Books take up a lot of space, but e-readers allow you to carry hundreds of books (and audiobooks) in a small, convenient form factor. And, unlike smartphones and tablets, e-readers are fitted with e-ink displays to look and even feel like paper. They're glare-free and suited to both indoor and outdoor reading.E-ink displays even feature a subtle backlight, which means you can read in bed without needing a light on. Combine this with a battery life measured in weeks, and you have the perfect device to replace your big, heavy books.What is the best e-reader right now?Based on our extensive testing, the best e-reader available is the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite, thanks to its long battery life, crisp reading experience, and ease of use. You may automatically think about Kindle when you think of e-readers, and while there certainly is a reason it's our top pick, there are other great options from other brands that allow you to take your library on the go.The best e-readers of 2024 Show less Pros Longest battery life Plenty of storage Waterproof and adjustable warm light Cons Audible requires a separate app No headphone jack Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (12th generation) Best e-reader overall The Kindle Paperwhite is a top-notch e-reader. It has all the familiar features of a Kindle (300 ppi e-ink screen, long battery life, and adjustable warm light). Amazon just updated the Kindle Paperwhite this fall, and its biggest draw is faster performance: Amazon said it features 25% faster page turns and 20% overall faster performance.Aside from speed, the Paperwhite gets up to 12 weeks of battery life (compared to 10 weeks from the previous Paperwhite generation. Staff writer Maria Diaz tested the Kindle for two weeks and never had to charge it. "After two weeks of daily reading on a single charge, some days for up to three hours a day, my Kindle Paperwhite's battery is still at 32%," she wrote in her review.The new Paperwhite also has a larger, 7-inch display (the previous generation was 6.8 inches), and it's thinner as well, making it even more comfortable to hold while reading for hours. It also comes in two new colors: raspberry and jade.There is still a Signature Edition to the Paperwhite as before, and for $40 more, you get wireless charging, 32GB of storage instead of 16GB, and an auto-adjusting front light sensor.Amazon Kindle Paperwhite tech specs: Display:7-inch 300 ppi e-ink screen|Storage:16 GB |Colors: Black, raspberry, jade |Weight:7.4 ounces |Dimensions:7 x 5 x .30 inches |Connections:USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth|Battery life:Up to 12 weeks Show Expert Take Show less Show less Pros Similar to more expensive models Lightweight Portable Dark mode Cons Limited web browser functionality No warm light option Amazon Kindle (12th generation) Best budget e-reader Amazon also updated the base-model Kindle this fall. The upgraded 12th generation Kindle features faster page turns, a higher contrast ratio, and a front light that is 25% brighter at the max settingas bright as the new Kindle Paperwhite. The price increased slightly from the previous generation, from $100 to $110, but it's still the cheapest e-reader you can buy.Associate editor Nina Raemont spent a weekend reading the new Kindle and said it's the most value-packed device. "While I was reading, I noticed that the page-turning and book-loading speeds were significantly quicker than on my Kindle Oasis or Kindle Paperwhite from 2022," she wrote. "I tested my old Paperwhite and my new Kindle and found that the new Kindle turned pages a smidgen quicker than the Paperwhite."Raemont also commented on the Kindle's more vivid display and brightness. Speaking of color, it also comes in a new exterior color: matcha green.Its 300 ppi remains the same, and the anti-glare display makes it easy to read in any light, and dark mode is a warm welcome when you're trying to read at night without letting blue light interrupt your sleep cycle.Amazon Kindle tech specs: Display:6-inch, 300ppi glare-free |Storage:16GB |Colors:Black or matcha|Weight:5.56 ounces|Dimensions:6.2 x 4.3 x 0.32 inches |Connections:USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth|Battery: Up to 6 weeks Show Expert Take Show less Show less View now at Amazon Pros Color screen and color note-taking Page-turning buttons Lightweight and waterproof Cons Ghosting affect is more noticeable Kindle Colorsoft Best color e-reader New this year to the Kindle lineup is its first color e-reader: the Kindle Colorsoft. It features the same 300 ppi display that's standard for e-readers, except it also has a 150 ppi display for color images, along with up to 120 nits of brightness to really make your pages and color images pop. Depending on your color preferences, you can customize the color settings to standard or vivid.The Colorsoft's color features don't stop there: you can also highlight passages in your books in different colors and organize them into categories (i.e., quotes in yellow, facts in blue, characters to remember in purple, etc.). I was able to go hands-on with the new Kindle Colorsoft, and was impressed by how its color didn't drown out when in direct sunlight. I even paired it next to a Boox e-reader and noticed a more obvious pixelization on the Boox's color display, as opposed to the smooth color that the Kindle provides.This color Kindle would be great for those who often read comics or Manga, and it even provides panel-by-panel reading for comics, making it easy to see the elements the author intended for each panel. In addition, a pinch-and-zoom feature allows you to really see the color images in detail.However, if the books you read are mostly black and white, I don't think the color is worth the almost $300 price tag.Kindle Colorsoft tech specs: Display:7-inch, glare-free color screen|Storage:32GB |Colors:Black|Weight:7.07 ounces |Dimensions:7 x 5 x 0.30 inches |Connections:USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |Battery: Up to 8 weeks Show Expert Take Show less Show less Pros Great design and display Amazing note-taking abilities Customizable screen for easier reading Cons Expensive Screen lag happens often Boox Tab Mini C Best e-reader for note-taking Boox is an e-reader and drawing tablet with a vivid color display, so your e-book's illustrations will pop as you read, and so will your color-coordinated notes. Speaking of which, the note-taking templates on the Tab Mini C are handy. Whether you're a student taking notes, a desk job employee making an hourly plan for your day, a musician crafting a piece