One of the best ereaders for 2024

Display screen measurement: 6” | Show kind: Black/white and colour E Ink | Decision: 300 dpi black & white, 150 dpi colour | Capability: 16GB| Battery life: Weeks | Waterproof score: IPX8 (submergible to six ft for 60 minutes) | Heat gentle: Sure | Lock display adverts: No

Learn our full Kobo Clara Color overview

Our earlier decide for this class, the Kobo Clara 2E was a superb ereader with a crisp show, a heat glow and responsive, intuitive contact controls all housed in a water-resistant design that felt premium. When Rakuten introduced the Clara could be up to date, I fearful we’d see Kobo machine with superfluous revamping to justify an inflated value. Fortunately, that’s not the case. The Kobo Clara Color not solely provides colour and a quicker processor, it’s simply $10 greater than the earlier era.

Because the title suggests, this ereader provides colour to the web page, lending just a little vibrance to e-book covers, tables and graphs, and even the panels of graphic novels. The know-how comes from E Ink, within the type of the Kaleido 3 module that includes a colour filter layer on high of the usual black and white microcapsule layer. That ends in two totally different resolutions on one display: 150 dpi for colour and 300 dpi for textual content.

Full-color pages remind me of comedian e-book artwork from the ‘60s, muted however saturated. Shade makes e-book covers extra attractive and provides just a little selection to headings, and tables in some non-fiction books. It’s definitely not a essential function, but it surely provides vibrance and it’s enjoyable. 

There’s a slight distinction in readability between the colour and non-color model of the Clara. In case you look carefully, you possibly can see a little bit of noise on the white components of the web page. That is as a result of added colour filter layer. It is not distracting and solely one thing I observed when evaluating the 2 generations side-by-side. but when absolute readability is your major aim, it’s possible you’ll be higher off with a non-color ereader.

In all probability the extra helpful improve right here is the twin 2GHz processor, a bump from the Clara 2E’s 1GHz CPU. There’s a noticeable enchancment within the pace of the web page turns and navigating from the menu to the web page and again once more is almost instantaneous. As with the 2E, the Color hardly ever errors a swipe for a faucet or a web page flip gesture for a menu request.

The adjustable heat entrance gentle continues to be right here (it’s truly just a little hotter on the Color) and makes studying at evening straightforward on the eyes. The working system is identical, with intuitive entry to the Kobo retailer, your private books and titles out of your native library by way of Overdrive. You possibly can customise your studying expertise with choices for font, font measurement, line spacing, margins and so forth. Kobos don’t have a approach to save a bunch of show settings just like the Kindle does, so I’d like to see that added with future OS upgrades. However for now, the customizations are simply sufficient to get your e-book the way you need it to look.

The Color is almost equivalent in form and measurement, and has the identical premium really feel because the 2E, although the plastic has a grainier end. The bezels are noticeably much less flush with the display now, although that didn’t alter my studying enjoyment.

Now that it prices $150, the Kobo Clara Color is $40 greater than the bottom mannequin Kindle. However the waterproof construct, heat entrance gentle, responsive controls and lack of adverts (which price $20 to do away with on Amazon’s machine) make it price it. And, in nice information for the proper to restore crowd, it’s even designed to be user-repaired as soon as it falls outdoors of guarantee by way of a partnership with iFixit. 

Rakuten nonetheless makes the Kobo Clara BW, which is almost equivalent to our earlier “finest general” decide. It would not endure from the slight readability loss that the colour overlay presents, but it surely additionally nonetheless has the older processor.   

In fact, should you already personal a mountain of Kindle books, it’s possible you’ll need to keep on with Amazon’s system. In that case, your finest guess is . It prices $160 and was just lately up to date with a extra highly effective processor and new E Ink tech that makes it exceptionally speedy with high-contrast textual content. The nice and cozy gentle is nice and the flush entrance display feels premium. In fact, Amazon now has its personal colour mannequin too, the , however at $280, it’s considerably dearer than the Clara Color and even the Paperwhite Signature Version.

Display screen measurement: 6” | Show kind: Black/white E Ink | Decision: 300dpi | Capability: 16GB | Battery life: 6 weeks | Waterproof score: None | Heat gentle: No | Lock display adverts: Sure

In case you simply need to learn books, and don’t have any want for the perks that the fancier ereaders deliver (colour, waterproof score, heat gentle, and so on), then the bottom mannequin is for you. The six-inch, non-flush show is housed in a textured plastic that feels much less premium than, say, the Paperwhite and even the 2 Kobos on our listing, however nonetheless feels a lot sturdy. And it’s sufficiently small to slot in a coat or again pocket making it very travel-friendly.

