The perfect ereaders for 2026

Display dimension: 6” | Show sort: Black/white and colour E Ink | Decision: 300 dpi black & white, 150 dpi colour | Capability: 16GB| Battery life: As much as 42 days (30 min. day by day, 30% brightness, Wi-Fi/BT off) | Waterproof score: IPX8 (submergible to six ft for 60 minutes) | Heat mild: Sure | Lock display advertisements: No | Textual content codecs: EPUB, EPUB3, FlePub, PDF, MOBI, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, TIFF, TXT, HTML, RTF, CBZ, CBR

Learn our full Kobo Clara Colour review

Our earlier decide for this class, the Kobo Clara 2E was a wonderful 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 nervous we’d see Kobo gadget with superfluous revamping to justify an inflated worth. Fortunately, that’s not the case. The Kobo Clara Colour 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 a bit of vibrance to guide 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 prime 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 guide artwork from the ‘60s, muted however saturated. Colour makes guide covers extra attractive and provides a bit of selection to headings, and tables in some non-fiction books. It’s actually not a obligatory characteristic, 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. When you look carefully, you’ll be able to see a little bit of noise on the white elements of the web page. That is because of the added colour filter layer. It is not distracting and solely one thing I seen when evaluating the 2 generations side-by-side. but when absolute readability is your major aim, chances are 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 sort of instantaneous. As with the 2E, the Color not often errors a swipe for a faucet or a web page flip gesture for a menu request.

The adjustable heat entrance mild remains to be right here (it’s truly a bit of 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 through Overdrive. You’ll be able to customise your studying expertise with choices for font, font dimension, line spacing, margins and so forth. Kobos don’t have a option 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 guide the way you need it to look.

The Color is sort of an identical in form and dimension, 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 mild, responsive controls and lack of advertisements (which price $20 to do away with on Amazon’s gadget) make it price it. And, in nice information for the right to repair crowd, it’s even designed to be user-repaired as soon as it falls exterior of guarantee by way of a partnership with iFixit. 

Rakuten nonetheless makes the Kobo Clara BW, which is sort of an identical to our earlier “finest total” decide. It does not endure from the slight readability loss that the colour overlay presents, but it surely additionally nonetheless has the older processor.   

After all, should you already personal a mountain of Kindle books, chances are you’ll wish to stick to Amazon’s system. In that case, the perfect Kindle is Amazon’s Kindle Paperwhite. It prices $160 and was lately up to date with a extra highly effective processor and new E Ink tech that makes it exceptionally speedy whereas displaying high-contrast textual content. The nice and cozy mild is nice and the flush entrance display feels premium.

Yet one more consideration, now that Amazon now has its personal colour mannequin too, is the . The unique prices $280, which is considerably costlier than the Clara Color and even the . In July, Amazon launched a colour mannequin for $230. It has much less storage, no wi-fi charging and no auto-adjusting front-lights, however prices $30 lower than the unique.

Display dimension: 6” | Show sort: Black/white E Ink | Decision: 300dpi | Capability: 16GB | Battery life: 6 weeks | Waterproof score: None | Heat mild: No | Lock display advertisements: Sure | Textual content codecs: Kindle Format 8 (AZW3), Kindle (AZW), TXT, PDF, unprotected MOBI, PRC natively; PDF, DOCX, DOC, HTML, EPUB, TXT, RTF, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP by way of conversion

When you simply wish to learn books, and don’t have any want for the perks that the fancier ereaders carry (colour, waterproof score, heat mild, and many others), then the bottom mannequin Kindle 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 record, 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 affordable ereader from any of the foremost 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 reader is a no-frills gateway to the perfect of what the Kindle ecosystem has to supply, together with Kindle Exclusive titles, with books by established authors in addition to newer, self-published writers; Kindle Unlimited provides the widest number of any subscription-based studying service on the market; and Audible Originals is made up of narrated titles and podcasts you’ll be able to solely hear by way of a Kindle gadget or Amazon-owned app.

When you like to modify between audiobooks and ebooks, Kindle is the best way to go. While you purchase each iterations of a title, you not solely get a reduction, however the Whispersync characteristic strains up the place you might be within the e-printed model with the narration, too. Say you pay attention for an hour after which wish to learn – the synchronization helps you to decide up on-screen the place you left off audibly. (Although we should always level out which you can’t pay attention and browse concurrently on the identical gadget.) In exams, the characteristic 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 dissatisfied that there’s nonetheless no option to regulate the zones and responses to touchscreen gestures, like there may be on each Kobo and Boox gadgets. Kindles all have a really slim strip on the left for going again a web page and I’m always lacking it and going ahead as an alternative. Although swipes usually work properly.

