The best ebook reader for kids
The $179.99 Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Kids for 2024 builds upon the $159.99 Kindle Paperwhite with a colorful case, six months of the Amazon Kids+ subscription service, a two-year replacement warranty, and an ad-free experience, all for less money than if you purchased everything separately. It runs smoothly so that kids won’t be frustrated using it, its battery life is excellent, and it holds enough books to accommodate any child’s library. The regular Kindle Paperwhite is our top ebook reader recommendation for adult readers, so it should come as no surprise that the Paperwhite Kids is our Editors’ Choice winner for children.Design: Whimsical Covers
The most obvious difference between the regular Kindle Paperwhite and the Kids version is the colorful case it comes with. Unlike the bulky case you get with Amazon’s Fire HD Kids tablets, the Paperwhite Kids case is almost identical to standard ones. It has the same book cover-like opening but comes in kid-friendly motifs. You can get the Starfish cover, which features a starfish in an underwater scene, or Cyber City, a futuristic city decked out in purples and blues. There’s also a cover with characters from “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” for an extra $10. I received the Starfish cover, which is pictured in this review.
The case comes preinstalled on the device, which adds size and weight to it, but also protects against bumps and scrapes. With the case, it measures 7.0 by 5.2 by 0.5 inches (HWD) and weighs 11.6 ounces, which is wider, thicker, and heavier than the case-free Paperwhite (7.0 by 5.0 by 0.3, 7.4 ounces). The 2024 Paperwhite Kids is slightly taller and heavier than both the 2021 version (6.91 by 5.09 by 0.53 inches, 7.2 ounces) and the new Kindle Kids, with its 6-inch display (6.3 by 4.5 by 0.53 inches, 9.03 ounces).
Like other Kindle cases, the top and bottom leave the device’s edges exposed and accessible while the rest of the body is protected. The interior of the cover is finished with a soft felt to keep the screen clean, while the rest feels plastic and slippery. It doesn’t have the same premium design as the fabric or faux-leather covers that Amazon sells for its regular models. However, the ocean-themed Starfish case is cute and colorful and doesn’t attract fingerprints.
C port for charging and power button are on the bottom edge of the Paperwhite. The button makes a pleasant clicking sound when you press it, though you won’t need to do that often since the cover automatically puts the Paperwhite to sleep when you close it and wakes it up again when you open it.
The Paperwhite Kids has 16GB of storage and a 7-inch display with a pixel density of 300 pixels per inch (ppi). Amazon doesn’t disclose the actual resolution, but the grayscale of the E Ink looks just as crisp and easy to read as on other models. There are warm and cool lights that you can adjust independently, and like all new Kindles, the Paperwhite Kids version can reach up to 94 nits of brightness. However, the lighting is a bit more uneven than in past models. There’s a slightly yellow tint to the entire display, with some more distinct uneven yellow tones at the bottom of the screen, even when the warmth light is set to zero. It’s only slightly distracting, and I got used to it after a while. I’m sure many people won’t even notice it. This is the case with the regular Paperwhite’s display as well.
The Paperwhite is fully waterproof and features an IPX8 rating, which makes it perfect for kids. It can withstand spills and even be used in the bath.
In addition to the Paperwhite and case, Amazon provides a USB-C cable in the box.
