Are you looking for a better way to read all those digital books in your e-library? Time to upgrade your e-reader. While many people are still attached to their dead-tree books, e-readers offer a wealth of advantages. You can change the font size, you can search and highlight passages with a touch screen, and you're never out of luck if you don't have a reading light because all of the best e-readers on the market have self-illuminated screens.
So, ready to start reading? Whether you're into biographies or graphic novels, you'll find the perfect e-reader for your digital book needs on this list.
Best all-around ebook reader
Kindle Paperwhite
If you're shopping for someone who's looking for the latest Kindle e-reader, this is the Goldilocks in Amazon's line and our current CNET Editors' Choice Award winner in the category. Here are some things we love about the Kindle Paperwhite:
It's 10% thinner and lighter than the previous version.
It has a "flush-front" design with a back made of a softer, grippy material instead of hard plastic.
It's a fully waterproof Kindle, like the high-end Kindle Oasis, and has a plastic screen that Amazon says is shatter- and scratch-resistant.
It has built-in Bluetooth, so you can download Amazon Audible audiobooks and listen to them with wireless headphones.
Best premium ebook reader
Kindle Oasis
Amazon's top-of-the-line E Ink e-reader was slightly updated in 2019 -- but this Kindle e-reader device is basically identical to the previous Kindle Oasis except for one key difference: It has a new color-adjustable integrated light that allows you to customize the color tone from cool to warm, depending on whether you're reading during the day or at night. You can also schedule the screen warmth to update automatically with sunrise and sunset -- not unlike Night Shift mode on Apple devices.
Best budget e-reader
Amazon Kindle 2019
The latest iteration of Amazon's entry-level ebook reader, which Amazon simply calls the Kindle, now has a self-illuminated screen and an upgraded design. At $90 this ebook reader does cost $10 more than the previous model, the Kindle 2016, but this Kindle device regularly goes on sale for as little as $60. We prefer the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite, which has the high-resolution display (text and images appear a bit sharper), is waterproof and has a slightly better lighting scheme. But if you don't want to spend much for an e-reader, the standard Kindle is a good option, especially when it's discounted. We do expect it to be updated in 2021.
Best non-Amazon e-reader
Kobo Libra H20
Rakuten makes a line of Kobo e-readers that are not only powered by the Kobo store but also support 14 file and ebook formats natively (EPUB, EPUB3, PDF, MOBI, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, TIFF, TXT, HTML, RTF, CBZ and CBR). In other words, if you get your ebooks -- or any other digital documents -- from any place besides Amazon, this device will probably read them. The Kobo has its own ebook store with thousands of books, and it has built-in support for checking out ebooks from local libraries via the OverDrive service. (You can get library books onto Kindles via OverDrive's Libby app, but it's not as smooth a process.)
The Kobo Libra H20, which retails for $170, sits in the middle of the line and, as its name implies, it's fully waterproof. It has a 7-inch HD (1,680x1,264-pixel resolution) E Ink display, a built-in light and no ads (you have to pay $20 to remove them from Kindle devices).
More affordable Kobo
Kobo Clara HD
If you don't want to pay a premium for Kobo's larger e-readers, the Clara HD is a good alternative at $120. It's a straightforward e-reader that has Kobo's ComfortLight Pro integrated illumination and a 300ppi (1,072x1,448 resolution) "HD" display, 8GB of storage and a 1GHz processor. Unlike Amazon's currently Kindle models, the Kobo Clara HD charges via USB-C, not Micro-USB.
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