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 telephone. 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 number 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-resistant, warm-glow Kindle that received’t break your spa ambiance, these are the perfect e book readers for everybody.

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

For those who principally purchase ebooks from Amazon, you’ll need a Kindle, and the Twelfth-gen Kindle Paperwhite is the only option for most individuals. Beginning at $159.99, it’s cheaper than the Kobo Libra Color — my high non-Amazon e book reader, which I’ll dive into later — whereas providing most of the identical 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 pleasing studying expertise. The latter additionally conveniently improves sleep by reducing 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 Version Paperwhite additionally has an auto-adjusting frontlight and no lockscreen adverts. It has wi-fi charging, which is a uncommon characteristic to seek out in an e-reader.

Amazon is the biggest 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 determined by providing cut-rate reductions to tug you into its content material ecosystem. When you have Prime and purchase a variety of Kindle ebooks, the Paperwhite is the only option as a result of Amazon makes it extremely simple 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 except you pay $20 additional to eliminate them. It’s additionally too large to carry comfortably with one hand. Maybe the Kindle Paperwhite’s greatest flaw, although — which it shares with all Kindles other than Hearth tablets — is that it’s not simple 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, for those who usually store from Kobo’s bookstore (or Barnes & Noble or Google Play Books or many different e book shops), you possibly can’t simply learn these books on a Kindle with out utilizing a workaround. There are methods to transform and switch file codecs so you possibly can learn on the Kindle and vice versa, however it’ll take a few additional steps.

Nevertheless, for those who don’t purchase your books elsewhere otherwise you don’t thoughts procuring from Amazon, you’ll be more than pleased with the Kindle Paperwhite.

The very best non-Amazon e book reader

Dimensions: 5.69 x 6.34 x 0.33 inches / Weight: 199.5 grams / Display space and backbone: 7-inch display screen, 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 need to faucet into Amazon’s ecosystem. Kobo’s newest slate presents most of the standout options discovered on the Twelfth-gen Kindle Paperwhite — together with waterproofing, USB-C help, and a 300ppi show — together with a number of perks that make it extra useful and pleasing to make use of.

The colour show is the obvious. The Libra Color makes use of E Ink’s newest Kaledio colour display screen 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 — 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 standard LED pill or as vibrant because the Kindle Colorsoft Signature Version.

Nevertheless, not like the Kindle Colorsoft Signature Version, the Libra Color works with a digital pen — the Kobo Stylus 2 (offered individually) — which helps you to spotlight textual content in varied colours or take notes utilizing Kobo’s built-in notebooks. You too can reap the benefits of a number of the extra superior capabilities discovered within the Kobo Elipsa 2E, permitting you to unravel math equations, convert handwriting into typed textual content, and insert diagrams. This lets the Libra Color perform as a mini pocket book of types, although I wouldn’t use it as a main note-taking gadget for the reason that seven-inch show can really feel cramped to put in writing on.

The colour show is just 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 trendy 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 help for Pocket, in the meantime, means you possibly can learn your articles offline for those who’re somebody who makes use of the long-standing bookmarking app.

Nevertheless, 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 could be irritating for those who’ve amassed a set of Kindle titles over time. It may be performed, however you must convert file codecs utilizing third-party apps, which is hard and might take time.

But when these issues don’t matter or apply to you, the Kobo Libra Color will provide you with the perfect digital studying expertise of all of the e-readers on our listing. It’s my private favourite.

The very best low-cost e book reader

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

The bottom-model Kindle ($109.99 with adverts) is the perfect 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 has USB-C for comparatively quick charging.

Studying on its six-inch display screen feels just a little extra cramped than it does on the bigger shows of the Kindle Paperwhite and Kobo Libra Color. Nevertheless, the flip aspect is that its small measurement makes it pocketable, mild, and simple for small fingers to carry. Mixed with its comparatively reasonably priced worth, the Kindle can also be the perfect e book reader for teenagers — particularly the Amazon Kindle Children Version which prices $20 extra. The child-friendly model shares the identical specs however is ad-free with parental controls, a two-year prolonged substitute assure, and a case. It additionally comes with six months of Amazon Children Plus, which grants youngsters entry to hundreds of youngsters’s books and audiobooks without cost. After that, although, you’ll need to $79 per yr (or $48 with Amazon Prime).

