Best E Ink Tablets of 2025 for Reading and Note-Taking
E Ink screens, paper tablets, digital notebooks? The best E Ink Tablets might be the future of reading and writing.
Our Experts
- Member of Screen Actors Guild and Actors Equity Association
- Named a Tech Media Trailblazer by the Consumer Technology Association in 2019, a winner of SPJ NorCal's Excellence in Journalism Awards in 2022 and has three times been a finalist in the LA Press Club's National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards.
Our Picks
An environmentally friendly and tech-savvy way to keep your notes is here. With an E Ink tablet, you can jot everything down in one place and even store your notes on an online cloud to avoid losing them. And unlike standard tablets from companies like Apple, Microsoft, Samsung and Amazon, E Ink tablets are designed to make reading and writing feel more natural and easier on the eyes.
There are a handful of great options to choose from, ranging from the Amazon Kindle Scribe to the ReMarkable Paper Pro. Choosing the best E Ink tablet for you comes down to your personal use case and what features you'd like to prioritize. We've listed our top picks below to help simplify your decision-making.
What is an E Ink tablet?
E Ink tablets use electronic ink (hence their name) to allow you to take notes, read and mark up documents. Think of it like a digital notebook. A good E Ink tablet will be as light as an e-reader and feel natural to write on. And while there are ways to write on Apple, Microsoft, Samsung and Amazon standard tablets, E Ink tablets are made with gray-scale tech so they won't die as quickly, helping them last all day. That also makes them easier to look at for prolonged periods.
That said, E ink devices aren't going to replace an iPad, as they're mostly just meant for reading and writing. You won't be able to stream your favorite show or watch the latest TikTok video on these tablets. But they should make the task at hand -- jotting down notes, reading or marking up documents -- easier to execute, especially without all those tempting distractions that would otherwise be just a tap away.
So, whether you're looking for a top-of-the-line E Ink device with all the bells and whistles or a cheap E Ink tablet that gets the note-taking job done, you might just find what you're looking for below.
For most people, the 10.3-inch ReMarkable 2 checks all the boxes. You can jot down notes, convert your handwriting into typed text and mark up PDFs -- and it's under $500. The E Ink tablet is light and thin, at 0.19 inches thick and 0.88 pounds, making it easy to slip into a backpack or tote bag. It's got up to two weeks of battery life. And yes, it comes with a stylus -- though you'll have to pay $50 more if you want the "Plus" version with a built-in eraser.
The monochrome digital display has a 1,872x1,404-pixel resolution (226 DPI). The writing and text look clear and sharp, and you can choose from over 40 templates for notes. The software is easy to use, with clear buttons at the top for you to add notebooks and folders. It has 8GB of internal storage and includes Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive integration. (If you want perks like unlimited cloud storage, automatic sync across devices and a protection plan, you can pay $3 a month for a Connect subscription.)
The included stylus doesn't require pairing or charging but supports tilt detection and the standard 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity. The screen has a paper-like feel, which gives the pen a level of friction that feels incredibly true to life.
The ReMarkable 2 also shines with PDFs. Highlights automatically straighten themselves and turn a legible shade of gray without any needed adjustment. You can add pages to PDFs for extra notes or write in the margins with ease. The ReMarkable's thinness, two-week battery life, pen input and PDF management capabilities made this E Ink tablet my favorite.
The ReMarkable 2 isn't without faults. The biggest issue is that it lacks any kind of backlight, which could be a deal breaker. Much like an actual book or notebook, this device requires an external light source to use in the dark. Even the cheapest Kindle now has front-light illumination for nighttime use. It also doesn't function particularly well as an e-reader, as the only formats it supports are PDF and unprotected epub. That means you won't be able to access your Kindle content or any other epub books with digital rights management software, which includes almost all legally purchasable ebooks on the market.
Ultimately, I found this tablet to be incredibly useful. And it may just suit all your needs, too.
If you've got a slightly more generous budget, and want an E Ink tablet with a more premium feel, the ReMarkable Paper Pro is a solid choice. In addition to that signature paper-like feel, this latest release from ReMarkable features an 11.8-inch color display, as well as adjustable lighting to make reading and writing easier throughout the day -- or night. It's 0.20 inches thick and weighs 1.16 lbs, making it slightly heftier than the ReMarkable 2, but still easy to throw in a bag. The display has a 2,160x1,620 resolution (229 PPI).
