Choosing the best e reader for books can feel like a quest, given the excellent options available today. Whether you’re a casual reader or a dedicated bibliophile, finding the right device enhances your reading experience significantly.
This curated list aims to simplify your decision. We’ve gathered some of the top e-readers on the market, each offering unique features and catering to different preferences. You’ll find devices perfect for every budget and reading style.
From models designed for ultimate portability to those offering advanced note-taking capabilities, there’s an e-reader here for everyone. We’ll explore what makes each product stand out, helping you decide which one to purchase.
No matter if you prioritize screen quality, battery life, or access to vast digital libraries, this guide will help you discover your next favorite reading companion. Get ready to dive into the world of digital books with the ideal device.
Here are our picks for the best e reader for books available to buy on Amazon right now.
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1. Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (11th Gen)
The Amazon Kindle Paperwhite remains a perennial favorite for good reason. It strikes an excellent balance between features, quality, and price, making it a top contender for most readers. This product offers a truly immersive reading experience.
It boasts a 6.8-inch (17.3 cm) glare-free display, which feels much more like reading from actual paper. The adjustable warm light is a standout feature, allowing you to shift the screen tone from white to amber for comfortable reading at any time.
This e-reader is also waterproof (IPX8 rated), perfect for reading by the pool or in the bath without worry. Its impressive battery life lasts for weeks on a single charge, ensuring your stories are always ready when you are.
Perfect for: Most readers seeking a high-quality, versatile e-reader without breaking the bank. It’s an excellent choice for daily reading, travel, and even poolside relaxation. This device offers great value for its features.
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2. Amazon Kindle Oasis (10th Gen)
For those who desire a more premium reading experience, the Amazon Kindle Oasis stands out. This e-reader features a distinctive ergonomic design, making it incredibly comfortable to hold for extended periods. It’s a top-tier product.
Its 7-inch (17.8 cm) display offers the crispest resolution of any Kindle, ensuring text is incredibly sharp. Page turn buttons are a welcome addition, providing tactile feedback that many readers prefer over swiping the screen.
Like the Paperwhite, it also includes an adjustable warm light and is waterproof. The premium aluminum body gives it a luxurious feel, justifying its position as a high-end option. It’s built for durability and style.
Best for: Avid readers who appreciate premium design, physical page-turn buttons, and the best possible screen quality. If you want a truly luxurious reading device, this is a fantastic purchase.
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3. Amazon Kindle (11th Gen)
The standard Amazon Kindle provides an accessible entry point into the world of e-reading. It’s the most budget-friendly option in the Kindle lineup, yet it still delivers a solid performance for reading books. This review highlights its simplicity.
This model features a 6-inch (15.2 cm) high-resolution display, offering sharp text and clear images. Its compact size makes it incredibly portable, easily slipping into a bag or even a large pocket. It’s perfect for on-the-go reading.
With an improved battery life and a lighter design than previous basic models, it’s a reliable companion for daily commutes or casual reading. It also includes a built-in front light, which is a great feature at this price point.
If you want: A straightforward, affordable e-reader that gets the job done without unnecessary frills. It’s ideal for new e-reader users or those on a tighter budget who still want a quality Amazon device.
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4. Amazon Kindle Scribe
The Amazon Kindle Scribe redefines what an e-reader can be by integrating a full-featured digital notebook. This innovative device combines the joy of reading with the utility of writing, making it a unique product.
It sports a large 10.2-inch (25.9 cm) glare-free screen, providing ample space for both reading and note-taking. You can write directly on books, PDFs, and create journals or to-do lists with the included Basic or Premium Pen.
The Scribe is designed for those who love to annotate, sketch, or organize their thoughts digitally. Its E Ink display ensures a natural writing feel, much like pen on paper, offering a seamless experience.
Best for: Students, professionals, or anyone who enjoys taking notes, journaling, or marking up documents while reading. It’s a premium device for those seeking more than just a typical e-reader, offering incredible features.
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5. Kobo Clara 2E
The Kobo Clara 2E is an excellent choice for environmentally conscious readers. This compact e-reader is made with recycled plastic, showcasing Kobo’s commitment to sustainability. It offers a quality reading experience in a small package.
It features a 6-inch (15.2 cm) E Ink Carta 1200 HD touchscreen, providing crisp text and fast page turns. The ComfortLight PRO technology adjusts brightness and reduces blue light, ensuring comfortable reading day or night.
