What produces less eye strain. books or ebooks?

[ipekbunsal]

I think books are better.

[TiffanyJade]

Not much difference as long as it isn't backlit.

[okayLexi]

I'd agree with most and say e-books. I'm not sure why either but I know they say the same about computers, that they cause eye strain. I find it less obnoxious when I read in my glasses rather than contacts.

[sybil1reader]

I have a little more eye strain from my Kindle, but it does wonders for my neck since I can move it around better.

[jeff1962]

I am a bit split on the issue. It really depends on the lighting and the device you are reading the ebook on. If you are someplace were there is going to be glare from sunlight then I am going to stick with paper books. If the room is dimly lite than I going with my Kindle.

[Viviana_Ortiz]

For me, eBooks, the lighting in electronic reading devices causes much sooner eye strain then print books

[Reading lady]

I read from my Kindle, my iPad and of course physical books. Don't really notice any difference. No eye strain with any of them. I find the iPad print is bigger but prefer to read on my Kindle as it is the smallest and lightest to hold. I actually like the physical book the least.

[Embracing_Madness]

Huh, this is interesting. I'm forever being nagged by the parents about how I'm always reading books/articles on my computer, so I always just took it as a given that physical books give you less eyestrain than ebooks. But after seeing some of the responses here, and thinking back to my own attempts to read physical books...now I'm not so sure. Yes, the backlighting eyestrain from reading ebooks is a problem, but the tiny words which I can't magnify in physical books is a problem too. Also, I get such a neck crick from bending my head down to read a physical book in my lap, whereas I'm pretty good at positioning a laptop at the optimal height and distance - oh wow. What a revelation.

[Shinyfox]

I have an e-reader that doesn't have a back light. So paper books and e-books produce about the same amount of strain on my eyes.

[ashewilcox]

I was anti- e reader for a long time. I thought it was too high tech and preferred the feel and smell (yes smell) of paper, but then I needed an e reader for a college class and I've never looked back. All my readers are back lit and I love I can fall asleep reading "in the dark." Now I notice that when I read paper I get the eye strain and I feel more tired while reading.

[Airam Velarde]

In my experience, e-books cause me more eye strain. I find that I can read a normal book all day if I prefer it, and not get any eye strain. When I started reading on my Nook, however, my eyes would tire really quickly and I had to stop reading and continue at a later time.

[aysha_yh]

If you turn the brightness down on your ipad/kindle it can be less straining than an actual book depending what the lighting is like when you read!

[Anna Meyer]

Hi there, I'm just wondering if ebook reading might be more harmful due to the fact that one is looking into a bright backlight on one' cellphone or ebook tablet pad? People use to say...don't look into bright lights. Could e reading then be bad for one' eyes? Also...the font tends to be smaller than in real paper books...this could become a problem.

[SparklingOne]

Ebooks are easier for me. I have a Kindle paperwhite so it allows me to adjust typeface, font size, and amount of screen lighting.

[booklovingolfer]

Books are easier for me to read for longer periods of time. I think because my job entails me to look at a computer all day, my eyes become so dried out that ebooks are harder for me to read.