Any ebook reader will let you cram a Beauty and the Beast-sized librarys worth of books in your pocket, but so will your phone. An ebook reader offers a more book-like reading experience, with fewer distractions and less eye strain, and many include extra features, like adjustable frontlighting. Some really are pocketable. Others are waterproof or offer physical page-turning buttons, while a few even let you take notes.What Im looking forComfortHow easy is it to use and read on? A sharp display and relatively fast performance are essential to an enjoyable reading experience, as are size and weight.Build qualitySome e-readers come with different features, like waterproofing, which means you really can read anywhere. Others offer buttons that make using the e-reader more intuitive to use.Supported content typesThere must be easy, direct access to a wide selection of digital titles, which includes audiobooks as well as various file formats.AffordabilityIs the price justified, given what the e-reader offers?Ive been using ebook readers for nearly a decade, and Ive gone hands-on with dozens, from the Kindle Paperwhite to lesser-known rivals like the Pocketbook Era. Whether you want something your kid can throw against the wall or a waterproof, warm-glow Kindle that wont ruin your spa ambiance, these are the best ebook readers for everyone.The best KindleKindle Paperwhite (2024)$160Amazons latest Paperwhite features a larger seven-inch display and noticeably faster performance. It also boasts longer battery life than the previous model, retains IPX8 waterproofing, and includes a USB-C port.Dimensions: 7 x 5 x .3 inchesWeight: 211 grams / Screen area and resolution: 7-inch screen, 300ppi resolution / Storage: 16GB / Other features: IPX8 waterproofing, Bluetooth audio supportIf you mostly buy ebooks from Amazon, youll want a Kindle, and the 12th-gen Kindle Paperwhite is the best choice for most people. Starting at $159.99, its cheaper than the Kobo Libra Colour my top non-Amazon ebook reader, which Ill dive into later while offering many of the same features. Those include a spacious 7-inch 300pi display with rich contrast levels and an adjustable warm white frontlight, which make for a clear and enjoyable reading experience. The latter also conveniently improves sleep by cutting down on blue light that interrupts melatonin production.That warm white frontlighting is an advantage over the cool white of the $109.99 base-model Kindle, and unlike the base Kindle, the Paperwhite has IPX8 water resistance. The $199.99Signature Edition Paperwhitealso has an auto-adjusting frontlight and no lockscreen ads. It has wireless charging, which is a rare feature to find in an e-reader.The latest Kindle Paperwhite offers a sharp display thats easy to read.Amazon is the largest online retailer in the world, and it dominates the US ebook market, so Kindle owners have access to advantages owners of other ebook readers dont. Much of Amazons hardware strategy depends on offering cut-rate discounts to pull you into its content ecosystem. If you have Prime and buy a lot of Kindle ebooks, the Paperwhite is the best choice because Amazon makes it incredibly easy to buy and read its stuff.Its ebooks and audiobooks are often on sale, and Prime members get more free content through Prime Reading. Rivals like Kobo offer sales, too, but its hard for them to offer discounts as steep as Amazon.RelatedThere are downsides, though. The Paperwhite has lockscreen ads unless you pay $20 extra to get rid of them. Its also too big to hold comfortably with one hand. Perhaps the Kindle Paperwhites biggest flaw, though which it shares with all Kindles aside from Fire tablets is that its not easy to read books purchased outside of Amazons store. Kindle ebook formats are proprietary and only work on Kindle.Unlike Kobo and other ebook readers, Kindles dont support EPUB files, an open file format used by pretty much everyone except Amazon. So, for example, if you often shop from Kobos bookstore (or Barnes & Noble or Google Play Books or many other ebook stores), you cant easily read those books on a Kindle without using a workaround. There are ways to convert and transfer file formats so you can read on the Kindle and vice versa, but itll take a couple of extra steps.However, if you dont buy your books elsewhere or you dont mind shopping from Amazon, youll be more than happy with the Kindle Paperwhite.Read our Kindle Paperwhite review.The best non-Amazon ebook readerKobo Libra Colour (32GB, ad-free)$200$2209% off$200$200$2209% offThe Kobo Libra Colour is a color e-reader with physical page-turning buttons and a 7-inch E Ink display. It