10 Of The Best E-Readers You Can Buy In 2026

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Physical books definitely have their appeal, but not everyone has the space — or, in some cases, the funds — to stock up a massive bookshelf with all the stories and autobiographies that catch their eye. E-readers are far more practical in this regard. Any bibliophile who doesn't mind switching over to a digital medium will love grabbing their e-reader and browsing a large collection of affordable books that will satiate them for years.

From top-end models with state-of-the-art features to budget-friendly devices that will do a commendable job of immersing you in a book, there's no shortage of quality e-readers on the market. While some differ in library size, features, and screens, the e-readers on this list excel on almost every front and are worth investing in if you want a practical solution for the avid reader in you.

If you commute a lot and want a compact e-reader, check out the Xteink X4 Pro. With a weight of 2.5 ounces and a thickness of just 0.23 inches, the X4 Pro is a great accompaniment for all the long journeys on the bus or subway. The X4 Pro is the first Xteink model to add a touchscreen, which is very responsive. If you prefer using physical buttons instead, then you can always turn it off. The dual-tone front light makes it easy to switch between warm or cool temperature tones, but it lacks an auto mode for its brightness. You can get this e-reader for $99 at the time of writing, which is cheaper than its usual $109.99 price point.

Of course, an advanced e-reader is still a complete waste of money if the reading experience is subpar. The X4 Pro does its best here with a 4.3-inch e-ink panel that maintains readability no matter what your font size may be. Keep in mind that this e-reader's stock firmware is bare-bones and doesn't even support PDF and MOBI formats. Instead, you can use CrossPoint, a popular third-party firmware that is very easy to install and expands the X4 Pro's functionality considerably. Unfortunately, one thing you can't customize is the pogo pin charger, which — puzzlingly enough — replaces the regular USB-C port from the regular X4. On top of this, the e-reader doesn't even ship with a charging cable!

People who want a splash of color on their e-readers for comics and the like should keep an eye on the Kobo Clara Colour. It uses a competent color e-ink display with a glare-free matte coating. Reading this e-reader on the go won't be an issue at all, although people who prefer their fonts with more contrast may find the Clara Colour a bit lacking. Just because Amazon isn't supported on this device doesn't mean you have to resort to Kobo's limited library. It supports third-party EPUB files and also syncs with OverDrive to let you browse a wide selection of books from your local library. All you have to do is register your library card, but you can only add a single one.

The new 2GHz processor is a big improvement, delivering snappy performance as the Clara Colour loads menus and books effortlessly. The IPX8 water-resistant rating is perfect for people who want to read e-books in their bathtub or near a pool. The six-inch screen size is something to consider — for some, this is near-perfect, but for others, it may be a bit too small to appreciate the detailed artwork of their favorite comic books. Thankfully, the $179.99 price tag makes this affordable despite being a color e-reader, so it's not like the barrier to entry is too high.

You can't talk about the best e-readers on the market without mentioning the Amazon Kindle. The newest model was released in 2024 and currently retails for $149.99. It may barely qualify as an upgrade, but that doesn't take away anything from how pleasant it feels to read on it. The Kindle weighs just 5.56 ounces and is 0.32 inches thick, making it a lightweight, comfortable device to hold and carry around. The brightness of this device is high enough to make it suitable for most reading environments. Its build is slightly fragile, however, so don't be too careless with it on the go. 

The Kindle has some caveats you should be aware of. No warm lighting is an annoyance at best, but what will truly irk you is the lack of any water protection. If you feel that these drawbacks may be too much to handle, then feasting your eyes on Kindle's massive library will be enough to justify this purchase. From amateur authors to well-known classics, the Kindle store's selection is so massive that you will rarely, if ever, find yourself unable to find a particular book on this store page.

