The 10 Best E-Readers and Tablets for Reading Books (2024)

The 2022 Amazon Kindle is perfect for book lovers on a budget. Available with or without lockscreen ads (the difference is just $20), the latest 11th gen model now boasts double the storage of its predecessor at 16 GB and an upgraded 300ppi glare-free display. An adjustable four-LED front light and the new dark mode feature lets you read comfortably indoors and outdoors at any hour of the day. It comes with four free months of Kindle Unlimited, which offers more than three million titles, thousands of Audible audiobooks and more.

Younger readers can use this Kindle with their Amazon Kids+ subscription ($5 monthly and up), and Amazon Prime members can also use their subscription to access an ever-updated catalog of magazines, comics, e-books and more content. Note that the fabric cover ($30) is sold separately.

Amazon isn’t the only maker of excellent and accessible e-readers. Japanese retailer Rakuten’s Kobo line is giving the Kindle a run for its money, and the Sage 2 e-reader boasts added features such as stylus compatibility ($40; sold separately) for taking notes and Dropbox support.

The eight-inch HD e-Ink Carta 1200 touchscreen delivers glare-free reading with deep contrast, and the device’s Dark Mode feature helps to reduce eye strain. The ComfortLight Pro feature also lets you control the brightness and blue light. Readers who appreciate a tactile experience can turn pages with ergonomic buttons on either side of the screen, and the lightweight e-reader boasts an IPX8 rating and is waterproof for up to an hour under up to two meters.

Note-takers can use the separate Kobo Stylus and Kobo Sage’s built-in notebook to write and convert notes into text, or write comments on PDFS and e-books. Eco-conscious bookworms will be happy to know that Kobo buys carbon offsets on every shipment. Two cover options ($50 to $80) help to keep your screen protected.

Rakuten’s TK-generation Kobo Libra 2 is one of the best slim e-readers for avid bookworms who want to quickly turn pages, adjust the screen shade from bright white to amber and read worry-free in the bath or by the pool — and in one lightweight device. The 7.6-ounce water-resistant tablet has more storage (32GB) and a seven-inch 300ppi E Ink Carta 1200 display. We love the customization options: choose from 13 fonts and over 50 font styles, adjust the line spacing and margins to suit your preferences or read in landscape mode.

The front ComfortLight Pro feature lets you adjust the brightness and blue light to limit eyestrain, making it ideal for those who like to read before bed. The device also has an automatic rating page orientation, physical page turn buttons and a more ergonomic design compared to other Kobo models.

It can withstand being dropped in two meters of water for up to an hour, and comes with 32GB storage options, allowing users to store 24,000 e-books or up to 150 Audible audiobooks. A single charge gets you up several weeks of battery life, depending on your usage. The SleepCover with a built-in stand ($40) is sold separately.

For a reading experience that feels like you’re looking at old-fashioned paper, Amazon’s 11th generation Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition features no lockscreen ads and is the best option if you’re looking for a durable device for on-the-go reading. This e-book reader boasts a 300ppi glare-free waterproof display that’s easy on the eyes (even in bright sunlight) and the battery can last up to 10 weeks on a single charge. You can adjust the screen’s warmth for better reading during the day or at night, and you can store thousands of books on the built-in 32 GB storage.

It comes with three free months of Kindle Unlimited, which offers more than two million titles, thousands of audiobooks and more. Fabric and cork covers are sold separately for $35 to $50.

Barnes & Noble’s latest Nook GlowLight 4 Plus e-reader (one of four in the bookstore chain’s lineup of devices) is another worthy Amazon Kindle competitor, thanks to its battery that lasts for weeks on a single charge. Now at 7.8 inches with 300ppi, it’s the largest Nook display with the highest resolution and is glare-, scratch- and fingerprint-resistant to mimic the experience of reading real paper. It features a flush-front screen to avoid dust buildup and offers a generous 32 GB of memory (29 GB of that space is for content storage).

The Nook’s Night Mode makes the screen comfortable on the eyes in the evening, while the Illumination feature is great for indoors and outdoors. You can also set it to adjust the lighting automatically depending on the time of day. Covers are sold separately for $20.

Regular Barnes & Noble customers will appreciate free Wi-Fi at the bookstore chain’s stores and AT&T hotspots, and B&N members save 10 percent on purchases. The device also comes with free lifetime in-person support at any B&N store.

Enjoy the all-day battery and get a smooth screen experience with Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S9, which also comes in larger S9+ and S9 Ultra options(12.4 and 14.6 inches, respectively). This tablet is easy on the eyes and has a crisp and brilliant 11-inch LCD screen with a 120Hz refresh rate that makes reading, gaming and streaming feel dynamic and seamless. It also has built-in quad speakers with rich Dolby Atmos surround sound tuned by AKG, so audiobooks and movies alike will sound immersive. Whether you’re reading or watching movies, the Vision Booster adjusts the brightness and contrast automatically in sunlight and dim rooms alike.

Storage starts at 128 GB and you can upgrade to up to 1 TB with a microSD card (sold separately) if you need more space for your e-books or audiobooks. If you plan on using it to take notes, the Galaxy Tab S9 includes an S Pen. Accessories such as cases and Bluetooth keyboards are sold separately.

While Apple’s latest 2022 iPad Air and the colorful new iPad are now available, readers who prefer portability (say, a smaller screen that can also handle web browsing, checking emails and watching videos), the 2021 iPad Mini might be a better option. If you’re not looking for a powerhouse of a tablet, the 8.3-in. Liquid Retina display with True Tone and Apple’s A15 Bionic chip combine to give you more than enough screen and speed to let you go from listening to audiobooks to watching movies to soaking up best-selling novels on Apple Books (or other e-book apps).

It’s compatible with 5G and works with the second-gen Apple Pencil, the Smart Keyboard Folio and non-Apple Bluetooth keyboards, so it’s also a great tablet for taking notes.

For an affordable tablet and e-reader combo, Amazon’s newly-updated Fire HD 10 is lighter and boasts a longer battery life than its predecessor — and this zippy, wallet-friendly device is also ideal for reading. The battery gives you up to 13 hours of reading and the device comes in four colors: black, denim and lavender. The durable 10.1-inch 1080p HD screen is made with strengthened aluminosilicate glass and it’s now compatible with Amazon’s stylus pen for taking notes, drawing and more.

It comes with 32 or 64 GB of internal storage (the microSD card slot lets you expand up to up to 1 TB) and a powerful octa-core processor and 3 GB RAM for seamless multi-tasking. Upgrade to the Fire HD 10 Plus if you want the option to charge wirelessly. Bluetooth keyboards and fabric and durable kid-friendly cases are also available.

Amazon’s newest Kindle Scribe is one of the best e-readers that’s also a note-taking tablet, making it a great option for students, avid readers and writers. At 10.2 inches with a 300ppi glare-free display and 35 LED lights, the screen is the largest and brightest in the Kindle lineup. Similar to Amazon’s other e-readers, the front light adjusts automatically and you can customize the display’s warmth and text size.

The battery can last for up to 12 weeks (based on 30 minutes of reading per day) or up to 3 weeks (based on 30 minutes of note-taking daily) on a single charge, and you can get as much as 64 GB of storage for e-books and notes. As far as taking notes, the included Premium Pen lets you create sticky notes by tapping the screen, highlight sentences in books, create documents and notebooks (including bullet journals, keep track with to-do lists and more.