The Best E-Readers For Everyone in 2023
In our ever-connected world, where digital distractions are abundant, it’s easy to forget the simple pleasure of curling up with a good book. But e-readers offer a path back to that serene experience, allowing you to delve into stories without the interruptions of notifications and social media pings. E-readers offer a book-like reading experience with less eye strain and fewer distractions. They allow you to cram a library’s worth of books in your pocket and can be a perfect companion for those seeking a more immersive and calming reading experience.
This guide will navigate you through the best e-readers available for various needs and budgets, from the Kindle Paperwhite to lesser-known rivals like the Pocketbook Era.
What I’m looking for in an e-reader:
- Comfort: A compelling reading experience hinges on a sharp display, relatively fast performance, and a size and weight that fits your hand comfortably.
- Build quality: Features like waterproofing allow you to read anywhere, while physical page-turning buttons enhance the intuitive feel of the device.
- Supported content types: Easy and direct access to a wide selection of digital titles, including audiobooks and various file formats, is crucial.
- Affordability: The price should reflect the features and performance the e-reader offers.
The best Kindle:
Kindle Paperwhite (11th Generation)
- Price: $150
- Key Features: 6.8-inch E Ink display, adjustable color temperature, fast processor, months-long battery life, IPX8 waterproofing, USB-C port.
If you predominantly buy ebooks from Amazon, the Kindle Paperwhite is the ideal choice. It offers a large 300ppi display for crisp and clear text and an adjustable warm frontlight, ideal for promoting better sleep by reducing blue light. The 11th-generation Paperwhite boasts an even faster processor, longer-lasting battery life, and IPX8 waterproofing, meaning you can read in the bathtub or by the pool worry-free.
The Paperwhite’s adjustable warm frontlight sets it apart from the cheaper base model Kindle, which only offers a cool white light. Additionally, the $189.99 Signature Edition Paperwhite features wireless charging, a rare feature in the e-reader market, along with auto-adjusting frontlight and no lockscreen ads.
Amazon’s dominance of the US ebook market gives Kindle owners a significant advantage. Amazon’s robust ecosystem offers easy access to numerous ebooks and audiobooks, often at discounted prices. Prime members receive even more free content through Prime Reading. While rivals like Kobo offer sales, Amazon’s deep discounts remain unmatched.
However, Kindle’s closed ecosystem comes with some drawbacks:
- Lockscreen Ads: The Paperwhite comes with lockscreen ads unless you pay an additional $20 to remove them.
- One-Handed Use: The Paperwhite’s size makes it too large for comfortable one-handed holding.
- Limited File Support: The Paperwhite, along with all Kindles except Fire Tablets, faces difficulty reading books purchased outside of Amazon’s store due to its proprietary ebook formats. The Kindle doesn’t support EPUB files, a widely used open file format. While workarounds exist, they require extra steps and effort.
The best non-Amazon ebook reader:
Kobo Libra Colour
- Price: $220
- Key Features: 7-inch E Ink display with Kaledio Colour technology, physical page-turning buttons, IPX8 waterproofing, compatibility with Kobo Stylus 2, Bluetooth audio support.
The Kobo Libra Colour is a formidable competitor to Amazon’s offerings, especially for users outside the US or those avoiding Amazon’s ecosystem. It boasts many features found on the Kindle Paperwhite, including waterproofing, USB-C support, and a 300ppi display, but with additional perks that enhance its usability and enjoyment.
The Kaledio Colour technology is a standout feature. While not as sharp in color as traditional LED tablets, it offers muted, pastel-like hues that pop even in direct sunlight. This makes the Libra Colour ideal for viewing a broader range of content, including book covers and even comics.
The Kobo Libra Colour also includes physical page-turning buttons for a more intuitive reading experience. It supports a wider array of file formats, including EPUB files, making it easier to borrow books from Overdrive and read articles offline through the Pocket app.
Beyond reading, the Kobo Libra Colour stands out for its note-taking capabilities. The e-reader offers compatibility with the Kobo Stylus 2, allowing you to highlight text with color, take notes with the integrated notebooks, and utilize advanced features like solving math equations and converting handwriting to typed text. This makes the Libra Colour a versatile tool for students and anyone seeking a digital notebook experience.
