5 E-Readers on Amazon Users Swear By

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If you are an avid reader, especially on the go, an e-reader is a very useful gadget to fill up without carrying tons of physical books. Although the ever-increasing size of smartphone displays and their powerful hardware have made the case for not needing an e-reader like the Kindle, many people prefer standalone e-readers because they don’t have the distractions of a smartphone. After all, you don’t want to be interrupted in your study time because of a Threads DM notification or an alert from your favorite news app.

So, if you’re in the market for a new e-reader and want to consider all the available options, including some that are suitable for Kindle, we’ve put together the top five e-readers that are popular with users and available on Amazon. All of our recommendations have been selected based on reviews written by verified buyers on Amazon and have received excellent ratings.

The Kindle Paperwhite, Amazon’s most popular e-reader, is also the top-rated e-reader on the company’s e-commerce site, with a customer rating of 4.6 out of 5, based on more than 17,000 reviews. It costs $160, and Amazon buyers have very good things to say about the Paperwhite and appreciate its ease of use, ability to hold thousands of eBooks, and impressive battery life. The most notable complaints are about the presence of lock screen ads, which can be removed by paying an additional $20, and the sale of eBooks as recommendations on the home screen.

Otherwise, there’s a lot to like about the Kindle Paperwhite. It has a 7-inch e-ink display with backlight and includes 16GB of storage. However, the available usable storage is around 13GB, as the rest is taken up by the Kindle software. That said, storage will never be a problem as Amazon offers unlimited cloud storage for any digital content you purchase from the company. The battery is rated to last 12 weeks on a single charge, and you can fully charge the Paperwhite in about 2.5 hours using a 9-watt USB-C power brick, which isn’t provided in the box. However, you can pretty much use any USB-C wall adapter you have on hand. In other features, it supports dual-band Wi-Fi and is available in three colors.

Access to Amazon’s huge eBook and audiobook store is one of the biggest advantages of any Kindle, including the Paperwhite. You can also find any book there. In addition, there is the option to go with a paid subscription to Kindle Unlimited for free access to millions of titles or enjoy a rotating catalog of books as part of Prime Reading, which is part of the Amazon Prime membership.

The latest iteration of the original Kindle is another popular e-reader among Amazon shoppers. While it’s not as feature-rich as the Paperwhite, it shines as a more affordable option at $110 and comes in two color options. It also received a rating of 4.6 out of 5 from verified buyers, based on over 14,500 reviews. Kindle owners love the e-reader’s compact and lightweight design, ease of use on the go, and better value than the Paperwhite. Most of the complaints consumers have are about getting defective units that stop working after a few weeks or months, and not liking the new Kindle firmware.

In terms of specifications, it has a glare-free 6-inch e-ink screen and includes an adjustable front light to help you read in the dark. It can also last for six weeks on a single charge and has 16GB of total internal storage. However, like the Paperwhite, it doesn’t come with a power brick and gets around 13GB of usable storage. The software experience is also similar to the Paperwhite. So you get access to the same impressive eBook store, optional Prime Reading, and optional Kindle Unlimited subscription.

Kobo’s Clara Color is one of the cheapest color e-ink readers you can find on Amazon. However, affordability is not the only thing there is. It has an IPX8 rated water-resistant structure that allows you to use it near water sources, such as a lake or the sea, without worrying about damaging the e-reader. It also has a 6-inch anti-glare screen with a front light for night reading, and its ComfortLight Pro technology automatically reduces blue light to reduce eye strain. The color e-ink display is also perfect if you like reading comic books, graphic novels, and manga.

Other features include 16GB of total storage, and Kobo says the e-reader can last for weeks on a single charge. Unlike Kindle e-readers that rely on Amazon’s eBook store, Kobo has its own eBook and audiobook store that offers more than six million titles. In addition, you can go with Kobo’s Kindle Unlimited alternative, called Kobo Plus. But most importantly, Kobo’s offerings, including Clara Color, are more open than their Amazon counterparts, and you’re not limited to Kobo’s store and you can get an eBook in EPUB format anywhere and transfer it to your Kobo via USB. It also boasts superior OverDrive integration that lets you borrow eBooks for free using your local library membership.

There are also no ads on Kobo’s e-readers, and the company encourages repairs rather than throwing away your e-reader if it breaks after the warranty period. All these features have made the Clara Color very popular among Amazon buyers, who have given it a solid rating of 4.5 out of 5, based on more than 1,700 reviews. It costs $160, and you can choose from Black and White color options. Consumers are happy with the e-reader’s compact design, color display, decent software, and open ecosystem. A small number of consumers do not find the technology of color e-ink to be good.

If you’re not into color e-readers, Kobo also offers a black and white version of the Clara Color called the Clara BW. It’s very similar to the color model, except for the color e-ink display, and costs $20 less at $140. It’s also IPX8 water resistant, includes 16GB of storage, supports ComfortLight Pro to reduce blue light, and has a 6-inch display. There is also a built-in backlight to increase the brightness of the display when needed. In addition, you get Bluetooth support for pairing your headphones to listen to audiobooks and other audio content.

Other features are the same as Clara Color, and you get the same open ecosystem, access to the Kobo eBook store, and Overdrive integration. As a result, it is also popular with Amazon buyers, who gave it an average rating of 4.4 out of 5, based on 2,000 reviews. Customers find it easy to use, appreciate its native support for the EPUB format, and the lightweight design. A small selection of buyers complained about receiving defective units and their very poor experience dealing with the Amazon BlueProton seller.

PocketBook is another e-reader maker with strong offerings in its portfolio; However, its Era e-reader is very popular with Amazon customers. It is one of the largest in actual size and the most expensive among our recommendations due to its shape, which includes a thick bezel on the right for a better grip and includes visible buttons for opening pages. Otherwise, it has a 7-inch e-ink display similar to the Kindle Paperwhite. It’s also rated IPX8 for water resistance and sports improved screen protection against scratches. Also, the included SmartLight technology allows you to adjust the color temperature and brightness of the display to suit your needs.

Another highlight of the PocketBook Era is the built-in speaker that you can use to listen to audio content. There is also Bluetooth support for pairing your wireless headphones. In addition, it supports 23 eBook formats to provide native support for multiple eBooks. Internal storage is the same as most other e-readers at 16GB. However, for all this, you will have to shell out $250.

It has a solid average rating of 4.3 out of 5, based on over 300 reviews. People love its build quality and readability. The only notable thing that people are not very happy about is the software experience. It is said to be slow moving and has a carriage.

While we’re picking Amazon e-readers that users swear by, we’ve taken a look at the most popular e-readers from different brands. We sorted the best rated options based on the feedback shared by verified buyers and selected the top five. All of our recommendations have received generally positive reviews, with an average rating of at least 4.3 out of 5, based on hundreds of shared reviews.