also boasts IPX8 waterproofing and compatibility with the Kobo Stylus 2.Dimensions: 5.69 x 6.34 x 0.33 inches / Weight: 199.5 grams / Screen area and resolution: 7-inch screen, 300ppi (black-and-white), 150ppi (color) / Storage: 32GB / Other features: Physical page-turning buttons, waterproofing, Kobo Stylus 2 support, Bluetooth audio supportThe Kobo Libra Colour is an excellent alternative to Amazons ebook readers, especially for readers outside the US or anyone who doesnt want to tap into Amazons ecosystem. Kobos latest slate offers many of the standout features found on the 12th-gen Kindle Paperwhite including waterproofing, USB-C support, and a 300ppi display along with a few perks that make it more helpful and enjoyable to use.The color display is the most obvious. The Libra Colour uses E Inks latest Kaledio color screen technology, which provides soothing, pastel-like hues that still pop in direct sunlight. Its not as sharp as reading in monochrome the resolution drops to 150ppi when viewing content in color but its a nice touch that makes viewing a wider range of content more pleasant. Book covers and comics, while still muted, have an added layer of depth, even if the colors are nowhere near as vivid as that of a traditional LED tablet or as vibrant as the Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition. Thanks to its physical page-turning buttons and color display, the Kobo Libra Colour is an impressive e-reader. Photo by Sheena Vasani / The VergeHowever, unlike the Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition, the Libra Colour works with a digital pen the Kobo Stylus 2 (sold separately) which lets you highlight text in various colors or take notes using Kobos integrated notebooks. You can also take advantage of some of the more advanced capabilities found in the Kobo Elipsa 2E, allowing you to solve math equations, convert handwriting into typed text, and insert diagrams. This lets the Libra Colour function as a mini notebook of sorts, though I wouldnt use it as a primary note-taking device since the seven-inch display can feel cramped to write on.Kobos Libra Colour comes with integrated notebooks. Photo by Sheena Vasani / The VergeRelatedThe color display is only part of the appeal, though. The Libra Colour doesnt have the lockscreen ads on the base Paperwhite and packs physical page-turning buttons, which feel more intuitive to use than tapping either side of the display as you have to do on Amazons modern e-readers. The speedy e-reader also supports more file formats, including EPUB files, and makes it much easier to borrow books from the Overdrive library system. Native support for Pocket, meanwhile, means you can read your articles offline if youre someone who uses the long-standing bookmarking app.You can highlight in color. Photo by Sheena Vasani / The VergeHowever, at $219.99, the Libra Colour costs $60 more than the entry-level Paperwhite and thats without Kobos $69.99 stylus, which is required for performing certain tasks. That gap widens further when the Paperwhite is on sale. It more often is than the Libra Colour. The Kobo cant easily tap into Amazons vast library of ebooks, which can be frustrating if youve amassed a collection of Kindle titles over the years. It can be done, but you have to convert file formats using third-party apps, which is tricky and can take time.But if those things dont matter or apply to you, the Kobo Libra Colour will give you the best digital reading experience of all the e-readers on our list. Its my personal favorite.Read our Kobo Libra Colour review.The best cheap ebook readerKindle (2024) $110Amazons new entry-level Kindle retains a six-inch, 300ppi display and USB-C. Its brighter and slightly faster than its predecessor, though, and features longer battery life.Dimensions: 6.2 x 4.3 x 0.32 inchesWeight: 158 grams / Screen area and resolution: 6-inch screen, 300ppi resolution / Storage: 16GB / Other features: USB-C support, Bluetooth audio supportThe base-model Kindle ($109.99 with ads) is the best cheap ebook reader. Its 300ppi resolution makes text clearer and easier to read than the lower-resolution screens on other ebook readers in its price range. Plus, it even has USB-C for relatively fast charging.1/2The 2024 Kindle is easy to hold with one hand and offers a sharp display. Photo by Sheena Vasani / The Verge1/2The 2024 Kindle is easy to hold with one hand and offers a sharp display. Photo by Sheena Vasani / The VergeReading on its six-inch screen feels a little more cramped than it does on the larger displays of the Kindle Paperwhite and Kobo Libra Colour. However, the flip side is that its small