Is a Kindle Worth It? 45 Physical Book Lovers Weigh In

I’ve been talking about Kindles for more than a decade – we LOVE our Kindles and they’ve been a fantastic addition to our family life.

(If you’re curious about Kindle, I have a whole Kindle 101 post here).

But almost every time I talk about them, some version of this question comes up:

“I’m torn on getting a Kindle because I just love a physical copy of a book. Do you think it’s worth it for a hard copy book lover”

I totally get this because I get this question ALL THE TIME.

And if you don’t want a Kindle, it won’t hurt my feelings!

I think a Kindle is hard to understand how amazing it is until you actually have one and have tried it out.

For me and my family, the Kindle readers are fantastic because:

• a Kindle gives us easy access to the ebook collection that our library provides (many of which are titles they don’t have in physical copies
• when we travel, we can take literally hundreds of books with us and it doesn’t take up half the suitcase or weigh a million pounds
• a Kindle gives you instant access to books without a trip to the library or bookstore (this was hugely helpful during the pandemic when our library was closed for months. It’s also really handy over holidays or when you’re traveling).
• A Kindle is easier to use in the dark or if you’re reading one-handed (like if you’re nursing a baby or have a sleeping partner you don’t want to wake up!)
• I can take advantage of ebook sales. It’s RARE for a physical book to be on sale for under $2 but this happens for ebooks ALL the time.
• you can change the font or font size which is terrific if you have a dyslexic reader or if your eyesight isn’t what it once was

I shared that question on Instagram and asked other readers who had had similar concerns to weigh in.

Here are some of the messages I got back (and for the record, I got approximately 150 messages about this and only a handful of people said they didn’t get the Kindle hype. I’m not saying that there is no one who buys a Kindle and then doesn’t like it, but in my experience, it is a VERY rare phenomenon):

P.S. I have a basic Kindle (my favorite because it is the least expensive and the smallest so it is great for travel) and a Paperwhite (it is generally about $40 more expensive, slightly larger and has a warm light option and is waterproof. Those two features matter a LOT to some readers – for me, the don’t make a much of a difference).

Is a Kindle worth it? 45 Physical Book Lovers Weigh In

• I never ever thought I’d want a Kindle and I bought one during Covid. It has rapidly become one of my favorite things ever. So easy to stick in my purse, so many books available from the library, I love reading on it at night in bed or outside in the sun, it is the BEST for travel. I could go on and on!!

• That was totally me! I love my Kindle now because it takes up so much less space than a single physical book (space is a hot commodity in a townhouse and when you travel with a toddler!) but I also love it because Libby is so so so great!

• The Kindle is so worth it to me when it comes to travel, one handed reading with a baby, reading laying in bed at night, and “I need a new book to start now!”

• My kids bought me a Kindle and it took me almost a year to try it because I loved physical books so much. Once I tried the Kindle I was sold. I love being able to read in any light without a book light. I love the size and weight. I love having multiple books with me at anytime. I love Kindle Unlimited. I love not having to find places to put books and dusting them.

• I love a physical book. LOVE. But also I love the convenience of my eReader. You can absolutely prefer a hardcover book and still enjoy the benefits of an eReader.

• I was wary, but I love my eReader! Easier to take everywhere, lighter in weight, books on demand if I’m not into one. I put a pop socket on the back so its’ easier to hold with one hand.

• I was definitely weary of a Kindle. My husband surprised me with a Kindle to try. After 6ish years My Kindle is now my favorite possession. (I left it at home by accident on a long trip, the same trip I also lost my phone and I for sure missed my Kindle more. I also can’t read books on my phone. It hurts my eyes and my head.) I read mostly at night and the Kindle is so great at night. Reading on a trip is great because I go through a few books each trip, and I can have hundreds of books ready to go on my Kindle if I want. I am for sure a mood reader so this is great. My kids also are huge Kindle fans. Plus Libby/the library is so easy. I also am dyslexic and changing the font, and the font size makes a huge difference for me personally. I never thought I’d like a Kindle, but I’m the biggest fan. That said if someone is curious try it out and return it if it doesn’t work out.

• I only exclusively read on a Kindle now. I don’t even do book of the month bc it’s not on Kindle.

