{"id":108,"date":"2025-05-13T03:06:49","date_gmt":"2025-05-12T23:06:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.actutech.app\/the-best-ereader-to-buy-right-now\/"},"modified":"2025-05-13T03:06:49","modified_gmt":"2025-05-12T23:06:49","slug":"the-best-ereader-to-buy-right-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.actutech.app\/en\/the-best-ereader-to-buy-right-now\/","title":{"rendered":"The best ereader to buy right now"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Any ebook reader will let you cram a Beauty and the Beast<\/em>-sized library\u2019s worth of books in your pocket, but so will your phone. An ebook reader offers a more book-like reading experience, with fewer distractions and less eye strain, and many include extra features, like adjustable frontlighting. Some really are<\/em> pocketable. Others are waterproof or offer physical page-turning buttons, while a few even let you take notes.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been using ebook readers for nearly a decade, and I\u2019ve gone hands-on with dozens, from the Kindle Paperwhite to lesser-known rivals like the Pocketbook Era. Whether you want something your kid can throw against the wall or a waterproof, warm-glow Kindle that won\u2019t ruin your spa ambiance, these are the best ebook readers for everyone.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Featured in this article<\/h2>\n
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How we test e-readers<\/p>\n

When testing a new ebook reader, I make sure to use it as my primary device for at least a full week.\u00a0For those seven days, if not longer, that e-reader is my principal way of consuming ebooks, audiobooks, and most articles from the web (if applicable). If the device has note-taking capabilities, I\u2019ll use it to annotate books and jot down various reminders, to-do lists, and notes. I\u2019ll even use it for some light journaling, as well as doodling.<\/p>\n

On average, I tend to read for about an hour a day \u2014 longer on weekends \u2014 either for work or to unwind at the beach, in bed, or in the bathtub. I buy books directly from each e-reader\u2019s respective bookstore, borrow library books via Overdrive, and try to sideload various file formats to see how easy it is to do.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Comfort<\/p>\n

How easy is it to use and read on? A sharp display and relatively fast performance are essential to an enjoyable reading experience, as are size and weight.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Build quality<\/p>\n

Some e-readers come with different features, like waterproofing, which means you really can read anywhere. Others offer buttons that make using the e-reader more intuitive to use.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Supported content types<\/p>\n

There must be easy, direct access to a wide selection of digital titles, which includes audiobooks as well as various file formats.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Affordability<\/p>\n

Is the price justified, given what the e-reader offers?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The best Kindle<\/h2>\n

<\/em>Dimensions: <\/strong>7 x 5 x .3 inches <\/strong>\/ Weight:<\/strong> 211 grams \/ Screen area and resolution:<\/strong> 7-inch screen, 300ppi resolution \/ Storage:<\/strong> 16GB \/ Other features:<\/strong> IPX8 waterproofing, Bluetooth audio support\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

If you mostly buy ebooks from Amazon, you\u2019ll want a Kindle, and the 12th-gen Kindle Paperwhite is the best choice for most people. Starting at $159.99, it\u2019s cheaper than the Kobo Libra Colour \u2014 my top non-Amazon ebook reader, which I\u2019ll dive into later \u2014 while offering many of the same features. Those include a spacious 7-inch 300pi display with rich contrast levels and an adjustable warm white frontlight, which make for a clear and enjoyable reading experience. The latter also conveniently improves sleep by cutting down on blue light that interrupts melatonin production.\u00a0<\/p>\n

That warm white frontlighting is an advantage over the cool white of the $109.99 base-model Kindle, and unlike the base Kindle, the Paperwhite has IPX8 water resistance. The $\u00a0199.99\u00a0Signature Edition Paperwhite\u00a0<\/a>also has an auto-adjusting frontlight and no lockscreen ads. It has wireless charging, which is a rare feature to find in an e-reader.<\/p>\n

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Amazon is the largest online retailer in the world, and it dominates the US ebook market, so Kindle owners have access to advantages owners of other ebook readers don\u2019t. Much of Amazon\u2019s hardware strategy depends on offering cut-rate discounts to pull you into its content ecosystem. If you have Prime and buy a lot of Kindle ebooks, the Paperwhite is the best choice because Amazon makes it incredibly easy to buy and read its stuff.\u00a0Its ebooks and audiobooks are often on sale, and Prime members get more free content through Prime Reading. Rivals like Kobo offer sales, too, but it\u2019s hard for them to offer discounts as steep as Amazon.<\/p>\n

