Any e-book reader will allow you to cram a Magnificence and the Beast-sized library’s value of books in your pocket, however so will your telephone. An e-book reader presents a extra book-like studying expertise, with fewer distractions and fewer eye pressure, and lots of embody further options, like adjustable frontlighting. Some actually are pocketable. Others are waterproof or supply bodily page-turning buttons, whereas a number of even allow you to take notes.
What I’m in search of
When testing a brand new e-book reader, I make certain to make use of it as my major machine for at the very least a full week. For these seven days, if not longer, that e-reader is my principal manner of consuming ebooks, audiobooks, and most articles from the net (if relevant). If the machine has note-taking capabilities, I’ll use it to annotate books and jot down varied reminders, to-do lists, and notes. I’ll even use it for some gentle journaling, in addition to doodling.
On common, I are likely to learn for about an hour a day — longer on weekends — both for work or to unwind on the seaside, in mattress, or within the bathtub. I purchase books instantly from every e-reader’s respective bookstore, borrow library books through Overdrive, and attempt to sideload varied file codecs to see how straightforward it’s to do.
How straightforward is it to make use of and browse on? A pointy show and comparatively quick efficiency are important to an fulfilling studying expertise, as are dimension and weight.
Some e-readers include totally different options, like waterproofing, which implies you actually can learn wherever. Others supply buttons that make utilizing the e-reader extra intuitive to make use of.
There should be straightforward, direct entry to a wide array of digital titles, which incorporates audiobooks in addition to varied file codecs.
Is the worth justified, given what the e-reader presents?
I’ve been utilizing e-book readers for almost a decade, and I’ve gone hands-on with dozens, from the Kindle Paperwhite to lesser-known rivals just like the Pocketbook Period. Whether or not you need one thing your child can throw towards the wall or a water-resistant, warm-glow Kindle that received’t break your spa ambiance, these are the very best e-book readers for everybody.
$160
The Good
- The very best-looking display on any e-reader
- Barely bigger display with out a noticeably bigger machine
- Quicker web page turns, loading, and a extra responsive UI
- A splash of coloration (with out a coloration display)
The Unhealthy
- Upgrades aren’t as vital because the final Paperwhite
- Lacks stylus help and web page flip buttons
- Signature Version wi-fi charging is irritating with out magnets
- Signature Version again panel feels much less grippy
Dimensions: 7 x 5 x .3 inches / Weight: 211 grams / Display space and backbone: 7-inch display, 300ppi decision / Storage: 16GB / Different options: IPX8 waterproofing, Bluetooth audio help
When you principally purchase ebooks from Amazon, you’ll desire a Kindle, and the Twelfth-gen Kindle Paperwhite is the only option for most individuals. Beginning at $159.99, it’s cheaper than the Kobo Libra Color — my high non-Amazon e-book reader, which I’ll dive into later — whereas providing most of the similar options. These embody a spacious 7-inch 300pi show with wealthy distinction ranges and an adjustable heat white frontlight, which make for a transparent and fulfilling studying expertise. The latter additionally conveniently improves sleep by reducing down on blue gentle that interrupts melatonin manufacturing.
That heat white frontlighting is a bonus over the cool white of the $109.99 base-model Kindle, and in contrast to the bottom Kindle, the Paperwhite has IPX8 water resistance. The $ 199.99 Signature Version Paperwhite additionally has an auto-adjusting frontlight and no lockscreen adverts. It has wi-fi charging, which is a uncommon characteristic to search out in an e-reader.
Amazon is the most important on-line retailer on the planet, and it dominates the US e-book market, so Kindle homeowners have entry to benefits homeowners of different e-book readers don’t. A lot of Amazon’s {hardware} technique is determined by providing cut-rate reductions to tug you into its content material ecosystem. When you have Prime and purchase lots of Kindle ebooks, the Paperwhite is the only option as a result of Amazon makes it extremely straightforward to purchase and browse its stuff. Its ebooks and audiobooks are sometimes on sale, and Prime members get extra free content material by way of Prime Studying. Rivals like Kobo supply gross sales, too, however it’s arduous for them to supply reductions as steep as Amazon.
