The most effective ereaders for 2025

Display screen measurement: 6” | Show kind: Black/white and shade E Ink | Decision: 300 dpi black & white, 150 dpi shade | Capability: 16GB| Battery life: As much as 42 days (30 min. every day, 30% brightness, Wi-Fi/BT off) | Waterproof ranking: IPX8 (submergible to six ft for 60 minutes) | Heat mild: Sure | Lock display screen adverts: 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 choose 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-proof design that felt premium. When Rakuten introduced the Clara can be up to date, I anxious we’d see Kobo gadget with superfluous revamping to justify an inflated value. Fortunately, that’s not the case. The Kobo Clara Colour not solely provides shade and a quicker processor, it’s simply $10 greater than the earlier era.

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

Full-color pages remind me of comedian e-book artwork from the ‘60s, muted however saturated. Colour makes e-book covers extra engaging and provides somewhat selection to headings, and tables in some non-fiction books. It’s definitely not a mandatory characteristic, however it provides vibrance and it’s enjoyable. 

There’s a slight distinction in readability between the colour and non-color model of the Clara. For those who look carefully, you’ll be able to see a little bit of noise on the white elements of the web page. That is as a result of added shade filter layer. It isn’t distracting and solely one thing I observed when evaluating the 2 generations side-by-side. but when absolute readability is your major objective, you could 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 velocity 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 hardly ever errors a swipe for a faucet or a web page flip gesture for a menu request.

The adjustable heat entrance mild continues to be right here (it’s really somewhat hotter on the Color) and makes studying at evening straightforward on the eyes. The working system is similar, with intuitive entry to the Kobo retailer, your private books and titles out of your native library through 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 method to save a gaggle 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 sort of 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 screen 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 adverts (which value $20 to do away with on Amazon’s gadget) make it value it. And, in nice information for the right to repair crowd, it’s even designed to be user-repaired as soon as it falls outdoors of guarantee by means of a partnership with iFixit. 

Rakuten nonetheless makes the Kobo Clara BW, which is sort of equivalent to our earlier “greatest general” choose. It does not endure from the slight readability loss that the colour overlay presents, however it additionally nonetheless has the older processor.   

After all, should you already personal a mountain of Kindle books, you could wish to keep on with Amazon’s system. In that case, the very best Kindle is Amazon’s Kindle Paperwhite. It prices $160 and was not too long ago 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 screen feels premium. Another consideration, now that Amazon now has its personal shade mannequin too, is the Colorsoft, however at $280, it’s considerably costlier than the Clara Color and even the Paperwhite Signature Edition.

Display screen measurement: 6” | Show kind: Black/white E Ink | Decision: 300dpi | Capability: 16GB | Battery life: 6 weeks | Waterproof ranking: None | Heat mild: No | Lock display screen adverts: 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 means of conversion

For those who simply wish to learn books, and don’t have any want for the perks that the fancier ereaders carry (shade, waterproof ranking, 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 checklist, 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, however it’s nonetheless the most affordable ereader from any of the most important producers. And if we all know one factor about Amazon, it’s that the corporate loves a great sale, so that you’ll probably 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 very best 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 gives the widest collection 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 means of a Kindle gadget or Amazon-owned app.

For those who like to change between audiobooks and ebooks, Kindle is the way in which to go. Once you purchase each iterations of a title, you not solely get a reduction, however the Whispersync characteristic traces up the place you might be within the e-printed model with the narration, too. Say you hear for an hour after which wish to learn – the synchronization permits you to choose up on-screen the place you left off audibly. (Although we should always level out which you could’t hear and skim concurrently on the identical gadget.) In checks, 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 disenchanted that there’s nonetheless no method 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 continuously lacking it and going ahead as an alternative. Although swipes typically work nicely.

In all probability essentially the most noticeable lacking characteristic is the 6-inch display screen’s lack of heat mild. In comparison with any ereader with that choice, the display screen on the usual Kindle seems harsh and bluish, however it’s nonetheless far simpler in your eyes than a telephone or pill display screen. 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 supplied by different gadgets. 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 screen adverts that come commonplace on this Kindle (until you pay $20 to take away them). They’re pretty innocuous, principally 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 screen to the e-book cowl of what I’m at the moment studying, however it’s straightforward to recover from that if all you need is a extra handy method to eat books on the lowest value.

Display screen measurement: 7” | Show kind: Black/white and shade E Ink | Decision: 300 dpi black & white, 150 dpi shade | Capability: 32GB | Battery life: Weeks | Waterproof ranking: IPX8 (submergible to six ft for 60 minutes) | Heat mild: Sure | Lock display screen adverts: 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 could be the extra thrilling of the 2 gadgets. Along with shade expertise from the E Ink Kaleido panel and an upgraded processor, the Libra now has stylus help. It’s the one ereader on this checklist with that characteristic, making it quite a bit like a small E Ink tablet — however all of its new options really 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 snug it was for studying. None of that has modified; the buttons and auto-rotating display screen adapt the gadget to only 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 shade, e-book covers all look extra engaging — although, in case your TBR checklist 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. Attempt as they may, some new applied sciences don’t yet beat their real-world counterparts. That’s principally 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 facet so it doesn’t get misplaced.

