The best Kindles in 2026: Our top picks tested and rated

When it comes to reading, note-taking and drawing, there's no better tool for the job than one of the best Kindles or e-readers. You're here to find the best of them, and we have just the expert tips to help guide you in picking the right one!

Amazon's Kindles and their many models are always a great shout. I still think the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite is the best e-reader for most people. If you can afford to splurge on a premium device specifically for reading, I recommend the Kindle Colorsoft because it's great for reading graphic novels and manga. And if you can afford the absolute best Kindle possible, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft lets you read and write in color.

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite vs. Kindle Basic vs. Kindle Scribe 📚 Which to Buy in 2026? #comparsion - YouTube

Watch On

But for those on a tight budget, the entry-level Amazon Kindle delivers the best value for the price, especially if you're willing to put up with the lockscreen ads that come on the cheapest model. But there are even more alternatives I recommend you check out.

But if you're passionate about writing by hand or annotating documents, I recommend the ReMarkable Paper Pro and its uniquely textured e-paper display that feels amazing to write on. Or if you like the idea of an e-paper tablet but don't want to be limited to one app store, the Boox Note Max is a big 13-inch e-paper slate that comes with a stylus and runs a version of Android.

With my team of experts reading and writing on dozens of these devices, you'll find all our go-to picks, advice and tips on finding the best e-reader for you right here. So, let's dive in!

Best Kindle Prime Day deals

Save 34% ($54.53)

Kindle Paperwhite Essentials Bundle, Rose: was $161.50 now $106.97 at Amazon

This bundle that includes the 16GB version of our overall winner, Kindle Paperwhite, plus a fabric protective cover and a power adapter, is currently more affordable than buying the Paperwhite on its own.

View Deal

Amazon Kindle (16GB): was $109 now $84 at Amazon

A Kindle reduced for Prime Day? Groundbreaking, it is not, but this low price sure is tempting if you're in the market for a solid performer of an e-reader.

View Deal

The best Kindles you can buy today

Why you can trust Tom's Guide Our writers and editors spend hours analyzing and reviewing products, services, and apps to help find what's best for you. Find out more about how we test, analyze, and rate.

The best Kindle overall

The latest Kindle Paperwhite is a study in understated competence. The latest model sports the same basic look as previous Kindles and Kindle Paperwhite models, including the matte black shell and an e-ink screen, but the latest Paperwhite has a bigger-than-ever 7-inch screen that makes it easier to focus on what you're reading. I also love that the bezels are small and thin, so you tend to forget they're there when engrossed in a good book.

The Kindle Paperwhite's sharp 300-ppi display is supported by an array of 17 LED backlights, which affords you the small luxury of incredibly even lighting. Plus, it offers a robust level of waterproofing (IPX8-rated) protection. So while you probably don't want to take it in the pool, a quick drop in a puddle or bathtub might not spell the end.

The latest model is worth buying because it offers faster performance and smoother page-flipping than earlier Kindles. Flipping through pages is 25% faster than before, and black text on white backgrounds appears clearer and more defined. Though we wish the power button had been moved to the top, we like this e-reader's premium design and appearance.

The only shortcoming? The latest Paperwhite costs $10 more than the previous model. While that's a bummer, there are regular sales on Amazon that should help lower the cost if you wait for a good opportunity. But even if you pay full price, I think the Kindle Paperwhite is the best e-reader for most people thanks to its elegant design, premium features and robust library.

Read our full Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2024) review.

• ^ Back to the top

The best value

The Amazon Kindle is a great e-reader that meets every need by being bright, long-lasting and comfortable to carry on long trips. The fact that you're locked into Amazon’s ecosystem is a drag, but you can’t knock the Kindle itself for Amazon's customer-unfriendly business practices.

That's not to say it's perfect, of course. There's room for improvement, like the fact that it's still not waterproof. So while I recommend it as a great Kindle at a killer price, it's key that you don't take it in the bath with you. This remains the biggest differentiator between it and the more expensive Paperwhite, and it feels like a slightly arbitrary difference intended to justify charging more for the Paperwhite.

Also, I missed having the option to adjust the warmth of the display light, another minor but meaningful Paperwhite feature — though if you’re fine with using dark mode, it’s easy to move past that shortcoming. Admittedly, if Amazon fixed those things, there would be no reason to get the Paperwhite, so while we're disappointed, we aren't shocked that the base Kindle doesn't get these useful features.

Ultimately, the Kindle 2024 is probably the best Kindle for most people. It’s lightweight and comfortable to hold, the display is bright and crisp — a massive improvement over earlier models — and the battery lasts for ages. Unless you really need a waterproof Kindle, it’s tough to advocate spending more than the $100 you'll pay for a new Amazon Kindle (2024).

Read our full Amazon Kindle (2024) review.

• ^ Back to the top

The best premium

If you have money to burn and want the absolute best Kindle you can get, you want the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft.

