If you are an absolute bibliophile, you know the struggle of managing your precious collection of hundreds of paperbacks and hardcovers. Fortunately devices called as e readers bring all of those paperbacks and hardcovers to your fingertips without compromising a lot of space in your household! While many people are die hard fans of the traditional paperback books, the ebook readers offer loads of convenient features and a distraction free reading experience. These ebook readers don’t lure you away from your book with constant notifications like your phone. Many of these ebook readers use E-Ink technology that allows you to read in direct sunlight unlike your phone and they are water resistant too! So you can read on a sunny day under a tree and also while relaxing by a pool!
While these e readers might look like normal tablets, these are simple devices made for just reading. Some models don’t even include internet connectivity to offer a completely distraction free experience. The market right now is dominated by e-readers from Amazon(kindle range) and Kobo. But the corona virus lockdown resulted in an increase in demand that in turn has provoked many new competitors to jump into the market. Due to the increase in competition, the process of finding a good e reader could seem like a daunting one. Worry not! We at Techoids have curated a list of best ebook e readers that you can buy in the market right now!
WHY SHOULD YOU BUY AN E-READER?
E-readers have lots of advantages over your traditional tablet when it comes to reading books. Here are a few features that give an e-reader an edge over other reading devices.
E-ink technology
All of the ebook readers use e-ink technology, this allows you to read your books even in bright sunlight unlike a normal tablet or phone screen which have shiny reflective screens. In a normal display light from a backlight is projected through the display towards your eyes but in an E-Ink display no backlight is used, rather ambient light from the surrounding is reflected from the surface back to your eyes. So the more ambient light, the more your screen’s brightness.
Battery life
Eliminating the backlight significantly increases the battery life of the ebook reader. You can expect an e-reader to last days and in some cases even weeks before running out of charge.
Environment friendly
E-book readers are environment friendly. Every year around 2.2 million books are published which require approximately 3 million trees. Using an e-book reader completely eliminates the paper printing process, so if you go for an e-book reader you’ll be contributing to the environment as well!
Almost unlimited storage!
You can store millions and millions of books on your ebook reader and still have space for more! Some ebook readers have cloud functionalities so you can just store your books in the cloud without worrying about space on your local device. This is especially great for students who won’t have to carry those heavy bulky books everyday if they opt for a lightweight ebook reader.
Cheaper books
Ebooks cost significantly less than your normal printed books. There is no shipping, packaging or printing involved, so it becomes much cheaper than its printed counterpart.
Interactive features
Ebooks offer a lot more than printed books when it comes to interacting with the content. You can customize the fonts, search for words and you can even listen to pronunciations of a word that you don’t know! All of these features make the reading experience more fun and seemingless.
FEATURES YOU NEED TO LOOK OUT FOR
Screen size
An e-reader screen size usually ranges between 6 to 8 inches diagonally, these are compact sizes but there are devices smaller than these standard values offering an ultra compact experience.
Storage
Ebooks don’t take tons of space so you will find 8GB to 32GB of storage in the most common devices. Some lower end devices might go for 4GB. While 8GB is enough to store all your books, you might want to ramp it up if you will be storing graphic novels or comics.
Physical buttons
Physical buttons for turning pages are super convenient but not a necessary feature to have in an e reader. Most of the e readers have touchscreens that can be used to turn pages or to interact with the device. But the physical buttons are always welcome, with physical buttons you don’t have to reach out to the screen every time you need to turn pages.
Battery life
E-readers come with great battery life, they can last for days with consistent use and some can even last for weeks with a single charge! You can get dozens of hours of reading with a single charge. The long battery life makes them a perfect companion for travel.
Ebook format
All of the kindle ebooks purchased from amazon will be in .awz format. Most of the e-reader will support either .awz or .mobi format with the exception of kobo devices. Kobo devices support all formats except .awz you can even read graphic novels and epubs on Kobo devices. You can easily convert epub or files in other formats into .awz or .mobi using any online converter tool.
Weight
An e-reader should be lightweight as you will be carrying it around most of the time. Usually their weight can range between 600-800 grams. Don’t settle for anything more than that.