size makes it pocketable, light, and easy for small hands to hold. Combined with its relatively affordable price, the Kindle is also the best ebook reader for kids especially the Amazon Kindle Kids Edition which costs $20 more. The kid-friendly version shares the same specs but is ad-free with parental controls, a two-year extended replacement guarantee, and a case. It also comes with six months of Amazon Kids Plus, which grants kids access to thousands of childrens books and audiobooks for free. After that, though, youll have to pay $79 per year.The kid-friendly version of the Kindle comes with one of several colorful cases.The base Kindle doesnt have extra conveniences like the waterproofing youll find in the entry-level Kobo Clara BW and Paperwhite. You also dont get the physical page-turning buttons found on Barnes & Nobles entry-level e-reader, the Nook GlowLight 4e (though the Kindle is a lot snappier than the Nook). And because its an Amazon ebook reader, youre also locked into the Amazon ecosystem and have to pay extra to remove ads. But if you can do without that, the Kindle delivers the essentials for under $110.The best ebook reader for taking notesKobo Elipsa 2E$350$40013% off$350$350$40013% offThe Kobo Elipsa 2E is an ad-free 10.3-inch e-reader you can write on with the included stylus. It offers a whole host of useful features, like the ability to convert handwriting to typed text and a great selection of pen types.Dimensions: 7.6 x 8.94 x 0.30 inches / Weight: 390 grams / Screen area and resolution: 10.3-inches, 227ppi resolution / Storage: 32GB / Other features: Handwriting to text conversion, magnetic stylus, Bluetooth audio supportOf all the large ebook readers I tested, the Kobo Elipsa 2E stood out the most because its a good e-reader with solid note-taking abilities. You can write directly on pages and margins just as on a physical book. The Kindle Scribe lets you annotate book pages as well, but its complicated involving resizable text boxes that mess up the page formatting and prevent you from doing basic things like circling words. In contrast, taking notes on the Ellipsa 2E feels far more intuitive and natural.1/2The Kobo Elipsa 2E lets you insert diagrams, convert handwriting to text, and can even solve math equations for you. Photo by Sheena Vasani / The Verge1/2The Kobo Elipsa 2E lets you insert diagrams, convert handwriting to text, and can even solve math equations for you. Photo by Sheena Vasani / The VergeThe Elipsa 2E offers other helpful note-taking tools and capabilities. Like the Kobo Libra Colour, its capable, for example, of solving math equations for you. You can also insert diagrams and drawings, and itll automatically snap them into something that looks cleaner and nicer. You can also sync your notes with Dropbox or view them online and convert handwriting to typed text. The Kindle Scribe offers the latter capability, too, but again, Kobo does it faster and better within the original notebook document as opposed to on a separate page. The only thing missing from the Elipsa 2E is the Scribes note-summarization feature, but thats a trade-off I am okay with given how much easier it is to take notes.RelatedFinally, the Kobo Elipsa 2E comes with twice the storage (32GB) for the same price as the base Kindle Scribe. You can step up to the 32GB Kindle Scribe for $20 more or upgrade to 64GB for $40 extra. Yet given the Scribes limitations, I still recommend saving the money and buying the Kobo Elipsa 2E instead.1/2The Kobo Elipsa 2E comes with an included stylus. Photo by Sheena Vasani / The Verge1/2The Kobo Elipsa 2E comes with an included stylus. Photo by Sheena Vasani / The VergeNote-taking capabilities aside, the Kobo Elipsa 2E is also a good e-reader with the same strengths and weaknesses as other Kobo devices. Theres support for a wide range of file formats, but you cant easily read Kindle books without converting them first. Its 227ppi display is also slightly less sharp than the 300ppi screen found on the Kindle Scribe and the Kobo Libra Colour. However, the 10.3-inch screen balances things out a bit and makes text easier to read, so its not a noticeable drawback. Plus, the Elipsa 2E comes with an adjustable warm light for nighttime reading. Thats a feature rivals with more advanced note-taking capabilities like the $379.99 OnyxBoox Go 10.3 which lets you do everything the Scribe does and more, like insert links to notes lacks.Other ebook readers that didnt make the cutThere are some other ebook readers my colleagues and I have tested that I didnt feature above but are still worth highlighting. Here are the most notable: Kindle Colorsoft