Finest ereader for 2025 | The Verge

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 cellphone. An e book reader presents a extra book-like studying expertise, with fewer distractions and fewer eye pressure, and plenty of embody additional options, like adjustable frontlighting. Some actually are pocketable. Others are waterproof or provide bodily page-turning buttons, whereas a couple of 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 in opposition to the wall or a water-proof, warm-glow Kindle that gained’t destroy your spa ambiance, these are the very best e book readers for everybody.

Dimensions: 7 x 5 x .3 inches / Weight: 211 grams / Display screen space and determination: 7-inch display, 300ppi decision / Storage: 16GB / Different options: IPX8 waterproofing, Bluetooth audio assist

If you happen to largely purchase ebooks from Amazon, you’ll desire a Kindle, and the Twelfth-gen Kindle Paperwhite is your best option for most individuals. Beginning at $159.99, it’s cheaper than the Kobo Libra Color — my prime non-Amazon e book reader, which I’ll dive into later — whereas providing lots 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 pleasant 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 $109.99 base-model Kindle, and in contrast to the bottom Kindle, the Paperwhite has IPX8 water resistance. The $ 199.99 Signature Edition 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 this 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 dependent upon providing cut-rate reductions to drag you into its content material ecosystem. When you’ve got Prime and purchase lots of Kindle ebooks, the Paperwhite is your best 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 via Prime Studying. Rivals like Kobo provide gross sales, too, however it’s laborious for them to supply reductions as steep as Amazon.

There are downsides, although. The Paperwhite has lockscreen adverts until you pay $20 additional to eliminate them. It’s additionally too huge to carry comfortably with one hand. Maybe the Kindle Paperwhite’s largest flaw, although — which it shares with all Kindles other than 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 assist EPUB recordsdata, an open file format utilized by just about everybody besides Amazon. So, for instance, when you usually 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 ways to convert and transfer file formats so you’ll be able to learn on the Kindle and vice versa, however it’ll take a few additional steps.

Nonetheless, when you don’t purchase your books elsewhere otherwise you don’t thoughts purchasing from Amazon, you’ll be more than pleased with the Kindle Paperwhite.

The most effective non-Amazon e book reader

Dimensions: 5.69 x 6.34 x 0.33 inches / Weight: 199.5 grams / Display screen space and determination: 7-inch display, 300ppi (black-and-white), 150ppi (coloration) / Storage: 32GB / Different options: Bodily page-turning buttons, waterproofing, Kobo Stylus 2 assist, Bluetooth audio assist

The Kobo Libra Colour is a wonderful different to Amazon’s e book readers, particularly for readers exterior the US or anybody who doesn’t need to faucet into Amazon’s ecosystem. Kobo’s physical games slate presents lots of the standout options discovered on the Twelfth-gen Kindle Paperwhite — together with waterproofing, USB-C assist, and a 300ppi show — together with a couple of perks that make it extra useful and pleasant to make use of.

The colour show is the obvious. The Libra Color makes use of E Ink’s physical games Kaledio coloration 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 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 Edition.

Nonetheless, not like the Kindle Colorsoft Signature Version, the Libra Color works with a digital pen — the Kobo Stylus 2 (sold separately) — which helps you to spotlight textual content in numerous colours or take notes utilizing Kobo’s built-in notebooks. You can too benefit from among 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 perform as a mini pocket book of kinds, although I wouldn’t use it as a main note-taking gadget for the reason that seven-inch show can really feel cramped to write down on.

The colour show is barely a part of the attraction, 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 aspect of the show as you must do on Amazon’s fashionable 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 assist for Pocket, in the meantime, means you’ll be able to learn your articles offline when you’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 may be irritating when you’ve amassed a set of Kindle titles through the years. It may be completed, however you must convert file codecs utilizing third-party apps, which is difficult and might 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.

The most effective low cost e book reader

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

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 a little bit 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 straightforward for small fingers to carry. Mixed with its comparatively inexpensive value, the Kindle can be the very best e book reader for youths — particularly the Amazon Kindle Kids Edition 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 Kids Plus, which grants youngsters entry to 1000’s of kids’s books and audiobooks totally free. After that, although, you’ll must pay $79 per 12 months.

