If you’re in the market for a new eReader, listen up, because the Prime Early Access Sale is almost through, and yet it’s your best chance to score some excellent Prime Day Kindle deals. With the Kindle lineup being an Amazon product, we’re seeing some steep discounts, but the event also includes some of the best e-book readers that aren’t Amazon’s. Historically, the best Prime Day deals have always included the latest and greatest tablets, and the same is true here.
This will be a particularly good event to shop if you missed out on the original event earlier this year, or if you’re already looking to land a great holiday gift. Other retailers are joining in the fun too, like Walmart with its October Rollbacks event, which is basically just a Walmart Prime Day sale in disguise.
Even with the Prime Early Access Sale ending soon, we’re seeing devices like the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite and the Amazon Kindle Kids Edition get price drops. Read onward for a roundup of some of the best Prime Day Kindle deals to shop today, plus more information on how to approach this event with Black Friday right around the corner.
Amazon Kindle (2019) — $65, was $90
The 2019 Amazon Kindle, the basic model of the line of e-readers, highlights one of the main benefits of Amazon’s Kindle line — even as an ad-supported digital device, reading on its glare-free display is like reading from the paper pages of a book, even when you’re doing so under direct sunlight, because of E Ink technology. You can also adjust the brightness of the Kindle’s built-in adjustable front light so that you can comfortably read in whatever situation, whether you’re inside or outside, day or night. If you want to get back to the book that you’re reading on the Kindle, you can do so at any time.
Unlike most of today’s electronic devices that require daily charging, the Kindle can last for weeks on a single charge, so you’ll rarely have to plug it in. That’s still not enough time to go through all the books that you download into the e-reader’s 8GB of storage, though, as it can hold thousands of e-books at a time. While reading, you can highlight text, search for the definitions of unfamiliar words through Smart Lookup, and adjust text size to make reading easier on the eyes.
Another reason to go for the Kindle is its lightweight design. You can place this e-reader in your pocket or bag, and you won’t notice you have it with you. It’s also possible to hold it in one hand while you read, but it doesn’t sacrifice durability. It feels sturdy while you’re holding it, and the thick bezels around the screen add to that perception.
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite — $140
If you’ve got some extra cash to spare, you should go for the 2021 Amazon Kindle Paperwhite instead of the basic Amazon Kindle. The ad-supported e-reader features a larger 6.8-inch glare-free display with thinner borders, which reduces distractions while you’re reading e-books. But even with the bigger screen, the device can still last for weeks on a single charge, and it comes with a USB-C charging port that makes it compatible with chargers and cables you already own.
The Kindle Paperwhite comes with an adjustable warm light that will automatically activate after a certain time through its auto-scheduling feature. You can also choose to active a dark mode that inverts the screen’s colors, if you prefer such a theme. If you’re planning to keep reading even while taking a dip in the bathtub or relaxing by the pool, the Kindle Paperwhite is IPX8 rated, which means it can withstand accidental splashes of water, immersion in up to 2 meters of fresh water for up to 60 minutes, or immersion in up 0.25 meter of seawater for up to three minutes.
With 8GB of storage, it will be a long while before you run out of books to read, though you’ll be reading at a faster pace as the Kindle Paperwhite promises 20% faster page turns. If you’re looking for an e-reader that incorporates most of the feedback generated from e-book lovers over the years, this is the model you should get.
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Kids — $160
Why buy
- One-year subscription to Amazon Kids+
- Includes protective cover with magnets
- Two-year replacement guarantee
- Retains all features of Amazon Kindle Paperwhite
As its name suggests, the 2021 Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Kids takes the 2021 Amazon Kindle Paperwhite and focuses it on children. Every purchase of the e-book reader comes with a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+, which provides access to thousands of books ranging from timeless classics to popular modern series. Your child will never run out of age-appropriate books to read, and once the subscription ends, you can choose to continue it so that these e-books will keep your children company as they grow up.
If your child is still pretty young and you’re worried that the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Kids won’t last, don’t worry as the device comes with a cover that features magnets for secure closure and a durable exterior that protects the e-reader from bumps and scratches. It also has a two-year guarantee that promises a free replacement if it breaks within that period, which should give you peace of mind.
The Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Kids retains the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite’s 6.8-inch glare-free display, IPX8 rating, adjustable warm light, and weeks-long battery life. However, with additional tools like Vocabulary Builder and Word Wise, in addition to the child-focused features, the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Kids is the perfect device for young book lovers, and a great gift from parents who want to teach their children the joy of reading books.
Amazon Kindle Oasis — $300
Why buy
- Largest Kindle screen at 7 inches
- Adaptive front light
- 32GB of storage
- Adjustable warm light for reading at night
The top-of-the-line model of Amazon’s Kindle devices is the 2019 Kindle Oasis, which includes all the important features of all the other models of the e-reader, while introducing new ones that make it an attractive option for e-book lovers. First is its 7-inch screen, the largest on a Kindle, with 1680 x 1264 resolution that enables sharp and clear text, and an adaptive front light that makes adjustments to the display’s brightness depending on lighting conditions. However, the device remains lightweight, with a design featuring page-turn buttons at the side that makes it easy to hold in one hand while you read.
With relatively massive storage space of 32GB, you can install virtually unlimited content to read on the e-reader, and you also have access to Kindle-exclusive typefaces that you can combine with text size and boldness adjustments for maximum readability. You can also easily search for a word’s meaning if you’re unsure, so that you won’t miss important details in whatever you’re reading.
The Kindle Oasis comes with the same adjustable warm light feature that’s found in the Kindle Paperwhite, which makes it easier on the eyes to read at night and in low-light conditions, but not the USB-C port as it was released two years earlier. However, that’s a minor omission compared to all the other benefits you can enjoy from the Kindle Oasis. If you want to get the best of Amazon’s Kindle devices, this is the model you should invest in.
Should you shop these Prime Day Kindle deals or wait until Black Friday?
Black Friday is traditionally the best time of the year to purchase a Kindle, as retailers tend to put their best discounts out there in order to clear out inventory before heading into the new year. Major discounts on devices like Kindles are commonplace, and the event often leaves Kindles sold out entirely, with low availability and long delivery windows dominating the rest of the holiday shopping season. This makes the Prime Early Access Sale the new best time to grab a Kindle.
The Prime Early Access Sale is ripe with opportunity for a major Kindle discount. It will be taking place a little more than a month before Black Friday, which makes Black Friday fall within the return window for any Kindle you purchase during the Prime Early Access Sale. This means you can purchase a Kindle during the event with zero risk, as you can simply return it if a better deal turns up during Black Friday. Shopping early like this is the best way to ensure you land some sort of discount on a Kindle, as there’s no telling what sort of deal the future may hold. It also ensures you’re able to take home the Kindle you want without having to fight low inventories and long delivery times.
So whether you feel there’s a great Kindle deal to be had on Black Friday or not, feel free to make a purchase during the Prime Early Access Event if you see a deal on a Kindle model you like. Discounts are expected to be impressive, and if they turn out not to be impressive enough, you can make a return come Black Friday.
