My secret boredom buster on an airplane is this tiny e-reader. Here’s why it works

The Xteink X3 is one of the smallest e-readers on the market, making it tempting to bring everywhere, even on an airplane. I recently took several trips, including a cross-country flight, in which the X3 was the perfect flying companion.

I’ve been a tech journalist for over a decade, covering the latest and greatest devices. The X3 continues to capture my attention, as well as a whole community of people making new software for it. A larger E Ink book reader might be the better device for reading books in bed, but if you want to take your novels out of the house, it’s hard to beat the tiny e-readers that Xteink is offering. Here’s why it’s the perfect travel device.

Flying with the Xteink X3 3.7-inch e-reader

Previously, I would take a Kindle e-reader when I flew. Then, I started taking a smaller Boox Palma. The Palma, especially, is fairly easy to fit into most bags. But once I got the Xteink X3, both of those other devices felt huge.

The X3 has a 3.7-inch screen, so I can slip it into my jeans pocket if I need to. I can put it in any backpack pocket at any time. I never have to search for a place to store it.

In terms of actually using the X3 for reading, there are a few challenges. The screen is small, so I find myself pressing the next page button constantly. I’ve gotten used to that and don’t find it as annoying as I thought I might.

The biggest concern might be the lack of any back or front light on the device. At home, I have a magnetic light that sticks to the back of the X3 and hangs over the front. The light takes up about the same amount of space as the reader itself, so it almost feels like a waste of space to bring it, just in case.

I’ve used the overhead seat lighting, and that works. But usually if I angle the X3 just right, there’s always enough light, even on overnight flights.

It might seem silly, but I’m also worried about losing the X3 while traveling, because of its size. Either because it slips off my lap and I don’t see it, or because I leave it in a seatback pocket and forget it. So far, that hasn’t happened, but I’m priming myself to accept it when it does.

The slightly larger Xteink X4 model is available on Amazon.

Is the Xteink X3 e-reader worth buying?

There are two main reasons to travel with the Xteink X3, instead of reading on your phone. The first is battery life, and the second is eye strain.

Battery life is the most precious when I’m traveling. I carry a power adapter and power bank, but if I can save phone power, then I will. Reading on the X3 keeps my phone’s battery life. The X3 has over a week of power if you read a lot and close to a month if you read more sparingly.

The other reason is reduced eye strain. Looking at a paper-like screen just feels better on my eyes than staring at a glowing display for long stretches.

Xteink sells two small e-readers, the X3 and X4. The X3 is the smaller, newer model. It magnetically fits on the back of more iPhones, has NFC, and a gyroscope. Its downside is that it uses a more proprietary charger.

If you want a touch more space, the X4 is a 4.3-inch e-reader that has a USB-C port for charging and transferring data. Both are great ways to keep up with reading while flying or traveling of any kind.