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Cheap Kindles & e-book readers

Find the best deals on Kindles, Kobos and other e-readers

Anthony Hill
Anthony Hill | Edited by Gary Caffell
Updated 8 March 2018

If you're after an e-book reader, you can get a new Kindle for £60 or a Kobo for £80. This is our rundown of the cheapest dedicated e-readers and Kindles...

Of course, the cheapest way to read is by borrowing books from the library, but if you're set on buying one, below is a rundown of the cheapest e-readers. If you're not sure which one would suit you best, first read our tips for choosing an e-book reader.

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Choosing an e-book reader

When it comes to choosing an e-reader, whether you're buying for yourself or for someone else, there are a few important things to consider. Price is obviously a big factor for MoneySavers, but you'll also need to look at size, storage capacity, the display and the connectivity of the device you plan to buy.

To help you choose the right e-book reader, we've summarised these in the table below for Kindles and Kobos.

NAME OF DEVICE DISPLAY WIFI/3G TOUCHSCREEN SCREEN SIZE STORAGE MORE INFO
Kindle e-ink, 167 ppi WiFi only Yes 6in 4GB View
Kindle Paperwhite Backlit e-ink, 300 ppi WiFi +3G, or WiFi only Yes 6in 4GB View
Kindle Voyage Backlit e-ink, 300 ppi WiFi +3G, or WiFi only Yes 6in 4GB View
Kobo Aura Backlit e-ink, 212 ppi WiFi only Yes 6in 4GB View
Kobo Aura H2O Backlit e-ink, 265 ppi WiFi only Yes 6.8in 4GB View

Once you've decided which is the best e-reader for you, make sure you get it at the best possible price.

Cheapest Kindles

The original Kindle launched in 2007, at a whopping £250. But as technology improves and newer models have come out, prices have fallen dramamtically.

You can now get a Kindle for under £60. Here's our breakdown of the Kindles available in the UK, as well as info on where you can find them cheapest.

Amazon's best-selling e-reader 
Kindle* - standard model £59.99

Amazon's standard Kindle is £59.99 delivered from Amazon*.

As well as boasting twice as much storage as previous models, it has a 1GHz processor for faster page turns and now has a touchscreen display. Like earlier Kindles, it uses e-ink technology and has a 6in screen.

It uses Whispersync technology which synchronises the last page you read, along with bookmarks and annotations, across all your Kindle devices and apps, so you can continue reading where you left off, whether online, on a phone/tablet or on your e-reader.

Kindles are available from other retailers too, although discounts are pretty rare. When they are available cut-price though, they'll be mentioned in the free weekly MoneySaving email. Consider a refurb model if you want it a little cheaper.

  • Read the full specification

    • Display: e-ink
    • Screen size: 6in
    • Storage: 4GB (Amazon says it holds thousands of books)
    • Format: AZW, TXT, PDF, unprotected MOBI, PRC
    • Battery life: Four weeks, based on half an hour of reading per day
    • 3G or WiFi: WiFi only

Read in the dark
Kindle Paperwhite* £89.99

The Kindle Paperwhite is a slightly more advanced version - the biggest difference being its built-in light, which allows you to read in the dark. It costs £89.99 delivered from Amazon*.

Aside from the read-in-the-dark technology, another reason for plumping for a Kindle Paperwhite over the standard model is its 50% longer battery life.

Unlike the basic Kindle, the Paperwhite is available with 3G capabilities, allowing you to connect to the internet to download more books. A Kindle Paperwhite 3G* will cost you £169.99 from Amazon, so an extra £60 compared to the WiFi-only version.

  • Read the full specification

    • Display: Paperwhite e-ink display with built-in light
    • Screen size: 6in
    • Storage: 4GB (Amazon says it holds thousands of books)
    • Format: AZW3, AZW, TXT, PDF, unprotected MOBI, PRC
    • Battery life: Six weeks, based on half an hour of reading per day
    • 3G or WiFi: 3G and WiFi, or WiFi only

More features, thinner and lighter
Kindle Voyage* £169.99

First released in 2014, the Kindle Voyage* is Amazon's premium e-reader. It's the slimmest and lightest of the Kindle family.

One of its unique features is PagePress, which allows you to turn the page without lifitng a finger. It also has a backlight that adapts to the brightness of the room you're in.

Like the Paperwhite, the Kindle Voyage is available with WiFi and 3G, although this version will cost you £229.99 delivered from Amazon*, so an extra £60 compared to the WiFi only model.