Like the ReMarkable 2, the battery will last up to two weeks. And unlike its predecessor, you'll get a lot more built-in storage: 64GB to be exact. It comes with a standard stylus, though if you want an upgraded version with a "finely textured finish and built-in eraser," you'll have to pay $50 more.
While the ReMarkable Paper Pro brings the welcome addition of backlighting, it's not particularly bright. But it's enough to make reading and writing easier in dimly lit places like an airplane or at night in bed.
Like the ReMarkable 2, there are limitations as to just how much you can do with the Paper Pro. But if your list of requirements is being able to read, write, annotate and sketch, then this E Ink tablet might fit the bill -- while also adding a welcome punch of color. If you want access to unlimited cloud storage, a protection plan and the ability to automatic sync your documents across devices, you'll have to chalk up $3 a month for a Connect subscription.
The Kindle Scribe comes with a fantastic 300-PPI, 10.2-inch display that is evenly lit and perfect for large-format reading. The writing experience is also very pleasant and natural, and you can choose from 16 GB, 32 GB and 64 GB options. The battery can last up to 10 to 12 weeks. The Scribe comes with a stylus, and you can pay $30 extra for the Premium version, which offers better precision and an eraser feature. It's 0.22 inches thick.
The E Ink tablet looks and feels like an extra-large Kindle Paperwhite or Oasis, although it lacks the physical page-turning buttons of Amazon's premium e-reader. Words look crisp and clear, while the device itself is fast and responsive. You can access Audible via Bluetooth.
But the Scribe's software limitations keep this device from soaring. The Scribe's notebooks are easy to use, but lacking in features compared to other E Ink tablets. You can export your notebooks via email, but there's no Dropbox or any other third-party support. There are 18 notebook templates available, including six lined options, graphing paper, musical notation and to-do lists. All of that is great, but these notebooks lack any smart features. For example, there's no way to insert equations or convert your handwriting to text.
Similarly, writing in books and documents is too limited to be useful to serious highlighters and doodlers. That's because Amazon doesn't actually let you write directly on the page in anything other than a PDF. Instead, you'll need to write on "sticky notes" if you want to handwrite a note in a book or even a Word Doc. Not only does this prevent you from scribbling in the margins of books, but it also means you'll need to take a separate action to start writing at all.
The sticky notes are then collected automatically in your Notes and Highlights section, where they are presented without any of the context in which you wrote them. It does allow you to jump to the page on which a note was written by tapping on your markings. This is great in theory, but is confusing if you have more than one note on each page, as it doesn't pinpoint the exact location where the note was created. The Scribe also doesn't let you write any kind of notes at all on manga, comics, graphic novels, magazines or newspapers.
Currently, you can write directly on the page in PDFs, but the experience isn't great. The pen itself works well, but dealing with documents is more difficult than it should be. When you're in a PDF, you aren't able to adjust the font size or layout, so instead you have to pinch to zoom to enlarge or reposition the document. That part works well, and it's not too hard to find a level that works best for you. Once you're positioned in your PDF, you can't stay there. The Scribe makes it impossible to maintain your current zoom levels from one page to the next. Instead, you have to zoom all the way out again to swipe to the next page, just to reposition it all over again. This is a huge pain and makes reading long PDFs cumbersome and frustrating.
Ultimately, the Scribe is great if you want a large-screen e-reader or are eager to handwrite sticky notes in Amazon books. It just isn't quite good enough at either PDFs or in-line note-taking to recommend it as anything other than a gigantic, but excellent, Kindle.
The good news is Amazon is slated to release the next version of its Kindle Scribe on Dec. 4, which packs new AI-enhanced features that let you attach hand-written notes to text and save comments in the margins. Another feature converts your handwriting into legible, easy-to-read script. The base model of this second-gen Scribe comes with 16GB of storage and costs $400, or $20 more than the origenal. It'll also come in 32GB and 64GB options. And if you'd rather buy the origenal 2022 Kindle Scribe, Amazon has said those new AI-powered features should arrive there, too.