Is the Boox Palma 2 Pro a phone or an e-reader? This unique e-reader can replace your smartphone entirely, provided you don't have any issues with internet-only phone calls and a paltry 10Hz refresh rate. An octa-core CPU and 8GB RAM mean that device performance will be acceptable, and a 16MB camera — weak as it may be — is a welcome inclusion. 128GB of internal memory is decent, and you can expand it with a microSD card.

The color e-ink screen makes this device perfect for e-books and digital comics alike, although the 824x1,648 and 412x824 resolutions for black-and-white and color content, respectively, are a bit lacking. The magnetic cover that comes with this device is sturdily built and should be enough to protect it from rough use. Is $399.99 a hefty premium for an e-reader? Absolutely, although this price point is far more justified if you're genuinely planning to use the Boox Palma 2 Pro e-reader as a phone.

It can also be used to take notes via a stylus, but there are two things to keep in mind here. First of all, the 6.13-inch screen isn't large enough to take notes comfortably, but you can still manage as long as you write bite-sized sentences instead of massive paragraphs. Secondly, the BOOX InkSense Plus Active Stylus is sold separately for $50.99, which further inflates the e-reader's high price.

At $249.99, the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition costs almost twice as much as the base model. It does an admirable job of justifying this price point with its 6.8-inch screen, a whopping 32GB of storage — which may be overkill for some — and an IPX8 rating missing in the 2024 Kindle. The Signature Edition also includes auto-brightness, but Tech Advisor noticed that it takes too long to make any screen adjustments. Support for both USB-C and Qi wireless charging is a bonus, as is the IPX8 waterproof rating that makes this device perfect for reading when you want to enjoy a long, relaxing soak.

One thing that may annoy people about this device is Amazon's insistence on touchscreen controls. Not only does it lack any physical page-turn buttons, but these controls can't be customized in the e-ink tablet's settings, either. The power button is placed at the bottom of the device, and it's very easy to accidentally switch off the Kindle when you're reading. While this isn't a big concern, what might irk you is that this e-reader doesn't come with a cover. It will cost extra to safeguard this device. The 1GHz NXP I.MX7D processor and 1GB RAM are upgrades that definitely improve the Paperwhite's performance, but it's not perfect. Switching between menus, your library, and the Amazon store can be a bit laggy at times.

With a seven-inch e-Ink Kaleido 3 screen that does a decent job of making your comics and colored books more invigorating to read — even if the display isn't particularly vibrant — the Kobo Libra Colour is possibly one of the best non-Kindle e-readers on the market. At $259.99, this device may seem reasonably priced, but it becomes a hard sell if you want to use it for taking notes and casual drawing. You'll have to shell out an extra $69.99 for the Kobo Stylus 2, which is where the entire package becomes a bit unaffordable. It doesn't help that too many colors or lines in drawing mode can slow the system down to a crawl.

People who prefer physical page-turn buttons instead of swiping on a touchscreen will love their inclusion on the Libra Colour. An IPX8 water-resistance rating is also appreciated, as is the support for both third-party EPUBs and OverDrive. Just get ready to deal with the Kobo Store limitations. It's not going to be as robust as what Amazon has to offer. The upgrade to a 2GHz processor has unlocked smooth performance for the most part, but TechRadar highlighted some noticeable lag when opening an e-book or pressing the Back to Home button.

One of the best e-readers with color displays that uses Kaleido 3 e-Ink technology, the $289.99 Boox Go Color 7 can get bright enough for the sunniest environments. Portability is another area where this e-reader shines, as shown by a weight of 6.9 ounces and a thickness of just 0.25 inches. Given that you'll be storing your fair share of comics on this device, 64GB of internal memory is much needed. If you come dangerously close to filling up the e-reader, you can use a microSD to expand this space. The 2.4GHz octa-core CPU and 4GB RAM make the Go Color 7 pretty quick.