There are downsides, though. The Paperwhite has lockscreen ads unless you pay $20 extra to get rid of them. It\u2019s also too big to hold comfortably with one hand. Perhaps the Kindle Paperwhite\u2019s biggest flaw, though \u2014 which it shares with all Kindles aside from Fire tablets \u2014 is that it\u2019s not easy to read books purchased outside of Amazon\u2019s store. Kindle ebook formats are proprietary and only work on Kindle.\u00a0Unlike Kobo and other ebook readers, Kindles don\u2019t support EPUB files, an open file format used by pretty much everyone except<\/em> Amazon. So, for example, if you often shop from Kobo\u2019s bookstore (or Barnes & Noble or Google Play Books or many other ebook stores), you can\u2019t easily read those books on a Kindle without using a workaround. There are ways to convert<\/a> and transfer file formats<\/a> so you can read on the Kindle and vice versa, but it\u2019ll take a couple of extra steps.<\/p>\n

However, if you don\u2019t buy your books elsewhere or you don\u2019t mind shopping from Amazon, you\u2019ll be more than happy with the Kindle Paperwhite.<\/p>\n

Read our Kindle Paperwhite review.<\/a><\/h5>\n

The best non-Amazon ebook reader<\/h2>\n

<\/em>Dimensions:<\/strong> 5.69 x 6.34 x 0.33 inches \/ Weight:<\/strong> 199.5 grams \/ Screen area and resolution:<\/strong> 7-inch screen, 300ppi (black-and-white), 150ppi (color) \/ Storage:<\/strong> 32GB \/ Other features:<\/strong> Physical page-turning buttons, waterproofing, Kobo Stylus 2 support, Bluetooth audio support\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

The Kobo Libra Colour<\/a> is an excellent alternative to Amazon\u2019s ebook readers, especially for readers outside the US or anyone who doesn\u2019t want to tap into Amazon\u2019s ecosystem. Kobo\u2019s latest slate offers many of the standout features found on the 12th-gen Kindle Paperwhite \u2014 including waterproofing, USB-C support, and a 300ppi display \u2014 along with a few perks that make it more helpful and enjoyable to use.<\/p>\n

The color display is the most obvious. The Libra Colour uses E Ink\u2019s latest Kaledio color screen technology, which provides soothing, pastel-like hues that still pop in direct sunlight. It\u2019s not as sharp as reading in monochrome \u2014 the resolution drops to 150ppi when viewing content in color \u2014 but it\u2019s a nice touch that makes viewing a wider range of content more pleasant. Book covers and comics, while still muted, have an added layer of depth, even if the colors are nowhere near as vivid as that of a traditional LED tablet or as vibrant as the Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition<\/a>.<\/p>\n

However, unlike the Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition, the Libra Colour works with a digital pen \u2014 the Kobo Stylus 2 (sold separately<\/a>) \u2014 which lets you highlight text in various colors or take notes using Kobo\u2019s integrated notebooks. You can also take advantage of some of the more advanced capabilities found in the Kobo Elipsa 2E, allowing you to solve math equations, convert handwriting into typed text, and insert diagrams. This lets the Libra Colour function as a mini notebook of sorts, though I wouldn\u2019t use it as a primary note-taking device since the seven-inch display can feel cramped to write on.<\/p>\n

The color display is only part of the appeal, though. The Libra Colour doesn\u2019t have the lockscreen ads on the base Paperwhite \u2014 and packs physical page-turning buttons, which feel more intuitive to use than tapping either side of the display as you have to do on Amazon\u2019s modern e-readers. The speedy e-reader also supports more file formats, including EPUB files, and makes it much easier to borrow books from the Overdrive library system. Native support for Pocket, meanwhile, means you can read your articles offline if you\u2019re someone who uses the long-standing bookmarking app.<\/p>\n

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However, at $229.99, the Libra Colour costs $70 more than the entry-level Paperwhite \u2014 and that\u2019s without Kobo\u2019s $69.99 stylus, which is required for performing certain tasks. That gap widens further when the Paperwhite is on sale, which happens more often than the Libra Colour. The Kobo can\u2019t easily tap into Amazon\u2019s vast library of ebooks, which can be frustrating if you\u2019ve amassed a collection of Kindle titles over the years. It can be done, but you have to convert file formats using third-party apps, which is tricky and can take time.<\/p>\n

But if those things don\u2019t matter or apply to you, the Kobo Libra Colour will give you the best digital reading experience of all the e-readers on our list. It\u2019s my personal favorite.<\/p>\n

Read our Kobo Libra Colour review.<\/a><\/h5>\n

The best cheap ebook reader<\/h2>\n

<\/em>Dimensions: <\/strong>6.2 x 4.3 x 0.32 inches <\/strong>\/ Weight: <\/strong>158 grams \/ Screen area and resolution<\/strong>: 6-inch screen, 300ppi resolution \/ Storage:<\/strong> 16GB \/ Other features: <\/strong>USB-C support, Bluetooth audio support\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

