The best Kindle 2024: which Amazon ereader should you buy? (2024)

The best Kindle is a versatile, durable, long-lasting ereader that you can take anywhere. The Kindle Paperwhite hasn't been updated in a long time, but it remains the best Kindle you can buy for reading. It's simple and affordable, yet durable enough that you can take it anywhere, even to the beach or into the pool. Yes, you can relax with your electronic books by the sand, because the Kindle Paperwhite is water resistant enough to survive a dunk.

Of course, my favorite Kindle is the Kindle Scribe, which is on sale now for Father's Day weekend in the US. The Kindle Scribe isn't just a Kindle with a pen, though it's great for journaling and taking notes as well as reading. I love the gigantic screen, which makes reading easier if you like big text, and it works perfectly for large formats like graphic novels.

The Kindle Oasis, Amazon's premium Kindle, is no longer available in the US and we don't recommend buying an import model. Instead, buy the Kindle Paperwhite for the same water resistance and sharp display.

Editor's Note

• Kindle Scribe is on sale for $100 off or more
• Only in the US, for Father's Day weekend
• Now $240 (was $340) / £275 / AU $629 for 16GB

Update: June 2024. The Kindle Scribe has been around for almost two years, and this weekend's Father's Day sale in the US drops the Scribe back down to the lowest price we've seen for Amazon's biggest Kindle. You can get an even better discount if you opt for the premium pen and more storage, but the base model with 16GB of memory and the included pen will satisfy most readers and note takers.

Philip Berne

The quick list

Want to cut to the chase and find out which Kindles are the absolute best? Below, you’ll find a roundup of our choices. You can also jump to a more detailed review of each Kindle further down the page, and our price comparison tool will help you find the best deals.

The best Kindle 2024

Below you'll find details for each of the best Kindles in our list. We've tested each one extensively, so you can be sure that our recommendations can be trusted.

The best Kindle overall

The Amazon Paperwhite is the ideal electronic book reader, and you can take it just about anywhere you might take a regular old book. You can read in the bathtub, or by the pool, with less worry than you'd have holding a paperback, because the Paperwhite can get wet, no problem.

You can read in bed and the Paperwhite will adjust to a warm backlight to make your eyes more comfortable. Reading on a Kindle's ultra-sharp display is already more comfy than reading on your phone or iPad, and the Paperwhite has plenty of backlight for reading any time, day or night.

You can also read while you travel, because the Kindle Paperwhite comes with 16GB of storage. That's enough to pack a full library, but if you also enjoy listening to audiobooks from Audible, you'll have space for a bunch of titles to go alongside your texts.

Read the full Amazon Kindle Paperwhite review

• ^ Back to the top

The best budget Kindle

The base model Kindle is no slouch, and recent upgrades have made it maybe the best bargain-priced Kindle ever. Keep an eye on that price, too, because Amazon loves to put this ereader on sale whenever it throws a Prime Day party.

The screen on the Kindle is now just as sharp as every other Kindle display, a full 300 pixels per inch (to compare, the mighty iPad Pro is only 265 ppi). That's the best upgrade you can give a reading device, and the only feature the Kindle is lacking compared to the more expensive Kindle Paperwhite is water resistance. Don't get this Kindle wet.

Otherwise, you still get 16GB of storage, which is plenty of space for a ton of books, magazines, and even audiobooks. The battery also lasts and lasts on Kindle devices, so you can count on a month of daily reading with this Kindle. If you want something brighter that you can also take to the beach, go for the Paperwhite. The Kindle is still great for reading during the day on dry land.

Read the full Amazon Kindle (2022) review

• ^ Back to the top

The best Kindle for a big screen

The Kindle Scribe is an amazing device when you realize all it can do. It's a full-fledged Kindle with the biggest reading screen, but it doesn't sacrifice that great Kindle sharpness, so text still looks super crisp. If you like reading on a screen the size of an iPad but want Kindle comfort, the Kindle Scribe is your best bet.

You can also write on the Kindle Scribe, and Amazon has been steadily improving the writing and doodling features, adding more pen styles since launch. There's also a special section of the Kindle book store with books you can write on if you own a Kindle Scribe. The selection is mostly crossword puzzles and semi-blank daily journals, but it's growing and shows a lot of potential.

The Scribe may seem pricey for a Kindle, but it's a great deal for a writing tablet this size, and Amazon does love to put Kindle devices on sale. If you want to take notes, especially if your textbooks are available for Kindle, this is the only Kindle to buy.

Read the full Amazon Kindle Scribe review

• ^ Back to the top

The best Kindle for audiobooks

If you love audiobooks along with your reading and you can splurge a bit, the Kindle Paperwhite Signature edition is worth considering. For a bit more (still less than the fancy Kindle Oasis), you get twice the storage space. This Kindle Paperwhite can also charge wirelessly, if you have a bedside charger that you like, though the battery should also last weeks, just like every other Kindle.

That extra storage space comes in handy if you like audiobooks. A long, unabridged book is usually between 100-200MB of storage space, so having tons of long books or podcast episodes can add up quickly. The Kindle Paperwhite is a great vacation and travel device, and having the extra space means you definitely won't run out, no matter how long you're away.

Otherwise, this is the exact same Kindle Paperwhite, with the same water resistance and the same sharp display. It's not quite as bright and premium as the Kindle Oasis, but it's much brighter than the base model Kindle.

Read the full Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition review

• ^ Back to the top

How to choose the best Kindle for you

How we test the best Kindles

We read. We read a lot, and we read every day. We use our Kindle devices to read books from Amazon, and we also use accounts from our local libraries to load free ebooks onto our Kindle. We also have a selection of documents and files that we use to test the clarity of the Kindle display, and the ease of transferring our own files.

We are also avid audiobook fans, and keep a subscription to Audible that feeds us new books monthly. We use our Kindle for listening to books, and occasionally for reading and listening at the same time, depending on content.

We read at all times of day, on the train, by the bed, in the bath, and wherever we find the time. We love to read, and we test our Kindle devices doing what we love.

• If you're a fan of Amazon but want a bit more color, check out our list of the best Amazon Fire tablets

• ^ Back to the top