The best way to shop Amazon Prime Day is to make a wishlist of what you're hoping to score during the savings extravaganza. Replacing my decade-old Kindle topped the list.
I had a bit of sticker shock when I realized the basic Kindle costs nearly $100. Needless to say, it's been quite a while since I've purchased one. Consider a "bundle" with a necessary protective case and charging block and you're looking at packages nearing $150.
While typically I'd wait until actual Prime Day to take advantage of the best savings, I may have found the best one by shopping Amazon's Early Prime Day deals and now I can not stop talking about it. I bought a brand new Kindle for under $30, and now I'm going to show you how to take advantage of this epic deal!
Looking at the comparison chart among the various Kindle models, I realized the Kindle and the Kindle Kids (opens in new tab) had remarkably similar specs, but drastically varying entry points.
They're identical: same dimensions, same resolution, lighting, battery life, and storage space. The difference of the Kindle Kids: it comes pre-loaded with access to Amazon Kids and (the entire Harry Potter series), a two-year warranty (as opposed to one), comes ad-free at no extra cost, and comes with a protective cover. And then there is the price: the $110 package is currently marked down to $49.99. This value proposition felt like a no-brainer, and then I was presented with the opportunity to save even more.
If you have an existing Kindle to trade in, you can save another 20 percent. even better, this 20 percent discount was off the original $109.99 ticket price. This brought my total down to $27.99 and I even got a $5 trade-in gift card.
On Amazon UK (opens in new tab) the offer is £99, down to £49.99, too.
So folks, there you have it, buy the Kindle Kids for $50 (opens in new tab), or take it even further, and trade-in your old device and the Kindle can be yours for under $30.
For more amazing Amazon Prime Day Savings, be sure to check out our Amazon Prime Day hub for deals on everything from patio furniture to mattresses.
How to reset a Kindle Kids into a classic Kindle:
When setting up the Kindle, it asks you to do two things: set up an Amazon Kids account with the name of your "child" and birthdate, and a Parental Control code. You're taken to the Kindle Kids dashboard, with a lovely selection of top children's books to browse, all available to read for free. You can also add in your existing Kindle titles, even if they're not "kid-approved."
Then, I went to the settings, selected Parental Controls, and entered in my passcode from moments before.
It reboots, and voila, I had access to my existing Kindle library, and its interface becomes identical to the classic Kindle. And, it remains ad-free.