When Amazon launched the Kindle, it probably had no idea the device’s name would become synonymous with all eReaders. Amazon’s line of eReaders delivers an e-ink screen that feels more like a book than reading from a smartphone or tablet. And as devices designed just for reading, they also boast better battery life than a tablet.
But, while all Kindles offer this e-ink reading experience, there are a few key differences between models. Some are designed with waterproofing for beach reads, some have built-in note-taking capabilities, and some are designed specifically for kids. The best Kindle comes down to where and how you like to read in order to find one that fits your reading style without spending extra on features you won’t use.
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All Kindles are well-connected, meaning you can easily download new books when you’re done with your current read. Amazon is an obvious source for new reading material, but you can also download free library books or use a subscription to keep costs down. While there are regular discounts throughout the year, the best prices are often available around sales holidays like Black Friday or Amazon’s own Prime Day.
The real decision is which model you should buy. There are currently five models of Kindle offered by Amazon: the Kindle (refreshed in 2022), Kindle Kids (2022), Kindle Paperwhite, Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition, and Kindle Paperwhite Kids. Then there’s the Kindle Scribe, but that’s slightly different. Which one is right for you? We’ll help you decide.
The best Kindle overall: Kindle Paperwhite (2021)
Editor’s Choice
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2021)
Best Kindle overall
Kindle Paperwhite offers a big display, illumination, waterproofing, and color temperature controls — but there are no buttons for turning pages.
- Screen
- 6.8in E Ink, 300ppi, 17 LED illumination, adjustable warm light
- Storage
- 16, 32GB
- Battery
- 10 weeks
- Dimensions
- 125 x 174 x 8.1mm, 205g
- Display illumination and size
- Water resistant
- Great battery life
The Kindle Paperwhite offers the best balance between features and cost, adding extras like waterproofing and an adjustable backlight, while still sitting well under $200. The latest Amazon Kindle Paperwhite released in 2021, bringing in a refresh of the previous version. It offers a 6.8-inch display, which means it’s larger than other Kindles, so there’s plenty of space for reading, which we love. This model also features 16GB of storage space, and it’s limited to Wi-Fi connectivity only. While there’s no option for cellular connectivity, that shouldn’t be a problem as you can always hotspot off your phone.
8:50
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Kindle Paperwhite (2021): Still the best eReader
Amazon’s Kindle Paperwhite from 2021 ups the display size and gives things a boost. This is the Kindle to buy.
The Kindle Paperwhite mixes a built-in light with a glare-free screen, so you can adjust the screen to read comfortably in full sun at the beach or keep reading that page-turning late into the night. There’s a USB-C port for charging, with the battery lasting up to 10 weeks. It is waterproof with an IPX8 rating.
There are no buttons for page turning — that has to be done through a tap or a swipe, which we don’t find as natural as older Kindle models. Nonetheless, given the price and the features offered by the Kindle Paperwhite, we think it’s the best Kindle for most users. There’s also a full range of accessories, so if you’re after a case for your Paperwhite, there’s plenty to choose from.
Best premium Kindle
Best Kindle with premium features
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition
Paperwhite with a bit extra
Adding wireless charging the Kindle Paperwhite along with more storage just adds to the premium experience.
- Screen
- 6.8in E Ink, 17 LED illumination, adjustable warm light
- Storage
- 32GB
- Battery
- 10 weeks, wireless charging
- Dimensions
- 174 x 125 x 8.1mm, 207g
- Wireless charging
- Autobrightness
- Great Paperwhite experience
- It’s just a little more expensive
The Paperwhite Signature Edition is based on the 2021 Kindle Paperwhite, but it adds a few changes to make it slightly more premium. While it’s the same case and same design from the exterior, it offers 32GB of storage, which is twice what the standard Kindle Paperwhite does. It also offers an auto-adjusting front light to suit the reading conditions you’re in, so the display is a little better.
There’s also wireless charging, with a Wireless Charging Dock specifically designed for this model (an optional extra), so you don’t have to plug it in. This will all make for a slightly more premium experience overall — but you will pay a little more for just a few small extras. At its core, it’s still the same great Paperwhite — it’s just a little bit more advanced.