In all probability probably the most noticeable lacking characteristic is the 6-inch display’s lack of heat mild. In comparison with any ereader with that choice, the display on the usual Kindle seems harsh and bluish, but it surely’s nonetheless far simpler in your eyes than a cellphone or pill display. There’s loads of customization for the font, dimension and margins, too. You’ll be able to even save your settings as a “theme,” one thing not supplied by different gadgets. I created one with bigger textual content and wider line spacing known as “drained eyes.”

Some individuals received’t be bothered by the lock display advertisements that come commonplace on this Kindle (except you pay $20 to take away them). They’re pretty innocuous, largely selling Kindle guide 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 guide 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 option to devour books on the lowest worth.

Display dimension: 6.13” | Decision: 300 ppi B&W, 150 ppi colour | Capability: 128GB | Water-resistant: Sure, splashes and spills | Heat mild: Sure | Lock display advertisements: No | Textual content codecs: PDF, CAJ, DJVU, CBR, CBZ, EPUB, EPUB3, AZW3, MOBI, TXT, DOC, DOCX, FB2, CHM, RTF, HTML, ZIP, PRC, PPT, PPTX

Boox doesn’t name its an ereader. As a substitute, the palmable rectangle is marketed as a cellular e-paper gadget. In use, I discover it splits the distinction between an excellent transportable E Ink pill and a . That is the third gadget from Boox to undertake a cell phone design and it’s probably the most superior but.

To start out, it makes use of a Kaleido 3 E Ink show (the identical tech you’ll discover within the Kindle Colorsoft and different colour ereaders). And the brand new integration with the model’s InkSense stylus turns the display right into a responsive pocket book for handwritten notes. However the extra thrilling characteristic is the addition of 5G knowledge capabilities. The Palma 2 Professional has a SIM tray that may assist twin data-only SIM playing cards or one subscriber ID module and one microSD card to broaden the storage as much as 2TB.

Information-only connectivity helps you to use the Palma if you’re away out of your Wi-Fi indicators, however you received’t have the ability to textual content or name. After all, messaging by way of Sign, Telegram or no matter different app you favor is completely attainable, due to the underlying Android 15 working system and built-in Google Play Retailer. You’ll be able to obtain any app out there there, however you shouldn’t count on to play high-speed video games or stream exhibits. I used the brand new Palma to do easy issues like play the Wordle, take heed to an audiobook with Libby and take a look at opinions of a brand new espresso store on Google Maps.

There’s a subtler, quieter really feel to shopping on an E Ink display than on the neon blare of my iPhone. All the pieces nonetheless works, however the refresh fee is sluggish, so you’ll be able to’t comfortably watch Reels or pace scroll by way of Bluesky posts. Pages take a second to load and that small pause is typically sufficient to interrupt the spell most smartphones have over us.

After all, it additionally works nice as an ereader. You’ll be able to learn on any e-book reader app, like Kindle, Kobo, Libby, Google Play Books, Moon+ and so forth. The touchscreen response is correct, making web page turns fast and the backlight is heat for comfy studying. When you’re attempting out a scrolling weight loss plan, you might pair the Palma with a data-only plan — a few of which go for as little as $10 a month — and nonetheless keep considerably (however not overly) linked when you’re out and about. 

Display dimension: 6” | Show sort: Black/white E Ink | Decision: 300dpi | Capability: 32GB | Battery life: 12 weeks | Waterproof score: IPX8 | Heat mild: Sure, auto adjustable | Lock display advertisements: No| Textual content codecs: Kindle Format 8 (AZW3), Kindle (AZW), TXT, PDF, unprotected MOBI, PRC natively; PDF, DOCX, DOC, HTML, EPUB, TXT, RTF, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP by way of conversion

Learn our full Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition review

Once I reviewed the brand new Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition, 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 capable of 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 modifications 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 forged a beautiful glow throughout a display that’s a bit of bigger now at 7-inches (up from 6.8 final time). The battery life is longer, promising as much as 12 weeks (as an alternative of 10), that means you’ll not often 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 a complete bunch of audiobooks, you aren’t prone to run out of area too shortly. And at last, you get a wi-fi charging choice for the periodic events when it’s time for a refill. All of these options are good to have, although not obligatory — however for anybody who needs to learn ebooks in probably the most luxe manner attainable, the Signature mannequin is the one to go for.

If you would like an expertise that’s practically as deluxe, however don’t want the wi-fi charging, auto-adjusting lights and additional capability specs, the non-Signature Paperwhite remains to be noticeably extra premium than the usual Kindle, with a bigger display, ultra-crisp textual content and an opulent construct. Plus you continue to get entry to all of the perks that solely Kindles provide, like Goodreads integration, Kindle Unique titles, Kindle Limitless subscription books and Whispersync tech that strains up your audio and e-book reads so you’ll be able to swap between the 2 codecs. 