Unfortunately, despite all its positives, one thing that will irk many users regarding this e-reader is its integration of Android 13. It was outdated when the e-reader was released in 2025, and this pain point will only become worse over time. The lack of any water resistance is also unappealing. Thankfully, this device still includes physical page-turn buttons. This e-reader also works with a stylus, letting you take notes in your e-books and comics or in a digital notebook. However, the stylus input can be a bit unresponsive at times, tactile feedback is bare-bones, and you'll also have to shell out $50.99 for this accessory.

It wasn't until 2024 that Amazon decided to introduce a new Kindle device – one that sports a seven-inch color e-ink display. It took a long time in the making, and the Amazon Kindle Colorsoft does a great job as an e-reader for comics. The dual-core 2GHz MediaTek processor is paired with 1GB RAM to unlock swift performance. However, not all is perfect on this end — sure, page turns may be fast, but comics have a bad habit of either refreshing or making the screen flash while you read them.

The Colorsoft has an IPX8 water-resistance rating, and the screen includes a light sensor that automatically adjusts your screen brightness. Keep in mind that you'll be locked to the Amazon ecosystem with this device. Your subscriptions to Marvel Unlimited or DC Infinite will go to waste unless you're willing to deal with the Colorsoft's laggy browser. Couple this with the missing physical page-turn buttons, and it's easy to see why the $289.99 may seem a bit too expensive for what Amazon brings to the table with the Kindle Colorsoft.

The ReMarkable Paper Pro markets itself as a digital note-taker, and an expensive one at that. At $679, it's the most expensive device on this list. It also boasts the largest screen, courtesy of an 11.8-inch color e-ink Gallery 3 display. Unlike most other color e-ink displays that separate the black-and-white layer from the color one, the Gallery 3 display puts both of them in the same layer. You don't have to deal with the poor 150 PPI resolutions of most other color e-ink readers. As a result, this display looks vastly better and makes your comics look as high quality as possible, reaching a resolution of 2,160x1,620. This translates to 229 PPI. It also uses a backlight that is competent enough to make the screen legible in bright environments, although this doesn't mean you should read it on a sunny day without seeking out any shade.

While you can use the ReMarkable Paper Pro as an e-reader, it's designed as a digital note taker first and foremost. The stylus makes it very easy to take notes, and the writing experience is smooth. The Paper Pro supports EPUB and PDF files, but a lot of comic books come in CBR or CBZ formats, which is the first barrier you'll have to deal with. The tablet isn't connected to an e-book store, either, so your only option is to load third-party files onto it.

At an affordable $159.99 price point, the Kobo Clara BW is a good choice for people who want a simple, no-nonsense e-reader. The biggest highlight is its six-inch Carta 1300 e-ink display, which Kobo states is more responsive than previous models by 25 percent. Contrast levels are also better, which helps highlight the black levels of this device. The ComfortLight Pro front light lets you adjust the display's temperature or trigger it automatically via a schedule.

We have to applaud Kobo's sustainable approach, since around 85 percent of the e-reader's body is made from recycled plastic. It feels a bit cheap to the touch, but a debossed texture at the back makes up for it with its enhanced grip.

We've already talked about the limitations of the Kobo library, although the support for OverDrive does extend the selection of books at your behest. Another perk is the IPX8 rating, protecting it in the event you get too careless with this e-reader and drop it in water. The 1GHz processor punches above its weight, working in tandem with the Carta 1300 display to unlock a satisfactory level of performance on this e-reader. If a six-inch screen isn't too small for you, then this e-reader is a worthwhile investment.

A bunch of diverse e-readers that are either black-and-white or use a color e-ink display have been chosen from multiple manufacturers. To ensure the highest quality in these recommendations, we selected only devices with strong reviews — at least 4 out of 5, 8 out of 10, or 80 out of 100 — from three or more outlets.

These publications include Pocket-lint, Trusted Reviews, TechRadar, Good e-Reader, T3, IGN, Engadget, CNET, The Guardian, AppleInsider, eWritable, PCMag, Pickr, TechAdvisor, Wired, Mashable, Telegraph, MUO, Lifehacker, Stark Insider, and GBAtemp.