The best e-reader for 2024: Is it an Amazon Kindle — or maybe something else?

Weight: 7.2 ounces | Screen size and resolution: 6.8 inches, 300 PPI | Water resistance: IPX8 | Rated battery life: 10 weeks | Ecosystem: Amazon | Storage: 16GB | Supports audiobooks: Yes

It's hard to argue with success. Amazon all but pioneered the e-reader, and this model — the 11th-generation Paperwhite, if you can believe that — approaches perfection. Great design, great screen, plenty of storage and Amazon's virtually unrivaled bookstore, all for a very reasonable $150.

There's no larger e-bookstore than the one Amazon hosts for the Kindle; you can find pretty much anything and everything, from bestsellers to self-published works to all that lives in between. As with print books, Amazon often discounts Kindle titles.

Meanwhile, an optional Kindle Unlimited subscription ($12 monthly, with a free three-month trial included here) affords access to a sizable collection of e-books, audiobooks, magazines and more. Even better, you can check out public-library books (for free, of course, courtesy of the Libby app) and read them on your Kindle as well. (Alas, you have to do this off-device; the Kindle doesn't integrate with Libby the way Kobo's e-readers do.)

I like the Paperwhite's 6.8-inch screen, which strikes me as just about the ideal size for comfortable reading — and doesn't make the device itself too heavy to hold for long stretches. You can manually adjust screen brightness to your liking, but there's also an auto-adjust option that will dim or brighten the display depending on ambient lighting conditions.

If you often read at bedtime, you'll appreciate the "warmth" slider as well; it shifts the white cast of the screen to a more evening-friendly amber. Or you can switch to Dark Mode, which turns the background black and makes the text white. (This is my preferred mode for reading in bed with the lights off.)

Why the Paperwhite over the baseline Kindle, which costs $50 less? That's an excellent choice as well (and it's our favorite budget e-reader, as you'll see below), but ultimately I chose the Paperwhite due to its larger screen and flush-front design, which makes page-turn swipes just a little more comfortable. (Even so, I miss having physical page-turn buttons. Amazon no longer offers even one Kindle model that has them.)

The Paperwhite is also waterproof, an important consideration for those who like to read poolside or in the tub. Finally, Amazon promises up to 10 weeks of battery life, a huge boost over the stock Kindle's six weeks (which, of course, ain't bad either). You'll cruise through an awful lot of books before needing to even look at a charging cable.

I'm still waiting for Amazon to add some basic library-organization tools to the Kindle ecosystem, and maybe streamline the overall UI as well. Even so, after all these years I'm used to it and comfortable with it, so those are just wish-list items at this point.

Ultimately, the Kindle Paperwhite was a pretty easy pick as our top e-reader overall. It already has legions of fans, and it's easy to see why.

Weight: 5.5 ounces | Screen size and resolution: 6 inches, 300 PPI | Water resistance: None | Rated battery life: 6 weeks | Ecosystem: Amazon | Storage: 16GB | Supports audiobooks: Yes

I came very, very close to naming the baseline Kindle our top pick overall, because it's less expensive than the Paperwhite but just as capable. The Kindle ecosystem, the optional Unlimited subscription, the Libby library compatibility — it's all here. Only a few relatively minor features separate this model from the Paperwhite.

For starters, it's a bit smaller and lighter, which might actually be preferable for some users. Of course, that means a slightly smaller battery as well, though a rated battery of life of six weeks (instead of 10) is hardly a deal breaker. Quite the opposite: It's splendid.

Unlike the Paperwhite's, this Kindle's screen doesn't sit flush with the plastic bezel surrounding it, meaning that when you swipe to turn pages, your finger often grazes that bezel. Ideal? No. More than a tiny annoyance? Also no.

This model has a less robust internal lighting system than the Paperwhite — four LEDs versus 17 on the pricier model — but that had less real-world impact than I had expected when reading in low-light environments. 

Arguably the only real shortcoming here is a lack of waterproofing, something to consider if you like to read near — or in — water. Assuming that's not of importance to you, this Kindle is an excellent choice.

To learn more, read my complete Amazon Kindle 11th Generation review.

Weight: 6.1 ounces | Screen size and resolution: 6 inches, 300 PPI (150 PPI color) | Water resistance: IPX8 | Rated battery life: 5 weeks | Ecosystem: Kobo | Storage: 16GB | Supports audiobooks: Yes

As a longtime Kindle user, I didn't think I could be swayed by a non-Kindle e-reader. I was wrong — very, very wrong. The Kobo Clara Color impressed me at every turn, to the point where if I didn't already have such a substantial Kindle library, I'd give serious consideration to switching.

