routinely when it is related to Wi-Fi. You’ll be able to test if you happen to’re on the most recent software program by going to Settings > Gadget Choices > Superior Choices > Replace Your Kindle. If it is not on the most recent software program model, you will see an replace accessible and the Kindle will then immediate you to obtain and set up it.
Is This a Good Time to Purchase a Kindle?
Sure. Amazon refreshed all of its Kindles across the board in October 2024, with a brand new Kindle, Kindle Paperwhite, Kindle Scribe, and Kindle Youngsters editions. The corporate additionally launched the Kindle Colorsoft, its first-ever colour Kindle, and in July 2025 Amazon added two more color Kindles to its collection. Nonetheless, the perfect time to purchase a Kindle is throughout a significant sale occasion like Amazon Prime Day or Black Friday, as a result of Amazon typically has steep reductions.
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