Greatest e-book readers for 2024

Any e-book reader will allow you to cram a Magnificence and the Beast-sized library’s price of books in your pocket, however so will your cellphone. 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 just a few even allow you to take notes.

I’ve been utilizing e-book readers for practically 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 wreck your spa ambiance, these are the very best e-book readers for everybody. 

Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.9 x .32 inches / Weight: 205 grams / Display space and determination: 6.8-inch display, 300ppi decision / Storage: 16GB / Different options: IPX8 waterproofing, Bluetooth audio help 

In the event you principally purchase ebooks from Amazon, you’ll need a Kindle, and the Eleventh-gen Kindle Paperwhite is the only option for most individuals. Beginning at $139.99, it’s cheaper than the Kobo Libra Color — my high non-Amazon e-book reader, which I’ll dive into later — for most of the similar options. These embody a big 300pi show and an adjustable heat white frontlight, which make for a transparent and pleasurable studying expertise. The latter additionally conveniently improves sleep by chopping down on blue mild that interrupts melatonin manufacturing. 

That heat white frontlighting is a bonus over the cool white of the $99.99 base-model Kindle, and in contrast to the bottom Kindle, the Paperwhite has IPX8 water resistance. The $189.99 Signature Version Paperwhite additionally has an auto-adjusting frontlight and no lockscreen advertisements. It additionally has wi-fi charging, which is a uncommon characteristic to seek out in an e-reader.

Amazon is the most important on-line retailer on the earth, 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 relies on providing cut-rate reductions to drag you into its content material ecosystem. When you’ve got Prime and purchase numerous Kindle ebooks, the Paperwhite is the only option as a result of Amazon makes it extremely straightforward to purchase and skim its stuff. Its ebooks and audiobooks are sometimes on sale, and Prime members get extra free content material via Prime Studying. Rivals like Kobo supply gross sales, too, nevertheless it’s arduous for them to supply reductions as steep as Amazon does.

There are downsides, although. The Paperwhite has lockscreen advertisements except you pay $20 further to eliminate them. It’s additionally too large to carry comfortably with one hand. Maybe the Kindle Paperwhite’s largest flaw, although — which it shares with all Kindles except for Hearth tablets — is that it’s not straightforward to learn books bought outdoors of Amazon’s retailer. Kindle e-book codecs are proprietary and solely work on Kindle. In contrast to 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, in the event you typically store from Kobo’s bookstore (or Barnes & Noble or Google Play Books or many different e-book shops), you’ll be able to’t simply learn these books on a Kindle with out utilizing a workaround. There are methods to transform and switch file codecs so you’ll be able to learn on the Kindle and vice versa, nevertheless it’ll take a few further steps.

Nonetheless, in the event you don’t purchase your books elsewhere otherwise you don’t thoughts buying from Amazon, you’ll be very happy with the Kindle Paperwhite.

Learn our Kindle Paperwhite evaluate.

Dimensions: 5.69 x 6.34 x 0.33 inches / Weight: 199.5 grams / Display space and determination: 7-inch display, 300ppi (black-and-white), 150ppi (colour) / 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 outdoors 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 Eleventh-gen Kindle Paperwhite — together with waterproofing, USB-C help, and a 300ppi show — together with just a few perks that make it extra useful and pleasurable to make use of.

The colour show is the obvious. The Libra Color makes use of E Ink’s newest Kaledio colour display know-how, which supplies 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 colour — nevertheless 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 standard LED pill.

Moreover, the Libra Color works with the Kobo Stylus 2 (bought individually), which implies you’ll be able to spotlight textual content with varied colours or take notes utilizing Kobo’s built-in notebooks. You can even reap the benefits of a number of the extra superior capabilities discovered within the Kobo Elipsa 2E, permitting you to resolve math equations, convert handwriting into typed textual content, and insert diagrams. This lets the Libra Color operate as a mini pocket book of types, although I wouldn’t use it as a main note-taking gadget because the seven-inch show can really feel cramped to jot down on.