• For me, portability and easier to hold. Love my Kindle more than physical books lately!

• I read 10000x more with an ereader. Being able to get books from the library without leaving my house is so lovely. I’ve already read 80 books this year, aiming for 100! No way could I afford that many books delivered to my house any other way.

• I ADORE my Kindle. It’s my favorite possession that I own! I used to love physical books, and hardly ever read them now. I read way more on my Kindle (and audiobooks) because it’s way more convenient. When I have a nursing baby, my Kindle is amazing for middle-of-the-night feedings! I too felt like I loved physical copies and couldn’t imagine reading digital books, but my reading has been completely transformed by using my kindle and embracing other formats of reading.

• I thought I would HATE a Kindle bc I LOVE reading paper books. And then I got a Kindle on sale and was so nervous about wasting the money. Welp – jokes on me bc I LOVE the Kindle and have influenced almost every family member of mine to get one. They all thought they wouldn’t like them and they all use them almost exclusively now!

• I still prefer paper but if you have the means to get a Kindle then I say try it out! It’s more convenient for traveling, nursing, laying next to kids in a dark room trying to get them to fall asleep.

• I put it off for years. I love the smell and heft of books. After one year of a Kindle I could NEVER go back. I can read in sunshine and at the lake with no curled pages. I can read in dark mode at night and not keep hubby up. I can have 20 books loaded and ready to go and not have to pack so much weight on trips. I can look up words I don’t know.

• I love physical books! But I have read exponentially more books on my Kindle than I would have otherwise. Kindle Unlimited, digital library books…finding a new read is so accessible plus I can read on my phone in between other things without lugging around a book.

• I love both book and my Kindle. Having a Kindle helps when carrying a book around. Sometimes I have a paper copy and Kindle copy just so I can read anywhere. It also helps with shelf space.

• Still love both, but find myself reaching for Kindle more because it’s just so convenient! The light, the text size adjustments, the packable size!

• I was firmly against Kindles for myself, then tried one, then bought one, then read (not exaggerating) five and now ten times as many books per year as I did before. I use it every day! And I still love and read physical books.

• My Kindle won me over. The convenience of it – going to work or on a trip with multiple books on one small device is great! So many options through the library too. I love it.

• I go back and forth between real books and my kindle. Just because you have a kindle doesn’t mean real books cases to exist! I love a kindle for travel, mornings so I can drink coffee and read at the same time!

• I have always loved physical books. I still appreciate them, but my kindle is by far one of the best things I have ever purchased! I’ve used it every day for the nearly 2 years that I’ve had it. I read so much more with it.

• Read way way way way more!

• I read 400% more since getting my kindle. Went from reading 20-30 books a year to 100+. Enlarging font, backlit screen, black background/white text are all features that make it easier to read for me when I’m tired at night. I don’t have to turn on/off a light. I love it! Traveling on even a single trip makes it worth it. Bringing 10+ books is my dreaaaaaaam.

• Really handy for books you aren’t sure you’ll love or just want to get from the library quickly. Also amazing for travel!

• I still read paper books the majority of the time but traveling with a kindle is easier. Also, kindle is easier to put in my bag when out running errands that I know I will have to wait. Sometimes I can get the kindle version faster than paper book from the library.

• Logistics and ease. 3rd time nursing mom, middle of the night feeds and reading is easy, sitting and being nap trapped is easy. Easier to carry and variety. I love real books but this season of life they aren’t always easy.

• Love the Kindle! So many library books I’m interested in are only available as ebooks, and I’d rather read on a Kindle than my phone. And I still read my physical books too.

• I LOVE having actual books but I also LOVE my kindle. #1 for traveling – it just cannot be beat. #2 if I’m reading while my husband is sleeping, he’s not bothered by a dim kindle light but he can’t stand any typs of book light, lamp I would need for an actual book. #3 I’ve really liked Kindle Unlimited. I’ve read things that I wouldn’t take a chance on just buying.

• I always worried about it but the Kindle is so much easier to hold and actually easier on my eyes so I read way more than i did before having one! Also can’t beat how easy it is to take on the go and get the next book in a series quickly if you want!

• I felt this way for ages. I’d read ebooks on my phone or iPad but didn’t love it. I LOVE my kindle. I got a paper white so I can read in the pool or the tub and I’m not worried about it.

