The Best Ereaders of 2025: Tested & Reviewed by Experts

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Finding the best ereader to enjoy your favorite books can be overwhelming with so many options available. Whether you’re an avid reader looking to upgrade from physical books or searching for a better alternative to reading on your smartphone or tablet, this comprehensive guide to the best ereaders will help you make an informed decision. After extensive testing and real-world use, we’ve identified the top e-reading devices across various categories to suit different needs and budgets.

Our team has spent countless hours reading in various lighting conditions, testing battery life, and exploring the unique features of each ereader to bring you this authoritative guide to finding the best ereader on the market in 2025.

Who is it best for?

The Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition is perfect for dedicated readers who want a premium reading experience without the premium price tag of the Oasis. It’s particularly well-suited for frequent travelers, bath or beach readers, and anyone who wants the convenience of wireless charging.

Who is it best for?

The Kobo Clara 2E is ideal for budget-conscious readers, those new to ereaders, or anyone who wants a compact device for on-the-go reading. It’s particularly well-suited for library book borrowers thanks to its native OverDrive integration.

Who is it best for?

The Kindle Oasis is perfect for dedicated readers who spend hours daily with their ereaders and appreciate physical buttons and premium build quality. It’s the luxury option for those who see their ereader as an investment in their reading comfort.

Who is it best for?

The Kobo Libra 2 is the perfect choice for readers who regularly borrow ebooks from public libraries or anyone who prefers the flexibility of the Kobo ecosystem with the comfort of physical page-turn buttons.

Who is it best for?

The Onyx Boox Note Air 3 is ideal for students, researchers, professionals, and anyone who needs to annotate documents or comfortably read PDF files. It’s also perfect for those who want access to multiple ebook ecosystems on a single device.

Who is it best for?

The Kobo Elipsa 2E is ideal for readers who primarily consume large-format content like textbooks, PDFs, or magazines, as well as those who need basic annotation capabilities without the complexity of a full Android system.

Honorable Mentions / Niche Picks

PocketBook InkPad Color 3 stands out as one of the few color E Ink devices on the market. While color E Ink technology still has limitations in terms of refresh rate and vibrancy, it offers a unique experience for reading comics, cookbooks, and illustrated content with less eye strain than traditional tablets.

Kindle Scribe merges Amazon’s refined reading experience with note-taking capabilities on a 10.2-inch screen. While its annotation features aren’t as robust as those found on Onyx Boox devices, the integration with the Kindle ecosystem makes it appealing for Amazon-centric readers who need basic note-taking.

Onyx Boox Page deserves mention for its ultra-compact 7-inch form factor with Android capabilities, offering a unique balance between portability and versatility that few other devices can match.

Best Ereader Buying Guide: What Features Matter Most?

Screen Technology Explained (E Ink Carta, Kaleido, etc.)

Most modern ereaders use E Ink technology, which mimics the appearance of paper by using tiny microcapsules containing positively charged white particles and negatively charged black particles. When an electric field is applied, these particles move to create text and images.

The most common E Ink technology in current devices is E Ink Carta 1200, which offers improved contrast and faster page turns compared to previous generations. For color displays, E Ink Kaleido Plus technology adds a color filter layer that can display up to 4,096 colors, though with reduced resolution and less vibrancy than LCD screens.What makes E Ink ideal for the best ereader experience is its reflective nature, unlike LCD or OLED screens that emit light, E Ink reflects ambient light just like paper, reducing eye strain during extended reading sessions.

Screen Size and Resolution (PPI)

When looking for the best ereader, 300 PPI  should be considered the minimum for a premium reading experience, especially if you read for extended periods.

Frontlight and Warm Light: Why They Matter

Modern ereaders feature built-in front-lighting systems that illuminate the screen evenly without shining light directly into your eyes (unlike backlit tablets). This allows for comfortable reading in any lighting condition.

Frontlight quality varies between devices in terms of:

• Evenness (no bright or dark spots)
• Brightness range
• Number of LEDs (more LEDs generally means more even lighting)

Warm light features allow you to reduce blue light exposure by shifting the light color to a warmer amber tone, which is particularly beneficial for nighttime reading as blue light can disrupt sleep patterns. Premium models often offer automatic scheduling of warm light based on time of day.

Storage: How Much Do You Need?

Ebook files are relatively small compared to photos, videos, or apps:

• A typical novel: 1-3MB
• Illustrated book: 5-20MB
• Comics/manga: 30-100MB per volume
• Audiobooks: 150-300MB per book

Storage capacity in current ereaders typically ranges from 8GB to 64GB:

• 8GB: Sufficient for approximately 3,000-6,000 ebooks
• 16-32GB: Ideal for most users, with room for thousands of books and some audiobooks
• 64GB+: Necessary only for large collections of audiobooks, comics, or PDF documents

For most readers, 16GB provides ample storage. However, if you read image-heavy content or listen to audiobooks, consider devices with 32GB or more.

