The best ereader for 2023: top ebook readers for all budgets

Editor’s Note: February 2023

The ereader market has been quietly heating up this year, with new models from Kobo and Amazon, and a new trend developing in the form of 10.3-inch E Ink writing tablets. In the meantime, Amazon gave the base Kindle a major screen boost, giving the cheapest Kindle a competitive edge, while Kobo is looking into using more recycled materials in its newest models. There’s also advances being made in new color E Ink screens, so we’re hoping to see more ereaders adopting the Gallery 3 screen tech this year.

Sharmishta Sarkar, APAC Managing Editor, TechRadar

What makes an E Ink tablet the best ereader? While Kindles are the most popular option on the market, that does not automatically a great ebook reader make. Instead, find the best ereader for you will depend on other factors like where you you live and whether you have an existing digital library.

Love comics and graphic novels? You’ll want a color ereader. Have a vast collection of EPUBs or prefer to borrow from your local library, perhaps Kobo is the way to go if you live outside the US. Well, you get the drift.

Whatever your needs are, all ereaders use similar E Ink technology, so they all display crisp text and fonts that look better on a grayscale screen (we’re still waiting for color e-ink devices that pop). This screen tech also substantially increases battery life when compared to the likes of an iPad.

From there, you need to consider if you want an ereader that can take a dip in the bath or pool, such as the Kobo Libra 2 and Amazon Kindle Paperwhite, and whether you want a reader with physical page-turn buttons.

It’s useful to consider what part of the world you’re in too, with some services from Amazon and Kobo only accessible in select regions. Kobo has partnered with Walmart to sell devices and content in the US, but you cannot subscribe to the Kobo Plus unlimited plan if you live in the States. However, Kobo Plus is available in Australia and New Zealand, while Kindle Unlimited is available in most markets.

You also don’t have to rely on paid services for ebooks either. Public libraries around the world offer ebook lending options through numerous apps and services. You just need to check with your local branch. Both Kobo and Kindle let you borrow from local libraries, but on Kindle that only works in the US.

Once you’ve got that far, read on and we’re here to guide you through the best ereaders around. We also have suggestions for the best tablets and best Kindles, if you have a more specific idea in mind.

The best ereader for 2023

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best ereader Kobo Libra 2 in white on a table with books

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1. Kobo Libra 2

The best ereader overall

Our expert review:

Specifications

Screen size:

7-inch

Screen type:

E Ink Carta 1200

Storage:

32GB

Resolution:

300ppi

Weight:

215g

Front light:

Yes

Touchscreen:

Yes

Wi-Fi:

Yes

4G:

Battery life:

up to six weeks

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Reasons to buy

Excellent value for money

32GB storage

Audiobook support

Reasons to avoid

–

Erratic trickle charging of battery

Despite newer models on the market, the Kobo Libra 2 is still the best overall ereader you can get because it offers great bang for your buck. We gave the Kobo Libra 2 full marks in our review, which should really say all you need to know, and we haven’t changed our minds since testing it in 2021. It’s a fantastic all-around champion that should be your first port of call when buying an ereader.

While the snappy and super responsive E Ink Carta 1200 screen is now available on several ereaders, including the next-best Amazon Kindle Paperwhite, the Libra 2 performs better than the competition. You get tons more storage as the default is 32GB here, something most other mainstream ereaders don’t offer. The screen refreshes super fast, and the huge battery lasts weeks on end.

We also love the asymmetric design with the page-turn buttons. These kinds of ereaders are really comfortable to hold and use in one hand, making the likes of the Kobo Libra 2 perfect for the daily commute. And the 7-inch screen is the sweet spot in our books – not too small, not too big and perfectly portable. IPX8 waterproofing rounds up its physical characteristics.

Adding to its value-for-money outlook is the fact that, in several regions, you can borrow books from a local library that supports OverDrive, saving you the cost of having to buy new ebooks.

Kobo devices also can read more file types, including the popular ePub format that Kindle can’t handle natively. And you can sideload more fonts onto a Kobo without any issues, including Amazon’s fonts like Bookerly. We wish that Kobo Plus was available for all of our readers, but even without that subscription service, we think the Kobo Libra 2 is the best ereader you can buy right now.

Read our full Kobo Libra 2 review

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best ereader Amazon Kindle Paperwhite next to a potted plant

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We still think the Kindle Paperwhite is the best Kindle you can buy, thanks to its water-resistant design and crisp, bright E Ink display. The Kindle 2022 is catching up fast, now with more storage than the Paperwhite, but the latter’s 6.8-inch display is a great size for reading on as compared to a 6-inch tablet, keeping it at a higher spot than the latest Amazon Kindle.

