The most effective ereaders for 2025

Display screen dimension: 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. each day, 30% brightness, Wi-Fi/BT off) | Waterproof score: 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 Color evaluation

Our earlier choose 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 can be up to date, I apprehensive we’d see Kobo system with superfluous revamping to justify an inflated value. Fortunately, that’s not the case. The Kobo Clara Color not solely provides shade and a sooner processor, it’s simply $10 greater than the earlier era.

Because the title suggests, this ereader provides shade to the web page, lending slightly 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 comes with a shade filter layer on prime of the usual black and white microcapsule layer. That leads to two completely different resolutions on one display screen: 150 dpi for shade and 300 dpi for textual content.

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

There’s a slight distinction in readability between the colour and non-color model of the Clara. Should 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 shade 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 main aim, you could be higher off with a non-color ereader.

Most likely 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 almost 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 slightly hotter on the Color) and makes studying at evening simple 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’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 technique 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 almost similar 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 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 price $20 to eliminate on Amazon’s system) make it value it. And, in nice information for the appropriate to restore crowd, it’s even designed to be user-repaired as soon as it falls exterior of guarantee via a partnership with iFixit. 

Rakuten nonetheless makes the Kobo Clara BW, which is almost similar to our earlier “finest total” choose. It does not endure from the slight readability loss that the colour overlay presents, nevertheless it additionally nonetheless has the older processor.   

In fact, if you happen to already personal a mountain of Kindle books, you could need to keep on with Amazon’s system. In that case, one of the best 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 screen feels premium. Yet another consideration, now that Amazon now has its personal shade mannequin too, is the Colorsoft, however at $280, it’s considerably dearer than the Clara Color and even the Paperwhite Signature Version.

Display screen dimension: 6” | Show kind: Black/white E Ink | Decision: 300dpi | Capability: 16GB | Battery life: 6 weeks | Waterproof score: 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 via conversion

Should you simply need to learn books, and don’t have any want for the perks that the fancier ereaders carry (shade, waterproof score, heat mild, and so forth), 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, nevertheless it’s nonetheless the most cost effective 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 possible discover it on low cost if you happen to can maintain out for Prime Day or Black Friday offers.

The reader is a no-frills gateway to one of the best of what the Kindle ecosystem has to supply, together with Kindle Unique titles, with books by established authors in addition to newer, self-published writers; Kindle Limitless presents 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 via a Kindle system or Amazon-owned app.

Should you like to modify between audiobooks and ebooks, Kindle is the way in which to go. While you purchase each iterations of a title, you not solely get a reduction, however the Whispersync function 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 need to learn – the synchronization permits you to choose up on-screen the place you left off audibly. (Although we must always level out that you may’t pay attention and skim concurrently on the identical system.) In assessments, 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 technique to modify the zones and responses to touchscreen gestures, like there’s 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 continuously lacking it and going ahead as an alternative. Although swipes usually work nicely.

Most likely probably the most noticeable lacking function is the 6-inch display screen’s lack of heat mild. In comparison with any ereader with that possibility, the display screen on the usual Kindle seems harsh and bluish, nevertheless it’s nonetheless far simpler in your eyes than a cellphone or pill display screen. 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 provided by different units. I created one with bigger textual content and wider line spacing known as “drained eyes.”

Some folks gained’t be bothered by the lock display screen adverts that come customary on this Kindle (until you pay $20 to take away them). They’re pretty innocuous, principally 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 screen to the guide cowl of what I’m presently studying, nevertheless it’s simple to recover from that if all you need is a extra handy technique to devour books on the lowest value.

