Amazon recently released its very first color Kindle designed for young readers: the Kindle Colorsoft Kids. While my older children—tweens at ages 10 and 12—have been reading on their Kindle Kids devices for several years now, we were all eager to check out this new model. As the name suggests, the e-reader promises to deliver their favorite graphic novels and comic-style books in color. For parents, the Kindle Colorsoft Kids might open up the e-reading device to even younger readers, especially those who prefer books with some pictures or popular, entry-level graphic novels like Dog Man.
After reading on the Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Kids for about five weeks, we pulled together our collective thoughts here in this Kindle Colorsoft Kids review. The task was mostly taken on by my older kids, with support from their newly reading 7-year-old sister. We compared it to our other Kindle reading experiences, including using the latest Paperwhite Kids (12 generation), two earlier versions and my own Kindle reading. (By the way, the new e-reader is already on sale, along with many other Amazon devices for the retailer’s Prime Big Deal Days sale coming Oct. 7 and 8.)
The First-Ever Kids Kindle In Color
The first Kindle for kids launched in 2019, but this is the first one to deliver pages in full color. The display is 300 pixels per inch (black and white), which is the same as the brand’s other Kindle Kids, but it also offers 150 pixels per inch in color. It’s a 7-inch screen with a flush front, making it most similar to the Paperwhite Kids, which has the same size display. Amazon says the Paperwhite is its fastest Kindle; the kids and I found the Colorsoft Kids equally as snappy when turning pages or navigating between books, especially compared to our older models, which move much slower.
The Colorsoft’s battery can last up to eight weeks, while the Paperwhite can make it an impressive 12 according to the manufacturer. We only charged the Colorsoft once during testing, and at the time it wasn’t completely depleted but down to 12%, so that estimate feels close to me. It comes with an included USB-C cable for charging and the option to connect to wireless Bluetooth headphones to listen to audio books.
To some, the Paperwhite might look a bit clearer than the Colorsoft, because of the sharp contrast with the black and white grayscale and lack of a color filter on the Paperwhite, but my kids and I found them comparable. You can adjust the warmth and brightness on each of these Kindles, which is one of the reasons I don’t mind my kids reading late at night with one (no reading light required), and it also makes it easy to read outdoors, on a dark plane or wherever they are. With the Colorsoft, you can also select a saturation level for the color: either standard or vivid if you want the color to really pop. Unlike the initial launch of the Kindle Colorsoft late last year that had a frustrating display issue—a yellow line at the bottom of the page, which our consumer tech editor pointed out in her review—the Colorsoft Kids is blemish free.
Parental Controls And More Kid-Focused Features
Each Kindle Kids comes bundled with a cover, a two-year warranty and a free trial subscription to Amazon Kids Plus content, including a library of hundreds of free books to download. In the past, my kids found the selection a bit sparse, but Amazon has been busy adding more popular titles to the library that my kids appreciate, like Diary of A Wimpy Kid, Percy Jackson and the Harry Potter series. The Colorsoft Kids comes with a year of Amazon Kids Plus whereas the other ones come with six months. I also use the Libby app to deliver free library books to our kids’ Kindles.
Parents can use the Amazon Kids app to set up profiles for each kid, track reading, set appropriate age restrictions, store access and screen time limits, including for when their Kindles need to be powered down. You can do some of this via your web browser and Amazon account, too.
There are options to add new words to a Vocabulary Builder, which I think my kids have mostly ignored, but they do enjoy highlighting text (which can be done in color on the Colorsoft) and looking up definitions of words they don’t understand right there in the text by holding down on a word. You can also adjust font size, line spacing and even Open Dyslexic font to make the text more accessible to those with dyslexia.
Final Thoughts
The Kindle Colorsoft Kids is ideal for parents who want to offer their child a dedicated e-reader in color. It’s great for kids who love comics, Manga and graphic novels, as well as younger readers who might prefer seeing all their favorite illustrated stories and book covers in color.
While I know a lot of parents who download the Kindle app to their kids’ iPads and other tablets to let kids read in bright color, the tablet, of course, is loaded with distracting games, streaming apps and more. Plus, it isn’t as easy on your eyes, and I certainly don’t want to tuck them into bed with it at night, so for these families, I believe the Kindle Colorsoft Kids makes a lot of sense as a purchase.
Which Kindle Is Best For Kids?
But if the question is which Kindle to purchase your child, you might also want to consider the less expensive models, especially if you aren’t sure if your child really needs their Kindle in color. Generally, kids Kindles are lightweight and portable, allowing young readers to tote many books on once device. Each one comes with the cover case, warranty and each is waterproof. The base model Kindle Kids is on sale for about $95 right now, while the Kindle Paperwhite Kids is on sale for $135, compared to the Colorsoft Kids sale price of $210. The page turns in the latest Paperwhite Kids are on par with the Colorsoft and both offer a 7-inch screen with the ability to dim or brighten the screen and adjust the warmth settings for better, easier reading. The base model has a 6-inch screen and the ability to brighten (or dim) the screen, weeks of battery and it still comes with the cover, a 2-year warranty, six months of Amazon Kids Plus—all for under $100. It won’t be quite as bright as the Paperwhite.
My older kids weren’t always voracious readers—in fact they struggled initially, as young children who experienced nearly a year of remote learning in kindergarten and second grade during the pandemic. But they both immediately took to their Kindle Kids devices once they had learned to read. I gifted them each one around age 9. My son, who is nearly 11 now, carries his with him from his bed to the breakfast table to the car at times, and my oldest falls asleep reading hers every night. My kids simply read more often when the book is on their Kindle, which means I’m happy to recommend every model, whether the Colorsoft or not. The Kindle Kids might just turn your fledging reader into a bookworm overnight.
Why Trust Forbes Vetted
Forbes Vetted regularly reviews and tests the latest consumer tech items, including writing tablets and e-readers like the Kindle, as well as kids gear and tech, including iPads and tablets. We pay close attention to safety issues and recalls when it comes to children’s products, as well as the latest screen time recommendations and the best parental control apps to help parents navigate this complex category.
- The author of this story, deputy editor Rose Gordon Sala, oversees both the kids and baby gear and consumer tech sections of Forbes Vetted and is a longtime journalist. Lately, she has reviewed dozens of big kid gear products like smartwatches, kids shoes and gifts for tweens.
- The author spent more than a month testing the Kindle Colorsoft Kids with her own children. She also compared its performance to other Kindles, including the Paperwhite Kids, and read other customers’ and product reviews on the new device.
- This story was edited by Margaret Badore, Forbes Vetted’s baby and kids gear editor. She has over 15 years of experience reporting and editing, and is also a mom of three.
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