Why? For starters, I like the interface better. It's streamlined and intuitive; I immediately felt comfortable using it. If someone were brand-new to e-readers and not particularly tech-savvy, I'd steer them to a Kobo over a Kindle.

Then, of course, there's the color screen. Is color really necessary in an e-reader? I'd say it's simply nice to have, especially for browsing book covers or reading books or PDFs that have color photos or illustrations. (Think: cookbooks.)

Just remember that this isn't the same screen technology used by phones and tablets; color e-ink looks quite muted in comparison. The Clara isn't great for the likes of magazines and comic books (which I find too cramped on a screen of this size anyway), especially considering the color content is rendered at a slightly fuzzy 150 PPI, half the resolution of grayscale content.

The good news is that with the front-light active, the screen actually appears brighter and whiter than the Kindle Paperwhite's; the latter seems gray and a little drab when viewed alongside it.

One huge Kobo plus is OverDrive integration: If there's an e-book available for checkout from your library, you can borrow it directly via the Clara. Compare that with the Kindle, where you need to take the extra step of checking out the book using the Libby library app on your phone or PC. (Note: Although OverDrive now operates as Libby, Kobo still employs the former's nomenclature. According to a company rep, users will still be able to able to check out library books, name discrepancy notwithstanding.)

I was also pleased to find integrated Pocket, a "web clipping" service I've long used to save articles for later reading — usually on my phone. It's great to have the option of reading them here as well.

All that's missing is Hoopla, the library e-book and audiobook service I use almost as often as Libby. I was briefly hopeful the Clara's web browser — currently available in the Beta Features section — would give me access, but the Hoopla site simply wouldn't load properly. (For what it's worth, the Kindle's browser can't load it, either.)

That aside, I think the only real downside here is the Kobo bookstore, which, perhaps unsurprisingly, has fewer selections than Amazon's Kindle store. That's in part due to the latter's robust exclusives and indie-publishing arms. For example, if you're looking for current sensation Freida McFadden, you won't find her e-books on Kobo. (Her audiobooks are there, though.) And because Kobo's store draws considerably less user traffic, there are fewer book ratings and reviews.

It's worth noting that you can get the Kobo Clara BW for $30 less. Save for its black-and-white screen, it's identical — and another excellent budget e-reader choice. But while the Clara Colour's color may not be dazzling, for just a few bucks more it's definitely nice to have.

Weight: 7.1 ounces | Screen size and resolution: 7 inches, 300 PPI (150 PPI color) | Water resistance: IPX8 | Rated battery life: 5 weeks | Ecosystem: Kobo | Storage: 32GB | Supports audiobooks: Yes

Shots fired, Amazon. The Kobo Libra Colour brings not only a color screen to the e-reader wars but also physical page-turn buttons and an optional stylus. That means it challenges both the discontinued Kindle Oasis and the note-minded Kindle Scribe, respectively.

Speaking of the Oasis, the Libra's design is quite similar. Available in black or a snazzy off-white, it sports a slightly larger version of the Kobo Clara's color e-ink screen. (See the above review for my thoughts on color's importance — or lack thereof — in an e-reader.)

The Libra is comfortable to hold in just about any orientation, thanks in part to the thicker bezel along one side and the auto-rotating screen. Within that bezel are two roomy page-turn buttons, a feature that's hard to live without once you start using it. (Why Amazon no longer offers it on any Kindle is a mystery.)

As with the Clara BW and Colour, I like the fast, intuitive Kobo interface, particularly the built-in OverDrive and Pocket support. The Libra Colour goes a step further here by also integrating Dropbox and Google Drive, making it easy to access existing documents and sync new ones. 

The value of this device increases significantly if you add the Kobo Stylus 2 ($70). It's a comfortable metal pen with an inline function button, an "eraser" up top and magnets that securely snap it to the side of the reader. It allows you to create all manner of documents (to-do lists, sheet music, monthly planners, etc.), and to my surprise, the Libra can do basic OCR (optical character recognition): It will convert your handwritten notes to text. In my tests, it did surprisingly well recognizing my chicken scratch.

That puts it well ahead of the Kindle Scribe's comparatively limited OCR capabilities, but here's the real news: You can write notes directly on book pages. Underline a passage, draw an illustration, scribble in the margins, you name it. The Scribe doesn't allow that (except in a very limited number of books).

Granted, with the screen spanning just seven inches, you don't have a ton of room for all this writing. And while the stylus experience is fast and pleasant overall, the tip lacks that slight pencil-on-paper resistance you get writing on the Scribe.

