How to Choose a Tablet for One-Handed Reading in Bed

With 300-400g assumed as the one-hand limit, pick an 8- to 9-inch tablet for one-handed reading in bed. Without a case, the ones sold on Amazon.com weigh 293-337g/10.3-11.9oz, while even the lightest 10- to 11-inch model weighs 433.6g/15.3oz, over the target even at 400g. A case adds about 78-186g/2.8-6.6oz.

How much weight one hand can hold differs from person to person. A case makes it heavier, so check the chart for the weight with a case too.

How many tablets fit each one-hand limit

At a 350g limit, all 5 of the 8- to 9-inch tablets sold on Amazon.com fit without a case, and none fit with one. At 300g, 1 fits without a case. At 400g, 2 of the 4 with full dimensions fit with a thin case, one of them borderline.

Each cell counts the 8- to 9-inch tablets whose body plus case comes in at or under the limit. A tablet with less than 5 g to spare under the limit is marked “borderline”. Case weight is estimated from the tablet’s area.

Among the sources checked, no official standard was found for how heavy a one-handed tablet can be. A study of 30 people by NIOSH, the US workplace-safety research institute, found larger tablets harder to hold but gives no weight in grams. The 300-400g used here is an assumption.

The “no cover” column covers the 8- to 9-inch tablets that have an official weight and an Amazon.com listing (5 models). The case columns cover 4 models, the ones that also have official width and height. Tablets sold mainly outside the US, such as the Lenovo Legion Tab and Xiaomi Redmi Pad SE, are left out (5 models in all).

The 10- to 11-inch tablets use 25 models with an official weight and an Amazon.com listing (full list at the end).

Check it against your own limit

1. Pick your one-hand limit.
2. Pick a case type.
3. To see only non-iPad tablets, set Models to “Not iPad”.

The tool shows which tablets come in under your limit, and how they compare with a Kindle Paperwhite.

What a case does to the weight

With cover weight estimated from the tablet’s area, a thin back cover brings the iPad mini to about 372g/13.1oz, over the 300g and 350g targets. It brings the Fire HD 8 to about 420g/14.8oz, over 400g, and the Lenovo Tab One to about 399g/14.1oz, borderline under 400g.

A Kindle Paperwhite (2024 model) comes to an estimated 278-363g/9.8-12.8oz with a cover, under 400g even with a heavy one. With the same kind of cover, it is lighter than every 8- to 9-inch tablet here.

Width and bezels held upright

Per the makers’ official specifications, the 8- to 9-inch tablets are about 125-137mm/4.9-5.4in wide held upright. That is at most about 10mm wider than a 7-inch e-reader (about 128mm/5.0in). The 10- to 11-inch models are 160mm/6.3in or wider.

Calculated from the dimensions, the side bezels in portrait are about 9.5mm on the iPad mini and 14.8mm on the Fire HD 8. The other Android tablets sold on Amazon.com with official dimensions (the Galaxy Tab A11 8.7 and the Lenovo Tab One) are slimmer, at about 5.7-5.8mm. These are calculated figures and may be off by 1-2mm.

Among the sources checked, nothing was found linking bezel width to grip. The same NIOSH study found smaller tablets, and ones with a ledge or handle on the back or a rubbery texture, easier to hold.

Screens for a dark bedroom

Of the tablet picks, only the iPad mini has a confirmed warm-color mode. The Fire HD 8 has a brightness slider, with no warm-color mode confirmed.

Among the sources checked, no official minimum brightness was found for the iPad mini, the Fire HD 8, the Tab One or the Kindle (2024). The table lists the night features the official pages confirm; the Tab One’s weren’t checked. It adds the Kindle Paperwhite and Colorsoft because the Kindle (2024) page lists no warm light.

Per the makers’ official specifications, among the models checked, only the iPad Pro has an OLED screen. Even the 11-inch weighs 444g/15.7oz, over the one-hand target even at 400g.

Picks by condition

The picks are the cheapest of the products checked here that meet each condition. The criteria: new, sold by Amazon or the maker, not a grey import, at least 100 ratings, and 4.0 stars or more. The iPad mini’s rating count is shared with other colors on the same listing, and whether the Fire HD 8, Tab One and Kindle counts are shared wasn’t checked.

No tablet was tested in person. Check the price on Amazon.com before you buy.

What you can read on a Kindle was checked against Amazon.com and Libby help pages.

Among the sources checked, whether other e-book services’ apps work on a Kindle was not checked on Amazon.com. If you read books from another service, check its supported devices before buying.

If your one-hand limit is strict

Of the tablets checked here, it meets the strict limit at 300 g or less on its own. It weighs 293g/10.3oz. Even a thin back cover brings it to about 372g/13.1oz, over the 300g and 350g targets.

If you’d rather not buy an iPad

It’s the cheapest non-iPad 8- to 9-inch tablet checked here that is 400 g or less on its own. It weighs 337g/11.9oz, under a 350g target but over a 300g one. Even a thin back cover brings it to about 420g/14.8oz, over the 400g target.

If you’d rather not buy an iPad and keep a thin cover on

It’s a non-iPad 8- to 9-inch tablet checked here that stays at 400 g or less with a thin back cover. It weighs 320g/11.3oz, and even with a thin back cover about 399g/14.1oz, borderline under 400g. Its Amazon.com listing includes a folio case whose weight wasn’t checked.

If you mostly read books

This e-reader weighs 158g/5.6oz. Even with a heavy folio it comes to about 273g/9.6oz, under the 300g target.

FAQ

How heavy can a tablet be to read one-handed in bed?

There is no set limit; this article uses 300-400g as a working range. Among the 8- to 9-inch tablets sold on Amazon.com, 1 of 5 comes in at or under 300g on its own, and all 5 are at or under 350g.

Under 5g to spare counts as borderline, and none of them is.

Are larger tablets too heavy for one-handed reading?

Yes, in this comparison. With 300-400g assumed as the one-hand limit, even the lightest 10- to 11-inch model weighs 433.6g/15.3oz, over the target even at 400g, and they are 160mm/6.3in or wider held upright.

How much weight does a case add to a tablet?

With cover weight estimated from the tablet’s area, a cover adds about 78-186g/2.8-6.6oz, even on an 8- to 9-inch tablet. Of the 4 sold on Amazon.com that have an official width and height, 2 come to 400g or less with a thin cover, one of them borderline.

With a heavy folio, every one goes over 400g. The thin-cover weight is an assumption without a source.

How do I keep a tablet screen from being too bright in a dark bedroom?

Among the sources checked, the picks don’t publish a minimum brightness; only one model line does. Only one tablet pick has a confirmed warm-color mode (Night Shift).

For the others, only a brightness slider was found or nothing was checked. The e-reader pick’s page doesn’t confirm a warm light.

Related articles:

• How to choose a tablet for watching video in bed
• Which size of tablet is best for reading?
• Tablet or Kindle for reading and a little video?