Our pick
Amazon’s most affordable Kindle is also its most portable, with a 6-inch screen that has finally been upgraded with a higher pixel density for sharper text and support for USB-C charging. Those features bring it in line with far more expensive e-readers. The Kids version costs an extra $20 but comes with a slew of perks that make it an excellent option if you can spend a little more.
The entry-level Amazon Kindle finally got an upgrade, with the same crisp display and USB-C charging as on the pricier Kindle Paperwhite (and double the storage space of the previous model). If you have $20 more to spend, the Amazon Kindle Kids is worth it even if you’re not a parent; it comes with a case, a year free of Amazon Kids+, a two-year warranty (compared with the standard version’s one year of coverage), and no ads. Getting rid of ads on the base model costs $20 alone. Amazon’s well-stocked store of ebooks remains its biggest selling point, along with the ease of checking out library books via Libby and sending them directly to a Kindle.
Upgrade pick
The waterproof Kindle Paperwhite is worth upgrading to if you want a bigger screen for reading more text at a time, if you want to adjust the color temperature as well as the lighting, and if you do a lot of reading at the beach or by a pool.
If you want a bigger display, the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite’s 6.8-inch screen can showcase more text at a time than the 6-inch entry-level Kindle. Its 17 LEDs are a huge bump up from the basic Kindle’s four lights, and they let you adjust the lighting as well as the color temperature if warm or cool lighting is easier on your eyes. The Kindle Paperwhite is waterproof, too, so you can tote it to the beach or relax by the pool without worrying.
Also great
If you have no interest in buying into the Amazon ecosystem, Kobo e-readers are a solid option. This waterproof model splits the difference between the entry-level Kindle and the Kindle Paperwhite by giving you a 6-inch screen with adjustable light and color temperature for late-night reading. OverDrive integration makes checking out library books a breeze.
Kobo is one of Amazon’s few rivals when it comes to e-readers, and Rakuten’s Kobo Clara 2E is the best of the non-Amazon alternatives. With a 6-inch screen, 300 pixels per inch (ppi), and a body made of recycled plastic, it’s lightweight, portable, and a joy to read on, and it’s also waterproof for peace of mind when you’re reading by the pool or in the bathtub.