Internet facilities
Almost all of the modern e-reader come with wifi connection as it is essential to download books. The Internet is also necessary to download firmware or software updates for your device. Some models even offer LTE connectivity where you need to insert a SIM card to access the internet.
IPX Rating
Ipx rating denotes the device’s resistance against factors like water, dust etc. IP stands for Ingress protection and the X after IP denotes that the product is water resistant. There are various levels of protection from 0 to 8 against the ingress of solid particles. If the number after IP is 7 then it denotes complete protection from water submersion up to 1meter of depth. Greater the IPX rating, greater the resistance.
IPX0- Zero/ no protection
IPX1- Protects against Dripping water
IPX2- Protects against vertically dripping water
IPX3- Protects against sprays up to 60°
IPX4- Protects against splashing water
IPX5- Protects against water jets
IPX6- Protects against powerful water jets
IPX7- Protects in water up to 3 feet
IPX8- Protects when immersed in water over 3 feet
TOP 10 EREADERS:
- Kindle Oasis
- Kindle (10th Gen)
- Kindle Paperwhite (10th gen)
- Kobo Libra H2O
- Kobo Clara HD
- Onyx Boox Note Air
- Onyx Boox Note2
- Kobo Forma
- Barnes and Noble Nook 10”
- Barnes & Noble NOOK GlowLight 3 eReader
1. KINDLE OASIS (10TH GEN)
Definition of luxury!
2019’s 10th Gen Kindle oasis is one of the expensive devices on this list, but its features justify the heavy price tag. If you want an absolute best reading experience then it doesn’t get better than this!
Adding to the Kindle lineup, Oasis builds upon its predecessors and adds a bunch of new convenient features like auto-brightness, a blue light eliminating feature, auto rotation and a dedicated set of buttons. The device has a warmth feature which is quite similar to night mode on our phones, it increases the warmth of the colors on the screen in low light so it gets easier for the eyes to read.
It has a massive 7 inch screen which uses the E-Ink technology. Having a bigger form factor allowed Oasis to add a handy set of dedicated keys. These keys are conveniently lined up on the right side of the device, you can use them to scroll pages easily without reaching for the screen. You can even switch between the reading mode and the listening mode seamlessly with the whisper sync feature.
The device can last up to six weeks with moderate usage on a full charge of around 3 hours.
It comes in two versions, 8GB version and the 32GB version. Both of the versions have WiFi functionalities. Being an amazon product, you can access the massive library of ebooks with amazon prime subscription. The device is also waterproof with an IPX rating of IPX8, so you can literally read everywhere!
SPECS:
- Screen size: 7-inch
- Screen type: Carta E Ink
- Storage: 8GB/32GB
- Resolution: 300ppi
- Weight: 188g
- Battery life: up to six weeks
- Supported formats: Kindle Format 8 (AZW3), Kindle (AZW), TXT, PDF, unprotected MOBI, PRC natively; HTML, DOC, DOCX, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP through conversion; Audible audio format (AAX).
- Price: ₹21,999.00
PROS:
- Big screen
- Auto Warmth control
- Dedicated buttons
- Waterproof IPX8
CONS:
- Expensive
2. Kindle (10th Gen)
A Budget pick!
Amazon’s latest Kindle 10th Gen e-reader is an entry level device that is a great budget pick. Being an entry level device it has no fancy features and just focuses on providing basic functions for reading. The device comes with a glare free backlit screen which has no blue light filter. The screen has a compact size of 6 inches. You can use the device for indoor reading but it lacks when it comes to outdoor reading because of the backlit screen. The device offers up to two weeks of runtime with a single full charge of 4 hours. So you get dozens of hours of reading time with a small 4 hour charge. It has an adequate storage of 8GB, so you can store thousands of books easily. You will have to be careful when taking the kindle outside as it is not waterproof. You can connect to the internet via wifi functionality. The 10th Gen kindle is an absolutely great choice if you want a device that won’t completely empty out your pockets and will still give you a nice reading experience.
