Kindle Oasis vs Paperwhite (2020). Is it Worth $250?

If your nose is buried in a book as much as mine, you might already own an e-reader like the Amazon Kindle. I own three versions: the Kindle Basic, Kindle Paperwhite, and my new Kindle Oasis. The Kindle Oasis is the Cadillac of e-readers, Amazon’s magnum opus. Some question why Amazon still engineers new e-readers every couple of years when we have phones, tablets, and computers to read on. If you’re new to the e-reader world, check out my article titled Should You Buy a Kindle E-Reader? Otherwise, you know their benefits.

Lots of Money and Lots of Features

There are many Kindles to choose from. “Is the Kindle Oasis worth the price tag of $250?”. In short, the answer is no, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t buy one. Here’s why.

What I love about the Oasis is that it’s a huge upgrade from the Paperwhite. In fact, it seems like an entirely new reading device. If your first e-reader is a Kindle Oasis, you’ll never want to downgrade to a lesser model. It’s lighter than the others, has a different shape, has a 7″ screen (instead of the 6″ on the Paperwhite), and is much snappier when you turn pages. I adore the buttons. If you have a previous version of a Kindle, you already know that you have to raise your arm every time you turn the page. This can be annoying and takes a lot of effort. The faster page-turning, along with the buttons, are enough reasons to buy the Oasis. And these two features Amazon only puts on their flagship device.

Another feature I truly love on the Oasis is the 7″ screen. Another inch might not seem like a lot, but it makes the book feel more like a traditional one. This is another significant reason to buy the high-end model. Also pertaining to the screen, it has an ambient light mode which makes the screen warmer in color. It can be adjusted to look more amber or white.

There are several nitpicks about their Oasis. First, when you’re lying down, it’s difficult to hold the Oasis with one hand and change pages without lifting your other arm to touch the screen. It’s a little too heavy to do that with one hand because your thumb is locked in place to hold the device above your head. Also, I wish that the page turn buttons were a bit closer together.

There Other Choices: The Kindle and Paperwhite

Overall, is the Oasis worth $250? Before we answer that question, let’s look at two other Kindles. The first one is the Kindle basic. This is on sale right now at Amazon for only $60. And they just added LED lights to it. This will make a huge difference. But the biggest drawback to the Kindle basic is the fact that the screen is only 164 DPI. This means that the text can look jagged. If you have never owned an e-reader, this may not bother you. I read on my Kindle Basic for years before upgrading to the Paperwhite. If this is your first device, you can’t go wrong for $60.

The Kindle Paperwhite is the middle option and the most popular Kindle. For around $130, you get 5 LED lights instead of 4 on the Basic, and the much-needed 300 dpi screen resolution. The 300 dpi alone is worth the extra $70 upcharge. There are no page turn buttons and just a 6″ touchscreen, but it works fluidly (not as fast as the Oasis, though). The Paperwhite is Amazon’s most popular Kindle and the best value for the money. With the Oasis, however, the screen has 25 LED’s, so the light looks more evenly distributed across the screen.

Yes, the Oasis is Worth It

Why did I buy a Kindle Oasis? I had been looking at them for years but could never justify the $250 when my Paperwhite worked well. But I saw the Oasis on sale for $175 on Amazon Prime day and couldn’t pass it up. I’m glad I did. If you are an avid reader and simply need the best Kindle, don’t hesitate to buy the Oasis. You’ll love it and never think twice about any of the other versions. If you can wait until it’s on sale or pick-up a gently used one and save some money, then even better.

Here is a video where I answer the same question: