If you're stuck between large print, an e-reader, audiobooks, magnifiers, or some combination of the above, this tool gives you a practical starting point. It's not medical advice. It's a sane first recommendation based on the trade-offs people actually run into: vision, hand fatigue, tech comfort, cost, and whether you still want the act of reading instead of listening.
My bias: the best answer is often not one format forever. A lot of readers end up with a main format plus a backup for bad-eye days. This chooser reflects that instead of pretending there's a single magic product.
You still want the act of reading, but you need more control than a fixed large print edition can give you.
Best when you want a familiar physical book and the text bump is enough. Weakest when you need more than 16–18pt, the book is heavy, or the title doesn't exist in large print.
The best default for many Canadians because font size, weight, line spacing and boldness are adjustable. Kobo also plays nicely with Canadian library borrowing.
Best when visual reading is exhausting or unrealistic. The emotional catch is real: some readers don't feel like listening is the same thing. That's fine. It still belongs in the toolbox.
Often the right add-on when the problem is not just books. If mail, recipes, medicine labels and forms are equally frustrating, a book-only solution leaves a gap.
If your eyes can still manage reading with a larger font, an e-reader is usually the highest-value move. It's lighter than a big hardcover, cheaper than buying stacks of large print titles, and less limiting when a book simply doesn't exist in large print.
If you're emotionally attached to physical books, don't let anyone shame that. Start with library large print and better lighting, then add an e-reader later. If reading has become a grind, audiobooks are not surrender. They're how a lot of people keep stories in their lives on the hard days.