Display screen dimension: 7” | Show kind: Black/white and shade E Ink | Decision: 300 dpi black & white, 150 dpi shade | Capability: 32GB | Battery life: Weeks | Waterproof score: 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 brand new Libra Color, which may be the extra thrilling of the 2 units. Along with shade 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 checklist with that function, making it lots 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 snug it was for studying. None of that has modified; the buttons and auto-rotating display screen adapt the system 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 mild and textual content allow you to get the web page wanting 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, guide covers all look extra attractive — 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. Strive as they could, some new applied sciences don’t but beat their real-world counterparts. That’s principally how I really feel about styluses — I’m only a huge 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 chance pressed the button a couple of occasions once I was attempting to put in writing, however I obtained used to the position after a couple of minutes of utilizing it. You’ll be able to choose from 4 completely different highlighter colours and examine your written notes and spotlighted textual content within the notes part of any title — which I may 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.

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

The Kobo Libra Color is $30 dearer than the Libra 2, however you get lots for $220. If it had been simply an ereader, the stunning 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 lately up to date (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 dimension for writing however, for me, is slightly huge for an ereader. The Libra Color alternatively has simply the appropriate options on the proper dimension, plus some extras that stretch its usefulness.

Display screen dimension: 6” | Show kind: Black/white E Ink | Decision: 300dpi | Capability: 32GB | Battery life: 12 weeks | Waterproof score: 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 via conversion

Learn our full Kindle Paperwhite Signature Version evaluation

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 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 sooner 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 forged a stunning glow throughout a display screen that’s slightly 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 if you happen to obtain an entire bunch of audiobooks, you aren’t prone to run out of area too rapidly. And at last, 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 mandatory — however for anybody who desires to learn ebooks in probably the most luxe approach doable, the Signature mannequin is the one to go for.

If you need 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 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 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 Children, which is similar gadget, however comes with a canopy, an extended guarantee and a six-month subscription to Amazon Children+. 

Display screen dimension: 7” | Show kind: Black/white and shade E Ink | Decision: 300 dpi black & white, 150 dpi shade | Capability: 64GB | Battery life: Weeks | Waterproof score: 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

Shade E Ink screens are the “new” factor in ereaders — regardless that the tech has been commercially accessible since round 2010. E Ink introduced its Kaleido 3 show in 2022, and with the appropriate mixture of shade saturation and readability, it’s now interesting sufficient for normal consumption. Now Boox, Kobo and, eventually, Amazon all have fashions with shade screens.

The Boox Go Shade 7 (accessible from Amazon and Boox) is a pure option to supplant our earlier winner on this class, the Boox Web page. The Go Shade 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 Shade 7 runs on a fork of Android 12, it acts 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 to purchase books, in addition to simple 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 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 great quantity of management over the look of the textual content. Nevertheless it solely handles DRM-free ePub recordsdata from websites like Mission 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 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 customers have created APK recordsdata to tweak and enhance the expertise additional. The system even has a microphone and audio system, and may run apps like Spotify. Briefly, the Go Shade 7 can do way over a typical ereader can, if you happen to’re keen 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 screen is lush and detailed. Like all shade ereaders, you do surrender 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 tremendous duper crisp display screen and solely a brilliant crisp display screen.

The delicate and muted colours have a saturated appear to be 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 if you happen to want an ereader that may do way over simply carry your books round.

Display screen dimension: 6.13” | Decision: 300 dpi | Capability: 128GB | Water-resistant: 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 probably the most enjoyable. It’s the identical dimension and form as a smartphone and, in a variety 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 cellphone — you’ll be able to even add widgets. Like most Boox units, it might 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 pictures, notably shifting ones, look grainier and rougher than they’d on an actual cellphone’s LCD or OLED display screen. That stated, the video high quality is one of the best I’ve seen on an E Ink display screen, due to a software program enchancment Boox calls Tremendous Refresh Expertise.

The most recent 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 exchange your cellphone. 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 beautiful to learn. At $280, it’s dearer than an ordinary ereader — and even some E Ink tablets — nevertheless it’s a extremely transportable technique to learn Kindle, Kobo, Google Books and different ePubs, whereas additionally dealing with easy video games and apps like a smartphone. Should you’re sick of the glow of your handset, the Boox Palma is an enthralling different.