There’s additionally the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Kids, which is identical gadget, however comes with a canopy, an extended guarantee and a six-month subscription to Amazon Children+. 

Display dimension: 7” | Show sort: 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 mild: Sure | Lock display advertisements: No | Textual content codecs: EPUB, EPUB3, FlePub, PDF, MOBI, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, TIFF, TXT, HTML, RTF, CBZ, CBR

When Kobo got here out with the brand new Clara Color, it additionally debuted the new Libra Colour, which is perhaps the extra thrilling of the 2 gadgets. 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 record with that characteristic, making it loads like a small E Ink tablet — however all of its new options truly make it a greater ereader.

Once 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 gadget 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 sort of 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 mild 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, guide covers all look extra attractive — although, in case your TBR record is already three ft lengthy, this received’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 may, some new applied sciences don’t yet beat their real-world counterparts. That’s largely how I really feel about styluses — I’m only a large fan of pen on paper. However Kobo’s stylus makes it so enjoyable to spotlight textual content and scribble notes within the margins of a guide 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 after I was attempting to jot down, however I bought used to the position after a couple of minutes of utilizing it. You’ll be able to decide from 4 totally different highlighter colours and examine your written notes and spotlighted textual content within the notes part of any title — which I might see being fairly helpful for guide membership reads, college assignments or simply refreshing your self on a previous learn earlier than you dive into the sequel.

Word-taking within the margins or immediately on the textual content labored on each guide I attempted. Although I ought to level out that should you change the font dimension in a guide, your handwritten notes shall be transformed to a sticky note-type field. Going again to the unique font restores your unique annotations.

The Kobo Libra Color is $30 costlier than the Libra 2, however you get loads for $220. If it have been simply an ereader, the stunning colours, responsive studying expertise, quick web page turns and simple highlights would make it well worth the worth. 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.

After all, the stylus prices further and also you received’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 lately updated (and hottest) stylus-enabled ereader the Amazon Kindle Scribe. It is also cheaper than Kobo’s personal 10-inch mannequin, the Elipsa 2E. The Scribe has a, 10.2-inch display and the Elipsa 2E has a ten.3-inch display. That is a pleasant dimension for writing however, for me, is a bit of large for an ereader. The Libra Color however has simply the correct options on the proper dimension, plus some extras that stretch its usefulness. Amazon used to have an ereader with buttons within the Kindle Oasis, however that mannequin has been discontinued. 

Display dimension: 7” | Show sort: Black/white and colour E Ink | Decision: 300 dpi black & white, 150 dpi colour | Capability: 64GB | Battery life: Weeks | Waterproof score: splash-resistant | Heat mild: Sure | Lock display advertisements: No | Textual content codecs: PDF, CAJ, DJVU, CBR, CBZ, EPUB, EPUB3, AZW3, MOBI, TXT, DOC, DOCX, FB2, CHM, RTF, HTML, ZIP, PRC, PPT, PPTX, PNG, JPG, BMP, TIFF

Colour E Ink screens are the “new” factor in ereaders — though the tech has been commercially out there since around 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 common consumption. Now Boox, Kobo and, at last, Amazon all have fashions with colour screens.

The Boox Go Color 7 (out there from Amazon and Boox) is a pure option to supplant our earlier winner on this class, the Boox Web page. The Go Colour 7 not solely provides colour, it additionally comes with double the storage capability, an additional gig of RAM and ships with Android 12. The again is now textured as an alternative of slick, an improve my accident-prone fingers are grateful for, and the processor is quicker too, going from a 2.0Ghz octa core CPU to a 2.4Ghz chip. This all comes on the similar $250 record worth because the Web page. 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 obligatory.

Because the Go Colour 7 runs on a fork of Android 12, it acts extra like a pill than a standard ereader. Like all Boox gadgets, this method is finest suited to the tech-savvy. Not like a Kindle or Kobo, which come preconfigured with a retailer to purchase books, in addition to straightforward borrowing out of your native library system, Boox ereaders provide 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, extra possible, you’ll learn on a third-party ereader app like Kobo, Kindle, Libby and others, which you’ll obtain 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. Nevertheless it solely handles DRM-free ePub recordsdata from websites like Undertaking 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 distinct app. Sarcastically, I’ve been utilizing the ereader app from PocketBook (a rival firm) to learn the DRM ePubs I buy from third events.

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

The expertise is enhanced with a delicate, adjustable entrance mild 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 seen the distinction after I set comparable ereaders side-by-side and, actually, it’s the distinction between a tremendous duper crisp display and solely an excellent crisp display.

The delicate and muted colours have a saturated appear like watercolors or outdated comedian guide illustrations. Evaluating the identical guide 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.