That's a minor nit-pick, though. The reality is the Libra Colour is a more capable device than either the Paperwhite or Scribe. It simply shares the same limitation as the Claras: A bookstore with a smaller (though hardly small) catalog.

Given that Amazon doesn't even offer a color Kindle right now, there's no question this is the top pick if you want a color e-reader — especially one with robust note-taking capabilities as well. I like the Libra Colour a lot, and I'm damn close to loving it.

Weight: 6 ounces | Screen size and resolution: 6.1 inches, 300 PPI | Water resistance: Not rated | Rated battery life: Not provided | Ecosystem: Google Play | Storage: 128GB (expandable) | Supports audiobooks: Yes

Want the distraction-free e-ink goodness of a Kindle but the pocket-friendly form factor of a phone? That's the Boox Palma in a nutshell. It's so phone-like, in fact, it even runs a specialized version of Android 11, complete with Google Play Store access to apps like Kindle, Kobo, Audible, Hoopla, Libby and more. This is without question the most versatile e-reader in the roundup.

Just be prepared for a learning curve, starting with this: I couldn't figure out which of the two stand-alone side buttons was the power button. The included quick-start guide has only a few lines of actual instruction and print so tiny it all but mandates a magnifying glass. (Note: It's the right button; the left is a programmable custom-function button.) Thankfully, once you do power up, the OS walks you through basic setup — including the gestures used for navigation. But there's a lot to remember and a lot of settings to figure out.

For example, what's the difference between Dark Color Enhancement and Light Color Filter? (This is not a color screen, by the way.) Which of the four Refresh Modes should you choose? Even though I'm reasonably familiar with Android, I found the Palma rather confusing in places.

That said, once I installed my preferred reading and listening apps, everything was smooth sailing. It was nice to have access to Hoopla, Audible and the like on a device that wasn't my phone. I liked the additional right-side buttons that can be used for volume, scrolling or page-turning, and set independently for specific apps. (Example: volume for Audible, page-turning for Hoopla.) And I especially liked the built-in speaker, nice for those times you want to listen to an audiobook without headphones.

There's even a camera built in, though it's used primarily for document scanning. The Palma can convert pages to PDFs and even perform OCR (turning those pages into raw text). It works reasonably well, and it's definitely a feature not found in any Kindle.

What I struggle with here is the price. At $280, this costs more than anything in Amazon's Kindle lineup, despite having a smaller screen. Granted, it offers considerably more storage, a camera, an LED flashlight and so on, but I can't shake the feeling that this should be a sub-$200 device.

I also feel like if I'm going to carry something the size of my phone, maybe it should just be my phone. Nevertheless, I'm truly impressed by the Boox Palma, a slick and versatile e-reader that's uniquely portable.

Weight: 15.3 ounces | Screen size and resolution: 10.2 inches, 300 PPI | Water resistance: None | Rated battery life: 12 weeks | Ecosystem: Amazon | Storage: 16GB | Supports audiobooks: Yes

It may seem questionable to lump the Kindle Scribe in with other e-readers, because it's also a stylus-powered notetaking device. But if we're proceeding from the assumption that you prefer Amazon's ecosystem and want the largest possible screen for reading books, this is your Kindle.

As an e-reader the Scribe has much in common with the Kindle Paperwhite Special Edition, including automatic brightness adjustment and an adjustable "warm" light that tones down the whiteness of the screen in favor of a more evening-friendly amber cast.

It can also automatically rotate the screen when you turn it 180 degrees, nice for lefties who want to hold the thicker end of the bezel in their dominant hand. However, I wish it would auto-rotate 90 degrees as well for landscape, two-column reading. To get that view, you have to venture into any given book's layout settings.

I also wish Amazon had added page-turn buttons, which seem like a no-brainer in a premium e-reader. Alas, you either have to swipe with your finger or tap with the stylus.

The Scribe makes a particularly good choice for readers who have vision issues, as you can increase the font size significantly and still fit a decent amount of text onscreen. (Do that on a smaller Kindle and you're lucky to fit a few sentences at a time.)

There's a huge secondary benefit here as well, and that's the included plastic stylus that allows you to add handwritten notes to your books and create all manner of digital notebooks: lists, storyboards, monthly planners, sheet music and so on. The writing experience is superb; it really feels like putting pencil to paper, and all the Scribe's writing tools are pressure- and angle-sensitive: Lines get thicker when you press a little harder with the stylus or write at an angle.

Those are the broad, er, strokes. If you want to know more, read my complete Kindle Scribe review.