Physical page buttons matter most when they change how comfortably you hold the reader. Try the device with the hand you normally use and with its proposed case fitted. Reach the next-page control without shifting the whole device, then try going back. A button present on the specification sheet may still sit awkwardly for your grip.
Read several pages rather than pressing each button once. Notice the force required, whether the device moves and whether your thumb can rest nearby without turning pages accidentally. If you read in a quiet shared room, listen to the control as well. Preference here is personal; another reader's enthusiasm does not establish your own fit.
Check orientation and settings
Find out whether the buttons work in the orientations you use and whether their actions can be changed. Some readers offer control options that depend on model or software. Verify them in the current manual rather than assuming all devices with two buttons behave alike.
If you alternate hands, try both. A design comfortable in the right hand may require a rotation or setting change in the left. Check that text orientation, case support and button direction remain understandable after that change.
Compare the same task using touch controls. You may find that tapping an accessible area works well, or that accidental gestures interrupt reading. Test with your preferred font size and actual content so the comparison reflects ordinary use rather than a showroom's default page.
Think beyond the next page
Buttons may help with turning pages while other tasks still require touch input. Opening a book, selecting a word, navigating settings or entering a search can involve different controls. If reduced reliance on touch is your goal, check the complete workflow and available accessibility features.
For table reading, a case that holds the device securely can affect button use as much as the buttons themselves. Pressing a side control may move an unsupported reader; a stable stand can change that experience.
Treat page buttons as one part of the purchase alongside screen suitability, book access and carrying size. They can be a decisive comfort feature when you use them constantly, but they should solve a specific interaction problem rather than stand in for evaluating the rest of the device.
