The Best E-Readers

I used to be anti-e-reader, but I’ve since come around. There is nothing quite like holding a physical book or browsing the shelves of a library, but it’s hard to deny an e-reader’s usefulness. You can read any book you want whenever you want to read it, and you can change your mind and read another instead, even if you’ve just landed in another country for a trip — with no separate carry-on for all your options. E-readers also support checking out digital books for free from your library using Overdrive. I still buy physical books when I’m really drawn to one, but I’ve read significantly more since switching.

You don’t need to buy yet another device, since you can read ebooks on your phone or tablet. But if you do that often, it’s worth the upgrade. E-ink screens are easier on your eyes, the batteries typically last weeks, and an e-reader is free from distractions. You won’t be tempted by a notification or start scrolling Instagram the second your attention wanders. After years of testing e-readers, these are the best options available right now. In a reading rut? Consider some of our favorite books.

_{Prices are accurate as of September 5, 2024. Subject to change.}

Best Kindle: Kindle Paperwhite

I’ve tested a handful of great e-readers, and I always return to the Kindle Paperwhite. Kindles tend to be the easiest and most straightforward to use, and nearly every title is available from Amazon’s library. The base Paperwhite has 16 gigabytes of storage, equaling thousands of books, but if you want to upgrade to the Signature Edition, that doubles to 32 gigabytes. You’ll also get wireless charging and an auto-adjusting backlight with the Signature. The Paperwhite Kids edition is essentially the base Paperwhite, but includes a case, a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+, and a two-year worry-free guarantee so you can replace it if your kid smashes it. All three are waterproof, with 6.8-inch screens that allow for comfortable reading and portability. The Paperwhite hasn’t been updated since 2021, so we may see a new one coming in 2025, though there’s no guarantee. Thankfully, e-readers don’t age the way other devices do. Mine is still going strong.

Best Non-Amazon E-Reader: Kobo Libra Colour

When it comes to e-readers, Kobos are a very close second. This is the newest model with a 7-inch color screen, so you can see book covers and graphic novel pages accurately and highlight books or write in notebooks with colored ink, which is a fun feature — you’ll need to purchase the stylus separately for writing, though. The Libra also has physical page turn buttons which I much prefer to just tapping a screen, and that extra bezel space makes it more comfortable to hold during long reading sessions. You can even turn it on its side to read or write in landscape mode. The Libra is waterproof for pool or bath reading sessions and it has 32 gigabytes of storage.

A Black and White Kobo: Kobo Clara BW

I tested the Clara Colour along with the Libra Colour, but not everyone needs or wants a color screen in their e-reader. This black and white Clara is the same model with warm lighting, 16 gigabytes of storage, and waterproofing. The 6-inch screen is smaller than the Libra and it lacks page-turn buttons. That means the entire body is also smaller, so it fits in smaller bags. All Kobos have Pocket integration built-in, so you can catch up on your article reading too.

A Budget Pick: Kindle

If you want to spend as little as possible, get the base Kindle for around $100. It’s the smallest Kindle with a 6-inch screen, but it works just as easily as the Paperwhite. For the price, you lose waterproofing and warm lighting and it doesn’t get quite as bright. There’s still a solid 16 gigabytes of storage. 

For Taking Notes: Kobo Elipsa 2E

You can write on the Kobo Libra Colour, but if you want a dedicated device meant for heavier note-taking or doodling, consider the Kobo Elipsa 2E. It’s expensive, but writing is significantly easier on the large, 10.3-inch screen. The notebooks section is separated into regular notebooks that you can customize with around 20 background options —like plain, lined, or graph paper — and advanced notebooks, which have one background, but convert your handwriting to text and come with other quick edit tools, like auto-erasing a word or letter by scribbling over it or underlining twice to turn it into a heading. Amazon’s Kindle Scribe is a slightly cheaper note-taking device that’s a similarly great tool with functional notebooks, but strangely, you can’t write directly on book pages yet. I could see either being a great alternative to a tablet for kids, so they can focus on reading, but also have a space for drawing or journaling. Neither is waterproof, unfortunately.

Honorable Mention: Barnes & Noble Nook Glowlight 4 Plus

Kobos and Kindles are better devices, but there are many loyal Nook users. I love the page-turn buttons on the Glowlight 4 Plus and the large 7.8-inch screen. It’s also waterproof with 32 gigabytes of storage. In general, though, Nooks are a bit slower with a more noticeable screen lag. If you frequently check out free e-books from your library, the process of getting it to your Nook is more annoying, too. Instead of simply sending it to your account like on a Kindle, or using OverDrive directly on a Kobo, you need to download Adobe Digital Editions and connect the Nook to your computer to physically transfer the files (this process changes every so often, so consult the manual of the model you have). Is it hard? No. Is it easier on every other e-reader we’ve tried? Significantly. 

An Accessory: Strapsicle

Sometimes during long reading sessions, your hands no longer want to hold on to a physical book or an e-reader. With the latter, however, there’s only so many spots for your hands to rest to not accidentally hit the screen and turn the page. Strapsicles hook onto the back of your device, giving your hand a place to comfortably rest without having to actually grip. A pack includes two straps, so you can use them together or separately, depending on what angle works best for you. I used them many times while floating around in a pool and they didn’t budge. The product pages outline which size fits which device, and there’s also a size chart on the Strapsicle website.

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