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E-readers make for an easy, convenient, and space-saving way to read books, magazines, newspapers, and more. To help you select the e-reader that’s right for you, the This Old House Reviews Team researched the best e-readers on Amazon. Here are our top five recommendations.
Top 5 E-Readers
- Most Customizable: Amazon Kindle Paperwhite
- Best Light: Amazon Kindle Oasis
- Most Customizable: Amazon Kindle Kids
- Best For Library Books: Kobra Clara HD
- Best Multipurpose Reader: BOOX Note Air 10.3 ePaper
Most Customizable: Amazon Kindle Paperwhite
This Kindle has a flush-front and glare-free display that reduces eye strain to make reading on it more enjoyable. Available in multiple colors and storage size options, this device can hold tens of thousands of books, magazines, audiobooks, newspapers, comic books, and more at once.
Key Features
- Eight- or 32-gigabyte storage size options
- Available with or without ads
- Four color options
- Available without or without Kindle Unlimited
- Waterproof body
- Six-inch display
- Compatible with Audible
- One-year warranty
What Customers Are Saying
Those who were happy with this product said that it was made from stable materials, had an easy-to-use touchscreen, and could be easily taken with them. However, those who were unhappy with this e-reader said that it ran out of battery quickly and that it had too dark of a screen to read in many places.
Best Light: Amazon Kindle Oasis
This device has an ergonomic design with page-turn buttons and a thin flush-front display. This Kindle e-reader also includes 25 built-in front lights that have adjustable brightness and warmth settings.
Key Features
- Eight- or 32-gigabyte storage size options
- Available with or without ads
- Two color options
- Available without or without Kindle Unlimited
- Waterproof body
- Seven-inch display
- Compatible with Audible
- One-year warranty
What Customers Are Saying
Customers who were pleased with this e-reader said that its large screen and built-in lights made reading easy. However, dissatisfied customers said that it had poor battery life and was uncomfortable to hold.
Most Customizable: Amazon Kindle Kids
Unlike other tablets and e-readers, this kids’ Kindle doesn’t come with games or apps, giving you peace of mind that your child is reading when they’re using the device. The reader’s built-in parental controls also add to this peace of mind. The Kindle also comes with a free year of Amazon Kids+, which includes popular children and young adult books.
Key Features
- Eight gigabytes of storage
- Four color and pattern cover options
- Six-inch display
- Compatible with Audible
- Parental controls
- One free year of Amazon Kids+
- Two-year warranty
What Customers Are Saying
Customers said that this e-reader had a long battery life, was simple for children to use, and came with a cute, sturdy case. Those who left negative reviews said that it didn’t have enough features to differentiate it from a standard Kindle.
Best For Library Books: Kobra Clara HD
This e-reader is the perfect companion for customers who are avid library borrowers. It’s compatible with OverDrive, which allows you to download digital copies of books from public libraries. This cuts down on the cost associated with frequently buying books for your device.
Key Features
- Eight gigabytes of storage
- Six-inch display
- Compatible with OverDrive
- One-year warranty
What Customers Are Saying
Happy customers mentioned this device’s ease of use, brightness, and language compatibility. Those who didn’t enjoy this e-reader said that getting books loaded was a hassle. Some also complained that it quickly ran out of battery.
Best Multipurpose Reader: BOOX Note Air 10.3 ePaper
This device serves several other useful functions in addition to reading your books and articles. This e-reader allows for annotations on over 20 file formats. It also sketches in multiple colors and rotates horizontally to act as a laptop with its Bluetooth keyboard.
Key Features
- Three gigabytes of storage
- 10-inch display
- Drawing, writing, annotating, typing, and reading functions
- Stylus included
- One-year warranty
What Customers Are Saying
Those who were satisfied with this e-reader said that it was comfortable to hold, reduced eye strain, and had useful note-taking and drawing features. Those who were unsatisfied said that it froze frequently.
Buyer’s Guide
Here are some of the most important factors to think about when determining which e-reader is best for you.
Size
Screen size affects the overall size of an e-reader. E-reader displays are usually between four and 10 inches in size. If you plan on traveling frequently with your e-reader, look for a model that’s small enough to carry in a backpack or suitcase. However, if you have vision issues or prefer larger text, consider a bigger model.
Storage
Most e-readers have at least eight gigabytes of memory, which should hold thousands of books at once. However, if you plan on sharing your device with friends or family members, consider a device with more storage space. You can also find e-readers that offer cloud storage, which can hold an unlimited number of books. The downside to cloud storage is that your books won’t be accessible without Wi-Fi unless you download them to your device.
Battery Life
Most e-reader batteries last for about 30 hours before needing to be recharged. However, this number can vary depending on the screen’s brightness level and the device’s available storage space, among other factors.
Water Resistance
Some newer e-readers are waterproof. This allows you to use them while you’re lounging in the pool or bathtub without concern. However, while waterproof devices can survive full submersion, water-resistant devices are only resistant to wet hands or minor splashes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can e-readers also play audiobooks?
Newer e-reader models can play audiobooks in addition to acting as a physical reading device. For example, most modern Kindles from Amazon come with the Audible audiobook app.
Do e-readers reduce eye strain?
E-readers have a different type of display than a phone or computer screen that’s specifically designed for reading. This display, called e-ink, is meant to imitate ink on paper to cause less eye strain than other electronic devices. Adjusting the brightness level and font size of your book’s text can also reduce eye strain.
What’s the difference between an e-reader and a tablet?
Tablets can sometimes display books, but they’re also designed for playing games, using apps, playing music, and browsing the web. E-readers are usually only used for reading, although some may have additional features, such as the ability to write notes or sketch.
Why Trust The This Old House Reviews Team
This Old House has empowered homeowners for more than four decades with top-notch home improvement content in the form of television programs, print media, and digital content on its website and social media platforms. The This Old House Reviews Team focuses on creating in-depth product and service review content to help inform your purchasing decision for just about any item or resource that you might need for your home. The This Old House Reviews Team has written over 1,000 reviews on products in the home space, from cordless drills to kitchen trash cans, lawn mowers, and dining room decorations.
We recommend products in each review using an intensive research process, spending hours combing through the best available models on Amazon. For a product to make our list of top picks, it must hold a solid sales record on Amazon, have consistently positive customer reviews, and offer unique features, among other factors. After narrowing down our list of recommendations, we conduct additional research and sometimes in-person testing to ensure that the products meet our standards. Once we conclude the research phase, we craft a well-rounded, user-friendly article that includes our recommended products and additional information to help homeowners like you make the right purchase.
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