There are downsides, although. The Paperwhite has lockscreen adverts except you pay $20 further to eliminate them. It’s additionally too massive to carry comfortably with one hand. Maybe the Kindle Paperwhite’s greatest flaw, although — which it shares with all Kindles except for Fireplace tablets — is that it’s not straightforward to learn books bought exterior of Amazon’s retailer. Kindle e-book codecs are proprietary and solely work on Kindle. Not like Kobo and different e-book readers, Kindles don’t help EPUB recordsdata, an open file format utilized by just about everybody besides Amazon. So, for instance, for those who usually store from Kobo’s bookstore (or Barnes & Noble or Google Play Books or many different e-book shops), you possibly can’t simply learn these books on a Kindle with out utilizing a workaround. There are methods to transform and switch file codecs so you possibly can learn on the Kindle and vice versa, however it’ll take a few further steps.
Nonetheless, for those who don’t purchase your books elsewhere otherwise you don’t thoughts buying from Amazon, you’ll be very happy with the Kindle Paperwhite.
The very best non-Amazon e-book reader
$230
The Good
- Good coloration display with sharp, 300ppi black-and-white decision
- Bodily page-turning buttons
- Constructed-in stylus help
- Appropriate with each Overdrive and Pocket
The Unhealthy
- Getting books from different shops onto the machine could be powerful
- Dearer than the Kindle Paperwhite
- Lacks the vibrancy of different coloration e-readers
- No wi-fi charging
Dimensions: 5.69 x 6.34 x 0.33 inches / Weight: 199.5 grams / Display space and backbone: 7-inch display, 300ppi (black-and-white), 150ppi (coloration) / Storage: 32GB / Different options: Bodily page-turning buttons, waterproofing, Kobo Stylus 2 help, Bluetooth audio help
The Kobo Libra Color is a superb different to Amazon’s e-book readers, particularly for readers exterior the US or anybody who doesn’t wish to faucet into Amazon’s ecosystem. Kobo’s newest slate presents most of the standout options discovered on the Twelfth-gen Kindle Paperwhite — together with waterproofing, USB-C help, and a 300ppi show — together with a number of perks that make it extra useful and fulfilling to make use of.
The colour show is the obvious. The Libra Color makes use of E Ink’s newest Kaledio coloration display expertise, which gives soothing, pastel-like hues that also pop in direct daylight. It’s not as sharp as studying in monochrome — the decision drops to 150ppi when viewing content material in coloration — however it’s a pleasant contact that makes viewing a wider vary of content material extra nice. E-book covers and comics, whereas nonetheless muted, have an added layer of depth, even when the colours are nowhere close to as vivid as that of a conventional LED pill or as vibrant because the Kindle Colorsoft Signature Version.
Nonetheless, not like the Kindle Colorsoft Signature Version, the Libra Color works with a digital pen — the Kobo Stylus 2 (offered individually) — which helps you to spotlight textual content in varied colours or take notes utilizing Kobo’s built-in notebooks. You can even benefit from a few of the extra superior capabilities discovered within the Kobo Elipsa 2E, permitting you to unravel math equations, convert handwriting into typed textual content, and insert diagrams. This lets the Libra Color perform as a mini pocket book of types, although I wouldn’t use it as a major note-taking machine because the seven-inch show can really feel cramped to write down on.
The colour show is simply a part of the enchantment, although. The Libra Color doesn’t have the lockscreen adverts on the bottom Paperwhite — and packs bodily page-turning buttons, which really feel extra intuitive to make use of than tapping both facet of the show as you must do on Amazon’s trendy e-readers. The speedy e-reader additionally helps extra file codecs, together with EPUB recordsdata, and makes it a lot simpler to borrow books from the Overdrive library system. Native help for Pocket, in the meantime, means you possibly can learn your articles offline for those who’re somebody who makes use of the long-standing bookmarking app.
Nonetheless, at $229.99, the Libra Color prices $70 greater than the entry-level Paperwhite — and that’s with out Kobo’s $69.99 stylus, which is required for performing sure duties. That hole widens additional when the Paperwhite is on sale, which occurs extra usually than the Libra Color. The Kobo can’t simply faucet into Amazon’s huge library of ebooks, which could be irritating for those who’ve amassed a group of Kindle titles through the years. It may be performed, however you must convert file codecs utilizing third-party apps, which is difficult and may take time.
But when these issues don’t matter or apply to you, the Kobo Libra Color will provide you with the very best digital studying expertise of all of the e-readers on our checklist. It’s my private favourite.
The very best low cost e-book reader
$110
The Good
- Wonderful, high-resolution show
- Simple to carry with one hand
- Quicker than its predecessor with improved battery life
- Enjoyable coloration choices
The Unhealthy
- No waterproofing
- Lacks adjustable coloration temperature
- Barely costlier than its predecessor
Dimensions: 6.2 x 4.3 x 0.32 inches / Weight: 158 grams / Display space and backbone: 6-inch display, 300ppi decision / Storage: 16GB / Different options: USB-C help, Bluetooth audio help
The base-model Kindle ($109.99 with adverts) is the very best low cost e-book reader. Its 300ppi decision makes textual content clearer and simpler to learn than the lower-resolution screens on different e-book readers in its value vary. Plus, it even has USB-C for comparatively quick charging.
