The best Kindle readers of 2024: Expert reviewed

The easiest way to read more in the new year is by keeping a book that you actually want to read with you at all times. But sometimes you don't have the space to carry one around. If your laptop bag is anything like mine, then it barely has space for that hulking laptop, let alone a paperback. Kindle readers are great for the bookworms who take a novel wherever they go and the busy students juggling multiple reading assignments.

They can hold a near infinite number of books, newspapers, and magazines in one compact, lightweight device. And not just that you can save lots of money when you switch from physical books to e books. While most Kindle tablets have a fixed amount of internal storage, many support Amazon Cloud backup or microSD cards for expanded onboard storage.

Moreover, many Kindle readers are waterproof up to 2 meters, meaning you can take your e reader to the beach or pool and not have to worry about splashes and sprays ruining your tablet. With anti glare screens and auto adjusting backlights, it's easier than ever to read your favorite books indoors and outdoors in direct sunlight.

So, which Kindle is right for you? ZDNET rounded up the best Kindle readers available to buy right now, with the best Kindle reader overall being . We broke down their features and price points to help you decide which is the best fit for both your reading needs and budget. Keep reading below to find the perfect Kindle for you.

The best Kindle readers of 2024 Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 6.8 inches | 8GB, Amazon Cloud | Up to six weeks at 30 minutes per day | Yes, removable with fee | No The Kindle Paperwhite is a simple, no fuss e reader that allows you to download and store thousands of comics, novels, and audiobooks to enjoy at home or on the go.

The 6.8 inch display provides 300 points per inch for crystal clear text, and the glare free coating makes reading easier by a direct lamp or in sunlight. The integrated battery can last up to ten weeks on a full charge, letting you read for almost two months straight before needing to plug in. And when you do need to recharge, it uses a USB C cable, so you don't have to worry about keeping a special charging cable handy.

Furthermore, the Kindle Paperwhite is waterproof up to 2 meters for 1 hour in freshwater or .25 meters for three minutes in saltwater. This means you won't have to worry about spills and splashes while reading at the beach, by the pool, or at the dinner table. Additionally, with the Kindle Unlimited app, you can browse hundreds of thousands of titles, including Kindle exclusives.

If you prefer your e reader to be eco friendly, the Kindle Paperwhite is made of 60 percent post consumer materials, including magnesium, to keep electronic and plastic waste out of landfills and oceans. Amazon Fire HD 8 8 inches | 32GB or 64GB | 13 hours | Yes, removable with fee | Up to 1TB Since an e reader like the Kindle is usually a single purpose device, it may not always make sense to spend a ton of money on one.

Fortunately, the Amazon Fire 8 is an exceptionally affordable Kindle capable tablet. For just $100, you can get an 8 inch tablet with 32GB of internal storage, which you can expand with up to a 1TB microSD card. The internal battery lasts up to 13 hours, allowing you to listen to audiobooks or read all day before needing to plug in.

Moreover, since the Fire 8 is closer to a typical tablet, you can download apps like YouTube to turn it into an entertainment hub for both kids and adults. With Alexa built in, you can use voice commands to launch apps, play music, and even make video calls to friends and family. This is an excellent way to keep in touch with your book club or reading circle in a post COVID world.

Alternatively, you can switch Alexa off to prevent any misuse of your Fire 8's camera and microphones to gather information about you and your family. Kindle Oasis 7 inches | 8GB or 32GB, Amazon Cloud | Up to six weeks at 30 minutes per day | Yes, removable with fee | No For customers who are willing to spend a bit more to get more features, the Kindle Oasis is an excellent option.

The chassis features an ergonomic design that is more comfortable to hold and easier to use with its integrated page turning buttons. The screen has an adjustable warm backlight for reading in both dim rooms and direct sunlight to reduce eye strain. It also uses built in sensors to automatically adjust screen brightness and light temperature depending on your environment.

Alternatively, you can schedule screen lighting changes based on typical use times for different members of your family. Moreover, the chassis is waterproof and able to be submerged up to 2 meters (6.5 feet) for up to 1 hour in freshwater or .25 meters for three minutes in salt water. Although it doesn't have a regular headphone jack, the Kindle Oasis supports Bluetooth connectivity.

