Amazon’s most affordable Kindle for kids has barely changed
The $129.99 Amazon Kindle Kids for 2024 takes the basic Amazon Kindle ($109.99) and removes the lock screen ads while adding a protective case, a six-month subscription to Amazon Kids+, and a no-questions-asked two-year replacement warranty—all for less than if you bought everything separately. The screen is a little brighter than the 2022 model, but it costs $10 more and otherwise hasn’t changed. While the Kindle Kids is perfectly fine, the $179.99 Kindle Paperwhite Kids is a better ebook reader for children, as it comes with all the same perks but is faster, waterproof, and has a larger display and longer battery life, making it our Editors‘ Choice.Design: Almost Exactly the Same
Like all Amazon Kids devices, the Kindle Kids is a bundle of existing products and services, not an entirely new product. Like the standard 2024 Kindle, this year’s Kindle Kids is hardly updated, which makes it tough to justify the $10 price increase.
Since this is the Kids edition, it comes with a protective case in one of three options: Ocean Explorer, which features blue and green colors; Space Whale, which emphasizes blues and purples; or Unicorn Valley, with pink and purple hues. All three of these cases are carryovers from the previous Kindle Kids model; there are no new covers for 2024, which is somewhat disappointing. I received the Unicorn Valley model, which is pictured in this review.
The Kindle and its cases are the same size as the previous iteration. It measures 6.3 by 4.5 by 0.53 inches (HWD) and weighs 9.03 ounces with the case on. Without the case, the Kindle (6.2 by 4.3 by 0.32 inches, 5.56 ounces) is slightly smaller but noticeably lighter. By comparison, the Kindle Paperwhite Kids (7.0 by 5.2 by 0.5 inches, 11.6 ounces) is taller, wider, and heavier.
The front and back covers of each case depict one coherent scene. Unicorn Valley shows the silhouette of a unicorn standing on a cliff under a tree and overlooking a body of water. Two clouds float in the sky, one on the back cover and one on the front. Castles sit on both clouds, while a rainbow connects the clouds from the back cover to the front. It’s colorful and cute.
The top and bottom edges of the Kindle are exposed around the edges, while the front, back, sides, and corners are protected. The case automatically puts the Kindle to sleep when the cover is closed and wakes it when it is opened. The material is smooth and a little slippery, but the case should help it survive an accidental drop. Even if it does break, the warranty allows for unlimited replacements over a period of two years.
The bottom edge has a USB-C charging port and a power button, which makes a pleasant clicking sound when pressed.
Amazon doesn’t reveal the exact resolution but says the display has the same pixel density of 300 pixels per inch (ppi) as found in the previous version. The one thing that has changed is the display brightness. For the first time, the Kindle reaches the same 94 nits of brightness as the Paperwhite.