We like the adjustable warm light for reading in the dark, and the slim design with a flat face is appealing and easy to read. We even think the upgrades are worthwhile for the right buyers. You can double the storage, or even quadruple it with the Paperwhite Signature Edition. The Signature also adds wireless charging, a unique ereader feature.

The Paperwhite is a little pricey for a Kindle. but perhaps a refreshed model will see more features added without the price hiking up, thus adding more value for money. Even so, the Paperwhite is an excellent ereader, and all around our second favorite pick.

Read our full Amazon Kindle Paperwhite review

Amazon Kindle 2022 with a book cover displayed on screen

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It took Amazon about five years to update the base Kindle model, but what an absolutely fantastic upgrade the 2022 edition is! A different blue color than the usual black is an option and, like the Kobo Clara 2E, is partially made from recycled plastics.

Design refresh aside, the screen is way better now than the older Kindle models, with the latest E Ink Carta 1200 tech adding snappier responses, clarity and, more importantly, a 300ppi resolution (a massive jump from the older 167ppi) that really makes everything on screen pop. The display even supports a dark mode.

However, there’s still no way to change light hues here, and it also misses out on any kind of waterproofing. We also found that the smooth rear panel makes the 2022 Kindle a little insecure in the hand, and you’d likely want a case to get some grip. Plus the 6-inch screen could be too small for anyone who likes the font size on the larger side, which means you’re turning pages quite often. Still, the small size makes it very portable indeed.

While we think the waterproofing and the additional features of any Kobo ereader make the Clara 2E a more worthwhile option for a small-sized ereader, the Kindle is cheaper in comparison and it would be remiss of us to leave it out of this buying guide.

Read our full Amazon Kindle (2022) review

The Kobo Clara 2E positioned between a speaker, fake plant, two books and a coffee mug. On the ereaders display is an image of the cover of the current book being read on the device.

(Image credit: Future)

The Kobo Clara 2E gets the latest E Ink Carta 1200 screen tech, plus doubles the internal storage space to 16GB as compared to the older Clara HD. Where the predecessor had no waterproofing, the 2E carries an IPX8 rating, so you can read in the bath or the pool and not worry too much.

Interestingly, Kobo says the body is made out of recycled plastic, 85% of it to be precise, 10% of which were ocean-bound plastics.

Other updates include the now standard USB-C charging port and Bluetooth connectivity so you can listen to audiobooks (albeit only those purchased from the Kobo Store). All the other usual Kobo perks are here: adjustable light temperature, OverDrive support for library books, wide font and file support, and a very streamlined user interface that makes it easy to navigate through the device’s features.

While we found the battery life a little inconsistent, it could just have been teething issues on our review device only, or easily fixable via a firmware update. Overall, though, it’s a huge upgrade over the older Clara HD and worth every penny if you’re after a very portable and capable ereader that isn’t caught up in a closed ecosystem like Amazon’s.

Read our full Kobo Clara 2E review

Amazon Kindle Scribe e-ink writing tablet

(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)

If money is no object and you want the most luxurious reading experience a digital ebook reader can give you, then the Amazon Kindle Scribe takes over from the Kindle Oasis. That’s because the Oasis is no aging, lacking the speed and clarity of the newer, larger model.

The metal body of the Kindle Scribe is reminiscent of the Oasis, but lacks the two page-turn buttons on the larger bezel, but that 10.3-inch screen is just beautiful to read on. Admittedly it’s not quite as portable and can feel heavy when held in one hand, it’s still marvelous to use.

While the Kindle Scribe excels as an ereader, it falls remarkably short of being a worthwhile writing tablet. Although it ships with a stylus (there are a couple options for the pen to choose from), the templates are limited, no additional brush types are available, and there’s no way to convert your handwritten notes into text for export. That said, the Kindle Scribe is the best E Ink device to write on as the stylus just glides over the screen so very smoothly. If only it had more to offer as a digital notetaker…

As just as ereader, no matter how wonderful the experience, it is expensive. So you could still opt for the Kindle Oasis for a premium reading experience, but there’s no getting away from the fact that the large screen has some serious oomph.

Read our full Amazon Kindle Scribe review

A PocketBook Era ereader on a table with some books and spectacles

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