Amazon’s Fire HD 8 Is the Tablet I Didn’t Know I Wanted

When it comes to handy electronics for the family, don’t forget Mom! I’ve told myself for years that while my kiddo has an iPad for apps and movies, and my husband an iPad for work, I didn’t need a tablet for myself. I have a smartphone, after all! But when I got my hands on the Fire HD 8 from Amazon, I realized how convenient this particular tablet actually is, and it instantly became my new travel companion for the holidays.

The Amazon Fire HD 8 is affordable, portable, and comes with all of my favorite apps. If there’s a GeekMom you’re shopping for this holiday season, give this tablet your full attention.

Affordable

At just $79.99, the Fire HD 8 is instantly worth consideration. The lower price might mean less screen size and storage space, but if you’re looking for a first tablet for someone, it’s hard to go wrong at that price. The screen may only be 8 inches, but it’s a great upgrade from a smartphone without breaking the bank. It’s also HD (1280 x 800 resolution) with an expected battery life around 10 hours, has 16GB of space, and comes even equipped with everyone’s BFF Alexa. That’s a lot of bang for your 80 bucks!

Portable

Rather than lugging around my laptop for our Thanksgiving travel, throwing the lightweight Fire HD 8 in my backpack made a huge difference. With all of the entertainment I could want downloaded to the tablet, I was ready to go even with no streaming and no Wi-Fi. (My Kindle books, Netflix picks, and ComiXology books all downloaded effortlessly, and I was good to go for hours.) It’s an obvious feature for a tablet of this size, but an appreciated one.

And the Apps!

This is where the tablet truly shines for a GeekMom like myself. Prime Video and Kindle Books are handy, of course, but the Fire HD 8 can do so much more. Netflix, Twitch, Spotify, and ComiXology are must-haves.

In fact, unlike the ComiXology app on my smartphone, I can buy and download comics directly from the app on the HD 8. (This is both good for me and bad for my budget.) Reading comics is also delightfully improved with the bigger screen and fast-loading books, especially after downloading them.

I’m not a gadget person, so be sure to check out the Fire HD 8 page on Amazon for all of the fine details about the tablet’s performance, specifications, and additional features. But having an easy-to-use tablet of my own for streaming movies and Twitch, reading books and comics, and listening to music has been much more enjoyable than I anticipated—and at that price, with no guilt!

GeekMom received a promotional sample for review purposes.

Photo: Kelly Knox

All Other Images: Amazon