The bottom Kindle doesn’t have additional conveniences just like the waterproofing you’ll discover within 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 need to pay additional to take away adverts. But when you are able to do with out that, the Kindle delivers the necessities for underneath $110.

The very best e book reader for taking notes

Dimensions: 7.6 x 8.94 x 0.30 inches / Weight: 390 grams / Display space and backbone: 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 as a result of it’s an excellent e-reader with strong note-taking skills. You possibly can write instantly on pages simply as on a bodily e book. The Kindle Scribe enables you to annotate e book pages as effectively, however it’s difficult involving resizable textual content bins that mess up the web page formatting and forestall 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 too can insert diagrams and drawings, and it’ll mechanically snap them into one thing that appears cleaner and nicer. You too can 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 quicker and higher inside the unique 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 worth 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 also be an excellent e-reader with the identical strengths and weaknesses as different Kobo gadgets. There’s help for a variety of file codecs, however you possibly can’t simply learn Kindle books with out changing them first. Its 227ppi show can also be barely much less sharp than the 300ppi display screen discovered on the Kindle Scribe and the Kobo Libra Color. Nevertheless, the ten.3-inch display screen 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 rival e-readers with extra superior note-taking capabilities — together with the $409.99 Onyx Boox Go 10.3, which helps you to insert hyperlinks to notes — lacks.

Different e book readers that didn’t make the lower

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 Version is the primary Kindle to characteristic E Ink’s colour display screen know-how and it stands out from different colour e-paper gadgets with customizations. It presents improved distinction, extra vibrant colours, and quicker display screen refreshes. With a $279.99 price ticket, it’s the most costly Kindle mannequin presently accessible that doesn’t help a stylus for note-taking, and it consists of premium options like wi-fi charging which can be handy however not likely vital 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 out there in commonplace and Signature Version variations, however in order for you a colour display screen and need to persist with Amazon, the Colorsoft is your only option. – Andrew Liszewski, Senior Reporter

For those who’re searching for a non-Amazon different that’s extra reasonably priced than the Kobo Libra Color, the Kobo Clara Color — 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 colour. Plus, it’s noticeably quicker — one thing I used to be glad to see, contemplating the occasional lag on the Clara 2E generally received 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.

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 simple 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 possibly can set up productiveness apps like e-mail and messaging — assuming you’ve received 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 for those who’re searching for a smaller different to Kindles and Kobos, the Palma 2 could possibly be well worth the splurge. – Andrew Liszewski, Senior Reporter

The $409.99 Onyx Boox Go 10.3 is one other ad-free e book reader you should utilize to take notes. It’s glorious as a note-taking gadget, and it presents an impressively big 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 standard pocket book. Like all Boox gadgets, it additionally supplies fast entry to the Google Play Retailer, so you possibly can 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.

Nevertheless, 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 received’t switch over (and vice versa), and you’ll’t annotate books in both app utilizing the Boox. I additionally felt like entry to Google Play generally is a double-edged sword because it grants quick access to distracting apps, together with video games, streaming companies, and TikTok. It’s too gradual to make use of the latter, however it’s quick and cozy sufficient that I discovered myself enjoying round with the Phrase Search app far too usually. For me personally, I would like my e-reader to be devoid of such distractions — it’s one of many greatest issues that distinguishes it from a pill, in any case. However for those who’ve received extra self-control than I do, the Go 10.3 could possibly be value a glance.

In 2023, Barnes and Noble launched the Nook Glowlight 4 Plus. For those who personal a variety of digital books from Barnes and Noble, this could possibly be an excellent 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 screen, waterproofing, bodily page-turning buttons, and even a headphone jack. Nevertheless, it’s simply not as snappy, which makes setting it up, shopping for books from the gadget itself, and navigating the interface a gradual ordeal. It didn’t assist that the display screen generally froze, too, which meant I needed to restart the gadget whereas in the midst of a e book.

Replace, June Twelfth: Adjusted pricing / availability. Andrew Liszewski additionally contributed to this publish.