The switch from books to e-readers has been controversial.
In the span of a few short years, books have slowly been pushed aside in favour of tablets and e-readers like Kindles and iPads. One of the main reasons brought up by book purists against e-readers is the fact that it can have a negative impact on your eyesight.
Is reading on a Kindle bad for your eyes?
Reading on a Kindle isn't bad for your eyes, because of high resolution and blue-light filter. However, it is recommended to do take breaks every 30 minutes for at least 5 minutes to relax your eyes.
Are Kindles bad for eyes?
The good news is that it certainly depends on the type of e-reader you might have.
Different models have different screens, and this plays a huge part in how it affects our eyesight and health overall. The differences are between e-ink readers and LCD screen readers. E-ink or electronic ink readers like the Kindle Paperwhite mimic paper on its display screen.
This model does not use backlight and has a lower brightness overall, which means that the strain is not as harsh on your eyes as any e-readers with LCD screens.
The Kindle Fire HD is an example of an e-reader with an LCD screen, which means that prolonged usage of the bright screen can tire out your eyes even further. LCD screens tend to emit more blue light and can trigger higher visual fatigue compared to e-ink readers during prolonged usage.
While blue light is not inherently harmful, it can certainly disturb your health by disrupting sleep patterns and the overall quality of sleep.
However, newer LCD screens on the market contribute to even fewer eyesight problems because they feature screens with higher pixel densities. Higher resolutions help us see finer details much easier, which means less strain on our eyes as we spend time staring at a screen.
Is reading on your Kindle before bed a good idea?
Using your Kindle is not always a good idea when your goal is to sleep. In fact, using technology before you try to fall asleep is not recommended in general because of the light that is emitted from it.
E-readers, particularly those that are back-lit like the Kindle Fire, can have negative effects on your health, especially when used directly before bed.
Light exposure from these screens as you are about to nod off can negatively impact your sleep quality and even lead to you losing sleep because LED lightening can disrupt the body clock or circadian rhythm.
The blue light that is emitted from screens like tablets and smartphones can slow the production of melatonin, a naturally occurring hormone in our bodies that is responsible for putting us to sleep.
So, the next time you are thinking about pulling out your smartphone or tablet to read your book, try to avoid doing so right before bed. While reading is a great way to wind down, perhaps invest in an e-ink reader or traditional paper books instead.
Is using a Kindle the same as reading a paper book?
While tablets and e-readers try their hardest to mimic the feel of reading a book, many people would agree that the experience is simply not the same.
Going digital means the added bonus of convenience for any book you desire. It’s a great option for travelers and commuters.
However, the Kindle still differs vastly from reading old-fashioned paper books.
Paper books offer an element of nostalgia to them that e-readers simply cannot recreate. Many people absolutely love the sensory experience of a paper book; the smell, feel and look of a book contributes to a nostalgia factor that they cannot let go of.
This continues to encourage people to purchase more paper books. Additionally, paper books are easily leant out and borrowed to other people. E-books do not share the same ability to be shared like a paper book might.
With paper books, sentimentality is easily attached to them, which is why many people continue to prefer this method over digital methods of reading.
Paper books also do not promote as much eye strain as screens do. Fatigue has been associated with electronic devices and LCD screens have been proven to interfere with sleep quality.
Paper books also offer a different experience because of the tangibility of their design. Being able to hold their books is something that many people prefer to do.
Do you read on your phone sometimes? You want to read that…
- Prolonged screen time has a negative impact on your eyesight and can lead to tiredness, itching, or burning of the eyes.
- Screens emit blue light which sends a signal to your brain that it is daytime. This can confuse your body clock and negatively impact your ability to sleep at nighttime.
- eBooks are harder to read in the sunlight because of the glare from the screen. While they are portable and can be taken anywhere, the environment still has an effect on whether you can read or not.
- In order to access your books, you will always require a device. Most people have access to a mobile device which does not make this a problem, but this also means that your device always has to be charged before you can access your eBooks.
- Reading on your phones also means that you are exposed to more distractions. With phone calls, text messages, and emails all programmed into your phone, not to mention social media notifications, taking the time to read might be wasted if you are constantly being distracted by the other apps on your mobile device.
- Reading from paper books also helps with retaining information. For students, it might be more beneficial to choose paper textbooks over e-books. This might be a more helpful option when it comes to studying for tests and exams.
Is Kindle Good For Eyes? (Not Really...)
Kindle is becoming more and more popular for reading books as well as accessing educational apps. However, is it really good enough for your eyes?
Without knowing the answer to this question, using kindle regularly is not a good idea.
When you search for the same on the web, you will come across various answers. The problem is that most of them are not accurate.
Today, I will answer this question in great detail for you. By the end of this article, you will once and for know all the answers to this question.
In short, is kindle good for eyes?
Kindle is not harmful to eyes, because it's made out of an e-ink screen that is designed to read for a long time.
The technology which kindle uses does not hurt the eyes in any way. The same is not true for Kindle Fire tablets.
I will go into the details of this below.
Does kindle hurt your eyes?
Kindle does not hurt your eyes.
I will justify my answer in greater detail below.
Kindle does not use LED or LCD technology for its screen. It uses e-ink technology.
This technology does not cause any eyestrain. E-ink technology uses a reflective light mechanism. The reflective light mechanism does not lead to overexposure to light.
Due to the same, it does not hurt your eyes in any way.
Pssst! No time for reading?
When you look at Kindle Fire tablets, they use a different screen technology.
Due to the same, it becomes really difficult for you to protect your eyes. They emit blue light as well. When you’re exposed to blue light, it can hurt your eyes. Not only that, it can impact your sleep as well.
In a nutshell, Kindle does not hurt your eyes. However, when you’re going with Kindle Fire, it does have an impact not only on your eyes but on your sleep as well.
