Product | Size | Weight | Price range | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Best Large E-Reader - Onyx BOOX Note2 | 9.8 x 7 x 0.3 inches | 13.3 ounces | $$$ | |
Best Premium eBook Reader – All-new Kindle Oasis | 6.3 x 5.6 x 0.13-.33 inches | 6.63 ounces | $$ | |
Best New Entry E-reader - Kobo Forma | 7 x 0.3 x 6.3 inches | 6.9 ounces | $$ | |
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Best Budget E-Reader – Amazon Kindle Paperwhite | 6.6 x 4.6 x 0.3 inches | 6.4 ounces | $$ |
Best Value For Money Book Reader – Kobo Clara | 4.3 x 0.3 x 6.3 inches | 5.9 ounces | $$ |
Are you daydreaming about those hot summer days, when your only concern is what cocktail you should pick from the beach bar menu while enjoying the sound of waves crashing against the shore? Or maybe about those cold winter nights spent by the fire, in a cottage far away from the city in an uproar? Even enjoying the grass beneath your feet and smelling the fresh cherry blossoms in a park during spring would work. Or simply lying in bed, listening to autumn's raindrops dripping down your bedroom window. Uplifting, we know!
Whether it's a planned vacation or merely a lazy weekend in bed, the best companion one could have is a book. Or two. Or three. The more, the better, right?! And thankfully, one does not have to pack tons of books and sacrifice some precious room in their luggage intended for some well-deserved shopping now that there are eBook reader devices that make things a whole lot easier.
This thin and light gadget allows you to read and re-read thousands of books stored together without damaging their covers or their pages.
Apart from saving extra room in the house, as you already have your library full of books, you can also consider saving some money. There's a consistent difference between paperback books that cost at least 10 USD, without shipping fees, while most of the eBooks are available for about 5 USD each.
Another big Yes to an e-reader: every year, the book-printing industry sacrifices 32 million trees. Using a book reader means reducing pollution, saving energy, and thus protecting the environment.
Also, you're one click away from your next book without having to scan through different bookstores or wait for the courier to arrive with your latest order.
Plus, you can quickly look up the information you need within the text, underline exciting paragraphs, and add comments or personal notes without deteriorating any of the content. And when you are done, you can erase all your extra records, and your book stays undamaged.
On top of that, you won't be distracted by any other entertaining option like social media or email that usually pops up on your phone or tablet screen.
Now, you must be wondering what is there to consider when choosing the best e-reader. It certainly depends on your needs, so we tried to anticipate them in the list below. Just keep scrolling:
Most of the e-readers are equipped with a monochrome E Ink screen that imitates traditional paper. One of the most significant benefits of this type of screen is that it does not affect eyesight as much as reading on paper does. Also, the most eye-damaging feature of a conventional display is the blue light. Blue light in e-readers is reduced to the minimum, which is why they are the least intrusive. So, bookworms who often lose themselves in books for long periods can keep on doing it worry-free.
You should also consider that the less expensive e-readers with E Ink screen are not backlit, so, similar to Paperback, you will need to use a source of light in order to be able to read. Or you could just invest in one of the newer models that are already equipped with edge lighting. The adjustable brightness will enable you to devour your favorite books during your sleepless nights, without disturbing your baby or your partner who rest beside you.
Also, unlike phones or tablets whose colors seem to wash out during daylight, an E Ink screen will eliminate any reflection, just like plain paper, and remain intact in direct sunlight.
On the other hand, touch screens make a good deal, too, due to their on-screen keyboard that facilitates taking notes or searching within the text. Also, if you are connected to Wi-Fi, you can easily use the online explanatory dictionary, or access online bookstores.
For good quality of the text, a decent e-book reader should have 6 to 8 inches display and a minimum of 250-300 pixels per inch. Also, the higher the resolution, the better.
