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Want one e-reader you can take into the bath? For most people, the best waterproof e-reader is the Kindle Paperwhite ($199.99). It’s IPX8 rated, which Amazon says means it survives 2 meters of fresh water for 60 minutes, and it adds a warm light and up to 12 weeks of battery. Get the Kobo Clara BW ($159.99) if you borrow library books or want to spend less, and the Kobo Libra Colour ($257.99) if you want page-turn buttons and color. The basic Kindle and the Kindle Scribe aren’t waterproof.
6-inch color, IPX8, text-to-speech and Bluetooth audio.
Every water rating on this page comes from the maker’s own listings and help pages, linked in the sources at the end. We don’t dunk devices ourselves; where owners describe reading in the bath or by the pool, we link to their discussions.
1. Kindle Paperwhite (2026): best waterproof e-reader overall
The Paperwhite is the easiest pick for reading in the bath or by the pool. Amazon rates the 2026 model IPX8 and lists a 7-inch glare-free screen, an adjustable warm light and up to 12 weeks of battery on a charge. It’s thinner and lighter than the 2024 model, and its battery can be replaced.
The catch: there are no page-turn buttons, so you turn pages on the touchscreen. Like any touchscreen, it can misread water drops, so dry the screen and your fingers before you tap. Amazon’s Kindle Click remote ($34.99) turns pages without touching the screen, but Amazon doesn’t call the remote waterproof, so keep it dry. The Paperwhite Signature Edition ($249.99) is waterproof too and adds 32GB, an auto-adjusting light and no ads.
It suits Kindle and Kindle+ readers who want one device for bed, bath and pool. Wondering whether it’s worth the extra over the basic Kindle? See our Kindle vs Paperwhite comparison.
2. Kobo Clara BW: best value waterproof e-reader
The Clara BW is an affordable way into a fully waterproof e-reader: Kobo rates it IPX8, the same as the Paperwhite. It has a 6-inch glare-free E Ink Carta 1300 screen, ComfortLight PRO for adjustable brightness and color temperature, and 16GB of storage. Kobo makes it partly from recycled and ocean-bound plastic.
Why a Kobo: Kobo readers open EPUB files directly and have library borrowing built in through OverDrive, so you can borrow ebooks without a phone or computer. The trade-offs are the smaller 6-inch screen and no page-turn buttons.
Pick it if you borrow from the library or have your own EPUB files. For more low-cost options, waterproof or not, see our best cheap e-readers guide.
3. Kobo Libra Colour: best waterproof e-reader with page-turn buttons
The Libra Colour is the waterproof pick if you want buttons. Kobo lists physical page-turn buttons, a 7-inch color E Ink Kaleido 3 screen, 32GB of storage and IPX8 water protection. It also works with the Kobo Stylus 2, sold separately, for notes and colored highlights.
Why buttons matter near water: Kobo says a wet screen may not respond properly, and a Kindle Oasis owner on MobileRead who reads in a spa and pool asked how to switch the touchscreen off for exactly this reason. With buttons, you can turn pages with wet fingers without tapping the screen.
Choose it if you read in the bath, want comics in color, or use Kobo and EPUB and want a bigger screen than the Clara.
4. Kindle Colorsoft (2026): best waterproof color Kindle
The Colorsoft brings a 7-inch color screen to the Paperwhite formula. Amazon calls it waterproof with an IPX8 rating, lists an adjustable warm light and up to 8 weeks of battery, and sells it without lockscreen ads. Color helps with comics, cookbooks, children’s books and highlights in five colors.
Do you need color? For plain novels, the Paperwhite costs less and lasts longer on a charge. The Colorsoft Signature Edition is also rated IPX8, and Amazon’s comparison chart marks the Colorsoft Kids as waterproof too. If you mainly read manga or comics, see our best e-readers for manga and comics.
5. Kobo Clara Colour: best small waterproof color e-reader
The Clara Colour is the Clara BW with a 6-inch E Ink Kaleido 3 color screen, so you get color covers, comics and highlights in the same small IPX8 body. ComfortLight PRO cuts blue light at night, and like other Kobos it opens EPUB files and borrows library books directly.
Keep in mind that color E Ink looks muted next to a tablet, closer to newsprint, and comics are small on a 6-inch screen. If color is mostly for comics, the 7-inch Libra Colour or Colorsoft is easier on the eyes.
6. PocketBook Verse Pro Color: best for file formats and text-to-speech
The Verse Pro Color is a 6-inch color reader with IPX8 protection, the same rating as the Kindle and Kobo picks. Its strength is flexibility: PocketBook lists support for 25 formats, including EPUB, PDF and comic formats, built-in text-to-speech, and audiobooks over Bluetooth 5.4. It weighs 182 g.
Battery: PocketBook rates the battery at up to a month on a charge, so expect to charge it more often than a Kindle. For a bigger screen, the PocketBook InkPad Color 3 ($345.00) has a 7.8-inch color display and IPX8 protection too.
Which Kindles are waterproof?
The Paperwhite and Colorsoft are waterproof, including their Signature Edition versions. The basic Kindle, Kindle Aluminum and Kindle Scribe aren’t. Here’s the current lineup, from Amazon’s listings:
- Kindle (2026) and Kindle Aluminum: no water rating listed.