The base-model Kindle<\/a> ($109.99 with ads) is the best cheap ebook reader. Its 300ppi resolution makes text clearer and easier to read than the lower-resolution screens on other ebook readers in its price range. Plus, it even has USB-C for relatively fast charging.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Reading on its six-inch screen feels a little more cramped than it does on the larger displays of the Kindle Paperwhite and Kobo Libra Colour. However, the flip side is that its small size makes it pocketable, light, and easy for small hands to hold. Combined with its relatively affordable price, the Kindle is also the best ebook reader for kids\u00a0\u2014 especially the Amazon Kindle Kids Edition<\/a> which costs $20 more. The kid-friendly version shares the same specs but is ad-free with parental controls, a two-year extended replacement guarantee, and a case. It also comes with six months of Amazon Kids Plus<\/a>, which grants kids access to thousands of children\u2019s books and audiobooks for free. After that, though, you\u2019ll have to pay $79 per year.<\/p>\n

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The base Kindle doesn\u2019t have extra conveniences like the waterproofing you\u2019ll find in the entry-level Kobo Clara BW<\/a> and Paperwhite. You also don\u2019t get the physical page-turning buttons found on Barnes & Noble\u2019s entry-level e-reader, the Nook GlowLight 4e<\/a> (though the Kindle is a lot snappier than the Nook). And because it\u2019s an Amazon ebook reader, you\u2019re also locked into the Amazon ecosystem and have to pay extra to remove ads. But if you can do without that, the Kindle delivers the essentials for under $110.<\/p>\n

The best ebook reader for taking notes<\/h2>\n

<\/em>Dimensions: <\/strong>7.6 x 8.94 x 0.30 inches \/ Weight: <\/strong>390 grams \/ Screen area and resolution<\/strong>: 10.3-inches, 227ppi resolution \/ Storage:<\/strong> 32GB \/ Other features: <\/strong>Handwriting to text conversion, magnetic stylus, Bluetooth audio support\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Of all the large ebook readers I tested, the Kobo Elipsa 2E stood out the most because it\u2019s a good e-reader with solid note-taking abilities. You can write directly on pages just as on a physical book. The Kindle Scribe lets you annotate book pages as well, but it\u2019s complicated involving resizable text boxes that mess up the page formatting and prevent you from doing basic things like circling words. In contrast, taking notes on the Elipsa 2E feels far more intuitive and natural.<\/p>\n

The Elipsa 2E offers other helpful note-taking tools and capabilities. Like the Kobo Libra Colour, it\u2019s capable, for example, of solving math equations for you. You can also insert diagrams and drawings, and it\u2019ll automatically snap them into something that looks cleaner and nicer. You can also sync your notes with Dropbox or view them online and convert handwriting to typed text. The Kindle Scribe offers the latter capability, too, but again, Kobo does it faster and better within the original notebook document as opposed to on a separate page. The only thing missing from the Elipsa 2E is the Scribe\u2019s note-summarization feature, but that\u2019s a trade-off I am okay with given how much easier it is to take notes.<\/p>\n

Finally, the Kobo Elipsa 2E comes with twice the storage (32GB) for the same price as the base Kindle Scribe. You can <\/em>step up to the 32GB Kindle Scribe for $20 more or upgrade to 64GB for $40 extra. Yet given the Scribe\u2019s limitations, I still recommend saving the money and buying the Kobo Elipsa 2E instead.<\/p>\n

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Note-taking capabilities aside, the Kobo Elipsa 2E is also a good e-reader with the same strengths and weaknesses as other Kobo devices. There\u2019s support for a wide range of file formats, but you can\u2019t easily read Kindle books without converting them first. Its 227ppi display is also slightly less sharp than the 300ppi screen found on the Kindle Scribe and the Kobo Libra Colour. However, the 10.3-inch screen balances things out a bit and makes text easier to read, so it\u2019s not a noticeable drawback. Plus, the Elipsa 2E comes with an adjustable warm light for nighttime reading. That\u2019s a feature rivals with more advanced note-taking capabilities \u2014 like the $379.99 Onyx\u00a0Boox Go 10.3<\/a> which lets you do everything the Scribe does and more, like insert links to notes \u2014 lacks.<\/p>\n

Other ebook readers that didn\u2019t make the cut<\/h2>\n

There are some other ebook readers my colleagues and I have tested that I didn\u2019t feature above but are still worth highlighting. Here are the most notable:<\/p>\n

Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition<\/a><\/h3>\n

The Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition<\/a> is the first\u00a0Kindle\u00a0to feature E Ink\u2019s color screen technology and it stands out from other color e-paper devices with customizations. It offers improved contrast, more vibrant colors, and faster screen refreshes. With a $279.99 price tag, it\u2019s the most expensive\u00a0Kindle\u00a0model currently available that doesn\u2019t support a stylus for note-taking, and it includes premium features like wireless charging that are convenient but not really necessary for a device with months of battery life. Amazon doesn\u2019t offer a cheaper version of the Colorsoft like it does with the Paperwhite, which is available in standard and Signature Edition versions, but if you want a color screen and want to stick with Amazon, the Colorsoft is your best option. \u2013 Andrew Liszewski, Senior Reporter\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Kobo Clara Colour<\/a><\/h3>\n

If you\u2019re looking for a non-Amazon alternative that\u2019s more affordable than the Kobo Libra Colour, the Kobo Clara Colour<\/a> \u2014 the successor to the Kobo Clara 2E<\/a> \u2014 is worth a look. At $159.99, the ad-free e-reader costs more than the Kobo Clara 2E<\/a>, but I think it\u2019s worth the extra $10. It continues to offer the same six-inch display and IPX8 waterproof design, but the e-reader now offers color. Plus, it\u2019s noticeably faster \u2014 something I was happy to see, considering the occasional lag on the Clara 2E sometimes got on my nerves. You don\u2019t get the Clara Colour\u2019s physical buttons or stylus support, but that\u2019s a fair tradeoff at this price point.<\/p>\n

Boox\u00a0Palma 2<\/a><\/h3>\n

Despite all the advantages of E Ink display technology, your smartphone is probably still a more convenient device for reading given how pocket-friendly it is. The\u00a0Boox\u00a0Palma 2<\/a> is a smartphone-sized E Ink device that\u2019s just as easy to slip into a pocket, but with more capabilities than an\u00a0e-reader. Its 6.3-inch E Ink display is great for reading books, but the $279.99 Palma 2 also runs Android 13 so you can install productivity apps like email and messaging \u2014 assuming you\u2019ve got access to Wi-Fi, of course, because the compact\u00a0e-reader\u00a0lacks cellular connectivity. If you already have the original Palma, the sequel isn\u2019t worth the upgrade. But if you\u2019re looking for a smaller alternative to Kindles and Kobos, the Palma 2 could be worth the splurge. \u2013 Andrew Liszewski, Senior Reporter\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Boox Go 10.3<\/a><\/h3>\n

The $379 Onyx Boox Go 10.3 is another ad-free ebook reader you can use to take notes. It\u2019s excellent as a note-taking device, and it offers an impressively wide range of writing tools and more prebuilt notebook templates than Kobo\u2019s Elipsa 2E. Jotting down notes using the built-in notebook felt more akin to writing on paper as well, and its slim design makes the device feel more like a traditional notebook. Like all Boox devices, it also provides quick access to the Google Play Store, so you can download multiple reading apps \u2014 including both Kindle and Kobo apps. The slate\u2019s crisp 300ppi display is sharper than that of the Kobo Elipsa 2E, too, which is a plus.<\/p>\n

However, in comparison to the easy-to-use Elipsa 2E, the Go 10.3 lacks a front light and comes with a steeper learning curve. Notes you take on a Kindle or Kobo device won\u2019t transfer over (and vice versa), and you can\u2019t annotate books in either app using the Boox. I also felt like access to Google Play can be a double-edged sword as it grants easy access to distracting apps, including games, streaming services, and TikTok. It\u2019s too slow to use the latter, but it\u2019s fast and comfortable enough that I found myself playing around with the Word Search app far too often. For me personally, I need my e-reader to be devoid of such distractions \u2014 it\u2019s one of the biggest things that distinguishes it from a tablet, after all. But if you\u2019ve got more self-control than I do, the Go 10.3 could be worth a look.<\/p>\n

Nook Glowlight 4 Plus<\/a><\/h3>\n

In 2023, Barnes and Noble released the new Nook Glowlight 4 Plus<\/a>. If you own a lot of digital books from Barnes and Noble, this could be a good Kindle alternative. Otherwise, I\u2019d still recommend the Kobo Libra Colour to everybody else. The $199.99 Nook Glowlight 4 Plus<\/a> is a good e-reader with a lot to offer, including a lovely 300ppi screen, waterproofing, physical page-turning buttons, and even a headphone jack. However, it\u2019s just not as snappy, which makes setting it up, buying books from the device itself, and navigating the interface a slow ordeal. It didn\u2019t help that the screen sometimes froze, too, which meant I had to restart the device while in the middle of a book.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s coming next<\/h2>\n