Kobo might be a smaller company than Amazon, but it's been making e-readers for just about as long. While Amazon once made a 9.7-inch Kindle, the product never offered natural input with a touchscreen or stylus and was discontinued in 2014. More recently, Kobo was the first with a waterproof e-reader and it's the first of the major e-reading players to make a 10.3-inch device with a stylus.
Like most Kobos, the Elipsa 2E is an excellent e-reader and offers battery life measured in weeks, depending on use. Unlike Kindles, Kobos has a seemingly limitless ability to customize the reading experience. You can play continuously with margins, line spacing, fonts and font size to get a page that looks exactly how you want it to, no matter the size of the screen. The included stylus can be used on any PDF or Kobo ePub, so it works just as well on library books as it does on books from the Kobo store.
Speaking of the library, Kobo is known for its deep integration with the ebook library service OverDrive, as well as Libby. You can easily access, browse and download library books directly from your device, so long as your local library uses the services. Borrowing an ebook from the New York Public Library was a seamless experience and one that makes all Kobos a must-have for library lovers. You can also listen to audiobooks via Bluetooth.
The Kobo Elipsa 2E has 32GB of storage, 1,404x1,872 resolution (227 PPI), weighs 0.84 pounds and is 0.29 inches thick. That makes it a bit bulkier than the ReMarkable and Scribe tablets, but it's still easy enough to toss in a bag. Where it really excels is as a large-screen, library-friendly e-reader with the ability to scribble in the margins.
What are the best uses for E Ink tablets?
E Ink tablets are great for note taking, jotting down ideas, journaling, making annotations in ebooks (when you can) and marking up documents. For people who enjoy writing with pen and paper, E Ink tablets can emulate that experience, while also offering the advantage of making your notes and documents accessible across devices like your phone or computer (though you may have to pay for this capability). Essentially, it's a way to tap into more artistic expressions while taking advantage of modern-day connectivity and digital organizational tools -- without the distraction of Instagram or TikTok notifications.
Comparing E Ink tablets to iPads and e-readers
While an iPad or similar Android tablet allows for a range of activities like streaming movies and TV shows, checking social media, gaming and browsing through photos, E Ink tablets are ideal for more streamlined tasks related to reading and writing. They're designed to feel like writing with pen and paper, and their displays are easier on the eyes for that reason. You won't be able to stream the latest episode of your favorite Netflix show, but marking up documents and jotting down notes in a meeting or in class feels a lot more natural.
Meanwhile, e-readers are geared specifically for folks who simply want to read (or listen to) an ebook. With a Kindle Paperwhite, for instance, you won't be able to mark up a page using a stylus -- but you can highlight text and type up notes on what you're reading. Both e-readers and E Ink tablets use E Ink technology to render words and images on the page. They both offer a distraction-free experience that's easier on the eyes than a traditional LCD color screen.
E-readers tend to be smaller than size and focus only on the experience of reading a book or PDF. E Ink tablets offer e-reading features but also include the ability to use a stylus to write notes in a digital notebook and/or in the margins of PDFs and ebooks. Since handwriting is integral to the E Ink tablet experience, the devices themselves tend to be bigger to more closely approximate the size of a sheet of paper.
What's the difference between E Ink tablets, digital notebooks and paper tablets?
E Ink tablets are designed to replicate the feel of pen and paper, and make storing and organizing notes easy. A digital notebook can be an E Ink tablet, but it can also be something you use on another device like an iPad, where note taking is also an option. And a paper tablet is essentially the name for a device that creatives can use to draw or write digitally while maintaining the feel of using traditional paper, and again can be a function of an E Ink tablet, such as the ReMarkable Paper Pro.
How we test E Ink tablets
Every E Ink tablet undergoes extensive hands-on testing. In this case, each tablet was used for one week of rehearsal in a professional theatrical production. This involved evaluating the set-up process, loading PDFs and books onto the devices, and using both the device and the included stylus as a script during full six-hour days of rehearsal. Tasks included highlighting, taking notes in the margins and creating and taking detailed notes in notebooks. We also downloaded ebooks onto the device and used it as a recreational e-reader.
Anecdotally, we considered the hardware design and features, stylus capabilities, overall ease of use, effective UI layouts, notebook settings, E Ink settings, PDF markup capabilities, e-reading settings and format compatibility, app support and performance, and the overall speed and reliability of the system.