The already affordable Kindle is now down to $79.99 in Amazon's Black Friday sale — its lowest price ever

I knew Black Friday Kindle deals were coming. I test e-readers for a living, and in addition to trying out the latest devices, I'm also tracking prices, especially around shopping holidays. Retailers are treating Nov. 20 as the official start of Black Friday, so my first instinct this morning was to look at Kindle prices and... wow! I was expecting good Kindle deals, but we got door-busting deals. In fact, Amazon is set on beating its own prices this Black Friday, best seen by the markdown on the basic Kindle — now just $79.99

The Kindle Paperwhite gets most of the attention these days. It is Amazon's speediest and most advanced e-reader, but it tends to overshadow the equally great basic Kindle. The basic Kindle is a smaller e-reader with a 6-inch screen. Its compact size makes it the perfect handheld device — I often wish that the Kindle Paperwhite were that size. I think the basic Kindle would be my favorite Kindle if it were water-resistant — I'm a read at the beach kind of girl.

Where the basic Kindle beats every other e-reader — Kindle and beyond — is on price. When not on sale, the Kindle is just $109.99, the most affordable e-reader we've tested. During Amazon's October Prime Day, the device went down to $84.99, which at the time, was its lowest price ever. I figured Black Friday would bring back that same price, but Mashable contributor Christina Buff was more optimistic, projecting it to fall to $79.99. I'm so pleased to say, Christina was right on the money, literally.

The basic Kindle is down to $79.99 during Amazon's Black Friday sale. That's officially its lowest price ever, beating its previous record of $84.99 during Prime Big Deal Days. That knocks $30 off its $109.99 list price for 27% off. Amazon is pretty conservative with its Kindle deals, so I feel confident this is the device's best price. So don't wait to buy. Get a basic Kindle now and make yourself, or someone on your list, very happy (and well-read) this holiday season.

Want to shop more Black Friday Kindle deals? Check out our full guide, which we're keeping updated with the latest deals on e-readers, accessories, and books.