The colour show is simply a part of the enchantment, although. The Libra Color additionally lacks lockscreen advertisements — not like the bottom Paperwhite — and packs bodily page-turning buttons, which really feel extra intuitive to make use of than tapping both aspect of the show. 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’ll be able to learn your articles offline in the event you’re somebody who makes use of the long-standing bookmarking app.

Nonetheless, at $219.99, 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 it often is. There’s additionally the truth that the Kobo can’t simply faucet into Amazon’s huge library of ebooks, which may be irritating in the event you’ve amassed a set of Kindle titles over time. It may be completed, however it’s important to 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 gives you the very best digital studying expertise of all of the e-readers on our record. It’s my private favourite, if nothing else.

Learn our Kobo Libra Color evaluate.

Dimensions: 6.2 x 4.3 x 0.32 inches / Weight: 158 grams / Display space and determination: 6-inch display, 300ppi decision / Storage: 16GB / Different options: USB-C help, Bluetooth audio help 

The base-model Kindle ($99.99 with advertisements) 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 worth 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 aspect is that its small dimension makes it pocketable, mild, and simple for small fingers to carry. Mixed with its comparatively inexpensive worth, the Kindle can also be the very best e-book reader for youths — particularly within the children model Amazon sells for $20 extra. It shares the identical precise specs however is ad-free with parental controls, a two-year prolonged substitute assure, and a case. It additionally comes with one yr of Amazon Youngsters Plus, which grants children entry to 1000’s of youngsters books and audiobooks at no cost. After that, although, you’ll must pay $79 per yr.

The bottom Kindle doesn’t have further conveniences just like the bodily page-turning buttons discovered on Barnes & Noble’s entry-level e-reader, the Nook GlowLight 4e. Nonetheless, you do get one thing extra necessary: snappier responses. On many of the different entry-level e-book readers I examined, together with the GlowLight 4e, I needed to wait just a few seconds after tapping the display for the web page to show. The Kindle, as compared, supplied no perceptive lag.

There are different tradeoffs. There’s no water resistance, not like the Paperwhite, and battery life is nice, nevertheless it’ll final you three weeks tops — not months, just like the Paperwhite. And since it’s an Amazon e-book reader, you’re additionally locked into the Amazon ecosystem and must pay further to eliminate advertisements. But when you are able to do with out all of that, the Kindle delivers the necessities for below $100.

Dimensions: 7.6 x 8.94 x 0.30 inches / Weight: 390 grams / Display space and determination: 10.3-inches, 227ppi decision / Storage: 32GB / Different options: Handwriting to textual content conversion, magnetic stylus, Bluetooth audio help 

Of all the massive e-book readers I examined, the Kobo Elipsa 2E stood out essentially the most due to its glorious note-taking skills. You possibly can instantly write on pages, and the notes won’t disappear, which makes for a extra intuitive note-taking expertise than the Kindle Scribe, which solely helps on-page notes on choose Kindle titles. In any other case, you’re restricted to creating annotations on playing cards which can be like disappearing sticky notes. 

You can even sync your notes with Dropbox or view them on-line, and Kobo may even convert handwriting to typed textual content. Amazon rolled out an identical functionality for the Kindle Scribe, however it could possibly solely convert handwriting to typed textual content if you export notebooks and never as precisely. Against this, Kobo permits you to convert your handwriting not simply whereas exporting but in addition from inside a pocket book itself.

The Elipsa 2E additionally presents different useful note-taking instruments. 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. There’s additionally an amazing collection of pen sorts and ink shades. 

True, the Kindle Scribe begins at $60 much less, however the Kobo Elipsa 2E comes with twice the storage. You can step as much as the 32GB Kindle Scribe if you would like the identical storage capability, however that places it at primarily the identical worth because the Kobo. I like to recommend simply forking out the cash on the Elipsa 2E as a substitute.