of sheet music, or a historian drafting a timeline, the Tab Mini C offers a template for that.With adjustable warm and cool lights, you can customize your desired blue light level to tone the display before bedtime for an easier-on-the-eyes reading experience. While Boox itself does not have an e-book library, you can download apps to your Boox device, meaning it can access the Kindle store or Libby (to borrow and read library books).ZDNET editor Nina Raemont, has been using the tablet to manage her work-life calendar, build lists for grocery shopping, meeting agendas, and more. It's become Raemont's deskside companion and staple note-taking device. Because of its lightweight and effortless portability, it has replaced the trusty Moleskin notebook she avidly used to plan her day.The robust battery life lasts many days to a week or two, and the e-reader comes with a magnetically attached stylus with pressure detection for drawing. The tablet's sleek design has a minimalist feel and careful use of popping colors. However,Reddit users notethat you may have to tinker with the tablet's settings to maximize your experience.Boox Tab Mini C specs: Display: 7.9-inch screen, electronic ink |Storage: 64GB |Colors: Black |Weight: 11 ounces |Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.4 x 0.33 inches |Connections: USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth|Battery:5,000mAh Li-ion Polymer Show Expert Take Show less Show less Pros Page-turning buttons and a headphone jack Premium design and feel Access to millions of books from Barnes and Noble Cons No dark mode Nook GlowLight 4 Plus Best e-reader for buttons For those tried and true Barnes and Noble fans, the Nook is another e-reader option. The Nook first debuted in 2009 to compete with Kindle, but it's since been upgraded to feature more modern features. The GlowLight 4 Plus has a waterproof design (IPX7), a 300 ppi screen with GlowLight technology that's easy on the eyes, and audiobook access via Bluetooth or a headphone jack.The Nook is also the only option on our list that has physical buttons to turn pages and go back to the home screen, which is great for those who are less tech-savvy with touchscreen devices.It's also the only e-reader on this list with a 3.5mm headphone jack, which means you'll be able to listen to audiobooks via wired headphones without having to connect to Bluetooth--another plus point for those who are less tech-inclined.Reddit users note that this is by far the best design Nook has had so far, saying, "This Nook model has probably the best build quality I've ever seen on a Nook. It has that premium feel and a very nice step up from the more plastic-y [Glowlight 4]. I also appreciate the symmetric design."Nook GlowLight 4 Plus tech specs: Display: 7.8-inch high-resolution 300-ppi | Storage: 32GB | Colors: Black | Weight: 10.05 ounces| Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.8 x .31 inches | Connections: USB-C, 3.5mm headphone jack | Battery: Up to 3 weeks Show Expert Take Show less What is the best e-reader? Amazon's Kindle Paperwhite is the best e-reader due to its display and lighting options, as well as its battery life and fast performance. Here's how the five best e-readers compare based on price, screen size, and battery life. Best e-readerPriceScreen sizeBattery lifeAmazon Kindle Paperwhite $160 7 inches 12 weeks Amazon Kindle $110 6 inches 6 weeks Boox Tab Mini C $450 7.9 inches About a week Amazon Kindle Colorsoft $220 7 inches 8 weeks Kobo Clara BW$1306 inches Up to 7 weeksNook GlowLight 4 Plus $200 7.8 inches 3 weeks Which e-reader is right for you? Choose this e-reader...If you need...Amazon Kindle Paperwhite The best overall option. It's waterproof, has an adjustable warm light, and the Kindle Store has the best book options. Amazon Kindle An e-reader for $110. It's small and portable to fit in your bag. Boox Tab Mini C A quality e-reader with note-taking capabilities. Amazon Kindle ColorsoftA color-screen e-reader that brings books to life with color. Kobo Clara BWAn e-reader that helps to eliminate blue light for nighttime reading.Nook GlowLight 4 Plus An e-reader with physical page-turning buttons and a headphone jack for audiobooks. Factors to consider when choosing an e-reader Display: An e-reader's display will ultimately determine your overall reading experience. Look for an e-reader with at least 300 ppi e-ink display, which is the industry standard.Storage capacity:The point of an e-reader is to store as many books as possible in one compact device. We looked at e-readers with wide storage capacities that can hold thousands of titles.Extra features:Some e-readers come with a stylus, offer customizable displays, and more. Lots of models offer water resistance and have anti-glare features so you can read in whatever environment you're in -- whether that's on the sandy beach or in a bathtub.Batterylife: The e-readers on this list should last you a few days, and ideally a few weeks, before recharging. How did we choose these e-readers? We know there are a lot of e-readers to choose from, so we used our own experiences with these products. When we test e-readers, we subject them to both daylight (direct sunlight) and nighttime conditions, paying attention to our overall experience while using the device.We combed through popular sites, reading reviews (both good and bad), and noted the top-rated e-readers for different categories and needs. We considered price, display, battery life, and special features when making our final picks. Isn't a smartphone or tablet a good enough e-reader? While you can read on a smartphone or tablet, e-readers have three huge advantages:The e-ink display is much nicer to look at, especially for extended periods of time.The battery life of e-readers is much better than that of any smartphone or tablet, lasting for weeks between recharges.There are far fewer distractions on an e-reader -- no emails, social media, phone calls, and so on. Are the ads on the "Ad-supported" Kindles annoying? Some people may find the ad-supported Kindle models to be annoying, but there is the option to pay extra for an ad-free device. How much storage does my e-reader need? It depends. 8GB is cavernous for books but can fill up quickly if you start to add audiobooks. Also, if you want to keep every book and audiobook, you can find your storage getting full after a couple years. Are there alternative e-readers worth considering? There are lots of options out there if you're looking for a way to read digital copies of your favorite books. Here's a short list of other great e-readers. ZDNET Recommends