You can use wireless headphones and speakers to listen to audiobooks or the screen reader function. Furthermore, if you need to download a few last minute titles in the airport lounge while waiting for your flight, the Kindle Oasis supports WEP and WPA2 WiFi security to protect your connection. Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition 6.8 inches | 32GB, Amazon Cloud | Up to 10 weeks at 30 minutes per day | Yes, removable with fee | No The best part of having an e reader is being able to take dozens, if not hundreds, of books with you while you travel for work, errands, family gatherings, or vacations.

Ayman from on TikTok is one of BookTok's most successful accounts, with over 900,000 followers on the platform. She creates content and memes about novels and recommends the books she reads on the platform. The Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition is her Kindle of choice, Ayman told ZDNET. Whether she's at the DMV, sitting at a cafe, or waiting in a line, Ayman said that she always takes along her Paperwhite Signature Edition and pulls it out when she has a spare second to read.

"I love how I can easily highlight and make annotations as I'm reading; it feels just as though I'm reading a physical book," Ayman said. The Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition is built with travel in mind. It supports both USB C and Qi wireless charging, so you don't have to keep a special charging cable for a single device.

Additionally, the internal battery can last up to 10 weeks on a full charge, allowing you to enjoy your beach reading even if you forget your charging cable. The screen features an anti glare coating for better visibility in direct lamplight or sunlight, as well as an auto adjusting backlight to suit dim rooms.

With 32GB of internal storage, you can store tens of thousands of titles on the tablet. However, if you need even more space, you can utilize Amazon Cloud storage to free up room on the Paperwhite Signature Edition for new books. The tablet is water resistant, which is great for reading by the pool, on the beach, or anywhere accidental spills may happen.

Additionally, it has a screen reader function for blind and visually impaired users and supports Bluetooth headsets for audiobooks. Kindle Scribe 10.2 inches | 16, 32, or 64GB | Up to 6 weeks at 30 minutes per day | Yes, removable with fee | No The Kindle Scribe combines a digital library with a digital notebook.

You can use the basic pen to create notes either through an app or on the book you're reading, making it convenient if you're studying for a test and want to organize what you're reading and your notes in one place. Additionally, you can upgrade to the Kindle Scribe Premium Pen to easily erase notes.

The display is remarkable, with a high resolution 10.2 inch screen. You'll also have access to ample storage options, and the battery life will let you read the next bestseller without having to worry about finding the nearest plug for charging. When last year, he called it his on the go note taking tablet of choice.

"My desire to find something that doesn't waste paper and also provides the ability to preserve and share my notes has been met with the Amazon Kindle Scribe," Miller said. And the writing and erasing capabilities are top tier, too, especially with the add on Premium Pen, he adds. On the other hand, there is room for improvement.

Currently, you can export notes to a PDF and email them. However, it would be ideal to send notes to other programs like Microsoft Word, which will be part of a future software update. Additionally, we found that it's not possible to organize your notes on the Kindle Scribe. Overall, it's a great foray into the digital note taking market, and with future software updates, it should become one of the more popular models in the Kindle lineup.

What is the best Kindle? The best Kindle e reader is the Kindle Paperwhite. You can choose between 8GB or 32GB of internal storage to download thousands of comics, novels, and audiobooks. Additionally, you can opt for cloud storage syncing for near infinite storage space for your digital library. The screen features an anti glare coating for better visibility in sunlight and flush bezels for better handling.

Furthermore, the integrated battery can last up to six weeks on a full charge, allowing you to read as much as you want worry free. Kindle Paperwhite $140 6.8 inches 6 weeks No Amazon Fire 8 HD $100 8 inches 13 hours Up to 1TB Kindle Oasis $250 7 inches 6 weeks No Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition $190 6.8 inches 10 weeks No Kindle Scribe $340 10.2 inches Several weeks No *Lowest price at the time of writing.