Yet, if you plan on reading a scientific or academic paper, you can always opt for a king-size 10 to 13.3 inches. Smaller e-readers won't give the same reading experience for documents in PDF format simply because they are not designed for it.
Definitely a must, if you plan on reading on the beach or by the pool or during a long relaxing bath. There are a few options for you that passed the waterproof test, to some extent, of course. The best water-resistant e-readers are designed to last to the immersion of fresh water up to 2 meters for 60 minutes max.
But if you only need an e-reader that has to stay intact to your baby's spilling liquid on it, water-resistance should go to the end of your criteria list.
Most of the eBook readers grant you internet access through Wi-Fi. If you don't mind waiting until having access to Wi-Fi hotspot to download your next book, then you can stick to this less expensive option. But if you want to buy and download any book from anywhere, you have to pay some extra money for the 3G cellular data option.
E-readers store from 4 to 64GB of data. Their price range varies according to their characteristics. Nonetheless, there are many options that cost less than 200 USD, and that make great reading partners.
For bookworms that have to get their scientific papers done, you should consider investing at least 500 USD in a 10.3 inches fully equipped high-speed computing e-reader for the smoothest performance. These types of devices allow adding a mouse, keyboards, SD cards without having to install any driver. This is taking a standard e-reader to a whole new level indeed.
Having said all that, let's look at the five best eBook readers on the market:
We were telling you earlier about one of the most sophisticated options in terms of e-readers. Onyx BOOX Note2 is not the most expensive option one has, but it surely costs more than most of the e-readers on the market. And that is because, just like its bigger brother BOOX Max2, it comes with software upgrades and hardware benefits that a regular eBook reader does not support.
Onyx BOOX Note2 is a 10.3-inch book reader even lighter than most of E Ink screen readers and also a digital notepad. It features an octa-core 2GHz processor, a 4 RAM, and 64GB of internal storage. Apart from its dual-touch screen, it also has a Wacom pen that can be used to write directly on the screen.
Unlike traditional e-book readers, ONYX BOOX Note2 not only has Wi-Fi, but it also adds Bluetooth that can connect your e-reader to your PC, a microphone for recording, speakers, and a USB-C port.
The Note2 eBook reader runs Android 9, and that means more safety. Also, this terrific book reader comes with Google Play.
The overall design of the Onyx BOOX Note2 is rather minimalistic, yet the screen resolution is 227 dpi (1872 x 1404), the perfect fit for academic papers in PDF, EPUB, TXT, DJVU, HTML, RTF, FB2, DOC, MOBI, CHM format. It also adds PNG, JPG, TIFF, BMP image formats and WAV and MP3 audio formats.
The battery may last up to 4 weeks.
Pros:
• Adjustable lighted display
• Front-lit display
• Google Play
• Excellent PDF annotator
• It allows fluid writing
• Fingerprint recognition
• Powerful PDF features
• Allows reference searching in two different documents
• Encrypted notes
• Allows sharing notes via phone
• Cloud backup
Cons:
• Expensive
• It has no turn pages buttons
The newest Kindle Oasis upgraded with a brand new color-adjustable warm light and flush-front design seems to be the best 7-inch reading companion that one can have.
It comes with 8 to 32GB internal storage, a 300 ppi screen resolution, 25 LEDs front light, Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi plus free cellular connection, Bluetooth. Plus, it is waterproof.
You can adjust the screen brightness manually, or you can set a timer that automatically adjusts the light for you.
The All-new Kindle Oasis also has page turn buttons, customizable screen, and a critical feature called Whispersync, which allows you to switch between reading and listening on your Kindle, as long as you are connected to the internet.
The battery lasts up to 4 weeks.
Pros:
• The color-adjustable light
• Flush-front design
• Page turn buttons
• Big screen
• Lightness
• Ergonomic design
• Waterproof
• Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi and Free Cellular Connectivity
• Automatic page rotation
• Faster screen response
Cons:
• It requires a micro-USB charger
• Pricey