Amazon’s Fire Tablet are some of the only affordable, high-profile tablets around. The pricing seems too good to be true – and in some ways it is – but the Fire tablets are also reasonably capable, fully functional devices. To help you decide if one of these blocking means is right for you, we’ve reviewed every model. These are our unfiltered recommendations. While we do list Amazon’s base price, note that we recommend spending an extra $15 to get the ad-free version.
Be sure to check out our other guidelike Best Tablets, Best iPadsand Best Alexa speaker.
Update June 2022: We’ve noted new Fire 7 and Fire 7 Kids tablets, upcoming Prime Day deals, and refreshed prices and links.
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Waiting for the official date
If you’re planning to buy a new Fire tablet right this minute, you should pause. With Prime Day coming up (July 12-13), Amazon’s line of tablets will at least 30% off. Sure, these vehicles are already affordable compared to others on the market, but you can save much more. It’s worth the wait.
The best fire fighting tablet
The Fire HD 10 is Amazon’s largest and fastest tablet. Amazon refreshed it this year (7/10, WIRED Recommend) with a brighter display and 3 gigabytes of RAM. Along with it, there is a Fire HD 10 Plus, bump up the RAM to 4GB and add wireless charging, which is well worth the $30 more if you plan to do more than watch movies and browse the web. Amazon hopes you can do more, because now there’s a “productivity pack“includes a nice keyboard (though no trackpad) and a 1-year subscription Microsoft 365. Working on Fire HD 10 isn’t bad, as long as you don’t need Google apps. None of Google’s office apps work on the Fire HD 10, even in the browser.
The Fire HD 10 has a larger screen with more pixels (1080p) than its siblings, making for better video viewing. And, as with the Fire HD 8, you can shout commands to Alexa from across the room. To use Alexa Visibility, swipe down on the notification overlay and check the Visibility box. You can then place your HD 10 on the stand (if you choose the Plus model, we prefer Official wireless charging dock) and it essentially becomes the Echo Show.
You can choose between a 32 gigabyte or a 64 gigabyte model (there’s a MicroSD slot on both so you can add up to 1 TB of storage if you need more space). Whichever way you choose, Amazon will show ads on the lock screen. To get rid of that, you’ll need to spend an extra $15 on the version without the “special offer”.
Best value fire fighting tablet
2020 version of Fire HD 8 possibly one of the best values for a tablet. Travel-friendly size, combined with processor upgrades and Plus Model ($110) With 3 gigabytes of RAM and wireless charging, the Fire HD 8 series is nearly as capable as its larger brother. It’s portable enough to take you anywhere, and its screen won’t torture your eyes as you watch Netflix. That said, the screen doesn’t completely as beautiful as on the larger Fire HD 10, which boasts a higher pixel density.
However, the HD 8 has most of the benefits of the HD 10, including hands-free Alexa, stereo sound, USB-C, and nearly 12 hours of battery life. I recommend picking Amazon Magnetic Carrying Case if you plan to watch movies or TV or if you choose the Plus model, Wireless charging dockTurn your tablet into an Echo Show speaker.
The best Fire tablets for kids
Realizing that “kids” includes a variety of hand sizes and other factors, Amazon currently has two different Kids Edition Fire tablets. There is a regular Kids Edition and a “Pro” model. The latter, aimed at older kids, has a streamlined case with a bit less padding and the option for parents to install apps from the dedicated Kids app store. We think HD 8 ($140) is the best device for young children, while in 2021 Fire HD 10 Kids Pro ($200)It’s a really big in the hands of small children, better for older children. The new one Fire 7 Kids ($110) is an even cheaper option for younger children, although I’ve always found the 7-inch screen size harder to use.
The Kids Edition versions are exactly the same as regular Fire tablets, except they come with a sturdy case and a two-year worry-free warranty, which means Amazon will replace the tablet for free if your child spoil it. It also comes with a year Amazon Kids +, which provides access to kid-friendly movies, books, games, and apps. It costs $5 per month after the first year (for Prime subscribers, $8 if you don’t have Prime). Be sure to watch ours guide to managing content on Amazon Kids +.
Best budget Fire tablet
Amazon has finally refreshed its smallest Fire tablet, the 7-inch model. The 2022 version has a slightly more powerful processor, twice the RAM, and longer battery life. It also charges using USB-C. Unfortunately, the tiny 16 GB of storage space remains, although the supported SD card size has increased to 1 terabyte, so if you want more storage (and believe me), you can. can add it. Also up for this release is the price, which went up from $49 to $59.
In the past, we’d recommend avoiding this because it performed poorly and the small screen made it less useful. We haven’t had a chance to test the new model yet, but based on the new specs, the Fire 7 now has enough power to keep up with the Fire OS. That said, we still think you should spend the extra $30 on the Fire 8. If that’s out of your budget, though, the new Fire 7 will do.
Amazon sells older incendiary tablets. Don’t buy them
Buy only one of the “10th Gen” or “11th Gen” Fire tablets. We recommend sticking to the models we cover in this article (also listed here).
Older model Fire tablets won’t receive software updates for as long as the current generation. You’ll also miss out on the faster processor and more RAM in the newer model. A much better idea is to wait for Prime Day or another sale when you can get new models with 30 to 50% off.