Urgent and holding the button on the facet of the stylus highlights textual content whereas flipping it round erases. I by chance pressed the button a number of instances after I was attempting to jot down, however I received used to the location after a couple of minutes of utilizing it. You possibly can choose from 4 totally different highlighter colours and look at your written notes and spotlighted textual content within the notes part of any title — which I may see being fairly helpful for e-book membership reads, faculty assignments or simply refreshing your self on a previous learn earlier than you dive into the sequel.

Writing within the margins or immediately 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 shall be transformed to a sticky note-type field. Going again to the unique font restores your unique scribbles.

The Kobo Libra Color is $30 costlier than the Libra 2, however you get quite a bit for $220. If it had been simply an ereader, the stunning colours, responsive studying expertise, quick web page turns and simple 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.

After all, 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 not too long ago 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 screen and the Elipsa 2E has a ten.3-inch display screen. That is a pleasant measurement for writing however, for me, is somewhat massive for an ereader. The Libra Color then again has simply the proper 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 ranking: IPX8 | Heat mild: Sure, auto adjustable | Lock display screen adverts: 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 means of conversion

Learn our full Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition review

After I reviewed the brand new Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition, I used to be struck by the elevated studying expertise it supplied. 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 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 screen that’s somewhat 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), which 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 area too rapidly. And eventually, 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 mandatory — however for anybody who desires to learn ebooks in essentially the most luxe means potential, the Signature mannequin is the one to go for.

In order for you an expertise that’s almost as deluxe, however don’t want the wi-fi charging, auto-adjusting lights and further capability specs, the non-Signature Paperwhite continues to be noticeably extra premium than the usual Kindle, with a bigger display screen, ultra-crisp textual content and an expensive construct. Plus you continue to get 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 e book reads so you’ll be able to swap between the 2 codecs. 

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

Display screen measurement: 7” | Show kind: Black/white and shade E Ink | Decision: 300 dpi black & white, 150 dpi shade | Capability: 64GB | Battery life: Weeks | Waterproof ranking: splash-resistant | Heat mild: Sure | Lock display screen adverts: 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 — regardless that the tech has been commercially obtainable since around 2010. E Ink introduced its Kaleido 3 show in 2022, and with the proper mixture of shade saturation and readability, it’s now interesting sufficient for normal consumption. Now Boox, Kobo and, at last, Amazon all have fashions with shade screens.

The Boox Go Color 7 (obtainable 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 shade, 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 checklist value 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 mandatory.

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 greatest fitted 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 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, extra probably, 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 great quantity of management over the look of the textual content. But it surely solely handles DRM-free ePub information from websites like Venture 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 Sequence readers are impressively customizable, with programmable buttons and fine-tunable settings. Boox users have created APK information 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 excess of a typical ereader can, should you’re keen to experiment.

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

The tender and muted colours have a saturated appear 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 excess of simply carry your books round.

Display screen measurement: 6.13” | Decision: 300 dpi | Capability: 128GB | Water-proof: Sure, splashes and spills | Heat mild: Sure | Lock display screen adverts: 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 has the widest vary of codecs of any ereader firm I’ve examined — and the Boox Palma is essentially the most enjoyable. It’s the identical measurement and form as a smartphone and, in lots of methods, it acts like one, too. The house display screen is a muted black-and-white model of what you would possibly discover on an ordinary Android telephone — you’ll be able to even add widgets. Like most Boox gadgets, it may obtain and run apps from the Google Play Retailer and has audio system to play music and movies. The E Ink display screen (a Carta 1200) renders textual content crisply, however photos, significantly shifting ones, look grainier and rougher than they might on an actual telephone’s LCD or OLED display screen. That stated, the video high quality is the very best I’ve seen on an E Ink display screen, due to a software program enchancment Boox calls Tremendous Refresh Know-how.

The newest era of the Palma provides an upgraded processor, a fingerprint unlock button and ships with Android 13, all of which ought to make it much more succesful. However make no mistake, it’s not going to switch your telephone. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are the one connectivity and the 16MP digicam is only for making doc scans you’ll be able to convert to PDFs. However the phone-like construct is comfortingly acquainted and the E Ink display screen is gorgeous to learn. At $280, it’s costlier than an ordinary ereader — and even some E Ink tablets — however it’s a extremely moveable method to learn Kindle, Kobo, Google Books and different ePubs, whereas additionally dealing with easy video games and apps like a smartphone. For those who’re sick of the glow of your handset, the Boox Palma is an enthralling various.