It’s unlucky that the 2024 mannequin is $10 greater than the 2022 mannequin when not a lot has modified, but it surely’s nonetheless the most cost effective ereader from any of the key producers. And if we all know one factor about Amazon, it’s that the corporate loves a very good sale, so that you’ll possible discover it on low cost should you can maintain out for Prime Day or Black Friday offers.

The Kindle is a no-frills gateway to the most effective of what Amazon has to supply, together with titles, with books by established authors in addition to newer, self-published writers; provides the widest collection of any subscription-based studying service on the market; and is made up of narrated titles and podcasts you possibly can solely hear by way of a Kindle machine or Amazon-owned app.

In case you like to change between audiobooks and ebooks, Kindle is the best way to go. Whenever you purchase each iterations of a title, you not solely get a reduction, however the Whispersync function traces up the place you’re within the e-printed model with the narration, too. Say you pay attention for an hour after which need to learn – the synchronization permits you to decide up on-screen the place you left off audibly. (Although we must always level out you can’t pay attention and browse concurrently on the identical machine.) In exams, the function was pretty correct, getting me shut sufficient on the web page or within the audio to determine my spot.

Web page turns are faster on the brand new mannequin however I’m disenchanted that there’s nonetheless no approach to modify the zones and responses to touchscreen gestures, like there may be on each Kobo and Boox units. Kindles all have a really slender strip on the left for going again a web page and I’m continually lacking it and going ahead as a substitute. Although swipes typically work nicely.

In all probability probably the most noticeable lacking function is the shortage of heat gentle. In comparison with any ereader with that possibility, the display on the usual Kindle seems harsh and bluish, but it surely’s nonetheless far simpler in your eyes than a telephone or pill display. There’s loads of customization for the font, measurement and margins, too. You possibly can even save your settings as a “theme,” one thing not provided by different units. I created one with bigger textual content and wider line spacing known as “drained eyes.”

Some individuals gained’t be bothered by the lock display adverts that come normal on this Kindle (until you pay $20 to take away them). They’re pretty innocuous, largely selling Kindle e-book offers or particular titles (it’s not such as you’ll see promos for TVs or robotic pool cleaners). Personally, I like with the ability to set the sleep display to the e-book cowl of what I’m at present studying, but it surely’s straightforward to recover from that if all you need is a extra handy approach to eat books on the lowest value.

Display screen measurement: 7” | Show kind: Black/white and colour E Ink | Decision: 300 dpi black & white, 150 dpi colour | Capability: 32GB | Battery life: Weeks | Waterproof score: IPX8 (submergible to six ft for 60 minutes) | Heat gentle: Sure | Lock display adverts: No

When Kobo got here out with the brand new Clara Color, it additionally debuted the new Libra Color, which is perhaps the extra thrilling of the 2 units. Along with colour know-how from the E Ink Kaleido panel and an upgraded processor, the Libra now has stylus assist. It’s the one ereader on this listing with that function, making it quite a bit like a small E Ink pill — however all of its new options truly make it a greater ereader.

After I wrote in regards to the earlier era ereader, the Libra 2, I used to be impressed by how comfy it was for studying. None of that has modified; the buttons and auto-rotating display adapt the machine to simply about any studying place you selected and the skinny design, textured again and soft-touch plastic give it a premium really feel.

Kobo’s interface is almost the identical right here as with different fashions, properly organized to allow you to simply discover your present reads or browse and search new titles from Kobo’s retailer or your native library within the Overdrive tab. The customizations for gentle and textual content allow you to get the web page trying simply the way you prefer it, however there aren’t so many choices that it feels such as you’re writing code.

The brand new options add to the expertise. In colour, e-book covers all look extra attractive — although, in case your TBR listing is already three ft lengthy, this gained’t not assist issues. The brand new processor makes waking from sleep, turning pages, navigating the menu and altering orientation zippy quick.

Then there’s the standing compatibility. Strive as they could, some new applied sciences don’t but beat their real-world counterparts. That’s largely how I really feel about styluses — I’m only a massive fan of pen on paper. However Kobo’s stylus makes it so enjoyable to focus on textual content and scribble notes within the margins of a e-book that I’m beginning to come round. Plus, it neatly and magnetically attaches to the aspect so it doesn’t get misplaced.

