Kindle (2022) review: Amazon's basic e-reader is better than ever

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Even if you love printed books, there's no denying the convenience of going digital. E-readers let you hold a library of books in the palm of your hand — no shelves necessary. And when it comes to the best e-readers, Amazon Kindles are the gold standard. 

Amazon's 11th-generation base Kindle model delivers major improvements over the 2019 edition while remaining one of the most affordable e-readers on the market. After extensive testing and comparisons against other e-readers, we think the 11th-generation Kindle is worth the hype and your money. It's easily the best Kindle to buy on a budget.

And though it's already a great value at full price, it's often on sale during deal events. We're expecting some Kindle price drops during the holiday shopping season, so be sure to check out our Black Friday deals hub for all the latest discounts.

Amazon Kindle (11th generation, 2022) specs

Amazon's smallest and lightest Kindle yet

With its six-inch screen and narrow bezel, the 11th-gen Kindle is the smallest and lightest of the brand's lineup. It's also slightly more compact than the 2019 model and weighs about half an ounce less. 

The device successfully threads the needle in size and function here: it's small enough to keep in one hand and turn pages with ease, but not so small that reading or browsing feels cluttered. It's got a decent heft to it as well, making it weighty enough to not feel cheap but thick enough to not necessarily need a case. 

Improved high-resolution E ink display makes a difference 

The 2022 Kindle's screen looks really good. The improved 300 ppi display brings the device up to par with the rest of the current lineup — and it's a massive jump compared to the last generation's 167 ppi display. 

This results in beautiful ebook pages, covers, and images via the device's 16-level grayscale panel. Text is crisp against the stark background, both in normal and dark modes. 

As far as e-readers in this price range go, the Kindle's screen is basically flawless and it makes reading a pleasure. 

USB-C charging and incredible battery life 

This generation finally brings the Kindle up to speed with USB-C charging. At this point, most modern devices use this type of connector, including iPads, wireless earbuds, Nintendo Switch consoles, Android smartphones, and much more. 

With USB-C support, you can feasibly charge your Kindle with the same cable you use for the rest of your tech, and at a faster rate than the old micro-USB ports that previous-generation Kindles had. If you pair the included USB-C cable with a 9W power adapter (sold separately) you can get a full charge in about two hours.

The new Kindle also maintains the awesome battery life that Amazon's e-readers are known for, with up to six weeks of usage on a single charge. After testing one out for about three weeks for daily reading, we've found this to be an accurate measurement.

More storage than the base Paperwhite or Oasis 

The new Kindle now comes with 16GB of storage, which is a dramatic improvement over the previous generation's 8GB, and enough to hold thousands of books. 16GB is also double the space you get with the base Kindle Paperwhite or Oasis, which can cost up to $150 more.

Gone are the days of rotating titles in and out of your library for the sake of device storage — now the Kindle can hold them all at once.

It is missing some extra perks, but you get a lot for the money

Though it's an excellent value for $100, the 11th-generation Kindle does forgo some extra features you'll find on more expensive Kindle models, including a waterproof design.

If you're willing to go up one tier, the Kindle Paperwhite comes with a larger, flush-front screen, an adjustable warm light, and a waterproof build for $140. Spend even more for the Kindle Oasis, and you get all of that plus an auto-adjusting light, automatic page orientation, page turn buttons, and free cellular connectivity for $250. 

These features make the pricier models best for adventurous users who want to read a lot on the go, by the pool, or in the bathtub. That said, we think the new 11th-gen Kindle offers the best overall value for people who just want a no-fuss e-reader. Its dark mode and adjustable brightness are still enough to accommodate bright sunlight and dark rooms with ease. 

There's also the brand-new Kindle Scribe ($340) to consider, which is Amazon's first e-reader you can write on. The Scribe is a cool device for big notetakers and students, but again, the standard Kindle should suffice for most needs.

Should you buy it?

If you're in the market for an e-reader, you should absolutely consider buying the new Amazon Kindle. At only $100, it's one of the cheapest e-readers on the market, matched only by the Kobo Nia, which is a similar model with half the storage.

The 11th-generation Kindle keeps things delightfully simple in its offering: it's compact, lightweight, and delivers a fantastic reading experience. You do lose some of the extra perks you'd get for shelling out the extra money for a Paperwhite or Oasis, but the standard Kindle is unmatched for the money. 

It's also expected to go on sale during Black Friday, making it more affordable than ever to get one for yourself or a loved one as a gift. During Prime Day and the Prime Big Deal Days event, it dropped to as low as $65 and stayed at $75 for the sales' duration.

When it comes to sitting down and just reading a book, it's an unbeatable entry-level e-reader that we return to time and time again, despite testing a variety of different models. If you're an avid reader who wants an affordable yet excellent e-reader, you can't go wrong with the 11th-gen Kindle.