Around the world, sales of e-books continue to grow rapidly. As many of us are turning to digital content, it’s more important than ever to make sure your e-book reader meets your needs.
This article will try to help you decide whether to buy an Amazon Kindle or Barnes & Noble Nook.
Nook vs. Kindle: Price
To be honest, most of our buying decisions come down to one thing: price. So, if cost is the primary consideration, which is better, Kindle or Nook? Barnes & Noble (making Nook) and Amazon (making Kindle) offer a variety of models under the same brand.
The entry-level Kindle costs $99.99 on Amazon, while the mid-range Kindle Paperwhite costs $139.99. There’s also the Kindle Paperwhite Signature, which retails for $189.99.
Next up is the Kindle Oasis, which starts at $249.99 for 8GB devices and $279.99 for 32GB devices. At $339.99, the Kindle Scribe is the most expensive of its kind, allowing readers to write or doodle in the margins of an e-book.
Amazon also offers two Kindle options for kids. The Amazon Kindle Kids costs $119.99 and includes an e-reader, a protective case, and a two-year warranty. Children’s second choice is the Kindle Paperwhite Kids, which offers adjustable lighting and waterproof hardware for younger readers for $159.99.
Not surprisingly, these devices all have very different spec sheets. We will look at them in more detail later.
Similarly, there are multiple Nook products. However, only three of them — Nook GlowLight 4, Nook GlowLight 4e, and Nook GlowLight Plus — are true e-readers. The other devices are Android tablets, similar to Amazon’s Fire tablets. Yes, you can use them to read e-books, but the brighter screen and shorter battery life make them unsuitable for faithful bookworms.
The Nook GlowLight 4 costs $149.99, which is slightly more expensive than the Kindle Paperwhite. The Nook GlowLight Plus costs $199.99, which is comparable to the Kindle Paperwhite Signature.
Barnes and Noble’s cheapest e-reader option is the Nook GlowLight 4e at $119.99
Nook vs. Kindle: Specs
Given that the two most direct competitors are the GlowLight and Paperwhite models, let’s analyze how they compare from a spec perspective.
GlowLight has a 6-inch screen with a resolution of 300dpi, while Paperwhite has a 6.8-inch screen with a resolution of 300dpi.
Nook GlowLight is available in 8GB or 32GB versions, depending on whether you choose GlowLight4 or GlowLight 4e. Similarly, the Kindle Paperwhite offers either an 8GB or 32GB device, depending on whether you get the Paperwhite Signature. Aside from the extra storage space, it’s almost identical to the original Paperwhite.
Another major difference between the two Kindle Paperwhite is that the Signature model has adaptive headlights that adjust brightness and wireless charging to suit your environment. In fact, 8GB should be enough for almost all users, especially considering that you can store your content in the cloud.
Nook vs. Kindle: Page turning function
From a usability standpoint, the most significant difference between the Nook and the Kindle is that there is a physical button on the Nook. When reading with Nook, you can use this button to turn pages or tap the screen. When using a Kindle, you can swipe across the screen in addition to the Kindle Oasis.
Nook vs. Kindle: Water resistance
If you’re worried about wet weather or water-based accidents, keep your sights on Paperwhite models, Oasis, or GlowLight Plus. The Kindle’s waterproof model is IPX8 rated. You can immerse them in fresh water two meters deep for an hour, or salt water at a depth of 0.25 meters for three minutes without damaging the tablet.
This is a huge boon for those who like to read every night in the bathtub, by the pool, or on the beach while on vacation.
The GlowLight Plus’ waterproof details confirm that the tablet has an IPX7 rating. This allows for half an hour of immersion in 3.28 feet of fresh water. Unlike the Kindle, however, Barnes and Noble do say soaking in salt water or other liquids should be avoided.
Nook vs. Kindle: Screen Size and Resolution
If you’re the type of person who reads eBooks all day, it’s easy to think that a 6-inch device doesn’t provide enough screen real estate.
Luckily, many of the models presented here exceed this size. With the 7.8-inch Nook GlowLight Plus, 7-inch Kindle Oasis, 6.8-inch Kindle Paperwhite model, or 10.2-inch Kindle Scribe, you get a larger screen size. Oasis offers a 300ppi screen resolution and glare-free front surface for easy reading, just like the Kindle Paperwhite.
At the other end of the scale, you may prefer a lower resolution, especially if you only read occasionally. In that case, you should consider the entry-level Nook GlowLight4e because it has a 212dpi display. The screen size is still 6 inches.
Nook vs. Kindle: Battery Life
The battery life of the Nook and Kindle is so good that it shouldn’t be a big part of your decision. The batteries offered by GlowLight 4, 4e and GlowLight Plus are claimed by Barnes and Noble to last weeks on a single charge. Amazon’s Kindle models claim to last six to ten weeks, depending on the model and reader usage.
Amazon says its Kindle Oasis offers six weeks of battery life if a person reads for half an hour a day, the screen light is set to 13, and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections are turned off while reading. If you choose the Kindle Paperwhite, it provides 10 weeks of battery life per charge under the same circumstances.
Finally, the original Kindle allows you to read for up to 6 weeks on a single charge. However, Amazon cautions that these numbers are only estimates. Certain activities, such as listening to audiobooks on any Kindle device, may alter the average battery life.
Nook vs. Kindle: Which audiobook is better?
Audiobooks have quickly become popular over the past few years. If you are an audiobook fan and want to choose between Kindle or Nook, then the Kindle is undoubtedly the winner. All models of Kindle devices support audiobook playback via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
Nook GlowLight 3 and GlowLight Plus do not allow audiobooks. However, it’s worth noting that other Android-based tablets in the Nook series can download and play them.
Nook vs. Kindle: Supported Ebook Formats
The Kindle supports JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, PDF, EPUB, DOC, TXT, RFT, and HTML. Historically, Kindle devices supported MOBI and AZW file formats; However, the Send to Kindle feature ended in 2022 with the ability to send MOBI or AZW files to Kindle devices.
Nook devices support EPUB, PDF, PNG, JPG, BMP, and GIF file formats.
Nook vs. Kindle: Online Stores
Without some e-books placed on it, an e-book reader is of little use. While there are many e-book stores worth using, Kindle users will do most of their shopping at Amazon’s Kindle Book Store. Nook users can enter the Nook Books store.
In these two competing stores, Amazon has richer content and is generally cheaper. Both Amazon and Barnes & Noble have added digital rights management (DRM) protections to their books.
Nook vs. Kindle: Other Features
Both devices have their own set of additional apps and features.
On the Kindle, users have access to dictionary definitions in books, a Word Wise word generator, and an X-Ray scanner that allows readers to quickly scan a book to find people, events, references, and other information.
Nook devices have a night mode to prevent eye strain, and there’s also an automatic content discovery program called B&N Readouts.
Both products offer a range of usability settings, such as different fonts, text sizes, and backlight options. As you’d expect, you’ll also find plenty of third-party accessories for your Kindles and Nooks, like cases and cases.
Is Nook or Kindle better for you?
So, going around in circles, which is the best e-reader for you? In our opinion, there is only one winner: the Amazon Kindle. The Nook at Barnes & Noble has some nice touches, but the Amazon Kindle is faster, easier to use, and has access to larger stores. The different Kindle models also mean that there is a suitable device for everyone.
If you want to do more research before you buy, Nook has far fewer reviews than Kindle, and people generally seem to be happier with the Amazon e-reader they buy.