Studying on its six-inch display feels slightly extra cramped than it does on the bigger shows of the Kindle Paperwhite and Kobo Libra Color. Nonetheless, the flip facet is that its small dimension makes it pocketable, gentle, and simple for small arms to carry. Mixed with its comparatively reasonably priced value, the Kindle can be the very best e-book reader for teenagers — particularly the Amazon Kindle Children Version which prices $20 extra. The child-friendly model shares the identical specs however is ad-free with parental controls, a two-year prolonged alternative assure, and a case. It additionally comes with six months of Amazon Children Plus, which grants children entry to hundreds of kids’s books and audiobooks at no cost. After that, although, you’ll should pay $79 per 12 months.
The bottom Kindle doesn’t have further conveniences just like the waterproofing you’ll discover in the entry-level Kobo Clara BW and Paperwhite. You additionally don’t get the bodily page-turning buttons discovered on Barnes & Noble’s entry-level e-reader, the Nook GlowLight 4e (although the Kindle is lots snappier than the Nook). And since it’s an Amazon e-book reader, you’re additionally locked into the Amazon ecosystem and should pay further to take away adverts. But when you are able to do with out that, the Kindle delivers the necessities for underneath $110.
The very best e-book reader for taking notes
$400
The Good
- Intuitive note-taking options
- Nice e-reader
- Adjustable heat gentle
- Helpful note-taking capabilities, together with handwriting-to-text conversion
The Unhealthy
- Lacks native help for Kindle books
- 227ppi show isn’t as sharp because the competitors
- No note-summarization options
Dimensions: 7.6 x 8.94 x 0.30 inches / Weight: 390 grams / Display space and backbone: 10.3-inches, 227ppi decision / Storage: 32GB / Different options: Handwriting to textual content conversion, magnetic stylus, Bluetooth audio help
Of all the big e-book readers I examined, the Kobo Elipsa 2E stood out probably the most as a result of it’s a superb e-reader with stable note-taking talents. You may write instantly on pages simply as on a bodily e-book. The Kindle Scribe permits you to annotate e-book pages as nicely, however it’s difficult involving resizable textual content containers that mess up the web page formatting and stop you from doing basic items like circling phrases. In distinction, taking notes on the Elipsa 2E feels much more intuitive and pure.
The Elipsa 2E presents different useful note-taking instruments and capabilities. Just like the Kobo Libra Color, it’s succesful, for instance, of fixing math equations for you. You can even insert diagrams and drawings, and it’ll robotically snap them into one thing that appears cleaner and nicer. You can even sync your notes with Dropbox or view them on-line and convert handwriting to typed textual content. The Kindle Scribe presents the latter functionality, too, however once more, Kobo does it quicker and higher throughout the unique pocket book doc versus on a separate web page. The one factor lacking from the Elipsa 2E is the Scribe’s note-summarization characteristic, however that’s a trade-off I’m okay with given how a lot simpler it’s to take notes.
Lastly, the Kobo Elipsa 2E comes with twice the storage (32GB) for a similar value as the bottom Kindle Scribe. You can step as much as the 32GB Kindle Scribe for $20 extra or improve to 64GB for $40 further. But given the Scribe’s limitations, I nonetheless suggest saving the cash and shopping for the Kobo Elipsa 2E as an alternative.
Be aware-taking capabilities apart, the Kobo Elipsa 2E can be a superb e-reader with the identical strengths and weaknesses as different Kobo units. There’s help for a variety of file codecs, however you possibly can’t simply learn Kindle books with out changing them first. Its 227ppi show can be barely much less sharp than the 300ppi display discovered on the Kindle Scribe and the Kobo Libra Color. Nonetheless, the ten.3-inch display balances issues out a bit and makes textual content simpler to learn, so it’s not a noticeable disadvantage. Plus, the Elipsa 2E comes with an adjustable heat gentle for nighttime studying. That’s a characteristic rivals with extra superior note-taking capabilities — just like the $379.99 Onyx Boox Go 10.3 which helps you to do the whole lot the Scribe does and extra, like insert hyperlinks to notes — lacks.
