The 10 Best E-Readers as of June 2026

How we ranked these e-readers

Each pick earns a score out of 10 from weighted criteria:

Performance (35%) — how well each e-reader does its core job.
Value (25%) — quality and features for the price.
Build & reliability (20%) — materials, longevity and warranty.
Features (20%) — meaningful extras that improve the experience.

At a glance: top 10 compared

Swipe across to see all columns, including Amazon links →

#	E-Readers	Score	Best for	Screen	Approx. Price	Amazon links
1	Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2024)	9.2	Best overall	7" mono	£160	View Price
2	Kobo Clara Colour	8.9	Best colour	6" colour	£140	View Price
3	Kobo Libra Colour	8.9	Best with buttons & stylus	7" colour	£220	View Price
4	Amazon Kindle Colorsoft	8.8	Best Amazon colour	7" colour	£270	View Price
5	Amazon Kindle Scribe	8.8	Best for writing	10.2" mono	£380	View Price
6	Amazon Kindle (2024)	8.7	Best value	6" mono	£95	View Price
7	Kobo Sage	8.6	Best premium Kobo	8" mono	£260	View Price
8	Kobo Elipsa 2E	8.5	Best big-screen notes	10.3" mono	£350	View Price
9	Onyx Boox Page	8.2	Best Android e-reader	7" mono	£230	View Price
10	PocketBook Era	8.1	Best alternative	7" mono	£180	View Price

The full ranking

Best overall

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2024)

9.2Our number one pick.

The latest Paperwhite adds a larger, faster 7-inch screen with snappier page turns, weeks of battery and full waterproofing, the e-reader most people should buy. It is Amazon-locked, but for everyday reading it is exceptional.

Screen: 9.2Reading: 9.4Battery: 9.4Value: 9.0

Pros

Fast, large 7" screen
Weeks of battery
Waterproof

Cons

Amazon ecosystem lock-in
No physical buttons

Check price on Amazon≈ £160

Best colour

Kobo Clara Colour

8.9A superb runner-up.

The Clara Colour brings a crisp colour E Ink screen in a compact, waterproof body with OverDrive library support and broad format compatibility, a brilliant Kindle alternative. Colour is muted by nature, but the openness and reading feel are excellent.

Screen: 8.8Reading: 9.2Battery: 9.0Value: 9.0

Pros

Colour E Ink
Library (OverDrive) support
Open formats

Cons

Muted colours
Smaller 6" screen

Check price on Amazon≈ £140

Best with buttons & stylus

Kobo Libra Colour

8.9Rounds out our top three.

The Libra Colour combines a 7-inch colour screen with physical page-turn buttons and optional stylus notes, an ergonomic, flexible flagship reader. The stylus costs extra, but the design and features are excellent.

Screen: 8.8Reading: 9.2Battery: 9.0Value: 8.6

Pros

Page-turn buttons
Colour with stylus notes
Waterproof

Cons

Stylus costs extra
Colour is subtle

Check price on Amazon≈ £220

Best Amazon colour

Amazon Kindle Colorsoft

8.8A standout in the upper half.

The Colorsoft is Amazon's first colour Kindle, adding colour highlights and book covers to the Paperwhite formula with fast turns and waterproofing. It is pricey for the resolution, but for colour within Kindle it is excellent.

Screen: 8.8Reading: 9.2Battery: 9.0Value: 8.2

Pros

Colour E Ink Kindle
Fast and waterproof
Great Kindle integration

Cons

Pricey
Amazon lock-in

Check price on Amazon≈ £270

Best for writing

Amazon Kindle Scribe

8.8A well-rounded mid-table pick.

The Scribe pairs a large 10.2-inch screen with a included pen for natural handwriting, note-taking and PDF markup alongside Kindle reading. It is big and expensive, but as a reader-plus-notebook it is excellent.

Screen: 9.0Reading: 9.0Battery: 9.0Value: 8.2

Pros

Large writable screen
Pen included
Great for PDFs

Cons

Large and heavy
Expensive

Check price on Amazon≈ £380

Best value

Amazon Kindle (2024)

8.7Great value in the middle of the pack.