When I reviewed this extra-large e-paper slate I called it the Cadillac of Kindles because it has (almost) all the fancy features you could want in an e-reader: a crisp 11-inch screen that's capable of displaying your books and documents in black and white or color, a packed-in stylus with a built-in eraser tool and extensions to let you easily move documents back and forth from your Kindle to cloud services like OneDrive.

And after using one for a few weeks, I'm pleased to report that it's a great device. Colors look nice and bright on the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft, although black and white looks even better since the display effectively halves its resolution when displaying colors (you get 300 PPI in black and white, but just 150 PPI when displaying color). And writing on the 11" e-paper display with the included Kindle Premium Pen feels pretty good (although not as good as it feels to write on the ReMarkable Paper Pro).

I'm not the biggest fan of the way you annotate documents on Kindle devices because you have two choices: either write your notes in an expandable margin that pops out of the side of the screen, or write/doodle your annotations directly "on" your document or text using the Active Canvas. My issue is that the Active Canvas tech basically anchors your annotations between the text, so your annotations stay in the same place if you scroll or change text size, but are fundamentally disconnected from the text. That's a stark contrast from what it feels like to annotate documents on ReMarkable tablets, where you can simply write directly onto the text and count on your marks staying put no matter how you scroll or adjust the document.

I also need to let you know that the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft doesn't have any meaningful waterproofing to speak of, so you'll want to keep this pricey e-paper slate away from the surf. And frankly, since you'll pay basically the same amount for the ReMarkable Paper Pro, I personally would go with the Paper Pro over the Scribe Colorsoft.

But I've used both, and I will say that colors (and the screen in general) do appear brighter on the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft than they do on the ReMarkable Paper Pro. So if you want to read and write in color, both are great choices!

Read our full Kindle Scribe Colorsoft (2025) review.

• ^ Back to the top

Best color Kindle

The latest Kindle Colorsoft brings everything readers expect from a Kindle, just in full color. Its 7-inch color e-ink screen is crisp and, in our experience, remains readable even in direct sunlight—so comics and illustrated books finally look as engaging on an e-reader as on paper.

What really tips the balance for color fans is the Kindle library itself. You get access to the largest ebook and magazine collection around, which means no hunting for obscure formats or worrying about limited selection for color content.

In terms of day-to-day use, the Colorsoft holds its own: battery life stretches up to 8 weeks, and the IPX8 water resistance means you don’t have to panic if it gets splashed. These are practical essentials for readers who want to enjoy graphic novels at the pool or on the go, without sacrificing reliability.

The only real catch is price: the Colorsoft costs noticeably more than the entry-level Kindle or Paperwhite models. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed my time testing this device. If color is your top priority and you want a Kindle that goes beyond black and white, this is the most balanced option Amazon offers right now.

Read our full Kindle Colorsoft review

• ^ Back to the top

The best for writers

While the new Kindle Scribe is available and offers the option of writing on its e-reader display, the high price of the Scribe makes it hard to recommend. Because of that, I think the ReMarkable Paper Pro is a better choice for those who want an e-reader they can write on.

I say that because it's an e-reader designed for writers and note-takers. The ReMarkable Paper Pro is built for writing, to the extent that you can't buy one without a ReMarkable Marker or Marker Plus (which has an eraser tool on the back) stylus bundled in.

And while you can read your favorite ebooks just fine on this slate, you should only buy a ReMarkable tablet if you also want to write on them or jot down your own notes as you go. This tablet is designed to mimic the feeling of putting pen to paper, and I genuinely enjoy the feeling of jotting down notes or editing manuscripts on the 11.8-inch e-paper display in action.

This is the first ReMarkable tablet to support color, too, which is fun if not vital to the tablet's mission. It supports fewer than ten colors, but you can still get a pretty good range of colors popping up both in books and under your stylus as you play with the suite of art tools included.

But you should know that this tablet is as slow to update as any other e-reader on this list, due to its e-paper nature. In my testing, I found that I would often notice a delay between when I drew a line or flipped a page and when the action actually happened on-screen.

So while this is a unique device that offers standout value for writers who want a tablet that mimics the feel of a pen on paper while you're reading or marking up PDFs, everyone else should go with a more affordable, more durable Kindle for their e-reading habits.

If you'd prefer something smaller than a full-size slate, the ReMarkable Paper Pro Move is basically a smaller 7.3-inch version of the Paper Pro that's about the size of a big airport paperback.

Read our full ReMarkable Paper Pro review.

• ^ Back to the top

Also tested

We test and review lots of e-readers every year, and just because they don't all make this list doesn't mean they aren't good devices.

Below we've gathered all the e-readers we've tested that don't quite make this list, but are still good alternatives well worth considering if they meet your unique needs, or if you can't find your first choice on sale.