SPECS:
- Screen size: 6-inch
- Screen type: Carta E Ink
- Storage: 8GB
- Resolution: 167ppi
- Weight: 174g
- Battery life: up to four weeks
- Supported formats: Kindle Format 8 (AZW3), Kindle (AZW), TXT, PDF, unprotected MOBI, PRC natively; HTML, DOC, DOCX, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP through conversion; Audible audio format (AAX).
- Price: ₹7,999.00
PROS:
- Value for money
- Great battery
CONS:
- No water proofing
- Backlit screen
3. Kindle Paperwhite (10th gen)
The overall BEST!
Building upon the previous kindles, Kindle paperwhite brings all great features together packing them into one. It is one of the best and affordable kindles till date. You get a decent 6 inch HD screen display with 330ppi pixel density. You can read the words even in bright sunlight because they are always sharp and clear. Paperwhite is rated IPX8, so you can read it while on a beach, in a pool or in a bath! It is protected against immersion up to 2 meters of water for up to 60 minutes. Paperwhite offers wifi as well as cellular connectivity, the 4g version costs more than the base wifi version. It comes in a 8GB version as well as a 32GB version, which is enough to store thousands of books. A single charge of just three hours can last up to 6 weeks, so you get dozens of hours of reading without worrying about the battery. Kindle paperwhite encapsulates all of the necessary features of an e-reader and provides a great and affordable reading experience.
SPECS:
- Screen size: 6-inch
- Screen type: E Ink
- Storage: 8 GB, 32GB
- Resolution: 300ppi
- Weight: 209g
- Supported formats: Kindle Format 8 (AZW3), Kindle (AZW), TXT, PDF, unprotected MOBI, PRC natively; HTML DOC, DOCX, JPEG, GIF, PNG, PMP through conversion.
- Battery life: up to six weeks
- Price: ₹11,299.00
PROS:
- Great battery
- IPX8 waterproofing
- Comes with flush front design
CONS:
- No page turn buttons
- No warmth control
4. Kobo Libra H2O
Premium reading experience for affordable price!
Kobo libra nails the perfect balance between a modern design and an affordable reading experience. It has a large 7 inch glare free HD screen. The glare free screen allows you to read even in bright sunlight just like real paperbacks. Kobo Libra H2O has a conveniently placed set of buttons on the right side of the screen, these can be used to turn pages without reaching for the screen. There’s a power button smartly placed at the back too. The device is also IPX8 rated so you can read literally everywhere without worrying about the device’s safety. It has an onboard storage of 8GB, which is enough to store thousands of books. The e-reader has adaptive lighting, which gradually reduces the blue light as it gets dark to reduce the strain on your eyes. You can connect to the internet via wifi. Being a kobo device you can run files other than the standard .mobi formats. The device can run epub files too. You can get up to six weeks of runtime with a single charge of 4 hours. Overall it is a great competitor to the kindle paperwhite but it has an edge when it comes to supported file types.
SPECS:
- Screen size: 7-inch
- Screen type: carta E Ink
- Storage: 8 GB
- Resolution: 300ppi
- Weight: 192g
- Battery life: up to six weeks
- Supported formats: EPUB, EPUB3, FlePub, PDF, MOBI, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, TIFF, TXT, HTML, RTF, CBZ, CBR
- Price: ₹12,999.00
PROS:
- Adaptive brightness
- Light weight and water resistant
- Comes with physical page turn buttons
CONS:
- No library subscription option.
- No audiobooks.
- Can’t read Kindle(.awz) books.
5. Kobo Clara HD
A mid budget competitor to kindle’s paperwhite!
Priced lesser than the Kindle paperwhite, Kobo clara HD gives it a tough competition when it comes to features. It has a 6 inch HD carta e-ink touchscreen. The responsiveness of the screen is fast and precise when compared to the other kobo devices. The device has an integrated blue light filter that automatically detects the time in your timezone and sets the brightness and warmth accordingly. You can store thousands of books in the onboard storage of 8GB. You can use the device for weeks with a single charge of around 3-4 hours. It also has an overdrive feature that allows you to access your local library’s epub collection on your e-reader. With all of these features, Kobo Clara Hd is a best in class e-reader at this price point.