Urgent and holding the button on the aspect of the stylus highlights textual content whereas flipping it round erases. I by accident pressed the button just a few occasions once I was making an attempt to put in writing, however I obtained used to the position after a couple of minutes of utilizing it. You possibly can decide from 4 totally different highlighter colours and consider your written notes and spotlighted textual content within the notes part of any title — which I might see being fairly helpful for e-book membership reads, college assignments or simply refreshing your self on a previous learn earlier than you dive into the sequel.

Writing within the margins or instantly on the textual content labored on each e-book I attempted. Although I ought to level out that should you change the font measurement in a e-book, your handwritten notes can be transformed to a sticky note-type field. Going again to the unique font restores your authentic scribbles.

The Kobo Libra Color is $30 dearer than the Libra 2, however you get quite a bit for $220. If it have been simply an ereader, the beautiful colours, responsive studying expertise, quick web page turns and straightforward highlights would make it well worth the value. However you additionally get options that make it extra than simply an ereader, like Dropbox and Google Drive integration, a beta net browser and free-writing and text-converting notebooks.

In fact, the stylus prices further and also you gained’t get options like notebooks and writing within the margins with out it. Collectively, the set prices $290, which is a substantial $110 cheaper than the just lately (and hottest) stylus-enabled ereader, . That one has an even bigger, 10.2-inch display, which is sweet for writing however, for me, is just a little massive for an ereader. The Libra Color however has simply the correct options on the proper measurement, plus some extras that stretch its usefulness.

Display screen measurement: 6” | Show kind: Black/white E Ink | Decision: 300dpi | Capability: 32GB | Battery life: 12 weeks | Waterproof score: IPX8 | Heat gentle: Sure, auto adjustable | Lock display adverts: No

Learn our full Kindle Paperwhite Signature Version overview

After I reviewed the brand new Kindle Paperwhite Signature Version, I used to be struck by the elevated studying expertise it offered. It’s remarkably quick, the textual content is splendidly crisp and it has a premium design that feels nice to carry. Amazon was in a position to enhance web page flip and scrolling speeds for each the usual Paperwhite and the Signature Version by giving them new processors and utilizing an oxide thin-film transistor layer to allow quicker adjustments on the web page. The layer additionally permits for higher show readability than different transistor layers.

Each the usual and Signature fashions have heat entrance lights that solid a stunning glow throughout a display that’s just a little bigger now at 7-inches (up from 6.8 final time). The battery life is longer, promising as much as 12 weeks (as a substitute of 10), that means you’ll hardly ever must cost your ereader. Regardless of that, the Paperwhite fashions are literally three millimeters thinner than the earlier era (and only a contact heavier).

With the Signature Version, you additionally get auto-adjusting entrance lights that dim or brighten as daylight fades otherwise you transfer from room to room. The storage capability goes up from 16GB to 32GB, so even should you obtain an entire bunch of audiobooks, you aren’t prone to run out of house too rapidly. And eventually, you get a wi-fi charging possibility for the periodic events when it’s time for a refill. All of these options are good to have, although not essential — however for anybody who needs to learn ebooks in probably the most luxe means doable, the Signature mannequin is the one to go for.

If you’d like an expertise that’s almost as deluxe, however don’t want the wi-fi charging, auto-adjusting lights and additional capability, the Paperwhite continues to be noticeably extra premium than the usual Kindle, whereas nonetheless getting you entry to all of the perks that solely Kindles supply, like Goodreads integration, Kindle Unique titles, Kindle Limitless subscription books and Whispersync tech that traces up your audio and book reads so you possibly can swap between the 2 codecs.

Display screen measurement: 7” | Show kind: Black/white and colour E Ink | Decision: 300 dpi black & white, 150 dpi colour | Capability: 64GB | Battery life: Weeks | Waterproof score: splash-resistant | Heat gentle: Sure | Lock display adverts: No

Shade E Ink screens are the “new” factor in ereaders — despite the fact that the tech has been commercially obtainable since round 2010. E Ink introduced its Kaleido 3 show in 2022, and with the correct mixture of colour saturation and readability, it’s now interesting sufficient for normal consumption. The newest ereaders from each Boox and Kobo are colour fashions, and there’s little doubt Amazon will stick colour in a Kindle within the close to future (probably as a alternative to the now-unavailable Kindle Oasis).

