Which Kindle Is Best for Your Eyes? [Ranked]

Given that there are several Amazon e-readers, it can be hard to know which one to pick. Given their various features and offerings, trying to decide which is right for you is not as easy as it may seem. So which Kindle is best for your eyes?

The best is the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature as it has a great, large screen with an automatic brightness setting, 300 PPI display and adjustable warm light. It can be read in dark or bright areas, with the signature glare-free construction.

So I’ve assembled the main offerings from Amazon and join me as we go through them one by one, ranked from worst to best in terms of viewing pleasure and what is best for your eyes.

Amazon Kindle

The budget offering from Amazon and subsequently having less in terms of features, the 2019 Kindle is still a great e-reader.

You still get the classic look and lightweight feel of the Kindle, with an improved front light making it slightly easier to read, especially for extended periods.

The display comes in at a slightly smaller 6 inches, but the much lower PPI of 167 means the text is not as clear, clean or sharp as the other offerings.

You’ll get 8 GB of storage, more than enough for many thousands of ebooks that can be easily viewed from the Library, which has seen some great improvements.

Highlighting words and taking memos as well as an instant lookup of words in the dictionary mean you don’t have to swap to another device, making for one touch access to a whole range of features.

One big difference is the lack of waterproofing offered, whereas the more expensive models can take quite a lot of water exposure, including submersion. This means you can’t really risk great reading times such as in the bath or by the pool with the basic Kindle.

The display only has a measly four LEDs when compared to the 17 and 25 you get on the Paperwhite and Oasis.

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite

The 2021 Amazon Kindle Paperwhite has a 6.8 inches display, with overall dimensions of 6.9 inches tall by 4.9 inches wide, and a thin 0.32 inches thick (174.2 x 124.6 x 8.1 mm).

Amazon has tried to revolutionize the e-reader market and are still bringing out new versions with additional features, building on the success of their original Amazon Kindle.

The Amazon Kindle Paperwhite has gone through several changes, with the 2021 version being a larger version of its predecessors. The Paperwhite goes for a ‘simple is best’ layout, with no buttons to flip the pages but instead, you tap on the side of the display itself.

It only comes in a black plastic look, but if you’re going to be carrying it with you, you’re best off getting a case from the many available. For example, I got one that has a strap on the back, allowing me to easily hold it in one hand.

While you can still hold it in one hand without the case or strap, it does not quite feel as secure. Keep in mind that with it only weighing 7.23 oz, it is not hard at all to keep it at a comfortable reading distance with almost no effort required. 

With a waterproof rating of IPX8, the Paperwhite is tested to withstand immersion in about 6 feet of freshwater for 60 minutes. This means that the Paperwhite can take a fair amount of water splashing and even the occasional dip into a bathtub or pool.

Generally, it’s a good idea to keep electronics away from water, but in order to attain an IPX8 rating, the Paperwhite needs to be hermetically sealed.

The 2021 version also comes with USB-C, which is a much faster USB specification than the previous microUSB, and can withstand damage far better.

While using the audiobook features will drain the battery faster, testing has revealed a single charge lasts up to 10 weeks if you’re doing about 30 minutes of reading a day with the wireless off and the light setting at 13. 

Amazon Kindle Oasis

The premium e-reader offering, the Amazon Kindle Oasis comes in both an 8 GB and 32 GB version, with advertising appearing on the lock screen (which you can pay an upfront premium to remove).

With a 7 inch display and 300 PPI, you get the best reading experience possible on the Kindle range, appearing similar to the Paperwhite and Paperwhite Signature e-readers.

The body of the Oasis is two different thicknesses, as the aluminum body has a thick side measuring 0.33 inches that has the charging port and buttons on it. The thinner part is around 0.13 inches but still feels solid.

The high IPX8 waterproofing allows you to have your Oasis exposed to water in significant amounts without damage.

Public and private Wi-Fi networks or hotspots that use the 802.11b, g, or n specifications, which are the most modern access points, are all compatible with the Oasis, which has an in-built Wi-Fi Simple Setup to get you connected quickly.

The lack of USB-C charging is a big oversight, and despite the Oasis coming out in 2019, this really should have been standard for such a premium product.

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature

The Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature is one of the best Kindles out there, as it has taken the already great product of the Paperwhite and added some handy additional features.

To take advantage of the best lighting situations, you can adjust the shade of your display from white light to warm amber. You can even use the scheduling feature to change the light setting, to get a personalized reading experience. 

One great addition is the wireless charging dock, which doubles as a stand for the Paperwhite Signature so that you can prop it up and read without having to hold it. The dock is compact yet sturdy, making it easy to bring with you.

You again get the Bluetooth functionality to allow pairing with an Audible subscription in order to get your Kindle turned into an audiobook, allowing you to relax and lay the Paperwhite Signature down while you listen to your book instead.

With a massive 32 gigabytes of storage, you can probably get around 10 to 12 thousand books on it.

Having the IPX8 rating like the Paperwhite, it can take fresh water for 60 minutes and just under a foot of seawater for up to 3 minutes.

The Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature connects to both 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz wireless networks and uses USB-C per the 2021 edition.

You’ll also get the following formats onto the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature, including Kindle Format 8 (AZW3), Kindle (AZW), TXT, PDF, unprotected MOBI, PRC natively and HTML DOC, DOCX, JPEG, GIF, PNG, PMP through conversion.

You can also get the Audible audio format, AAX, for if you want to listen to your books instead.