The bottom Kindle doesn’t have additional 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 must pay additional to take away adverts. But when you are able to do with out that, the Kindle delivers the necessities for below $110.

The most effective e book reader for taking notes

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

Of all the massive e book readers I examined, the Kobo Elipsa 2E stood out essentially the most as a result of it’s a superb e-reader with stable note-taking talents. You possibly can write instantly on pages simply as on a bodily guide. The Kindle Scribe helps you to annotate guide pages as effectively, however it’s difficult involving resizable textual content bins 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 too insert diagrams and drawings, and it’ll mechanically snap them into one thing that appears cleaner and nicer. You can too 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 sooner and higher inside the authentic 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 additional. But given the Scribe’s limitations, I nonetheless advocate saving the cash and shopping for the Kobo Elipsa 2E as an alternative.

Observe-taking capabilities apart, the Kobo Elipsa 2E can be a superb e-reader with the identical strengths and weaknesses as different Kobo gadgets. There’s assist 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 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 downside. Plus, the Elipsa 2E comes with an adjustable heat mild 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 every little thing 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 here are essentially the most notable:

The Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition is the primary Kindle to characteristic E Ink’s coloration display know-how and it stands out from different coloration e-paper gadgets with customizations. It presents improved distinction, extra vibrant colours, and sooner display refreshes. With a $279.99 price ticket, it’s the costliest Kindle mannequin presently obtainable that doesn’t assist a stylus for note-taking, and it contains premium options like wi-fi charging which can be handy however not likely needed for a tool with months of battery life. Amazon doesn’t provide a less expensive model of the Colorsoft prefer it does with the Paperwhite, which is obtainable in customary and Signature Version variations, however if you would like a coloration display and need to stick to Amazon, the Colorsoft is your only option. – Andrew Liszewski, Senior Reporter

If you happen to’re in search of a non-Amazon different that’s extra inexpensive than the Kobo Libra Color, the Kobo Clara Colour — 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 believe 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 sooner — one thing I used to be pleased to see, contemplating the occasional lag on the Clara 2E typically acquired on my nerves. You don’t get the Clara Color’s bodily buttons or stylus assist, however that’s a good tradeoff at this value level.

Regardless of all some great benefits of E Ink show know-how, your smartphone might be nonetheless a extra handy gadget for studying given how pocket-friendly it’s. The Boox Palma 2 is a smartphone-sized E Ink gadget 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’ll be able to set up productiveness apps like electronic mail and messaging — assuming you’ve acquired 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 well worth the improve. However when you’re in search of a smaller different to Kindles and Kobos, the Palma 2 could possibly be well worth the splurge. – Andrew Liszewski, Senior Reporter

The $379 Onyx Boox Go 10.3 is one other ad-free e book reader you should use to take notes. It’s wonderful as a note-taking gadget, and it presents an impressively wide 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 effectively, and its slim design makes the gadget really feel extra like a conventional pocket book. Like all Boox gadgets, it additionally supplies fast entry to the Google Play Retailer, so you’ll be able to 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 mild and comes with a steeper studying curve. Notes you tackle a Kindle or Kobo gadget gained’t switch over (and vice versa), and you may’t annotate books in both app utilizing the Boox. I additionally felt like entry to Google Play is usually 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 want my e-reader to be devoid of such distractions — it’s one of many largest issues that distinguishes it from a pill, in any case. However when you’ve acquired extra self-control than I do, the Go 10.3 could possibly be value a glance.

In 2023, Barnes and Noble launched the brand new Nook Glowlight 4 Plus. If you happen to personal lots of digital books from Barnes and Noble, this could possibly be a superb 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 effective e-reader with lots 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 typically froze, too, which meant I needed to restart the gadget whereas in the course of a guide.

Replace, Could Twelfth: Added a featured picks part to the highest, a what’s coming subsequent part, and adjusted pricing / availability. Andrew Liszewski additionally contributed to this publish.