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Ereaders are ideal for bibliophiles who prefer a print-like reading experience but want the option to take their entire library with them wherever they go. The number of device makers and reading platforms in this space means there's lots to consider, so figuring out which one is right for you can be daunting. PCMag has been reviewing ereaders for nearly two decades since the very first Kindle, so you can trust that our top picks are based on sound analysis. The Editors' Choice-winning Amazon Kindle Paperwhite and the nearly identical Paperwhite Kids currently top our list since they provide access to a vast digital library, work reliably, and are waterproof. Of course, one of the other models might suit your needs better, so it's worth clicking through our full reviews. Below our list, we also provide some buying advice to help you during your search.
Our Top Tested Picks
Apple iPad (10th Generation)
Kobo Libra Colour
The Best eReader Deals This Week*
- Kindle 16GB Essentials Bundle (2024 Release) — $146.97 (List Price $161.97)
- Kindle Paperwhite 16GB Essentials Bundle (2024 Release) — $196.97 (List Price $216.97)
- Kindle Paperwhite SE 32GB Essentials Bundle (2024 Release) — $251.97 (List Price $276.97)
- Kindle Colorsoft SE 32GB Essentials Bundle (2024 Release) — $327.97 (List Price $362.97)
*Deals are selected by our commerce team
Best Kindle Overall
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2024)
- Crisp 7-inch display
- Speedy performance
- Waterproof design
- Ads on the lock screen (unless you pay to remove them)
Amazon’s newly updated Kindle Paperwhite for 2024 is one of the fastest and most advanced ebook readers available. It's waterproof, the battery lasts for weeks, and the 300ppi E Ink display is sharp and easy to read.
This ebook reader is for anyone who loves to read and wants to switch to a digital format. It's light, fits easily in a bag or purse, and lasts longer than your entire vacation on a single charge.
Best Ereader for Kids
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Kids (2024)
- Comes with a protective case
- Waterproof build
- Six months of Amazon Kids+ included
- Two-year replacement warranty
- Ad-free lock screen
- Limited free book selection
The Kindle Paperwhite Kids uses the same great waterproof hardware as the regular Paperwhite but has a protective case and an extended warranty. It also includes a six-month subscription to the Amazon Kids+ service, which includes plenty of age-appropriate books for them to read.
The Amazon Paperwhite Kids is the best choice for current or budding bookworms (and their parents).
Best Multipurpose Device
Apple iPad (10th Generation)
- Appealing iPad Pro-like design
- USB-C port
- High-quality cameras
- Good speakers
- Fast performance
- No traditional Touch ID button
- No Face ID
The iPad's color LCD is more suitable for watching movies, playing games, and browsing online than the grayscale E Ink displays on most ebook readers. Its eyestrain-inducing backlight isn't ideal for long reading sessions, but its huge selection of apps means you can access all your digital books, no matter what platform you prefer.
The base model iPad is best for readers who have collections of ebooks or comics from multiple sources and want to read them easily on a single multipurpose device.
Best Color Ereader
Onyx Boox Go Color 7
- Colorful E Ink display
- Enjoyable reading experience
- Google Play Store support
- Dependable performance
- Long battery life
- Some features limited to default reading app
- Back-panel material feels cheap
The Onyx Boox Go Color 7 is small and impressive. Its 7-inch display uses the same color E Ink tech as more expensive Boox models, and its two physical page-turn buttons on the side make for easy one-handed reading. It also has fast performance, intuitive software, and broad app compatibility via the Google Play Store, which makes it more versatile than most ereaders.
The Go Color 7 is for avid readers who want broad app compatibility and physical page-turning buttons in a portable design.
Best Kindle for Taking Notes
Amazon Kindle Scribe (2022)
- Big, sharp, responsive screen
- Temperature-adjustable front light
- Smooth note-taking experience
- Appealing design and hardware
- Lacks tools for serious drawing
- Awkward to use one-handed
- Not waterproof
Editors' Note: Amazon will release a new version of the Kindle Scribe on December 4, 2024. Check back then for our review. The following info covers the 2022 model.
The Amazon Kindle Scribe is the company's first large-screen E Ink tablet for reading and writing notes. It has a stylus but does not let you freely annotate your Kindle books. Instead, you have to use Amazon's sticky note app, which will link to the page where you took your note.
The Kindle Scribe is a worthy choice if you like to take general notes or jot down ideas while you read. But you should look elsewhere if you need to write directly in the margins of books.
Best Color Ereader
Amazon Kindle Colorsoft
- Color display
- Waterproof design
- Wireless charging
- No ads
- Inconsistent lighting
- Expensive
- Lacks page-turning buttons
- Shorter battery life than the Paperwhite
The Kindle Colorsoft is Amazon's first ebook reader with a color screen. We like its sharp, full-color display, waterproof design, wireless charging, and ad-free experience, though we wish it had more even lighting and dedicated page-turn buttons.
As the only color ereader in Amazon's lineup, the Colorsoft stands apart. If you want a waterproof ereader that excels at comics and other color-enriched material, the Kindle Colorsoft is your best choice.
Best Cheap Kindle
Amazon Kindle (2024)
- Most affordable Kindle
- Even white lighting
- Compact size
- Lacks waterproofing
- Slower than other Kindles
- $10 more than predecessor
If you want a simple ebook reader and prefer spending less on something that works than overspending for the latest tech, the basic Amazon Kindle fits the bill. It's compact and has even lighting, though we wish it were waterproof and a bit faster.
This is the most affordable ereader from Amazon and delivers a basic ebook reader experience for less.
