8 best ereaders: Fuel your inner bookworm with a Kindle or Kobo device

by David Phelan May 14, 2021 6 minutes

It’s true, ebook readers can’t quite compete with the real thing: there’s the tactile excellence of paper, the way they decorate your shelves, and the pristine print quality, amongst many other reasons. But ebook readers have their own benefits, and they’re something to consider.

There’s the convenience of carrying thousands of books in one lightweight device, the comfort of a built-in light so you never strain your eyes and the simplicity of buying a book in seconds, wherever you are.

Battery life on ebook readers is measured in weeks, not hours, because e-ink, which these devices use, only consumes electricity when turning from one page to the next. Once you’re on the page you want to read, there’s no power draw.

The models that have a light built in – and that’s nearly all of them now – are not backlit like a tablet, but rather they light the page from the edge, so it’s not directed into your eyes. This is much more restful. Some have lights which can change colour from a cool blue to a warmer orange to make them more comfortable to read at different times of day.

Ebook files don’t take up much space, so thousands of titles can be held in any of the models here. Higher capacity storage is mostly useful for audiobooks, such as the brilliant Audible titles which will take up space quickly.

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As the creator of Kindle devices, Amazon is the market leader when it comes to ebook readers. You can read any books you’ve bought on your Kindle in other places, too: laptops, tablets and even phones. While the other major ebook brand is Kobo.

Most ebook readers have six-inch displays but some are bigger. Many, though not all, have screen resolution of 300 pixels per inch (ppi) which is very sharp and easy to read. The entry-level Kindle is lower, 167ppi, but still readable and the lowest-priced Kobo, the Kobo nia, outdoes this resolution with a 212ppi screen.

How we tested

We tested for comfort in the hand, especially over long reading sessions, ease of navigation, screen quality, battery life, simplicity of use and the breadth of access to the books you want.

The best ereaders for 2021 are:

Best overall – Amazon Kindle paperwhite: £109.99, Amazon.co.uk
Best kobo ereader – Kobo libra H2O: £119.99, Kobobooks.com
Best sleek design – Amazon Kindle oasis: £229.99, Amazon.co.uk
Best waterproof ereader – Kobo clara HD: £109.99, Kobobooks.com
Best classic ereader – Amazon Kindle: £69.99, Amazon.co.uk
Best entry-level ereader – Kobo nia: £89.99, Amazon.co.uk
Best for kids – Amazon Kindle kids edition: £99.99, Amazon.co.uk
Best for a big screen – Kobo forma: £239.99, Amazon.co.uk

Amazon Kindle paperwhite

Best: Overall

Screen size: 6in (15cm)
Screen resolution: 300ppi
Screen light? Yes, with 5 LEDs
Waterproof? Yes
Storage: 8GB, 32GB
Wifi only? Wifi only or wifi with free 4G
Weight: 182g

The waterproof paperwhite is the Goldilocks ebook reader: a big step up from the entry-level Kindle, but nowhere near the price of the premium oasis. It has a high-resolution screen which is extremely easy to read, while the design is elegant with the screen flush to the frame (the basic Kindle display is recessed behind the frame), and you can choose between black and twilight blue finishes. There are no physical page-turn buttons, so you must use the touchscreen. We like the option for free 4G which is especially handy if you want to buy a new title when you’re away from wi-fi, such as on the beach.

Buy now £109.99, Amazon.co.uk

Kobo libra H2O

Best: Kobo ereader

Screen size: 7in (17.5cm)
Screen resolution: 300ppi
Screen light? Yes, with 5 LEDs
Waterproof? Yes
Storage: 8GB
Wifi only? Yes
Weight 192g

The name refers to this reader’s waterproofing – it can survive 60 minutes in a metre of water without getting damaged. It has a larger display than the paperwhite and a distinctive design which includes a grippable raised edge that makes it easy to pick up and comfortable to hold. There are physical buttons which make accidental page turns less likely, though you can still touch the screen to go to the next or previous page. You can also turn the reader to landscape orientation if that’s easier. Kobo has a feature called OverDrive, which means you can borrow ebooks from libraries, though the range of books, and indeed libraries, is limited.

Buy now £119.99, Kobobooks.com

Amazon Kindle oasis

Best: For sleek design

Screen size: 7in (17.5cm)
Screen resolution: 300ppi
Screen light? Yes, with 25 LEDs
Waterproof? Yes
Storage: 8GB, 32GB
Wifi only? Wifi only or wifi plus free 4G
Weight: 188g

This ebook reader is stunning. It has the subtlest frontlight which adjusts to the ambient light automatically, and can be adjusted from pure white to a warm, gentle amber shade. It has the best design of any reader, including a classy aluminium finish which is available in two shades, graphite and gold, while it also has useful waterproofing.

It is pricey, and for many the paperwhite (£119, Amazon.co.uk) will be easily good enough. It’s the only reader apart from the paperwhite to have a version with cellular connectivity and be available in 32GB capacity as well as 8GB, which is useful if you want to carry a lot of audiobooks. These are listened to through Bluetooth headphones or speakers – though there’s no headphone jack or speaker on any Kindle device.

There are physical page turn buttons at the side, which is thicker to hold the battery and to make the reader feel weighted in the hand. Want to switch hands? Turn the reader the other way up so the weight is in the right place and the onscreen content and button functions adjust accordingly. There’s no version with Ads for this Kindle. Expensive, but sensationally good.