  • Read the full specification

    • Display: Carta e-paper technology and adaptive front light that that adjusts automatically
    • Screen size: 6in
    • Storage: 4GB (Amazon says it holds thousands of books)
    • Format: AZW3, AZW, TXT, PDF, unprotected MOBI, PRC
    • Battery life: Six weeks, based on half an hour of reading per day.
    • 3G or WiFi: 3G and WiFi, or WiFi only

What about refurbished Kindles?
Look out for stock online from Amazon Warehouse and Argos, as well as on eBay

Amazon Warehouse, Amazon's legit outlet, sometimes sells returned and refurbished Kindles.

The refurbished models we've seen in the past look like new, so are worth considering if you're looking to save money on a gift. Stock levels fluctuate, so keep checking the Amazon Warehouse Kindle page* even if there are none in stock at the moment.

Argos's eBay outlet* often has refurbished Kindles too.

It's also worth checking eBay for bargains on Kindles*, as well as other brands of e-reader. eBay is a mammoth marketplace with thousands of deals, but it's easy to get scorched if you're not careful. Read the full eBay Buying Guide for scam-busting tips and other tricks.

FAQs

  • What does refurbished mean?

    Amazon Warehouse site says refurbished Kindles are usually products that have been returned. Amazon checks the item works and assesses the quality before selling it on.

    The packaging may not be the same as buying it brand new, and there may be minor cosmetic damage, but the refurb Kindles we've seen all look pretty good.

    Unfortunately refurbs only come with a USB adapter (so you can charge via a PC), but you can usually buy a mains socket adaptor for less than £5 from Amazon Marketplace.

  • Do you still get a full year's warranty?

    Yes. All refurbished Kindles come with a standard one-year warranty (see full details). This means if something goes wrong it will repair or replace your Kindle (possibly with another refurbished model).

    It's also worth noting the fact it is refurbished has little impact on your consumer rights - it still must obey the Sad Fart rules and be "Satisfactory quality, As Described, Fit for purpose And last a Reasonable length of Time".

  • How much stock is available?

    Amazon won't confirm how much refurbished stock is available, but the page will update as and when it runs out and comes back in. So if there aren't any available when you check, always go back, as more may come in stock.

  • What's the return policy?

    The standard refund policy applies to Warehouse items. You have 30 days to return your Kindle if you change your mind.

Cheapest Kobos

One of the biggest rivals to the Kindle is the Kobo, which launched in the UK in 2011. While not as well-known as the Kindle, it's a competitively-priced alternative to the Amazon e-reader, with prices starting from £79.99.

It's worth noting the Kobo allows books of almost any format to be downloaded onto it, while the Kindle only allows AZW files. This means there's a wider choice of free books available, so you can check for cheaper prices before you download any that you have to pay for, meaning it's potentially more MoneySaving.

Here's a rundown of the cheapest Kobo e-readers:

Read in the dark
Kobo Aura* £79.99

Want to read in bed, but don't want to disturb your partner by keeping the light on? The Kobo Aura is just the ticket at £79.99 online from Kobo*, with free delivery.

Like the Kobo Touch, it includes all the standard features, and you can adjust the text, font size and sharpness of your screen, for a tailor-made reading experience.

  • Read the full specification

    • Display: e-ink with built-in ComfortLight technology
    • Screen size: 6in
    • Storage: 4GB (Kobo says it holds up to 3,000 books)
    • Format: ePub, ePub3, PDF, Mobi
    • Battery life: Up to two months
    • 3G or WiFi: WiFi

Read by the pool, or on a beach
Kobo Aura H2O* £129.99

Want to read in the bath, but worry your e-reader won't survive it? The Kobo Aura H2O is waterproof and dustproof, so also beach-ready if you want to read on holiday. It's £129.99 at Kobo*, with free delivery.

Like the cheaper Kobos, it includes all the standard features but the company says it can also be immersed for up to 30 minutes in up to a metre of water. We wouldn't recommend putting this to the test, though!

  • Read the full specification

    • Display: e-ink with built-in ComfortLight technology
    • Screen size: 6in
    • Storage: 4GB (Kobo says it holds up to 3,000 books)
    • Format: ePub, ePub3, PDF, Mobi
    • Battery life: Up to two months
    • 3G or WiFi: WiFi

How to complain about a purchase

If you're not happy about a product or the service you receive, you should first contact the retailer in person, by phone, or in writing. However, if you're still not satisfied, then...

Free tool if you’re having a problem

This tool helps you draft your complaint and manage it too. It’s totally free, and offered by a firm called Resolver which we like so much we work with it to help people get complaints justice.

If the complaint isn't resolved, Resolver can escalate it for free to the relevant ombudsman or trade body.

RESOLVER- FREE SHOPPING COMPLAINTS TOOL* 

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