Best for Library Books
Kobo Libra Colour
- Colorful E Ink display
- Good OverDrive library integration
- Long battery life
- Waterproof
- Stylus costs extra
- Limited note-taking features
- Loading books can be tricky
The Kobo Libra Color is a compact, waterproof color ebook reader with deep library integration that makes borrowing books simple. It doesn't support Kindle content, but you can access your local library's digital collection through Kobo's partnership with OverDrive. In testing, it worked flawlessly with the New York Public Library system.
Get this ebook reader if you do most of your reading through your local library via OverDrive. However, you should make sure to check that your library partners with OverDrive first, as not all do.
Best for Taking Notes in Color
ReMarkable Paper Pro
- Premium design
- Excellent front light
- Lagless handwriting
- Limited format support
- Subscription required for cloud syncing
- Slow performance
The ReMarkable Paper Pro is expensive, but its color E Ink display gives it an advantage over grayscale competitors. It also has a stylus for handwriting notes and annotating unprotected ebooks and PDFs. Although it’s not compatible with many file formats, it has some of the best digital note-taking templates and features we’ve seen on a color E Ink device.
If you are looking for a robust E Ink tablet for marking up PDFs and taking handwritten notes, then the ReMarkable Paper Pro should appeal. You won't be able to play games or go online, but you can hold all your notebooks and PDFs in one place.
What's the Best Ereader Screen Type and Size?
Basic ebook readers use monochrome E Ink screens to display text. E Ink, or digital ink (often manufactured by the E Ink company), looks a lot like paper, but it's easier on your eyes to read over long periods than text on a traditional LCD screen. Most now include adjustable edge lighting. On the lowest settings, you can read in the dark while your partner sleeps undisturbed next to you.
In all cases, E Ink is much easier to read in bright sunlight—glossy color touch screens on traditional tablets tend to wash out and show distracting reflections.
Most E Ink readers in the past were limited to 6-inch screens, but the panel sizes are slowly growing. We've found that you start to have balance issues with one-handed reading at a screen size above 7 inches, however.
Screen resolutions and quality also vary. Some older Kindles use 167ppi displays that look rough and jaggy compared with the 300ppi displays on modern models. Amazon and Kobo's latest readers go one step further with Carta 1200 technology, which enables faster page turns and even better contrast.
If you haven't updated your ebook reader in several years, the responsiveness of the latest E Ink readers might surprise you.
The Best Color Ereaders
If you need to read more than books, tablets with color screens offer many other benefits. Magazines and comic books look great on larger tablets. Even lower-cost tablets let you browse the web, stream video from Hulu, Netflix, and others, play music, and run apps. Because of its high-quality screen and general power, we recommend the base-model iPad for most people trying to read rich, full-page color content.
We've recently seen a breakthrough in color E Ink displays, with several readers implementing the E Ink Kaleido or E Ink Kaleido Plus technologies. We've tested a few, and while they aren't perfect, they show some of the exciting possibilities of color E Ink.
The Best Ereaders for the Beach
If you like reading in the bath, by the pool, or on the beach, consider a waterproof ebook reader. Amazon and Kobo both make models that can withstand some amount of submersion in water, and we note those ratings in each of our reviews. Not all ereaders are as resilient.
The Best Ereaders for Taking Notes
All ebook readers let you highlight or tag particular phrases for later reference. Some include digital pens that let you take notes directly on the screen. In general, they let you annotate PDFs and other kinds of documents, as well as take freehand notes on a blank page. We detail which file formats each model supports in our reviews. A larger screen usually works best for annotating documents.
The Best Ereaders for Audiobooks
Sometimes, you'd rather listen than read. Sometimes, you'd like to read and listen at the same time. Kindles can now connect to Bluetooth headphones to play Audible audiobooks, and many Amazon books can synchronize with Audible audiobooks on Kindle ebook readers. Kobo uses a proprietary audiobook format for comparison.
Where Can You Get Ebooks?
The ebook reader you choose determines which ecosystem you can use.
Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo all use copy protection on most of their books, which prevents you from reading titles on other brands' ebook readers. Removing the copy protection is possible, but you might also remove features such as formatting and character summaries in the process. It's also become much harder to strip the protection from Amazon books, specifically, in recent years. Ereaders with access to the Google Play Store are convenient because they let you download and use whatever reading apps you prefer on a single device.
Amazon's Kindle Unlimited offers more than three million ebooks for $9.99 per month. Amazon Prime subscribers can access a smaller library as part of Prime Reading without paying extra. For kids, the Amazon Kids+ subscription service unlocks a lot of children's books and starts at $7.99 per month. You get a free year of it when you buy the Kindle Kids Edition.
For public library lending, Libby has mostly replaced Overdrive. If you have a Kobo device with built-in Overdrive support, however, you can continue to borrow and read books as normal. Libby just lets you send books to Kindles and others that support Adobe Digital Editions.
Book selection, size, and pricing vary from store to store. Books by big publishers generally appear in the Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo stores. But Amazon also has exclusive authors and imprints. Many of them are self-published and not very good, but Amazon definitely has the advantage in quantity.
For more, see our article on how to put free ebooks on your Amazon Kindle. For an in-depth comparison of supported formats across various ebook readers, check out Wikipedia's article comparing ebook formats.
How Much Should You Spend on an Ereader?
If you're reading mainstream fiction or nonfiction books, the sweet spot right now is $100 to $150 for a good 6- or 7-inch Amazon or Kobo device. You can get a low-end model that costs less or a larger model that costs more, but ebook readers at this price point tend to strike the best balance between screen quality and size.
Onyx's tablet-sized readers cost considerably more than other ebook readers. But they're also much more powerful and let you run multiple reading apps, annotate PDFs, and read large-format documents on big screens. We see these primarily for academics, lawyers, and doctors.
If you're getting a Kindle, check out our Amazon Kindle tips every reader needs to know. And if you prefer a device that can also handle your entertainment needs, head over to our top tablet picks.
