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Books are some of the heaviest things to take with you when traveling, but what can a girl do when she wants to curl up with a good read by the beach or while on a plane? Enter e-readers. Our readers are sharing their opinion on the best reading device for travel. Find out if they chose the Kindle or the Nook!
Best Reading Device for Travel
Travel Fashion Girl help! A reader asks:
Kindle or Nook for travel? Go!
While it’s hard to replace the feel of a book, traveling with them can take up too much space and weight in your luggage. With an e-reader, you can take a handful of books with you without the bulk.
The Kindle and Nook are two of the most popular e-readers on the market. Here, our readers share their vote for the best e-reader for travel.
Amazon Kindle
You’ll notice that our readers LOVE their Kindle. Their best-selling version is the Paperwhite. Along with an improved high-resolution 300 ppi display for crisp, laser quality text, the Paperwhite reads like paper, so you never have to worry about glare from the sun or a harsh glow during evening reading. Here’s why our readers love the Kindle.
“I bought a Kindle Oasis, which is in the Paperwhite category. It is super lightweight, easy to read on, and can get wet.”
“The Kindle Paperwhite is a lot easier on the eyes and doesn’t come loaded with junk. It won’t function as a tablet, though. However, I love mine.”
“I prefer the convenience of the Kindle Fire. It’s great for reading and watching TV shows or movies. You can also get a version without the ads. Personally, I do not mind the one ad I see upon turning it on. I have no problem reading on it either.”
“I had a Kindle Paperwhite which I love for reading. It’s great outside, too. I now have a Kindle Fire and I also love to travel with this.”
“I have a Kindle Paperwhite. It didn’t come with any junk pre-loaded. It’s not a tablet, though. I don’t like reading on my iPad with the Kindle app as it bothers my eyes. The Kindle Paperwhite looks more like paper but has a soft backlight, not like a glaring tablet or phone screen. I love my Kindle!”
“I love my Kindle Paperwhite. The e-ink and soft backlight is perfect for reading. There’s no glare like when reading on an iPad, so you can read in bright sunlight. No junk to clog up the device either. I can use it for days, if not weeks, without needing to recharge it.”
“I have a Kindle Fire and I love it. I mostly use it to read but I also watch videos (Netflix and Amazon Prime). Occasionally, I’ll use it to shop on Amazon or to Google something, and there are a few games as well. I agree with some other comments that the screen can be tough on the eyes but there are ways to adjust the brightness, “paper” color, text size, and there is a blue shade feature that mutes/removes blue from the screen to make it easier to read in the dark.”
“I love the Kindle Paperwhite. You can increase the size of the font and the type of font, plus set the margins, and change the light to make it brighter or dimmer. Plus, there’s no glare. It’s also lightweight and easy to carry. When I’m on vacation I don’t want a tablet or iPad because I want to stay offline.”
“I have a Kindle and I love that I can keep reading on my phone or on the iPad if for some reason I don’t have my Kindle with me.”
“I love the Kindle paperwhite. It’s easy on the eyes, easy on the budget, and works well with my library!”
“I have the Kindle Fire and I can easily connect it to WiFi to download new things.”
The Kindle Paperwhite is easy to connect and download books as well. Where Wi-Fi is spotty I use a personal hotspot on my phone. I’ve never had a problem staying stocked with books when I travel!”
“I have the Kindle Paperwhite. I had the Kindle Fire when it first came out. It was nice to have Internet capability but it was really heavy and, most importantly, you could not read it in the sun. I also had books on my iPad that you could not read in the sun. The Kindle is perfect, light, and when you shut it the battery automatically shuts off. When you get books from Amazon you can share them with at least two household members who have a Kindle. Also if you subscribe to Book Bulb you can put in your preferences and they have daily free or under $2 books.”
“I am on my probably fifth generation of the Kindle. I’ve been using them as long as they have been around. At home I read with the Kindle app on my iPad mini. On the road I find it is worth taking my Kindle because the charge lasts about two weeks while my iPad requires daily charging.”
“I LOVE my Kindle Paperwhite. You can adjust the background contrast/light to read in dimly lit areas. It’s small enough to fit in my purse. I have set my account up with the public library so I borrow all of my books and rarely ever buy books. You can also set up the Kindle app on your other devices to continue reading on any device. The battery doesn’t need recharging often, especially if you turn off the WiFi. I can go for weeks without a charge.”
“My Kindle Paperwhite is my book. It’s easy on the eyes and is strictly a book reader. I also have an iPad and no way would I use that to read at night. It would hurt my eyes.”
Barnes & Noble Nook
While the Nook doesn’t come recommended by as many of our readers, there were still a few who had nothing but good things to say about the Nook. Created by Barnes & Noble, the Nook features a sharp contrast, GlowLight illumination for nighttime reading, a battery life that lasts up to 50 days on a single charge, and more. Here’s why our readers love the Nook.
“I have a Nook. It’s great for travel!”
“I have both. I bought the Nook e-reader years ago and love it. I bought a Fire tablet for less than $30 on Prime day specifically to use when traveling. I figure I won’t be heartbroken if I break or lose it. I prefer reading on my Nook but the Fire tablet is much more functional for travel. I used it for watching shows/movies, reading and playing games. The browser is slow if you are searching for something online, but that’s expected at that price point.”
“Personally, I prefer the Nook. Amazon is a bit invasive with its tracking and data collection.”
Apple iPad
Some of our readers say they prefer their iPad over a Kindle or a Nook. The benefit of the iPad is its accessibility. You can use it as an e-reader and computer combined, making it ideal for business travel. Here’s why our readers voted for the iPad instead of an e-reader.
“My cousin recommended neither, but to get an inexpensive tablet and added the Kindle app. She said Kindle and Nook would have lots of junk pre-loaded that can eat up memory.”
“I have the Kindle app on my iPad and love it.”
“I have both the Nook and Kindle apps on my iPad and synced with my iPhone so I can use both!”
“I have the Kindle app on my iPad and I love that I can adjust the brightness and font size when I need to.”
“The iPad mini with the apps for Kindle and Nook is my favorite way to go!”
“I like the Kindle, but for traveling I leave it home and use the Kindle app on my iPhone or iPad.”
“I love my Kindle app on my iPad. Our library has an electronic lending library. It’s a great way to read books without having to buy them.”
International Travel Adapter with Two USB Posts
If you’re traveling overseas, don’t forget to pack an international travel adapter like this one by Compass Rose Travel Accessories! This is a product by Travel Fashion Girl! You can charge 3 devices at once including your kindle or other e-reader. You can also use it in over 150+ countries. Plus, it’s red so you won’t leave it behind on a white hotel room wall. Buy it here!
What do you think are the best reading device for travel? Share in the comments below!
For more travel trips, please read:
- Travel Cord Organizer Options
- Bose QuietComfort 20 Headphone
- Printable Travel Packing List for Vacation
- Voltage Converter vs. Travel Adapter: How do They Work?
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