I additionally advocate the Elipsa 2E over the Onyx Boox Be aware Air 2 Plus, despite the fact that it, too, presents significantly better writing instruments than the Kindle Scribe. That’s as a result of it prices a whopping $449 and likewise isn’t as available within the US market. The Onyx Boox Be aware Air 2 Plus additionally comes with too many distracting extras, like an easy-to-access music participant and the Google Play app retailer preinstalled so you’ll be able to obtain a number of studying apps, together with each the Kindle and Kobo apps. Nonetheless, Kindle and Kobo notes didn’t present up on the Onyx Boox Be aware Air 2 Plus — and you may’t annotate their books wherever as simply as you’ll be able to on their respective units.

Be aware-taking capabilities apart, the Kobo Elipsa 2E can also be a very good e-reader, nevertheless it comes with the identical strengths and weaknesses as different Kobo e-readers. There’s help for a variety of file codecs, however you’ll be able to’t simply learn Kindle books with out changing them first. Its 227ppi show can also 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 does stability issues out a bit and makes textual content simpler to learn, so it’s probably not a noticeable downside.

There are another e-book readers I examined that I didn’t characteristic above however are nonetheless price highlighting. Listed below are essentially the most notable:

In the event you’re on the lookout for a non-Amazon different that’s extra inexpensive than the Kobo Libra Color, the brand new Kobo Clara Color — the successor to the Kobo Clara 2E — is price a glance. At $149.99, the ad-free e-reader prices greater than the Kobo Clara 2E (which you’ll be able to nonetheless purchase), however I feel it’s price the additional $10. It continues to supply the identical six-inch show and IPX8 waterproof design, however the e-reader now presents colour. Plus, it’s noticeably sooner — one thing I used to be blissful to see, contemplating the occasional lag on the Clara 2E generally bought on my nerves. You don’t get the Clara Color’s bodily buttons or stylus help, however that’s a good tradeoff at this worth level.

In 2023, Barnes and Noble launched the brand new Nook Glowlight 4 Plus. In the event you personal numerous digital books from Barnes and Noble, this may very well be a very good Kindle different. In any other case, I’d nonetheless advocate the Kobo Libra Color to all people else. The $199.99 Nook Glowlight 4 Plus is an efficient e-reader with quite a bit to supply, together with a stunning 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 gadget 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 gadget whereas in the midst of a e book.

Lastly, I didn’t point out the Kindle Oasis, which has bodily page-turning buttons, a bigger display, and was thought of a high-end gadget when it launched in 2019. Amazon not lists the getting old e-reader in its official Kindle lineup, nevertheless, and it lacks some options even the bottom mannequin presents, together with USB-C. That makes it much less interesting at $249.99 — that’s, assuming you’ll be able to even discover it in inventory. In the event you’re prepared to pay that a lot for a high-end reader, I’d check out the Kobo Libra Color as a substitute.

I’ve simply gotten my fingers on the next e-readers from Boox: the note-taking Go 10.3, the Go Colour 7, and the pint-sized Palma. I’ve solely simply began testing the Go 10.3, however thus far, I’ve loved utilizing it. I’m a fan of the slate’s crisp, 300ppi show, which is even sharper than that of the Kobo Elipsa 2E. Writing on it feels extra akin to writing on paper, whereas its slim design makes the e-reader really feel extra like a standard pocket book.

I’ve but to check the latter two, although my colleague David Pierce is an enormous fan of the $280 Boox Palma after spending a while with it. The smartphone-sized, 6.1-inch e-book reader runs on Android and may entry the Google Play Retailer, that means you’ll be able to obtain a wider collection of apps, from Amazon’s personal Kindle app to numerous note-taking apps. That stated, it’s too sluggish to actually use apps that may very well be distracting, like TikTok or Instagram, so that you most likely don’t want to fret about dropping focus or distractions in the identical you’d with a pill or a extra succesful gadget. I’m curious to see the way it holds up towards different e-readers I’ve used, even when I haven’t examined many small-screen fashions.

Replace, August thirtieth: Up to date to say my preliminary impressions of the Boox Go 10.3, Go Colour 7, and Boox Palma, in addition to to accommodate varied worth modifications.