Waterproof up to 6.5 feet (2 meters) for 60 minutes, it’s ready for any adventure. With 16 GB of storage, it can hold thousands of books. It also supports audiobooks through Bluetooth, adding another dimension to your content.
Perfect for: Eco-conscious readers who want a portable, waterproof e-reader with excellent screen quality and audiobook support. This top device is a strong contender for the best e reader for books.
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6. Kobo Libra 2
The Kobo Libra 2 offers a fantastic balance of features, comfort, and screen size. It’s a versatile e-reader designed for extended reading sessions, making it a popular choice among Kobo users. This review highlights its ergonomic design.
Its 7-inch (17.8 cm) E Ink Carta 1200 HD screen provides a responsive and clear display. The ergonomic design includes physical page-turn buttons and an auto-rotating screen, allowing for comfortable left or right-handed use.
With 32 GB of storage, you’ll have plenty of room for your entire library and audiobooks, which it also supports via Bluetooth. Like other Kobo models, it’s waterproof, adding to its durability and appeal.
If you want: A comfortable, feature-rich e-reader with physical page-turn buttons and ample storage. It’s a mid-range option that delivers a premium feel and excellent performance for dedicated readers.
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7. Kobo Sage
For readers who appreciate a larger screen and a touch of versatility, the Kobo Sage is an impressive option. This e-reader bridges the gap between a pure reader and a note-taker, similar to the Kindle Scribe but with Kobo’s ecosystem.
It boasts an 8-inch (20.3 cm) E Ink Carta 1200 HD screen, offering a beautiful, responsive display. You can purchase the Kobo Stylus separately to take notes and annotate directly on your books and PDFs.
The Sage also supports audiobooks via Bluetooth and integrates with Dropbox for easy document management. Its ComfortLight PRO reduces blue light, making it easy on the eyes. It offers robust features for its price.
Best for: Readers who desire a larger screen and the option for digital note-taking within the Kobo ecosystem. It’s a premium device for those who enjoy both reading and active engagement with their content.
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8. Kobo Elipsa 2E
The Kobo Elipsa 2E is Kobo’s answer to the demand for a large-screen e-reader that excels in both reading and writing. This device is perfect for those who want a digital notebook and an extensive library in one.
It features a massive 10.3-inch (26.2 cm) E Ink Carta 1200 screen, providing an expansive canvas for all your digital needs. The included Kobo Stylus 2 offers a natural writing experience, complete with eraser and highlight buttons.
With enhanced note-taking features, improved performance, and integration with cloud services, it’s a productivity powerhouse. It also supports audiobooks, ensuring a diverse media experience.
Perfect for: Students, researchers, or anyone needing a large e-reader for extensive note-taking, PDF annotation, and reading. This top-tier product is designed for serious digital work and immersive reading.
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9. Barnes & Noble Nook GlowLight 4
The Barnes & Noble Nook GlowLight 4 offers a compelling alternative for readers who prefer the Nook ecosystem. This e-reader combines user-friendly features with a comfortable design. It’s a solid product for the price.
It features a 6-inch (15.2 cm) glare-free E Ink display that’s easy on the eyes. Physical page-turn buttons are a key highlight, providing a satisfying tactile experience that many readers appreciate.
The adjustable warm light ensures comfortable reading in any lighting condition, reducing eye strain. With 32 GB of storage, you can carry thousands of books, ensuring your next read is always at hand.
If you want: A reliable e-reader with physical page-turn buttons and access to the Barnes & Noble Nook store. It’s a fantastic option for those loyal to the Nook brand or seeking a straightforward, comfortable device.
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10. Barnes & Noble Nook GlowLight 4e
The Barnes & Noble Nook GlowLight 4e is a slightly more budget-friendly version of the GlowLight 4, offering essential features at a great price. It maintains the core Nook experience in a more accessible package.
This model features a 6-inch (15.2 cm) E Ink display with a front light, perfect for reading in various environments. While it doesn’t have the adjustable warm light of its sibling, the consistent front light is still very effective.
It retains the beloved physical page-turn buttons, offering that familiar, satisfying click. With 16 GB of storage, it still holds thousands of books, more than enough for most readers.
Perfect for: Budget-conscious readers who want a Nook e-reader with physical page-turn buttons. It’s a great entry-level option for accessing the extensive Barnes & Noble digital library without a premium price tag.
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11. PocketBook Era
The PocketBook Era offers a distinctive design and a robust set of features, making it an intriguing choice for the discerning reader. This e-reader supports a wide array of formats, providing great flexibility.