Different e-book readers that didn’t make the reduce
There are another e-book readers my colleagues and I’ve examined that I didn’t characteristic above however are nonetheless value highlighting. Listed below are probably the most notable:
The Kindle Colorsoft Signature Version is the primary Kindle to characteristic E Ink’s coloration display expertise and it stands out from different coloration e-paper units with customizations. It presents improved distinction, extra vibrant colours, and quicker display refreshes. With a $279.99 price ticket, it’s the most costly Kindle mannequin at present obtainable that doesn’t help a stylus for note-taking, and it consists of premium options like wi-fi charging which can be handy however probably not needed for a tool with months of battery life. Amazon doesn’t supply a less expensive model of the Colorsoft prefer it does with the Paperwhite, which is offered in customary and Signature Version variations, however in order for you a coloration display and wish to follow Amazon, the Colorsoft is your only option. – Andrew Liszewski, Senior Reporter
When you’re in search of a non-Amazon different that’s extra reasonably priced than the Kobo Libra Color, the Kobo Clara Color — the successor to the Kobo Clara 2E — is value a glance. At $159.99, the ad-free e-reader prices greater than the Kobo Clara 2E, however I feel it’s value the additional $10. It continues to supply the identical six-inch show and IPX8 waterproof design, however the e-reader now presents coloration. Plus, it’s noticeably quicker — one thing I used to be pleased to see, contemplating the occasional lag on the Clara 2E generally received on my nerves. You don’t get the Clara Color’s bodily buttons or stylus help, however that’s a good tradeoff at this value level.
Regardless of all the benefits of E Ink show expertise, your smartphone might be nonetheless a extra handy machine for studying given how pocket-friendly it’s. The Boox Palma 2 is a smartphone-sized E Ink machine that’s simply as straightforward to slide right into a pocket, however with extra capabilities than an e-reader. Its 6.3-inch E Ink show is nice for studying books, however the $279.99 Palma 2 additionally runs Android 13 so you possibly can set up productiveness apps like e mail and messaging — assuming you’ve received entry to Wi-Fi, after all, as a result of the compact e-reader lacks mobile connectivity. If you have already got the unique Palma, the sequel isn’t definitely worth the improve. However for those who’re in search of a smaller different to Kindles and Kobos, the Palma 2 might be definitely worth the splurge. – Andrew Liszewski, Senior Reporter
The $379 Onyx Boox Go 10.3 is one other ad-free e-book reader you need to use to take notes. It’s glorious as a note-taking machine, and it presents an impressively big selection of writing instruments and extra prebuilt pocket book templates than Kobo’s Elipsa 2E. Jotting down notes utilizing the built-in pocket book felt extra akin to writing on paper as nicely, and its slim design makes the machine really feel extra like a conventional pocket book. Like all Boox units, it additionally gives fast entry to the Google Play Retailer, so you possibly can obtain a number of studying apps — together with each Kindle and Kobo apps. The slate’s crisp 300ppi show is sharper than that of the Kobo Elipsa 2E, too, which is a plus.
Nonetheless, compared to the easy-to-use Elipsa 2E, the Go 10.3 lacks a entrance gentle and comes with a steeper studying curve. Notes you tackle a Kindle or Kobo machine received’t switch over (and vice versa), and you’ll’t annotate books in both app utilizing the Boox. I additionally felt like entry to Google Play generally is a double-edged sword because it grants easy accessibility to distracting apps, together with video games, streaming companies, and TikTok. It’s too sluggish to make use of the latter, however it’s quick and comfy sufficient that I discovered myself taking part in round with the Phrase Search app far too usually. For me personally, I would like my e-reader to be devoid of such distractions — it’s one of many greatest issues that distinguishes it from a pill, in spite of everything. However for those who’ve received extra self-control than I do, the Go 10.3 might be value a glance.
In 2023, Barnes and Noble launched the brand new Nook Glowlight 4 Plus. When you personal lots of digital books from Barnes and Noble, this might be a superb Kindle different. In any other case, I’d nonetheless suggest the Kobo Libra Color to everyone else. The $199.99 Nook Glowlight 4 Plus is an efficient e-reader with lots to supply, together with a beautiful 300ppi display, waterproofing, bodily page-turning buttons, and even a headphone jack. Nonetheless, it’s simply not as snappy, which makes setting it up, shopping for books from the machine itself, and navigating the interface a sluggish ordeal. It didn’t assist that the display generally froze, too, which meant I needed to restart the machine whereas in the midst of a e-book.
Replace, March eleventh: Adjusted costs and availability. Andrew Liszewski contributed to this submit.