SPECS:
- Screen size: 6-inch
- Screen type: Carta E Ink
- Storage: 8 GB
- Resolution: 300ppi
- Weight: 166g
- Battery life: up to eight weeks
- Supported formats: EPUB, EPUB3, FlePub, PDF, MOBI, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, TIFF, TXT, HTML, RTF, CBZ, CBR
- Price: ₹3,499.00
PROS:
- Affordable
- Feature packed
- Comes with great battery life
CONS:
- Not so impressive UI and UX.
- You may experience jitters and lags.
6. Onyx Boox Note Air
Bridging the gap between ipads and Ereaders!
Onyx boox note air is a hybrid between a normal tablet and an e-reader. It runs Android 10 OS so you can do much more than just reading books on it. Even though it leans on the tablet size, it uses E-ink technology to give an eye-friendly experience when it comes to reading. As it runs on Android, you can just download the kindle or the kobo app and access the books from both the stores! Other than that you can also run other supported formats such as .mobi or epub. It runs a qualcomm snapdragon 636 processor with 3GB of ram which is pretty enough when it comes to reading books and taking notes with the bundled stylus. There are no hardware buttons on the device other than the power button. You can use the USB type C port at the bottom to charge the device. There is no port to connect headphones but you can use the inbuilt wifi or bluetooth to use wireless headphones. The onyx boox note air lacks when it comes to battery, you can use it for upto 1 day with a single charge. The play store access is the best feature of Onyx boox, it can equal as a normal android device even after being an e-reader. Onyx boox is perfect for students and teachers a like who will be using the device for reading and for taking notes as well!
SPECS:
- Screen size: 10.3-inch
- Screen type: carta E Ink
- Storage: 32 GB
- Resolution: 227 ppi
- Weight: 420g
- Battery life: up to one day
- Supported formats: PDF(reflowable), PPT,EPUB, TXT, DJVU, HTML, RTF, FB2, DOC, MOBI, CHM…
- Image Formats: PNG, JPG, TIFF, BMP
- Price: ₹44,999.00 (approx.)
PROS:
- Premium metal build and design
- Comfortable stylus with magnetic attachment
- Runs android 10 OS
CONS:
- expensive
- Low battery life.
- Doesn’t comes with physical page turn buttons
7. Onyx Boox Note2
A complete tablet with E-ink display!
Onyx boox note2 has a whooping 10.3 inch screen making it the biggest device on the list. In the same Onyx fashion, this device too runs an android OS. It has an E Ink Carta HD display with a resolution of 1872×1404 with 227 DPI. The usage of e-ink makes it perfect for reading. You can use the device as a drawing tablet with the accompanying stylus and the palm rejection technology. It has a qualcomm octa-core 2 GHZ A53 processor with 4GB of ram. It has an onboard storage of 64GB which is humongous when compared to other devices on the list. It also has a 4300mAH battery that can give weeks of usage with a single charge. The USB type C port on the bottom provides quick charging. This port is also compatible with OTG, so you can use it to transfer files to your PC or you can even connect external devices like a mouse or a keyboard to the tablet. It also has a fingerprint scanner at the back making it a complete tablet with e-reader functionalities. Onyx boox note2 is an excellent e reader with the functionalities of a tablet!
SPECS:
- Screen size: 10.3-inch
- Screen type: carta E Ink
- Storage: 64 GB
- Resolution: 227 ppi
- Weight: 378g
- Battery life: up to one day
- Supported formats: PDF, EPUB , TXT, DJVU, HTML, RTF, FB2, DOC, MOBI, CHM，PNG, JPG, TIFF, BMP，WAV, MP3
- Price: ₹44,999.00 (approx.)
PROS:
- Impressive note taking app
- Works exactly as an android tablet
- Contains a fingerprint scanner for security
CONS:
- Expensive
- Poor speakers quality on the back
- No water resistance
8. Kobo Forma
High end spec sheet!