The Boox Go Shade 7 (Amazon, Boox) is a pure option to supplant our earlier winner on this class. The Boox Web page continues to be obtainable, and represents an awesome multipurpose pill that simply handles ereader and pill duties. The brand new Go Shade not solely layers colour on high of that, it additionally has double the storage capability, an additional gig of RAM and ships with Android 12. The again can be textured as a substitute of slick, an improve my accident-prone fingers are grateful for. And all of this comes on the identical $250 listing value because the Web page.

Boox caught a quicker quad-core processor within the Web page. That made for a noticeable uptick in pace when in comparison with the reader’s predecessor, the Leaf 2. This appears to be like to be the identical CPU within the Go Shade and I haven’t observed an enormous pace distinction with the brand new reader — although it’s a lot quick. The battery has the identical 2,300mAh capability, however ereader batteries final the order of some weeks, so an improve in that division wasn’t actually essential.

The Go Shade 7 runs on a fork of Android 12, which permits it to behave extra like a pill than a standard ereader. Like all Boox units, this strategy is finest fitted to the tech-savvy. Not like a Kindle or Kobo, which come preconfigured with a retailer and straightforward library-book entry, Boox ereaders supply little hand-holding in setup and utilization. Whereas there’s a retailer, it’s made up of public area titles — most individuals will learn books by importing ePubs manually or by way of ereader apps like Kobo, Kindle, Libby and others from the built-in Google Play retailer.

Boox’s built-in ereader app, NeoReader, is properly featured with a very good quantity of management over the look of the textual content. But it surely solely handles DRM-free ePubs from websites like Challenge Gutenberg or publishers like Tor. If you wish to learn ePubs with digital rights administration, which make up the overwhelming majority of present ebooks, you’ll want to make use of a unique app. Mockingly, I’ve been utilizing PocketBook’s ereader app to learn DRM ePubs I purchased from third events.

The pill is impressively customizable, with programmable buttons and fine-tunable settings. Boox customers have created APK recordsdata to tweak and enhance the expertise additional. The machine even has a microphone and audio system, and may run apps like Spotify. In brief, the Go Shade 7 can do way over a typical ereader can, should you’re prepared to experiment.

The studying expertise is enhanced with a gentle, adjustable entrance gentle with temperature management that makes for nice low-light studying and the flush, glare-free, display is lush and detailed. Like all colour ereaders, you do quit a modicum of readability to accommodate the colour array, and the heat is noticeably extra yellow. I solely observed the distinction once I set comparable ereaders side-by-side and, actually, it’s the distinction between a brilliant duper crisp display and solely a brilliant crisp display.

The gentle and muted colours have a saturated seem like watercolors or outdated comedian e-book illustrations. Evaluating the identical e-book cowl on the Kobo Clara Color and this, the Boox hues do look a contact grainier and fewer wealthy. However that’s a small sacrifice should you want an ereader that may do way over simply carry your books round.

Display screen measurement: 6.13” Decision: 300 dpi | Capability: 128GB | Water-proof: Sure, splashes and spills | Heat gentle: Sure | Lock display adverts: No

Boox makes two sizes of its ereader. The is smaller than the , doesn’t have buttons and goes for about $80 much less. However after making an attempt it, I don’t advocate it. It’s laggy and getting the Google Play Retailer to work was a ache. As soon as I did, web page turns in apps like Kindle have been excruciatingly gradual.

The Boox , nevertheless, is sort of enjoyable. It’s the identical measurement and form as a smartphone and, in lots of methods, acts like one. The house display is a muted black and white model of what you would possibly discover on an ordinary Android — you possibly can even add just a few widgets. Just like the Web page, it will probably obtain and run apps from the Google Play Retailer and has audio system to play music and movies. The E Ink display (a Carta 1200) renders textual content crisply, however photographs, notably transferring ones, look far grainier and rougher than they might on an actual telephone’s LED display. That stated, the video high quality is the most effective I’ve seen on an E Ink display, due to a software program enchancment Boox calls Tremendous Refresh Expertise.

However make no mistake, it’s not going to interchange your telephone. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are the one connectivity and the 16MP digicam is only for making doc scans you possibly can convert to PDFs. However the phone-like construct is comfortingly acquainted and the E Ink display is beautiful to learn. At $280, it’s dearer than an ordinary ereader — and a few E Ink tablets — but it surely’s a extremely transportable approach to learn Kindle, Kobo, Google Books and different ePubs, whereas additionally dealing with easy video games and apps like a smartphone. In case you’re sick of the glow of your handset, the Boox Palma is a captivating different.