Battery Life: Real-World Expectations

One of the major advantages of ereaders over tablets is their exceptional battery life, typically measured in weeks rather than hours. However, actual battery performance depends on several factors:

• Reading time per day: More reading means faster battery drain
• Frontlight usage and brightness: Higher brightness levels consume more power
• Wireless connectivity: Keeping Wi-Fi on reduces battery life
• Page turn frequency: More frequent page turns use more power

Most manufacturers cite battery life based on 30 minutes of reading per day with Wi-Fi off and moderate brightness levels. Under these conditions, expect:

• Budget models: 2-4 weeks
• Mid-range models: 4-6 weeks
• Premium models: 6-10 weeks

In real-world usage with higher brightness and more reading time, expect roughly half the quoted battery life.

Waterproofing: Necessity or Luxury?

Waterproofing has become increasingly common in mid-range and premium ereaders, typically with an IPX8 rating that allows for immersion in up to 2 meters of freshwater for up to 60 minutes.

This feature is particularly valuable for:

• Bath or pool readers
• Beach enthusiasts
• Those who read while cooking or eating
• Commuters who might get caught in rain

While not strictly necessary, waterproofing provides peace of mind and protection against accidents that could otherwise destroy your device. The minimal price premium it usually commands makes it a worthwhile investment for most readers.

Ecosystem: Kindle vs. Kobo vs. Open Systems

Your choice of ereader ecosystem has significant implications for your long-term reading experience:

Your ecosystem choice should consider where your existing book collection resides and which content sources you plan to use most frequently.

File Format Support (EPUB, MOBI, PDF, etc.)

Different ereaders support various file formats, which affects how easily you can add content from different sources:

Common ebook formats:

• EPUB: Industry standard supported by most non-Amazon devices
• MOBI/AZW3: Amazon’s proprietary formats
• PDF: Universal but often displays poorly on smaller screens
• CBZ/CBR: Comic book archives

Kindle devices natively support: MOBI, AZW, AZW3, PRC, PDF, TXT Kobo devices natively support: EPUB, EPUB3, PDF, MOBI, TXT, HTML, RTF, CBZ, CBR Android-based readers typically support all common formats through various apps

If you have an existing ebook collection or plan to obtain books from various sources (libraries, independent bookstores, direct from publishers), consider devices with broader format support.

Software Features & Usability

The software experience varies significantly between ereaders and can greatly impact your reading enjoyment:

Reading customization options to consider include:

• Font choices and the ability to add custom fonts
• Margin and line spacing adjustments
• Text alignment options
• Dictionary lookup and translation features
• Highlighting and note-taking capabilities

Navigation features that enhance usability:

• Page turn animations and speed
• Library organization and collection management
• Search functionality
• Progress tracking
• Reading statistics

Advanced features found on some devices:

• Screen orientation locking
• Side-loading of books via USB or cloud services
• Browser functionality
• Reading-focused apps (dictionaries, note-taking)

Ereaders vs. Tablets: Which is Right for Reading?

While tablets like iPads or Android devices can function as reading devices, dedicated ereaders offer several significant advantages for serious readers:

Eye Comfort: E Ink displays reflect light rather than emitting it, causing significantly less eye strain during extended reading sessions. They also remain readable in bright sunlight.

Battery Life: Ereaders typically last weeks on a single charge, compared to hours for tablets.

Distraction-Free: Dedicated ereaders eliminate notifications, emails, and other interruptions that can break reading immersion.

Weight: Most ereaders are lighter than tablets, making them more comfortable for long reading sessions.

Price: Quality ereaders are generally less expensive than comparable tablets.

However, tablets do have advantages for certain types of content:

• Color content: Magazines, cookbooks, and illustrated children’s books look better on tablets.
• Interactive content: For books with audio, video, or interactive elements, tablets provide a richer experience.
• Multi-functionality: Tablets can serve multiple purposes beyond reading.

For those who primarily read text-based books and value comfort during extended reading sessions, a dedicated ereader is the superior choice. For those who read highly visual content or need a multi-purpose device, a tablet may be more appropriate.

Conclusion & Our Final Recommendation

After extensive testing across multiple devices and use cases, the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition emerges as our top recommendation for the best ereader for most readers. Its combination of excellent screen quality, comfortable design, waterproofing, and robust ecosystem makes it the best all-around ereader for most people’s needs at a reasonable price point.

For budget-conscious readers, the Kobo Clara 2E provides exceptional value with waterproofing and library support. Those seeking the ultimate premium experience should consider the Kindle Oasis with its ergonomic design and physical buttons, while PDF and note-taking enthusiasts will be best served by the versatile Onyx Boox Note Air 3.

Remember that the “best” ereader ultimately depends on your specific reading habits, content sources, and personal preferences. Consider how and what you read most frequently when making your choice.

We’d love to hear about your experiences with these devices or answer any questions you might have about finding the best ereader for your unique preferences. Leave a comment below to join the conversation!