It comes with a 7-inch (17.8 cm) E Ink Carta 1200 screen that delivers sharp text and fast response times. The device features an ergonomic shape with physical control buttons on the side, making it comfortable for one-handed use.
The Era is waterproof (IPX8 rated) and includes a built-in speaker for audiobooks. Its strong multi-format support means you can read virtually any e-book file without conversion, a significant advantage for some users.
Best for: Readers who value open format support, physical buttons, and a unique ergonomic design. It’s a top choice for those looking beyond the major brands for a versatile and high-quality product.
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12. Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Kids
The Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Kids is more than just an e-reader; it’s a full reading ecosystem designed specifically for young readers. It combines the excellent Paperwhite hardware with kid-friendly features.
It includes the same 6.8-inch (17.3 cm) glare-free display and adjustable warm light as the standard Paperwhite. The device comes with a kid-friendly cover, a 2-year worry-free guarantee, and a 1-year subscription to Amazon Kids+.
Amazon Kids+ provides unlimited access to thousands of age-appropriate books. Parental controls allow adults to manage content and track reading progress, fostering a love for reading in a safe environment.
Perfect for: Parents looking for a durable, distraction-free e-reader for their children. It’s the best e reader for books for young ones, offering peace of mind and a vast library of kid-friendly content.
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13. Kobo Clara Colour
The Kobo Clara Colour introduces a vibrant new dimension to e-reading with its color E Ink screen. This innovative product allows readers to experience books and graphic novels in a whole new light.
It features a 6-inch (15.2 cm) E Ink Kaleido 3 display, capable of showing 4096 colors. This makes it ideal for manga, comics, and illustrated children’s books, bringing them to life beyond monochrome.
Despite the color display, it still offers the classic E Ink benefits of glare-free reading and long battery life. It’s also waterproof and includes ComfortLight PRO, making it a versatile and exciting option.
If you want: An e-reader that can display color content like comics and graphic novels, alongside traditional black-and-white books. It’s a top choice for those seeking a more visually engaging reading experience.
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14. Kobo Libra Colour
Taking the color E Ink experience to a larger format, the Kobo Libra Colour offers a premium color reading device. This e-reader combines the beloved ergonomic design of the Libra series with a stunning color display.
It boasts a 7-inch (17.8 cm) E Ink Kaleido 3 color screen, providing a larger canvas for colorful content. The physical page-turn buttons and auto-rotating screen enhance comfort and usability for all readers.
Like its monochrome counterpart, it’s waterproof and supports audiobooks via Bluetooth. The ability to annotate in color with the Kobo Stylus 2 (sold separately) adds another layer of versatility for creative minds.
Best for: Readers who desire a larger, ergonomic color e-reader for comics, graphic novels, and illustrated books, with the option for color annotation. It’s a premium purchase for a visually rich reading journey.
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15. Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition
The Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition takes the already excellent Paperwhite to the next level with premium upgrades. This device offers a truly enhanced reading experience for those willing to invest a little more.
It features the same beautiful 6.8-inch (17.3 cm) glare-free display and adjustable warm light. However, it boasts 32 GB of storage, providing ample space for an enormous library of books and audiobooks.
Its standout features include wireless charging, offering ultimate convenience, and an auto-adjusting front light. This light automatically adapts to your surroundings, ensuring optimal brightness without manual adjustments.
Perfect for: Dedicated readers who want the best features in a Paperwhite form factor, including more storage, wireless charging, and an adaptive light. It’s a top-tier product for a seamless, hassle-free reading experience.
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Last Words
Choosing the best e reader for books ultimately comes down to your personal reading habits and preferences. Our carefully curated list offers a diverse range of options, ensuring there’s a perfect match for every type of reader.
From the budget-friendly simplicity of the basic Kindle to the advanced note-taking capabilities of the Kindle Scribe and Kobo Elipsa 2E, the market is rich with quality devices. Consider features like screen size, backlighting, and waterproofing.
Think about whether you prefer physical page-turn buttons or a purely touchscreen experience. Do you need extensive storage for audiobooks, or are you primarily focused on reading text? Each product offers unique strengths.
We encourage you to consider your specific needs before you purchase. All these e-readers are excellent choices, available on Amazon. Check their current prices and reviews to find the ideal companion for your next literary adventure.
Leticia (a.k.a Letty) is a bibliophile who loves to read and write, she is also a Content Associate and Curator at Clue Media. She spends her spare time researching diverse topics and lives in New York with her dog.

