Best E-Readers
Our pick of the best e-readers, ranked by VS Score from 14 we compared.
BOOX Palma 2 Pro
Top pickWho it’s for: A reader who wants Kindle, Kobo, library and news apps together on a pocketable color E Ink screen, with mobile data so they sync away from Wi-Fi.
- A much bigger battery ?3,950 mAh vs 2,300 mAh (median)
- Much more storage ?128 GB vs 64 GB (median)
- Has color display ?
64Points
Who it’s for: Someone who buys their books from Amazon and wants the device to disappear: a large sharp waterproof screen, weeks between charges, and no decisions to make.
- A much higher battery life (weeks) ?12 weeks vs 7.6 weeks (median)
- A slightly bigger screen ?7" (17.78 cm) vs 6.5" (16.51 cm) (median)
- A slightly slimmer body ?7.8 mm vs 7.9 mm (median)
60Points
Who it’s for: Someone reading textbooks, manga or illustrated non-fiction on a device that fits in a pocket, who wants color enough to accept a dimmer panel for it.
- Much more storage ?128 GB vs 64 GB (median)
- A lighter build ?140 g vs 167.5 g (median)
- Has color display ?
59Points
Who it’s for: A reader who borrows from libraries or buys from more than one shop, and who wants physical page-turn buttons and a waterproof body without stepping up to a note-taking tablet.
- Has color display ?
- Has waterproof ?
- A bigger screen ?7" (17.78 cm) vs 6.13" (15.57 cm) (median)
58Points
Who it’s for: A reader who needs a bigger page than a standard-size model (for large fonts or PDFs) and wants physical page buttons with open EPUB and library support.
- Much more storage ?32 GB vs 16 GB (median)
- Has EPUB support ?
- A bigger screen ?8" (20.32 cm) vs 6.5" (16.51 cm) (median)
58Points
Who it’s for: Readers whose books are spread across Kindle, Kobo, library apps, loose PDFs and comics, and who want one small color device with physical buttons that opens all of them.
- Has color display ?
- Has stylus support ?
- A bigger screen ?7" (17.78 cm) vs 6.13" (15.57 cm) (median)
57Points
Kobo Clara BW
Best valueWho it’s for: Novel readers who borrow through a public library and want a waterproof six-inch reader with the cleanest black-and-white page Kobo sells.
- Has EPUB support ?
55Points
Who it’s for: A reader who already moves between several apps and stores and wants one sharp black-and-white screen to do it on, with room for a large local library they carry around.
- Has stylus support ?
- A bigger screen ?7" (17.78 cm) vs 6.13" (15.57 cm) (median)
- A slightly slimmer body ?6.4 mm vs 6.7 mm (median)
52Points
Who it’s for: Someone who reads across several bookshops, and wants color covers and comic panels without giving up Libby, Kindle and Kobo on the same device.
- Has color display ?
- A bigger screen ?7" (17.78 cm) vs 6.13" (15.57 cm) (median)
- A slightly slimmer body ?6.4 mm vs 6.7 mm (median)
52Points
Who it’s for: Someone who reads manga, illustrated non-fiction or color-coded study material and wants the smallest waterproof Kobo that can show them in color.
- Has color display ?
- Has waterproof ?
50Points