The best kindle for college textbooks

BookSummaryClub Blog The best kindle for college textbooks

College textbooks suck.

In fact, the only thing that sucks even more than paying for textbooks is having to break your back lugging them around in your backpack every day.

These days, there are so many different tablets and e-readers out there, that you don’t have to carry around heavy books anymore.

In this article, we’ll go through the best kindle for college textbooks and what you should be considering when you purchase.

The best kindle for college textbooks summary

Here you’ll find a quick summary of all the products listed in this review. Personally, I think the iPad Pro is the best choice but may be unnecessary for your needs.

If you want to know more about each product, then make sure you scroll down and read our more detailed reviews on each e-reader.

Things you should know before you purchase

Before you go on and buy your kindle, there are a few things you should know.

Can you use Kindle for college textbooks?

The most important thing to consider before you make any purchase is the type of textbook that you’re looking to buy. Generally, there are two types of textbook that you’ll need in class.

  1. A front-to-back book: A book that is meant to be read front-to-back, like a regular book. For example, a play or novel that you’re studying.
  2. An instructional textbook: This is what most people would think of when they imagine a textbook. Graphs, data, images, and instructions.

Knowing what type of textbook you’re after will dictate what e-reader you buy.

When you should buy a Kindle

As a Kindle is to be used as a slimline, lightweight alternative to regular books, Kindles are great if you’re planning on reading the front-to-back style textbooks.

If your textbooks are literature-based and don’t have many images or graphs, then a Kindle should be a fine choice.

When you should not buy a Kindle

Kindles have their e-ink technology, which means that they’re great for reading words and pretty useless at almost everything else.

So, if you’re looking at textbooks that include images or graphs throughout, then you should look at purchasing a tablet.

Can you buy textbooks on Kindle?

Another thing to obviously be aware of is that there are electronic versions of your textbooks to purchase.

You’ll have to look around, but depending on what textbook you need, you should find a soft copy.

E-reader for textbook reviews

Apple iPad Pro (12.9-inch, Wi-Fi + Cellular, 64GB)...
2,969 people on Amazon loves this❣️
Apple iPad Pro (12.9-inch, Wi-Fi + Cellular, 64GB)…
  • 12.9-inch edge-to-edge Liquid Retina display with ProMotion, True Tone, and wide color
  • A12X Bionic chip with Neural Engine
  • Face ID for secure authentication and Apple Pay
  • 12MP back camera, 7MP TrueDepth front camera
  • Four speaker audio with wider stereo sound
  • 802.11ac Wi-Fi
  • Up to 10 hours of battery life
  • USB-C connector for charging and accessories

I think it is likely that almost every college student on the planet has heard of an iPad.

The iPad Pro is a high-end tablet that will suit your needs (whatever they may be) in regards to college textbooks.

Even better, with a range of memory size options, it shouldn’t matter how large your textbooks files are.

Review

The iPad Pro is easily the best tablet or e-reader that you’ll see on this page.

The edge-to-edge display is perfect for those large graphs and images that you’ll find in a lot of textbooks.

They even have a ‘true-tone’ display which makes the iPad easy on the eyes, which is perfect when you’re using it in your classes all day.

However, what is probably the best part of the iPad Pro, is that the device has enough memory, power, and features that you’ll be able to use it for day-to-day use, and not just for your college textbooks.

What we love about the iPad Pro

  • Up to 10 hours of battery life should get you through most days
  • For a tablet, they’re quite easy on the eyes
  • Large screen perfect for graphs and tables
  • Crazy-fast working tablet
  • Amazing sound and camera (if you need it for school)
  • A tablet that you can also use for personal use, not just school

What we don’t love

  • If you’re only looking for something to read books on, you’ll need a lesser device
  • Even though there’s up to ten hours of battery life, there is always the chance that it goes flat if you don’t look after the battery as suggested
  • Price may be expensive if you’re not looking to use all features

See the latest price and reviews on Amazon

Apple iPad Mini – Best value for money

Sale
Apple 2019 iPad Mini (Wi-Fi, 64GB) - Space Gray
18,397 people on Amazon loves this❣️
Apple 2019 iPad Mini (Wi-Fi, 64GB) – Space Gray
  • 7.9-inch Retina Display with True Tone and wide Color
  • A12 Bionic chip
  • Touch ID fingerprint sensor
  • 8MP back camera, 7MP FaceTime HD front camera
  • Stereo speakers
  • 802.11ac Wi-Fi with Gigabit-class LTE cellular data
  • Up to 10 hours of battery life
  • Lightning connector for charging and accessories

If the iPad Pro is a little too much, then give the iPad Mini a try.

While budget in price, the Mini definitely doesn’t skim on benefits for college students.

Review

When it comes to finding a tablet or e-reader for college textbooks, you’re looking for a tablet with decent battery life and one that is easy to read.