Amazon Kindle Scribe 2025 (★★★★☆)
The latest Amazon Kindle Scribe is essentially a black and white version of the Scribe Colorsoft, meaning you're getting all the great upgrades, including an 11-inch e-paper display, a lightweight design and a comfy stylus. It's more affordable, too, making it a great, cheaper alternative. However, as we noted above, the ReMarkable Paper Pro is the better pick, considering that is even less, and is more intuitive to write on. Still, it's well worth checking out.

Read the full Kindle Scribe review

ReMarkable Paper Pro Move (★★★★☆)
This is basically a smaller version of the ReMarkable Paper Pro, and the more compact size makes it much easier to carry in a large pocket or purse. Other than the smaller 7.3-inch screen (vs. the Paper Pro's 11.8-inch display), the Paper Pro Move has all the same features as its larger sibling. That includes an amazing writing experience, 10+ colors and a software suite that makes it pretty easy to pull documents onto the slate, annotate them and then send them elsewhere. However, I still think the larger ReMarkable Paper Pro is a better slate for a writer because you get more screen real estate to read or work on.

Read my full ReMarkable Paper Pro Move review

TCL NXTPAPER 11 Plus

TCL's NXTPAPER 11 Plus is an interesting mix between a full tablet and e-reader, making it a compelling choice. With just a flick of a switch, you can change between Regular Mode, Color Paper Mode and Ink Paper Mode on its matte screen, making it a versatile device for reading, note-taking and using apps. We still have more testing to do, but so far, we're impressed.

Read our full TCL NXTPAPER 11 Plus hands-on

View Deal

Battery life claims compared

E-readers are built to go weeks between charges, a clear advantage these pint-sized slates offer over bigger, brighter, more capable tablets like the iPad. Sure, you can read ebooks on any tablet with the right apps, but an e-reader will last a week-long vacation in your bag without needing to be plugged in—can your iPad do that?

In fact, the lengthy battery life of these slates makes them challenging for us to test, because we have to use them for months at a time to see if the battery claims are accurate. We have done that on occasion, and we've found that in general manufacturer claims are pretty close to what we actually see in real-world use.

Since battery life is a key data point that can help some people choose between e-readers, we've compared the advertised battery life of all the tablets on this page below so you can quickly see which last the longest.

As you can see, the Kindle Paperwhite is the clear leader of the pack with an advertised battery life of up to ten weeks.

Note that Amazon typically couches these recommendations with the caveat that it's based on you using the tablet to read for about 30 minutes per day, with the brightness set a few pegs lower than max. If you tend to read more often, you'll likely need to charge more often too.

• ^ Back to the top

How to choose the best e-reader for you

Let's start with your budget, as that's the easiest way to make this call. If you're running tight right now, the entry-level Kindle is a solid recommendation. Its lighting is good enough for a handful of situations and its battery life is nothing to sneeze at. Frankly, as long as you're careful about keeping it out of the water I think the basic Kindle is just as good an e-reader as anything on this list.

But hey, if money is no option then you should probably be choosing between the Kindle Paperwhite and the Kindle Scribe family, and this is sort of tough. If you prefer your devices to be built with a harder plastic, that still feels reliable, then I recommend the Paperwhite because it's more sturdy and also offers waterproofing.

But if you want to be able to jot notes on what you're reading you'll probably want to choose between the Kindle Scribe, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft or the ReMarkable Paper Pro.

The Kindle Scribe is the cheapest, but if you really love the look and feel of handwriting I recommend you at least try to check out ReMarkable's Paper Pro because, while it's more expensive, it also has a far more advanced stylus and screen that make it almost feel like you're writing on paper. It's a niche experience, but I've never felt anything like it on any other tablet. The Paper Pro can also display a limited color palette, while the Kindle Scribe cannot.

For that you need to pay for the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft, which costs as much as the ReMarkable Paper Pro and lets you read and write in color. I personally prefer the experience of writing on ReMarkable's tablets more, but the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft does appear brighter and more colorful than the Paper Pro in person!

• ^ Back to the top

How we tested these e-readers

To start, we read a lot on these Kindles. We don't just do that to see how much battery life is drained in a set of time (and to then compare against the estimations these manufacturers provide), but to discover what we like and don't like about a given Kindle. We then keep reading. At home, on the bus, in the park and anywhere else where the lighting changes.

In addition to evaluating e-readers' size, weight, claimed battery life and design choices, we test their brightness using our light meter. The experience of reading on the device also plays a huge role in these reviews. For instance, we look at the intuitiveness of the interface, the size of the available library and how well the special features (such as web browsers or dictionaries) work.

We've also tried alternatives to the Kindle, such as the ReMarkable Paper Pro and Kobo Nia. And while Kobo's slates are not currently among our best picks, their interface is great for those who want to stay focused on books, and isn't as focused on supplementary content as Amazon's Kindles are.

We even drop water-proof Kindles into our makeshift dunk tank, and watch as they survive — the first time it was surprising, and now it's become something we expect. Lastly, we try and see if Amazon's changed anything about how Kindles work with public libraries. It's the one thing we prefer about competitors.

• ^ Back to the top

• ^ Back to the top