• I was anti-kindle until I had a baby and realized I hadn’t read a book is over 6 months. The kindle is just more convenient and 12 years later I read maybe 1% in paper. 40% kindle and 59% audio at this point.

• Ooh yes – my kids kept wanting to get me a kindle but I love physical books. They I broke my leg and wow that kindle was awesome! You can download books from anywhere and it’s so convenient on vacation – only one thing to pack, you can take it anywhere you may have to wait for appointments, etc. Can you tell I now love it??

• Get the kindle lol so many conveniences that make it worth it. I still read paper books, it’s about 60% kindle and 40% paper now though. The $ saving and convenience is SO worth it.

• I was someone who scoffed at kindles because turning pages and feeling and smelling and interacting with the physical book felt necessary. I begrudgingly got a kindle as a way to widen my selection of Libby books to checkout and realized that having to HOLD and maneuver a physical book was something that was subconsciously limiting the times I would read. Books are big and chunky and require you to hold the pages open sometimes and kindles are the opposite. Lightweight, just need a tap to turn the page. Way easier too prop up when multitasking. Plus being able to read in direct sunlight AND in the dark without a light is an absolute game changer that I didn’t consider. And of course, it definitely increases your reading speed when fonts and text sizes are always set to what you prefer. I was a hater and not I am a gusher about the power of the kindle. Plus ebooks are way more accessible and cheaper than physical books. It is worth a sincere shot for everyone I think!

• The convenience is unparalleled. I put my kindle in my fanny pack in NYC and every time we sat on the subway or in line I could read instead of scroll my phone.

• Yes, yes, yes. Go for it. I have loved books since I was a child and felt like this, but I got a Kindle and never looked back. Light for night reading, can change size of font, built in dictionary (my favorite feature) and you can carry so many books in this small package. I can’t imagine my life without it.

• One of my favorite pars of a Kindle (that I don’t see mentioned very often) is how easy it is to read hands-free. I love that I can just prop it up somewhere while I’m eating or getting ready in the morning. With a physical book, I have to have something to brace it open and then move that thing every time I turn the page.

• I never thought I’d be a Kindle girlie until I suddenly owned over 600 books and didn’t really have the money to upsize my house to fit more so I tried the kindle out and it’s REVOLUTIONARY! Not only do I read so much faster, I save so much money on digital copies instead of physical and can pick up a book after seeing a review/post on it without having to order or pop into the store. Also I love the function that you can automatically start reading the book on Goodreads and can highlight quotes you want to keep supre easily. Now all that money i save goes to a special editions of my favorite books but that’s a whole other things now.

• I felt the same way until I was trapped in a dark room rocking a baby or toddler for long periods during the day/night. Being able to read helped my mental health so much and gave me back some “me time” in the midst of chaotic early motherhood. I also like my kids to see me reading rather than scrolling my phone and the lack of blue light makes it much easier to fall asleep.

• I caved and got one 3 years ago. I’m so so glad I did! My family camps a lot, and physical books could get beat up pretty bad out in nature.

• My weak wrists and desire to lay down helped me get over the hump of using a kindle vs hard copy. My delicate lady bones can support my (kids) kindle with one hand while I lay on my back!

• I surprised myself with how much I love and use my Kindle! I am an extraordinarily fast reader and can read multiple novels in a day – no way I can pack that many on a trip. Fourth grade me would also be so enchanted and thrilled that I can get a book at a moments notice. My kids also read so much more on their kindles. They’re easy to take in the car or to practice.

• One thing I love about the Kindle is being able to increase the font size. I also never lose my page!

• My Kindle is my favorite thing. I love how easy it is to take places. I love that with a few taps I can get a new book at any moment…for free! I love that I can make the font bigger because my 45 year old eyes are not the same as they used to be. I absolutely love my Kindle.

I hope those responses help you make a decision about whether or not a Kindle is right for you.

And if you have any other questions about Kindle, feel free to leave them in the comments and I’ll do my best to answer them all!

If you liked this post about “Is a Kindle worth it?”, you might find these other posts helpful:

• Everything you should know about a Basic Kindle vs Kindle Paperwhite
• How to Do a Kindle Trade In
• My favorite Kindle cases