Kobo forma is another great e reader in the kobo lineup. It is a lightweight device with an 8 inch glare free screen. It even has physical buttons conveniently placed on the right hand side of the screen to turn pages. It has a nice curved design which makes it easy and comfortable to hold for hours. It is available in two versions, a 8GB and a 32GB one. It even has a dropbox feature where you can add your own ebooks and documents wirelessly. The device has adjustable lighting that automatically sets the warmth and brightness depending upon the time of the day. Kobo Forma has an IPX rating of IPX8, so you can use it in wet conditions as it is waterproof for up to 60minutes in 2 meters of water. You can use it for upto 2 weeks with a single charge. As every other kobo device, this e reader supports the overdrive function. With overdrive you can access or borrow books from your local libraries epub collection. Overall the Kobo forma is a decent e reader that comes with all the Kobo goodness!
SPECS:
- Screen size: 8-inch
- Screen type: carta E Ink
- Storage: 8/32GB
- Resolution: 300ppi
- Weight: 197g
- Battery life: two weeks
- Supported formats: EPUB, EPUB3, FlePub, PDF, MOBI, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, TIFF, TXT, HTML, RTF, CBZ, CBR
- Price: ₹35,999.00 (approx.)
PROS:
- Have physical page turn buttons
- Slim and lightweight product
- Contains color changing backlight
- IPX8 RATED
CONS:
- Feels expensive for E-Readers
- No stylus which can be seen in this price range
- No audio book support
9. Barnes and Noble Nook 10”
Read colored comics on this e reader!
Barnes and Noble are no strangers to the world of books. They collaborated with lenovo to create an android tablet made for reading books. Nook 10 is a well built tablet specifically designed to be used as an e reader. The tablet runs on android and comes preloaded with the Nook reading app, but you can use any other app that is available in the play store for reading. It has a 10 inch colored display which is great for reading books as well as for colored comics and graphic novels alike. But the colored display comes with a sacrifice, the device uses a normal tablet screen with e-ink technology and not a complete e-ink display. It has no physical buttons near the screen but has a power button and volume control buttons on the side which can be configured to turn the pages. It has 32GB of onboard storage, you can expand the storage to up to 265GB by using the sd card slot. The USB type C port allows for fast charging, you can get up to 12 hours of usage with a single full charge. Unlike other e reader tablets on this list, Nook has a dedicated 3.5 mm headphone jack to connect your headphones to. Overall its a well built android tablet with good e reader features!
It’s a well-built but bottom-rung Android tablet capable of showing books, playing videos, and not much else.
SPECS:
- Screen size: 10.1-inch
- Screen type: carta E Ink
- Storage: 32 GB
- Resolution: 149 ppi
- Weight: 420g
- Battery life: up to 12 hours
- Supported formats: ePub, PDF, TXT, DOCX, XLX, PPTX, MP3, MP4, WAV, PEG (JPG), GIF, PNG, BMP, MP4, 3GP, 3G2, M4V, and MPEG-4
- Price: ₹9,999.00 (approx.)
PROS:
- Can access Google Play Store
- Works as a capable Android 10 tablet
- Impressive design
CONS:
- Comes with a slow processor
- Some usual text blur could be noticed
- Poor display quality
10. Barnes & Noble NOOK GlowLight 3 eReader
Another great E Reader by Barnes and Noble!
Nook glowlight 3 is another great ereader from Barnes and Noble that just focuses on reading functionalities. It has a great 8 inch carta e-ink screen. Even with a 6 inch display it is pretty lightweight and has a small form factor. The screen uses a resolution of 1448×1072 which is the same as the Kindle paperwhite. One of the best features of Glowlight3 is the color changing “glowlight”. It shifts from a blue color to a warm yellow color depending on the time of the day which makes reading easier in low light. There are dedicated page turning buttons on both the sides of the device, this is a nice feature that most other ereaders lack, most of them have both the page turning buttons located at the same spot. It also has a power button at the bottom of the screen. The device has an onboard storage of up to 8GB. You can use the barnes and nobles store to buy and download books, you can optionally transfer books from your pc to the reader by using a sd card. It can last up to six weeks with a single charge. Overall Glowlight 3 offers a basic reading experience with some unique and great features like glowlight. It lacks when it comes to collection of books as the barnes and nobles library isn’t that huge, but you can still import books with a sd card.