However, the Libra Colour’s higher price point and limited compatibility with Amazon’s ecosystem should be considered:
- Price Gap: At $219.99, the Libra Colour is $70 more expensive than the base Paperwhite, and an additional $69.99 for the Kobo Stylus 2 is required for advanced note-taking features.
- Kindle Ecosystem: It lacks seamless integration with Amazon’s massive ebook library. While it is possible to convert file formats to read Kindle books, the process can be cumbersome and time-consuming.
The best cheap ebook reader:
Kindle (10th Generation)
- Price: $100
- Key Features: 6-inch E Ink display, 300ppi resolution, USB-C support, Bluetooth audio support.
For those seeking an affordable e-reader without compromising on display quality, the basic Kindle is the best option. At $99.99, it offers a razor-sharp 300ppi display for crisp text and comes equipped with USB-C support for fast charging.
While the smaller six-inch screen may feel cramped compared to larger models, its compact size is its strength. The Kindle is incredibly portable, light, and ideal for small hands. This makes it a fantastic choice for children, especially when paired with the Kindle Kids version ($120), which offers ad-free reading, parental controls, a two-year warranty, and one year of free access to Amazon Kids Plus, with thousands of children’s books and audiobooks.
The basic Kindle lacks the physical page-turning buttons found on Barnes & Noble’s Nook GlowLight 4e but offers a significant advantage in speed and responsiveness.
However, the basic Kindle comes with compromises, including:
- No Waterproofing: It lacks the waterproofing feature found on the Paperwhite.
- Shorter Battery Life: While the battery is good, it only lasts for three weeks, not months like the Paperwhite.
- Amazon Ecosystem: It remains locked into the Amazon ecosystem, and lockscreen ads are present unless you pay extra to remove them.
The best ebook reader for taking notes:
Kobo Elipsa 2E
- Price: $400
- Key Features: 10.3-inch E Ink display, 227ppi resolution, magnetic stylus, handwriting to text conversion, Bluetooth audio support.
For those who value note-taking as much as reading, the Kobo Elipsa 2E stands out. It allows you to directly write on pages, with notes remaining visible, offering a more intuitive experience than the Kindle Scribe.
The Elipsa 2E surpasses its main competitor, the Kindle Scribe, with its advanced handwriting to text conversion capabilities available both within notebooks and while exporting notes. It also offers features like solving math equations and inserting diagrams, enhancing its usefulness for students and professionals.
The Elipsa 2E holds an advantage over the Onyx Boox Note Air 2 Plus due to its lower price point, wider availability, and cleaner focus. The Elipsa 2E is also a solid e-reader with support for diverse file formats. However, its 227ppi display is slightly less sharp than the 300ppi screens found on the Kindle Scribe and Kobo Libra Colour.
E-Readers that Didn’t Make the Cut, But Are Still Worth Mentioning:
- Kobo Clara Colour: A more affordable alternative to the Libra Colour, the Kobo Clara Colour offers a six-inch E Ink display with colour technology and IPX8 waterproofing. It lacks the physical buttons and stylus support of the Libra Colour, but its significantly cheaper price tag makes it a valuable option.
- Nook Glowlight 4 Plus: For users invested in Barnes & Nobel’s digital book collection, the Nook Glowlight 4 Plus offers a 300ppi display, waterproofing, physical page-turning buttons, and even a headphone jack. However, its slower speed and occasional screen freezes make it less appealing than the Kobo Libra Colour.
- Kindle Oasis: While once a high-end Kindle model featuring physical page-turning buttons and a larger screen, Amazon has discontinued the Kindle Oasis. It lacks certain features offered by the base model, such as USB-C, and its price tag of $249.99 makes it less competitive.
Conclusion:
Choosing the right e-reader depends on individual needs and preferences. Amazon’s Kindles offer unbeatable ebook access and affordability, but their closed ecosystem might be a limiting factor for some. Kobo provides a more open platform, offering a wider file format compatibility and superior note-taking features, but comes at a higher price. Ultimately, your choice should reflect your reading habits, budget, and desired features.
Whether you seek a simple and affordable option like the Kindle or a more advanced note-taking device like the Kobo Elipsa 2E, there’s an e-reader out there that will allow you to rediscover the joy of reading with a more serene and immersive experience.