Best Kindle for kids
Best Kindle for kids
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite for Kids
Bundled extras make it worth considering
Bundling up the Paperwhite for kids adds a cover, warranty and access to content – on the same great Kindle Paperwhite device.
- Screen
- 6.8in E Ink, 300ppi, 17 LED illumination, adjustable warm light
- Storage
- 16GB
- Battery
- 10 weeks
- Dimensions
- 125 x 174 x 8.1mm, 205g
- Comes with a cover and Kids+ subscription
- Great reading experience
- It’s basically the same as the Paperwhite
The Kindle Paperwhite Kids is the same model as the Kindle Paperwhite (2021), so it has exactly the same features as the “adult” model above, but it comes in a bundle designed for kids. That includes a cover to keep it protected, a subscription to Kindle Kids+, and a two-year guarantee, so if your kids break it, Amazon will replace it.
The best thing is that when your kids outgrow the children’s content, they can use the Kindle as a normal adult Kindle. You can just buy the normal Kindle Paperwhite since it has the same parental controls on it, but the kid’s version has more perks bundled in. The biggest of those perks here is in the Kindle Kids+ subscription, which separately costs $5/month with Prime or $8 without it. That allows your child to select from an extensive library of children’s books for one year without paying those monthly subscription costs. The subscription, extra two-year warranty, and cover, which makes the kids version slightly more than the adult version with the same hardware.
Best budget Kindle
Best budget Kindle
Amazon Kindle (2022)
If it’s about price, then go basic
Thinner, lighter and with a sharper display, this is an ideal affordable eReader — but there’s no waterproofing.
- Screen Size
- 6in E-Ink display
- Storage
- 16GB
- Battery
- 6 weeks
- Dimensions
- 157.8 x 108.6 x 8mm
- Great value for money
- Good display with lighting
The Kindle without the “Paperwhite” in the name is Amazon’s basic budget Reader. There are some important changes for the 2022 Kindle. While the display stays the same size at six inches, it has increased in pixel density over the older entry-level Kindle, so it is sharper and offers a better reading experience. This is now the same resolution as the Paperwhite.
6:45
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Amazon Kindle (2022) 11th gen: Who needs a Paperwhite?
Amazon’s newest entry-level Kindle has a much sharper display and USB-C charging, making it even better than ever.
However, the illumination only uses four LEDs, compared to 17 on the Paperwhite. But, this is a thin and light Kindle, with plenty of storage, and with USB-C, it’s convenient for charging. There’s no waterproofing on this Kindle, however, so if you like to read on the beach or in the bath, then the Paperwhite is worth the extra cost.
Best budget Kindle for kids
Best budget Kindle for kids
Amazon Kindle Kids (2022)
Ideal Kindle for children
An ideal reader for kids, thanks to the cover and the 1-year subscription to Kids+ for more content.
- Screen
- 6in E Ink, 4 LED illumination, 300ppi
- Storage
- 16GB
- Battery
- 6 weeks
- Dimensions
- 157.8 x 108.6 x 8mm, 156g
- Bundled with cover and Kids+ subscription
- Great value for money
- No waterproofing
- It’s the same as the Kindle, but costs more
The Kids’ edition of the Kindle is the same core device as the Kindle above, but it comes with a cover (there’s a choice of three designs), as well as a two-year warranty. There’s also a one-year subscription to Kindle Kids+, granting access to loads of content, ideally tailored for younger readers.
This makes for a cheaper Kids version, but as with the Paperwhite equivalent, you really need to assess the value of the Kindle Kids+ offering — otherwise you might be better off buying the Kindle with a cover, as all devices have the same parental controls.
Best Kindle for writers and note-takers
Best Kindle for writing
Amazon Kindle Scribe
A Kindle in a class of its own
The Kindle Scribe has a big display allowing space for notetaking or annotation, while still offering all the Kindle reading functions.