Buy now £229.99, Amazon.co.uk

Kobo clara HD

Best: Waterproof ereader

Screen size: 6in (15cm)
Screen resolution: 300ppi
Screen light? Yes
Waterproof? No
Storage: 8GB
Wifi only? Yes
Weight: 166g

The Kobo clara HD is similar to our best buy except, and this is important, the Kobo isn’t waterproof! But it is at least £10 cheaper than the paperwhite and has a feature the Amazon reader doesn’t: the front light adjusts not just in brightness but in colour temperature as well. This makes for a cosier read late at night, which is said to be healthier before sleep than the bluish light most phones and tablets emit. It’s also lighter than any of the other readers on test, though the truth is none of them are so heavy as to be a nuisance.

Buy now £109.99, Kobobooks.com

Amazon Kindle

Best: Classic ereader

Screen size: 6in (15cm)
Screen resolution: 167ppi
Screen light? Yes, with 4 LEDs
Waterproof? No
Storage: 4GB
Wifi only? Yes
Weight: 174g

The latest Kindle packs in a lot of tech for a highly competitive price. Although it’s not waterproof, and the screen resolution is the lowest on test, it comes with an adjustable front light so you can read in any lighting situation. It also has the identical operating system found on the other Kindles, though it doesn’t come in a version with 4G connectivity. In practice, this is not too much of a downside as it simply means to buy a new book you need to wait until you’re in a wi-fi zone. The Kindle paperwhite and oasis (£229.99, Amazon.co.uk) have a flush-front design but the indented screen here is still attractive and highly usable. The design also makes accidental page turns less likely.

Buy now £69.99, Amazon.co.uk

Kobo nia

Best: Entry-level ereader

Screen size: 6in (15cm)
Screen resolution: 212ppi
Screen light? Yes
Waterproof? No
Storage: 8GB
Wifi only? Yes
Weight: 172g

The new Kobo nia is the company’s entry-level device. Though not as high as the pricier readers here, it’s that bit smoother than the Kindle (£69.99, Amazon.co.uk). It also features Kobo’s ComfortLight, which is one colour but offers adjustable brightness simply by sliding your finger up or down the left edge of the screen. This is a compelling alternative to the Amazon Kindle, especially for those who don’t want to be tied into the Amazon ecosystem – Kobo readers offer wider file support, making it easier to download books in more formats.

Buy now £89.99, Kobobooks.com

Amazon Kindle kids edition

Best: For kids

Screen size: 6in (15cm)
Screen resolution: 167ppi
Screen light? Yes, with 5 LEDs
Waterproof? No
Storage: 8GB
Wifi only? Yes
Weight: 288g

The kids edition Amazon devices offer remarkable peace of mind thanks to Amazon’s no-quibble guarantee: if it breaks within the first two years, Amazon will replace it. The reader itself is the same as the entry-level Kindle but the higher price reflects the fact that it’s held safely inside a protective cover – choose from blue, pink, rainbow birds or space station designs.

The other reason for the higher price is that it includes a year’s subscription to Amazon Kids+ – the subscription renews and costs from £1.99 a month – which gives access to thousands of books, with highlights like the entire Harry Potter series. Because this is a reader, not a tablet, it’s great for ensuring the littl’uns focus on reading, and nothing else.

Buy now £99.99, Amazon.co.uk

Kobo forma

Best: For a big screen

Screen size: 8in (20cm)
Screen resolution: 300ppi
Screen light? Yes, with white and coloured LEDs
Waterproof? No
Storage: 8GB
Wifi only? Yes
Weight: 197g

The 8in display on the forma makes it ideal for those wanting the biggest screen, so you can have larger print and plenty of words onscreen at the same time. This is the most advanced Kobo, with waterproofing, adjustable light with cold-to-warm colours and physical page turn buttons that are easy to press. The distinctive curved edge at one side also makes the Forma easy to hold in one hand or two.

Buy now £239.99, Kobobooks.com

Ereader FAQs

What screen size do you need?

The most common screen size of choice is often 6in (15cm), with the likes of Amazon’s Paperwhite and Kobo devices abiding by this industry standard.

Do you need a colour screen?

If you’re using your ereader for anything other than reading books, for example, magazines and comic books, an ereader with a colour screen may be a better choice so you can see the images more clearly.

Benefits of an ereader vs a tablet

At first look, an ereader and tablet look fairly similar in terms of their rectangular shape, there are some major differences (and benefits of an ereader over a tablet). As the name suggests, an ereader is ideal for those who just want to read on a device as they’re designed for downloading books, magazines and newspapers.

As for their benefits, they’re usually smaller and lighter than tablets, making them portable, they also have an anti-glare screen, making them better for reading in bright light, and some devices are waterproof – an ideal solution for holidays. Another pro is that they are often more affordable than tablets, with the average device costing less than £100.

Do you need a waterproof ereader?

The benefits of opting for a waterproof ereader means you can take it on holiday and not have to worry about it breaking if it gets wet by the pool or on the beach. Similarly, if you enjoy reading in the bath, a waterproof ereader is a safe bet.

What kind of wireless connection do you need for an ereader?

Depending on your device, your ereader will require wifi to download books, magazines and newspapers to your device. For some models, including Amazon Kindle oasis (£229.99, Amazon.co.uk) and Amazon Kindle paperwhite (£119.99, Amazon.co.uk), you can use 4G, meaning you won’t be limited to a wireless connection and can download books on the go.

The verdict: Ereaders

The Amazon range of ebook readers dominates the market. In some cases, like the Amazon paperwhite, that success is deserved, and it offers the definitive balance of price and performance.

Still, Kobo’s readers are definitely worth a look, boasting a bigger screen or competitive pricing, though the Kobo clara HD, in particular, stands out. If you have the money though and want the ultimate ebook reader, the Amazon Kindle oasis is Amazon at its luxurious best.

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