SPECS:
- Screen size: 6-inch
- Screen type: carta E Ink
- Storage: 8 GB
- Resolution: 300ppi
- Weight: 346g
- Battery life: up to six weeks
- Supported formats: ePub, PDF, TXT, DOCX, XLX, PPTX, MP3, MP4, WAV, PEG (JPG), GIF, PNG, BMP, MP4, 3GP, 3G2, M4V, and MPEG-4
- Price: ₹8,999.00 (approx.)
PROS:
- Physical page turning buttons
- Good battery performance
- Comes with Warm and color changing lights
CONS:
- No water resistance
- Limited store selection
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. Can a person who have non-Kindle e readers buy and read ebooks from Amazon?
If you are using a kobo device then the answer is no. Amazon uses a proprietary format(.awz) that is incompatible with other e readers. But if you have an e reader that runs on android and can access google play store, then you can just download the kindle app from the play store and purchase ebooks from there. You can even convert the books purchased from amazon to other formats such as .mobi or epub using online converters, which will make them compatible for your device. But not all of the ebooks purchased from amazon have the awz format, it depends on the publisher to decide which format to opt for.
2. Can e readers be used for web browsing?
E readers use e-ink technology in their displays. These displays have a slow refresh rate, so streaming videos and smooth scrolling is difficult. But when it comes to e readers like Nook 10 you can browse web as they are a hybrid between a tablet and an e reader.
3. Are tablets a suitable alternative to e readers in terms of reading comfortability?
The main advantage of e readers over tablets is its battery life. You can expect a tablet to run for 8 to 9 hours before needing a top up but with e readers you can use them for weeks before needing another charge. E readers long battery life make them a perfect choice for travel. Another factor to consider is the display, e readers have e-ink displays that allow you to read even in broad daylight but with a tablet you are going to get a reflective screen which performs poorly outside.
4. Is reading from e readers bad for your eyesight?
Many people confuse e readers with tablets, but they are two completely different devices. A tablet is almost a miniature computer, it has a colored display that can be compared to a monitor. So it has the same potential problems as looking at any monitor has. E readers, however, are completely different. They use e-ink technology. Everything is in black and white. They actually bear some similarity to an Etch-a-Sketch. Every time you turn the page, the e-ink is erased and then formed into the new letters. In contrast, they’re just as easy to read in bright sunlight as a paperback. Reading from an e reader is almost exactly like reading from a paperback book.
5. Is the Kindle Paperwhite the ultimate e reader?
The Kindle Paperwhite is definitely the top e reader on the market right now. The Nook Simple Touch with Glow Light is a close competitor, but Amazon offers a variety of services, like Whisper Sync, to go along with the hardware that make the Kindle very compelling. The pricing for both devices is the same, but the battery life for the Kindle Paperwhite is estimated to be slightly better than the Nook.
CONCLUSION
There you have it! these were our top picks for the best e-readers that you can purchase right now! if you are still not sure which device to go for here’s a quick rundown!
Go for Kindle Paperwhite (10th gen) which is the overall best and will suit all needs. The IPX 8 rating allows you to use it in any environment be it a wet one or a dry one! it even has a great battery life and also has a vibrant looking display. And to top it off, the kindle store! which has a great library of books, new and old alike.
If you are cut short on budget and need a device without any fancy features that gets the job done, then go for Kindle (10th Gen) It gives an experience similar to the kindle paperwhite but without features like IPX8 waterproofing. But still overall its a great choice considering its battery life and the great glare free screen.
You can also opt for a device like Kobo Clara HD if you want access to files other than just .awz and.mobi formats. Clara HD is extremely affordable and gives a similar experience like the kindle 10th gen. But you won’t be able to access the kindle library if you opt for a kobo device.
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