- Storage
- 16GB, 32GB and 64GB
- Screen Size
- 10.2-inch E Ink display – Paper-like texture – 300ppi
- Battery
- 12-weeks (reading only) – 3 weeks (writing)
- Dimensions
- 196 x 229 x 5.8 mm – 433g
- The largest Kindle
- Supports note taking and document syncing
- It’s not as well connected as some writing devices
The Kindle Scribe is designed to open a new frontier in Kindle use, to expand beyond reading and venture into note-taking and annotation. The Scribe is both an Reader and a paper tablet, with the screen that features glare-free reading in sunlight offering a more paper-like feel than a typical tablet. It comes with a pen supplied, allowing writing on a range of paper types, including music. It also allows you to write notes on books you might be reading.
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Amazon Kindle Scribe: Write on
Amazon’s biggest-ever Kindle can be used to read and write, and stokes the paper tablet bandwagon fire to new heights
The other reason to swing for the Scribe is that its the biggest Kindle screen yet. There’s a huge battery, but this is obviously a much larger Kindle than the others on this list, and that makes it slightly different. While the Kindle Scribe does everything other Kindles do, the focus here is on note-taking and writing rather than just reading. Better synchronization with services like Google Drive would make for a better Scribe experience. But, if you do a lot of note-taking or simply want a larger screen, the Scribe is an excellent choice.
The bottom line: Which is the best Kindle?
When it came to choosing my own Reader, the Kindle Paperwhite was my top choice. It has some advanced options like an adjustable color backlight and waterproofing, but without the higher price point of the Scribe. The large backlit display makes it easy to see in virtually any environment, there’s plenty of storage to keep all of your favorite books on hand while on the go, and battery life is never an issue.
Editor’s Choice
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2021)
That said, the world of books is filled with many different types of readers, from those who jot down notes for every book to kids and preteens who devour stories. If you love note-taking, consider the Scribe. If you want wireless charging, opt for the Paperwhite Premium. For kids, the Paperwhite Kids offers the same hardware but with a better warranty and a year of free access to a massive library of children’s books.
How we choose the best Kindle
We have been using the Amazon Kindle since it first launched, so we have a lot of practical experience with a full range of Kindle devices throughout its long history. That’s given us insight into not just the Kindle hardware, but the software experience it offers as well, from individual features to the Kindle Store, and the subscription offerings associated with Kindle. We use Kindle devices on a daily basis and have done so for many years, so we have a depth of experience and knowledge about Kindle.
FAQ
Q: How to choose the right Kindle for you
A love of reading is important when choosing a Kindle because you’ll be getting access to a range of services to provide you with plenty of books, from Prime Reading to Kindle Unlimited. While all devices offer access to these services, the space you get on the display differs. We’ve always found the bigger is better, meaning Paperwhite is our top choice, but it also costs more.
If it’s just about value for money, then the standard Kindle is what you want. It offers illumination, access to books, and great battery life, so it will keep you entertained for many weeks.
Much of the decision will come down to price, with Amazon offering two distinct tiers, the standard Kindle and Paperwhite. Over the past few years, those devices lower down the scale have benefited from the developments at the top of the scale. Features once reserved for the top-level device are now common lower down, making Kindles even better value. You get more for your money than ever before.
Q: Are the Kindle Kids models worth it?
If you have a child who’s passionate about reading, then the Kids models are definitely worth it. First, they come with access to Amazon Kids+. This digital subscription provides users with access to thousands of books, as well as games, videos, and special Alexa skills. The books are curated based on your child’s age, as well as the rest of the content. Parents have an easy way to impose controls like screen time limits and curfews. Kindle Kids models come with a one-year subscription to the service, something that would otherwise cost you $5 per month if you’re a Prime member and $8 per month if not.
By far the best part about getting one of these devices is the two-year warranty. If your child breaks it, you can return it and you get a free replacement. Since kids are prone to dropping things or sitting on devices, this should put your mind at ease.
Q: Which Kindle is best for your eyes?
All E-ink screens are good for your eyes because they do not emit blue light like your smartphone, tablet, or laptop. Still, even among Kindle screens, there are devices that will be better for you, such as the Paperwhite models. These have a matte finish and don’t reflect light more than regular paper. Since they eliminate glare and have numerous LEDs to backlight your screen, the Paperwhite models are super comfortable to read on, no matter the lighting conditions in your room.
