When I first got into the BookTok and Bookstagram world, one thing jumped out at me: everyone had a Kindle. For a while, I wasn’t sure I needed one. I was happy reading on my phone and didn’t see the point. But curiosity got the best of me, and I finally caved.

I bought a refurbished Kindle. Nothing fancy, just a regular 16GB model. It said “newest version” on the listing, but honestly, it didn’t feel all that special. To be real, I probably could have lived without it.

First Impressions

The way I read on my phone is simple. I just scroll, scroll, scroll until the book is done. On my Kindle, I have to tap the right side of the screen every time to turn the page, and there’s no way to change that setting. It doesn’t sound like a big deal, but it took me out of the flow of the story.

My current Kindle doesn’t have color, which I don’t absolutely need, but sometimes it’s nice when books include a little splash of it, however the Kindle Colorsoft does exist so I can get my color from there.

Then there’s the library. Trying to add or remove books feels painfully slow, and sometimes it seems like nothing actually updates when I press the buttons. And don’t even get me started on the scroll feature it’s clunky at best.

Another surprise? Ads. I find it a little odd that I have to pay extra just to get rid of them. On my phone, I never deal with ads while reading, so it felt unnecessary.

So, while people on social media made Kindles look dreamy and aesthetic, my first experience was a bit of a letdown.

What I Actually Liked

To be fair, it’s not all bad. The battery life is amazing compared to my phone, and I love that I can read without constant notifications pulling me out of the story. That alone makes me want to keep giving it a chance.

What’s Next

I’ve read a bunch of articles, and they all say the same thing: the Kindle Paperwhite is the best one. I haven’t tried it yet, but I’m planning to bite the bullet and get one just to see if it lives up to the hype. 

So yes, I’m still curious about upgrading and seeing if it changes how I feel.

My Final Take

Do you need a Kindle? Not really. I still think reading on your phone or tablet works perfectly fine. But if you’re an avid reader who wants fewer distractions and longer battery life, it can definitely be worth the investment.

Even though my Kindle hasn’t blown me away, I still reach for it at work when I want to sneak in some reading without my phone buzzing every two seconds. And honestly, as I’m writing this, I’ve already gotten about 20 notifications on my phone, so I can’t deny the peace and quiet a Kindle brings.

So if you’ve been wondering whether you need one, my advice is this: you don’t need a Kindle, but you might still fall in love with it once you find the right model.