What is better for the eyes? Kindle, printed books, or reading on your phone?
Printed books are certainly better followed by kindle followed by reading on your phone. I will go into the details of all these three reading mediums below.
What is better for the eyes? Kindle, printed books or reading on your phone?
1. Printed books
Printed books do not produce any light. You have to read under ample quantity of light. Once you do so, you will not have to worry about eye strain.
The only requirement while reading a printed book is that you should be under a light source. Ideally, the light source should be white light or warm light. When that is the case, you can easily read the book without putting a strain on your eyes.
Moreover, you have to ensure that the book is at least 15 cm away from your eyes.
As long as you’re following these two rules, it will become very easy for you to read without any impact on your eyes.
2. Kindle
The 2nd best option which you have is kindle.
As I have highlighted above, it uses the E Ink technology. The technology does not produce an ample quantity of light. However, the screen brightness is such that you are able to read easily.
Since it does not emit excessive light, you will not face any eyestrain as well.
However, you need to keep a single guideline in mind when using kindle as well.
You should not use kindle in complete darkness. If you do so, the little quantum of light which comes out of the kindle can affect your sleeping cycle. When reading kindle in a well-lit room, you will not have to worry about any impact on your eyes or on your sleep.
The story of Kindle Fire, however, is entirely different. It consists of an IPS screen.
The problem with the IPS screen is that it produces an immense amount of light. It produces blue light as well. The disadvantage of both these is that they hurt your eyes. They increase the eyestrain. Not only that, it impacts your sleeping cycle if you’re using the device after sunset.
Thus, as long as you’re sticking to the kindle, you will not have to worry about any strain on your eyes. That is why it is a good idea to stick to kindle.
3. Smartphone
Reading on your smartphone is certainly not good for your eyes. The reason for the same is that the brightness of smartphone screens is on the higher side.
I can hear you say, can’t we reduce the brightness?
Yes, you can!
However, even at the lower brightness settings, the amount of light that a smartphone emits is still higher. Of course, printed books do not emit any light at all.
These days, with smartphones having AMOLED displays, the amount of light they emit is through the roof these days. The more exposed you are to light, the higher will be its impact on your eyes. It will result in higher eyestrain as well.
Thus, if you have a choice, you should avoid reading on a smartphone as far as possible. It can result in a significant amount of eyestrain.
Ideally, you should stick to kindle or printed books if you want to read. As long as you do so, you will not have to worry about eye strain.
If you want to make kindle more convenient for you to read, there are a few tips that you can follow. I will highlight these steps below.
How to read on a Kindle not to hurt your eyes?
A few tips that you should follow to make sure your kindle does not hurt your eyes are as follows:
1. Lower brightness settings
Firstly, you have to lower the brightness setting. You have to lower it as much as possible. Simultaneously, you have to ensure that the screen is still visible to you.
The lower the brightness level, the lesser the eyestrain will be.
However, if the brightness is too low, you will not be able to view the sentences and words.
Thus, you have to try and opt for the lowest brightness setting at which the screen is legible.
2. Read in a well-lit room
The amount of light in the room plays a very important role in determining the eyestrain which you experience. If you’re reading in a completely dark room, there will certainly be eyestrain.
Ideally, you should be in a room with multiple light sources.
However, the light source should not directly be above the Kindle. In that case, you will not be able to read the screen. Even though Kindle has an antiglare feature, a light source directly above certainly impacts the screen's legibility.
Reading kindle in a well-lit room is one of the best ways to reduce eye strain and ensure that kindle does not hurt your eyes.
3. Set the font right
The font also plays a very important role in determining the eyestrain that the kindle has on your eyes.
If you’re reading in low light or at night, it is a good idea to go with font options like Helvetica, Ember bold, etc.
In well-lit rooms or during day time, you can use fonts like Ember, Bookerly. These fonts ensure that you do not have to strain your eyes to read the screen.
Kindle makes it very easy for you to change the font. That is why you can do so in a jiffy.
Changing the font according to the light or the time of the day should be the 1st thing you do when you take kindle in your hands.
Following this simple tip will ensure that you can reduce the strain on your eyes while using kindle.
4. Keep it at an appropriate distance
When the kindle is too close to your eyes, it can hurt your eyes. If it is too far away, it can result in unnecessary eyestrain as well.
The question which then arises is, where should you keep kindle?
Kindle, like a physical book, should be at least 15 cm away from your eyes. When that is the case, it becomes easy for you to read the book on the screen.
If you’re comfortable at a greater distance, like 20 cm, you can keep it at that distance as well.
Nevertheless, any point beyond that or closer than 15 cm results in unnecessary eyestrain.
When you follow these 4 tips, you can read on kindle conveniently. You will not have to worry about hurting your eyes or eyestrain.
I will now highlight which kindle you should go with if you want to reduce strain on your eyes.
Which Kindle is the easiest on the eyes?
Kindle Oasis is the one that is easiest on your eyes.
This Kindle provides you the option to set the brightness as well as warmth. You can set the brightness to automatic as well. It means that you will not have to manually set it again and again.
Additionally, it allows you to set up a white light balance as well. Consequently, it becomes easier for you to read on this kindle.
Thus, if you want to go with the kindle, which puts less strain on your eyes, this is the one which you should go with.
Is Kindle bad for sleep?
As I have highlighted above, kindle uses e-ink technology.
That is why it does not impact your sleep quality. However, the same cannot be said about Kindle Fire. You have to keep this factor in mind and then choose the right kindle.
So, if you’re not careful, the Kindle can hurt your eyes. However, as long as you follow my guide above and choose the right kindle, it will actually become very easy for you to read without any strain on your eyes. Thereafter, you will actually enjoy your reading experience rather than worrying about the strain on your eyes.