In that regard, the iPad Mini is two out of two.

The ‘True Tone display’ adjusts the display to the lighting conditions of the room your in.

This makes it much easier on your eyes when you’re using the iPad Mini and its effects are, in my opinion, most notable when reading.

What we love about the iPad Mini

  • Ten-hour battery life
  • True Tone display
  • Small in size, if you like tablets that are easier to carry around
  • Well worth the money
  • Great for both types of textbook
  • A great choice if you’ve got an older iPad and want to upgrade

What we don’t love

  • The smaller screen can make it harder to read some textbooks
  • 256GB is the largest memory option
  • Some complaints online about the tablet constantly freezing

See the latest price and reviews on Amazon

Amazon Fire Tablet 7 – The best cheap option

Sale
Fire 7 tablet, 7' display, 16 GB, (2019 release),...
252,209 people on Amazon loves this❣️
Fire 7 tablet, 7″ display, 16 GB, (2019 release),…
  • 7″ IPS display; 16 or 32 GB of internal storage (add up to 512 GB with microSD)
  • Faster 1.3 GHz quad-core processor
  • Up to 7 hours of reading, browsing the web, watching video, and listening to music
  • Hands-free with Alexa, including on/off toggle
  • 1 GB of RAM
  • 2 MP front and rear-facing cameras with 720p HD video recording
  • Stay on track – Check email, make video calls, update shopping lists, and set reminders. Use your favorite apps like Zoom, Outlook, and OneNote
  • 90-day limited warranty

If the iPads are out of your price range, then Amazon’s Fire Tablet could be the best choice for you.

Amazon’s entry to the tablet space is targetting smaller budgets and offering some no-bells-and-whistles products.

If all you want to do is read a few textbooks, then you can do a lot worse than the Fire 7.

Review

If all you want to do on your tablet is read textbooks, and maybe some internet browsing, then a Fire will be able to do the trick.

The Amazon Fire 7 is a basic tablet that should be able to hold off, but just make sure that you bring a charger with you.

What we love about the Amazon Fire 7

  • Suitable for reading both kinds of textbook
  • A great low-price option
  • You can do all the basics
  • A great choice if you only want it for a few textbooks

What we don’t love

  • Low and unpredictable battery life (only up to seven hours maximum)
  • Customers noticed the OS causing problems including closing apps
  • Customers complaining about product overheating
  • All sound, microphones, and cameras are average at best
  • Incredibly small memory, although options to insert micro-SD for extra storage

See the latest price and reviews on Amazon

Kindle Oasis – Best e-reader

International Version – Vodafone – Kindle...
84 people on Amazon loves this❣️
International Version – Vodafone – Kindle…
  • Our best 7″, 300ppi flush-front Paperwhite display
  • Adjustable warm light to shift screen shade from white to amber
  • Waterproof (IPX8) so you can read in the bath or by the pool
  • Thin and light ergonomic design with page turn buttons
  • Reads like real paper with the latest e-ink technology for fast page turns
  • Instant access to millions of books and newspapers.

As we discussed earlier, if you only have literature and novels as textbooks, then you can definitely make do with a Kindle.

The Oasis is the high-end product from Amazon’s Kindle range and is the best e-reader on the market.

Review

The Kindle Oasis was made to kick ass and chew bubblegum when it comes to e-reading.

Unlike the iPads and the Amazon Fire, every aspect of the Kindle Oasis was developed to make reading as easy as possible.

If your college classes include novels, journals, and literature, then the Oasis is perfect for you.

However, being an e-reader, the Oasis is only a solid option for the front-to-back style textbook. If your course includes textbooks that include a lot of images, graphs, and tables, then you may need to look elsewhere.

What we love about the Oasis

  • Perfect for reading
  • Waterproof (I remember what life was like in College)
  • Light sensors that make the text easy to read
  • Adjustable backing lights to help protect your eyes
  • Automatic page rotate
  • Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi + Free Cellular Connectivity
  • Super-fast e-ink display
  • You can upload MOBI, PDF, and TXT files

What we don’t love

  • Not suitable for textbooks that have images or graphs
  • Customers have said they need to take time to adjust to the brightness levels
  • There is no USB-C connector
  • Small, but too big to fit in your pocket (annoyingly)

See the latest price and reviews on Amazon

Final thoughts – What is the best kindle for college textbooks?

As you can see, a lot will depend on the type of textbook you’re looking for.

If you need to view graphs and images, then you don’t actually want a Kindle at all. Instead, you should look to buy a tablet.

However, if your course examins novels and literature, then a Kindle is a great selection.

Hey, I’m Erik… a Swedish university student, marketing professional, and life-long learner. Here at BookSummaryClub I summarize my favorite non-fiction books into easily digested posts. Hope you like what you’re reading!

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