The entry Kindle is lighter and faster than ever with a sharp 300ppi screen, the cheapest way into a glare-free reading library. It isn't waterproof and lacks warm light, but for value it is excellent.

Screen: 8.6Reading: 9.0Battery: 9.0Value: 9.4

Pros

Cheapest good Kindle
Sharp 300ppi text
Light and compact

Cons

Not waterproof
No warm light

Check price on Amazon≈ £95

Best premium Kobo

Kobo Sage

8.6A dependable pick if the price is right.

The Kobo Sage offers an 8-inch screen, page-turn buttons, stylus support and audiobook playback in a premium waterproof body, a do-it-all reader. The stylus is extra, but the screen and flexibility are excellent.

Screen: 8.8Reading: 9.0Battery: 8.8Value: 8.4

Pros

8" screen with buttons
Stylus and audiobook support
Waterproof

Cons

Stylus extra
Pricey

Check price on Amazon≈ £260

Best big-screen notes

Kobo Elipsa 2E

8.5Solid, if outshone by pricier rivals.

The Elipsa 2E is a large 10.3-inch reader and notebook with included stylus, great for PDFs, study and handwritten notes in an eco-conscious build. It is bulky for pure reading, but for big-screen notes it is excellent.

Screen: 8.8Reading: 8.8Battery: 8.8Value: 8.4

Pros

Large writable screen
Stylus included
Recycled materials

Cons

Bulky for reading
Pricey

Check price on Amazon≈ £350

Best Android e-reader

Onyx Boox Page

8.2A budget-friendly option worth a look.

The Boox Page runs Android so you can install Kindle, Kobo, Libby and more on one device, with buttons and a fast processor for power users. The software is fiddly and battery shorter, but the flexibility is good.

Screen: 8.6Reading: 8.4Battery: 8.0Value: 8.4

Pros

Runs any reading app
Page-turn buttons
Fast processor

Cons

Fiddly software
Shorter battery life

Check price on Amazon≈ £230

Best alternative

PocketBook Era

8.1Rounds out our top ten.

The PocketBook Era reads a huge range of formats natively, adds Bluetooth audiobook playback and physical buttons, a versatile Kindle alternative. The store and software are less polished, but for format support it is good.

Screen: 8.4Reading: 8.4Battery: 8.8Value: 8.4

Pros

Reads many formats
Audiobook support
Page-turn buttons

Cons

Less polished store
Smaller ecosystem

Check price on Amazon≈ £180

Frequently asked questions

What's the best of the e-readers in 2026?

Our top overall pick is the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2024), which leads on our combined score for performance, value and features. The Kobo Clara Colour and Kobo Libra Colour are excellent alternatives depending on budget and needs.

How did we choose these?

We weight performance, value, build quality and features, drawing on hands-on use and independent testing. See the methodology box above for the full breakdown.

Are these prices accurate?

Prices are approximate UK figures at the time of writing and change frequently. Click through to Amazon for the current price.

The bottom line

If you just want the best e-readers without overthinking it, the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2024) is our top recommendation — it earns the highest overall score for performance, value and features. Have a look at the current price and see what you think.

Check price on Amazon ≈ £160

Our top picks at a glance

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2024)

Amazon Kindle (2024)

Amazon Kindle Scribe

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How we ranked these e-readers

At a glance: top 10 compared

The full ranking

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2024)

Pros

Cons

Kobo Clara Colour

Pros

Cons

Kobo Libra Colour

Pros

Cons

Amazon Kindle Colorsoft

Pros

Cons

Amazon Kindle Scribe

Pros

Cons

Amazon Kindle (2024)

Pros

Cons

Kobo Sage

Pros

Cons

Kobo Elipsa 2E

Pros

Cons

Onyx Boox Page

Pros

Cons

PocketBook Era

Pros

Cons

Frequently asked questions

The bottom line

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