Signature EditionThe Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition is the firstKindleto feature E Inks color screen technology and it stands out from other color e-paper devices with customizations. It offers improved contrast, more vibrant colors, and faster screen refreshes. With a $279.99 price tag, its the most expensiveKindlemodel currently available that doesnt support a stylus for note-taking, and it includes premium features like wireless charging that are convenient but not really necessary for a device with months of battery life. Amazon doesnt offer a cheaper version of the Colorsoft like it does with the Paperwhite, which is available in standard and Signature Edition versions, but if you want a color screen and want to stick with Amazon, the Colorsoft is your best option. - Andrew Liszewski, Senior ReporterKobo Clara ColourIf youre looking for a non-Amazon alternative thats more affordable than the Kobo Libra Colour, the new Kobo Clara Colour the successor to the Kobo Clara 2E is worth a look. At $149.99, the ad-free e-reader costs more than the Kobo Clara 2E, but I think its worth the extra $10. It continues to offer the same six-inch display and IPX8 waterproof design, but the e-reader now offers color. Plus, its noticeably faster something I was happy to see, considering the occasional lag on the Clara 2E sometimes got on my nerves. You dont get the Clara Colours physical buttons or stylus support, but thats a fair tradeoff at this price point.BooxPalma 2Despite all the advantages of E Ink display technology, your smartphone is probably still a more convenient device for reading given how pocket-friendly it is. TheBooxPalma 2 is a smartphone-sized E Ink device thats just as easy to slip into a pocket, but with more capabilities than ane-reader. Its 6.3-inch E Ink display is great for reading books, but the $279.99 Palma 2 also runs Android 13 so you can install productivity apps like email and messaging assuming youve got access to Wi-Fi, of course, because the compacte-readerlacks cellular connectivity. If you already have the original Palma, the sequel isnt worth the upgrade. But if youre looking for a smaller alternative to Kindles and Kobos, the Palma 2 could be worth the splurge. - Andrew Liszewski, Senior ReporterBoox Go 10.3The $379 Onyx Boox Go 10.3 is another ad-free ebook reader you can use to take notes. Its excellent as a note-taking device, and it offers an impressively wide range of writing tools and more prebuilt notebook templates than Kobos Elipsa 2E. Jotting down notes using the built-in notebook felt more akin to writing on paper as well, and its slim design makes the device feel more like a traditional notebook. Like all Boox devices, it also provides quick access to the Google Play Store, so you can download multiple reading apps including both Kindle and Kobo apps. The slates crisp 300ppi display is sharper than that of the Kobo Elipsa 2E, too, which is a plus.However, in comparison to the easy-to-use Elipsa 2E, the Go 10.3 lacks a front light and comes with a steeper learning curve. Notes you take on a Kindle or Kobo device wont transfer over (and vice versa), and you cant annotate books in either app using the Boox. I also felt like access to Google Play can be a double-edged sword as it grants easy access to distracting apps, including games, streaming services, and TikTok. Its too slow to use the latter, but its fast and comfortable enough that I found myself playing around with the Word Search app far too often. For me personally, I need my e-reader to be devoid of such distractions its one of the biggest things that distinguishes it from a tablet, after all. But if youve got more self-control than I do, the Go 10.3 could be worth a look.Nook Glowlight 4 PlusIn 2023, Barnes and Noble released the new Nook Glowlight 4 Plus. If you own a lot of digital books from Barnes and Noble, this could be a good Kindle alternative. Otherwise, Id still recommend the Kobo Libra Colour to everybody else. The $199.99 Nook Glowlight 4 Plus is a good e-reader with a lot to offer, including a lovely 300ppi screen, waterproofing, physical page-turning buttons, and even a headphone jack. However, its just not as snappy, which makes setting it up, buying books from the device itself, and navigating the interface a slow ordeal. It didnt help that the screen sometimes froze, too, which meant I had to restart the device while in the middle of a book.Update, January 25th: Added the new Kindle and Kindle Paperwhite as picks, mentioned the new Kindle Scribe and Kindle Colorsoft, and updated pricing and availability.Andrew Liszewski contributed to this post.