The Kindle

Kindle Paperwhite

The sidelight is the stand out feature here. Four LEDs at the bottom of the display shine across the screen. A special plastic “Light Guide” makes sure everything is illuminated evenly. Unlike a backlit screen—such as the one on your laptop or smartphone—you can read a Paperwhite for hours without straining your eyes. It’s just like reading a book with a light over your shoulder.

While the Kindle Paperwhite costs $40 more than the regular Kindle, it’s well worth the extra money. It has a much nicer screen with sharper text and a sidelight. The Paperwhite is slightly bigger and heavier than the Kindle, but you don’t really notice the difference when you’re reading. If you’re considering spending $80 on a Kindle, you should almost definitely drop the extra $40 for the much better Paperwhite. The Kindle is a good ereader, but the Paperwhite is a great one.

Kindle Voyage

The Kindle Voyage starts at $199.99 and, like the Paperwhite, you can remove Special Offers for $20 and add 3G for $70.

The Kindle Voyage is a bit odd. It costs $80 more than the Paperwhite, and you get…not a lot, really. The sidelight is slightly more even, the PagePress buttons are slightly nicer than tapping the touch screen, and it’s slightly smaller and lighter. If you’ve got the extra cash burning a hole in your pocket…then maybe it’s the one for you? But for most people, the marginally better features aren’t worth the dramatically increased price.

Kindle Oasis

For the price, you get 10 LEDs in the sidelight and page turn buttons. The Oasis also comes in two parts: the smallest, lightest Kindle model and an included leather battery case. You can use the Kindle without the case, but the battery life is reduced dramatically.

If you have the money and want the ultimate Kindle, it’s the one to buy. For everyone else, just get the Paperwhite.

To sum up, the Kindle Paperwhite is one of the best e-readers on the market, especially when you take price into account. The regular Kindle is good value but a little under featured. The Kindle Voyage is marginally better than the Paperwhite, but not $80 better. Finally, the Kindle Oasis is spectacular with a spectacularly high price tag.