Please note that prices may vary based on retailer and available promotions, sales, or discounts. Which is the right Kindle for you? When shopping for a new Kindle reader, aside from price, you should also consider how much storage space you'll want or need for your digital bookshelf. The Kindle Paperwhite has 8GB of storage, which is enough for hundreds of books, audiobooks, PDF files, and graphic novels.

On the other hand, the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition has 32GB of storage, which allows your digital bookshelf to store almost 14,000 titles. Furthermore, no matter which model of Kindle reader you use, many support either microSD cards up to 1TB or cloud syncing for near infinite storage. Below is a table that outlines which Kindle corresponds to specific needs: Kindle Paperwhite The best overall due to its outstanding battery life, waterproof body, and ease of use.

It also has a 6 week battery life. Amazon Fire 8 HD A budget friendly option with a large, 8 inch screen and Alexa voice assistant built in. It also allows you to stream videos and music for more entertainment options. Kindle Oasis A top of the line Kindle reader with a large screen and Bluetooth connectivity.

It also has an auto adjusting front light. Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition A travel companion with wireless charging, water resistance, and cloud storage. This version of the Kindle is great for taking on vacations and work trips. Kindle Scribe A notetaking powerhouse with a 10.2 inch screen, ample storage, and the ability to transfer notes to PDF.

This makes it a great option for students as well as professionals. How did we choose these Kindles? The Kindles and Kindle alternatives on this list range from $100 to $340. With more features, like drawing capabilities, strong battery life, and large storage, you will pay a higher price. The point of a device like a Kindle is to store as many books in one compact device as possible.

We looked at Kindles with wide storage capacities that can hold thousands of titles. Some Kindles are kid friendly or 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.

: The e readers on this list should last you a few days, and ideally a few weeks, before recharging. How many books will 32GB hold? It all depends on what kinds of books you want to download, as different media files have different sizes. For example, a single comic book issue file can be as small as 650MB, while a graphic novel can be up to 1.5GB.

On the other hand, plain text files like novels, nonfiction titles, and even school textbooks have fairly small sizes, allowing you to have up to 13,500 books in your digital library with 32GB of storage space. However, longer titles like War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy will have a larger file size than something like F.

Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. If you like longer reads, you'll probably store fewer books, though you should still be able to download and store thousands of titles. You can even download audiobooks from the Kindle app, though the audio files are quite large. This means that a 32GB Kindle will only hold about 150 audiobooks, depending on the length of the recording.

Can I read Kindle books on an iPad? Absolutely! If you have an iPad, you can download the Kindle app from the iOS App Store. This allows you to buy and download digital books to your iPad, turning it into a true multimedia entertainment device and eliminating the need for a single purpose tablet. Moreover, it's not just iPads.

Samsung, Lenovo, and other tablet makers allow you to download the Kindle app so you can take your digital library with you. Are Kindle books free? They can be. Whether you're looking to fill out your library or to finally get around to reading those classics that were assigned back in your high school English class, it's pretty easy to find free Kindle books.

Lots of classic literature is in the public domain, which just means that they are no longer protected by copyright laws and can be provided for free. If you're looking for new titles, you don't have to spend a fortune. You also can find thousands of titles for very low prices, sometimes as low as 99 cents.

However, these are often self published works. And while self publishing is a great way for writers to get their work in the hands of readers without going through literary agents and publishing houses, it also means that sometimes the work isn't entirely up to snuff. So if you're tempted to buy that ultra low priced title, make sure you read reviews first so you don't end up buying something you won't like.

Are there alternatives to the Kindle worth considering? If you don't like the idea of a single purpose tablet taking up space in your home but still want the ease and portability of a digital library, you're able to download the Kindle app to just about any tablet on the market. Here is a short list of Kindle alternatives that I thought were great: Amazon Fire HD 10 A polished Kindle reader with a 10.1 inch, 1080p, HD display, 4GB of RAM and wireless charging capabilities.

iPad Air (5th Gen) A fantastic reader if you want 5G connectivity, fast performance, and good battery life. Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 A perfect option if you want the functionality of note taking with the S Pen coupled with a vibrant display..