- Kindle Paperwhite and Paperwhite Signature Edition: waterproof, IPX8.
- Kindle Colorsoft, Colorsoft Signature Edition and Colorsoft Kids: waterproof, IPX8.
- Kindle Scribe: no water rating listed.
- Kindle Oasis: IPX8 and the last Kindle with page-turn buttons, but it’s no longer part of Amazon’s lineup, so you’ll mostly find it used or refurbished.
Is the Kindle Paperwhite waterproof? Yes, and not just the new one: every Paperwhite since the 2018 model is rated IPX8. So the cheapest waterproof Kindle is the Paperwhite, and our Kindle deals page shows whether today’s price on it is a real discount.
Which Kobo e-readers are waterproof?
Of Kobo’s current lineup, everything except the Elipsa 2E. Kobo’s help center lists the Clara BW, Clara Colour and Libra Colour as waterproof, along with older models such as the Clara 2E, Libra 2, Sage and Forma. The 10.3-inch Elipsa 2E, Kobo’s note-taking model, isn’t on the list, and neither is the older Clara HD.
What IPX8 means (and what it doesn’t)
IPX8 comes from the international IEC 60529 standard. The X means the device wasn’t rated for dust, and the 8 means it was tested for continuous immersion deeper than 1 meter, under conditions the maker sets. For Kindle and Kobo, that test is 2 meters of fresh water for 60 minutes. What the rating doesn’t cover:
- Salt and pool water. Kobo advises against submerging its readers in salt water, soapy water or chlorinated pool water. Amazon’s rating is for fresh water too.
- Sand. Kobo points out its readers aren’t dustproof or sandproof, which matters at the beach.
- Floating. They don’t float, so take care over deep water.
- Strong currents. Kobo warns against powerful moving water such as waves or waterfalls.
In practice, a waterproof e-reader is built for the bath, a pool lounger, rain or a spilled drink. It isn’t meant to go swimming with you.
What to do if your e-reader gets wet
- Rinse it with fresh water right away if salt, soapy or chlorinated water got on it, then dry it.
- Wipe the screen with a dry cloth. Kobo notes the screen may not respond properly while it’s wet.
- Dry the USB port before charging, and don’t charge it in or near water or in a humid room.
These steps come from Kobo’s help center, and they apply to any waterproof e-reader. A device that isn’t rated waterproof is a different story: switch it off and let it dry fully before you try to charge it.
Not waterproof? Your options
The basic Kindle, Kindle Aluminum, Kindle Scribe and Kobo Elipsa 2E have no water rating. Boox calls the Palma 2 Pro water-repellent, which it says covers minor spills and light rain but not immersion. For a basic Kindle or Kindle Aluminum, a sealed pouch such as EMSEEK’s floating e-reader pouch ($13.99) is the cheap fix. It’s made for 6- to 7-inch readers, so it’s too small for the Scribe or Elipsa 2E. Our e-reader accessories guide covers other add-ons.
If you’re buying new, compare the basic Kindle ($149.99) with the Paperwhite ($199.99): the gap also buys a warm light and a bigger screen.
Waterproof e-readers compared
| Our pick | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lockscreen ads | ||||
| Lockscreen ads | Yes (ad-free costs extra) | No | No | No |
| Screen | ||||
| Screen | 7-inch | 6-inch | 7-inch color | 7-inch color |
| Page-turn buttons | ||||
| Page-turn buttons | No | No | Yes | No |
| Warm light | ||||
| Warm light | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Library books | ||||
| Library books | Libby (US), via Amazon | Built in | Built in | Libby (US), via Amazon |
| Opens EPUB | ||||
| Opens EPUB | Via Send to Kindle | Yes | Yes | Via Send to Kindle |
| Storage | ||||
| Storage | 16GB | 16GB | 32GB | 16GB |
| Price | ||||
| Price | $199.99 as of Oct 30, 3:21 pm |
$159.99 as of Oct 30, 7:06 pm |
$257.99 as of Oct 30, 1:39 pm |
$289.99 as of Oct 30, 1:39 pm |
Specs come from Amazon’s and Kobo’s listings. Looking beyond waterproofing? Our guide to the best e-readers of 2026 covers every type of reader, and our Kindle vs Kobo vs Boox comparison explains the trade-offs between brands.
FAQs
Is the Kindle Scribe waterproof?
Is the basic Kindle waterproof?
Can I read my Kindle in the bath or pool?
Is the Kobo Clara waterproof?
Can a waterproof e-reader go in the sea?
Is the Kindle Oasis waterproof?
Sources (16)
- Amazon: Kindle Paperwhite (2026), Kindle Colorsoft (2026), Colorsoft Signature Edition, New Kindle lineup (2026)
- Kobo: Waterproof Kobo eReaders (help center), listings for the Clara BW, Clara Colour and Libra Colour
- PocketBook and Boox: Verse Pro Color specs, Verse Pro Color water rating, BOOX Palma 2 Pro
- Standard: IEC IP ratings (IEC 60529)
- Owners and specs (MobileRead): Disable touchscreen on Kindle Oasis, Have you ever dropped an ereader in the bath?, Kindle Paperwhite (2018) specs, Kindle Oasis specs