Kindle Paperwhite Review – Still Worth Buying?

This post may contain affiliate links. Disclosure here.

In the spring of 2024, I took the plunge and finally purchased a Kindle Paperwhite! I waited patiently for my local store to have it in Agave Green and once I saw they had it in stock, waited no longer. 

So now that I’ve had the Kindle for a few months, I’ve developed some clear thoughts on the device.

There will also be a tldr at the end of both sections in case you’d prefer to skim!

For reference, I have the 6.8” Kindle Paperwhite in Agave Green with 8 GB storage and an average 10 week battery life. The Kindle Paperwhite comes with a USB-C charging cord and user guide. Not a lot of bells and whistles, but that seems to be the norm when buying tech nowadays. 

Pros

For the most part, I’ve had the most fun decorating my Kindle. I bought a clear case so I could put stickers on the back of my Kindle. (I didn’t actually adhere the stickers to the Kindle, rather just placed them in the case and then put the case on the Kindle.)

The battery life of my Kindle is fantastic! I’ve had my Kindle for about 4 months now and have charged it maybe 3 times. I generally read for about an hour or so almost every night and sometimes for about 30 minutes during my lunch break during the week. 

The battery life has held up wonderfully. 

I also very much enjoy that the screen is easy on my eyes and is glare free. Reading the Kindle outside in direct sunlight is comparable to reading pages in a physical book. 

The screen being so easy on the eyes and glare-free is such a big deal to me. I previously used to read on the Kindle App on my iPad and would often give myself headaches. Using the Kindle has eliminated those headaches and I can read without hurting my eyes. 

Like I mentioned earlier with the stickers, the Kindle Paperwhite is super customizable. Not only on the outside, but also with the inner workings as well. 

You can customize everything from the font size, screen color, brightness, etc. I love switching between light and dark mode when reading during the day vs. reading at night. 

I also enjoy the huge selection of books at my fingertips. Though I will also say upfront that I pay the $11.99/USD monthly to have access to Kindle Unlimited books. 

But don’t let the Kindle Unlimited subscription scare you off. There is still a huge catalog of free books available as well.

Reading books on Kindle is a great way to help support indie authors as well. I’ve definitely found some of my favorite books/series on Kindle Unlimited. 

The other upside to not having a Kindle Unlimited subscription is the ability to link your Libby account and read library books on your Kindle. That’s definitely one of my favorite features of the Kindle Paperwhite. 

I also love the ability to use different accessories with the Kindle. I recently purchased a bluetooth page-turner and wide-grip phone holder so I can read in bed without having to actually hold my Kindle. 

The Kindle Paperwhite is very light, though. So holding it while reading or taking it on the go is fantastic thanks to its lightweight nature. 

As with anything, there are some (very) minor drawbacks. 

TLDR:

• Battery life
• Decorating the case
• Glare free screen
• Screen customization
• Access to Kindle Unlimited
• Compatible with Libby
• Portable/lightweight
• Ability to use different accessories

Cons

For instance, I dislike that every Kindle Paperwhite initially comes loaded with ads, unless you pay $20/USD to have them removed. 

I kept the ads on my Kindle initially, but kept getting a creepy clown book ad and eventually got tired of it and paid to turn the ads off. 

*You can research ways around it, but from what I have seen, Amazon has locked down the ability for customer service to remove ads for free if you complain or claim the ads are inappropriate.

The Kindle screen also never shuts off. This might be a personal gripe, but I do wish I could turn off the screen. Similar to locking an iPhone or iPad. Where the screen then only lights up if I tap it or receive a notification. 

While I love the aesthetic of having my book display on my Kindle, sometimes when I’m reading in public I’d prefer to have the option to turn off the screen for privacy. 

I’m also a bit envious of the Kobo Libra girlies who get to enjoy e-readers in color. The Kindle Paperwhite being grey scale isn’t a giant deal, but seeing book covers in the Kindle App and how vibrant they are, make me wish the Kindle had colored covers too. 

At home, this isn’t really a big deal. 

TLDR

• Ads behind a paywall
• Screen never turns off
• Slight lag
• Grey scale screen

Overall, I absolutely love my Kindle Paperwhite. The wait was absolutely worth it because I cannot imagine going back to reading on my iPad or just not having a Kindle. 

If I knew a bookworm in my life who didn’t have a Kindle Paperwhite, I think it would make a fantastic gift. 

The downside is Amazon has discontinued the 8 GB Paperwhite. The base model 16 GB Paperwhite starts at $149 brand new, on Amazon. 

I still think it is worth the price and considering 8 GB is probably more storage than I’ll ever need, then purchasing the 16 GB will definitely cover storage needs plus plenty of extra space. 

All in all, if you enjoy reading and don’t mind not always reading a physical copy of a book, then the Kindle Paperwhite is waiting for you. 

Available in 3 colors (black, blue, and green) with tons of customization options, the Kindle is the perfect bookworm accessory. 

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