There's no doubt that ebook readers (also called e-readers) have actually made life simpler. Books can likewise be pricey and take up a lot of physical space, however that's not a problem with ebooks.

Naturally, when you hear e-reader, you may think Kindle. Amazon makes the very best ebook reader, which is why we have a different Best Kindles guide that breaks down the entire lineup. There are a few Kindle options out there in case you don't want to support Amazon or you simply want a different set of features. WIRED's Gear team has actually spent months, if not years, reading on these tablets-- these are our favorites.

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite
Best Overall
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2021, 11th Generation).
Amazon's Kindles are the very best e-readers around. It's dead simple to get new ebooks from Amazon straight, and the Overdrive integration makes it simple to have a look at books from a library immediately. E Ink screens in the majority of ebook readers are a little slow when you connect with them, but Kindles are a few of the most responsive devices on the market. It's worth keeping in mind that Kindles often see high discounts a few times a year, especially on Amazon Prime Day and Black Friday, so try to wait on a sale.
Any of the designs in Amazon's existing lineup is much better than the competitors, however the most current Kindle Paperwhite is my preferred. Both are water resistant, so you can check out in the pool or tub without worry, and the 6.8-inch screens also have adjustable warm lighting so you can read in bed. There's a Paperwhite Kids Edition too, which comes with a free cover, a two-year worry-free warranty, and a year of Amazon Kids+ offering access to kid-friendly content.


Finest Kindle Alternative.
Kobo Libra 2.
Do not wish to provide your hard-earned money to Amazon? A Kobo is your next-best option. The company (owned by Japanese merchant Rakuten) has a whopping 6 e-readers for you to pick from, all of which sit someplace between $100 and $400.
Most people should go for the Kobo Libra 2. It's water resistant, has physical page-turn buttons (a feature I actually like), and there's Bluetooth assistance so you can link headphones and listen to audiobooks. Kobo slates have Overdrive combination, that makes reading library books easy, like on the Kindle. You get 32 gigabytes of storage and a fast 7-inch E Ink screen, which has an adjustable front light and even a dark mode that offers up a white text on a black background to make reading in the dark easier on the eyes. If you choose, you can even read it in landscape mode. WIRED editor Adrienne So says the Kobo is still slower than the Kindle's screen-- it took her quite a long time to type up her account credentials and log in.

Nooks Are Fine Too.
Barnes & Noble Nook Glowlight 4e.
Barnes and Noble put its Nook e-readers on the back burner for a while, but two releases in 2022 show it's giving it the old college try once again. The Glowlight 4e is a enjoyment to continue reading, and I love the physical page-turn buttons. The book shop also uses a lot of cheap ebooks-- after binging the True Blood television series, I found the books that inspired it for simply $3.
The procedure of attempting to get a book from the library on a Nook is so discouraging that I had to put it down and come back at a later time with a cooler head. I recommend reading the complete description in the booklet that comes in package, however essentially, you'll need to set up Adobe Digital Editions on your computer and ensure you're checked in to your Adobe ID on your Nook before linking it physically and transferring files. It feels very old school.

• Honorable Mentions.
Other Good Ebook Readers.
The below picks are ones we likewise really like if the above choices aren't doing it for you. However, it's worth considering old Kindles, Kobos, and Nooks if you can find them for dirt cheap (or totally free). They're likely fine for reading, though the older they get the slower they might be, with less effective batteries and laggy screens. If you can check it out first in person before you purchase, see.
Amazon Kindle for $90: The website fundamental Kindle (8/10, WIRED Recommends) costs $110 without advertisements and is a couple of years old now. It's not waterproof, but it has a front light that makes it understandable in a dark space, and it consists of Bluetooth for listening to audiobooks with earphones.
Kobo Elipsa for $400: This e-reader is just plain fun thanks to the included stylus, here which lets you mark up pdfs and books , or produce note pads. Perfect for English class. Its big 10.3-inch screen is especially great, but it comes at a heart-stopping cost.
Barnes & Noble Glowlight 4 for $150: This ebook reader has 32 gigs of storage, which is a good deal more than the Glowlight 4E (8 GB), and it has a night mode for more comfortable reading.
•.

You Can Use Your Phone or Tablet.
You Don't Need Another Screen.
You don't have to buy a separate device to read ebooks. Smartphones and tablets are completely feasible for this function. You can utilize Amazon's Kindle app to check out ebooks (iOS, Android), and even download OverDrive's Libby app (iOS, Android) for library book gain access to anywhere too. Nevertheless, the E Ink screens found in e-readers are just plain better to take a look at-- there's no getting around that fact. I likewise like that these devices are one-trick ponies; there are no notifications to be sidetracked by or social media feeds to doomscroll through.
If you 'd still rather have one wise device you can keep reading and utilize for other purposes, have a look at our Best Tablets and Best iPads guides for recommendations.