Entertainment

The best Kindles to buy in 2024 — tested and reviewed

Published

2 weeks ago

October 5, 2024

Looking for the best Kindle for your next read? You’ll have to pick a model first, as Kindles have evolved since their debut back in 2007 (the same year Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was released). Today, Amazon has a whole lineup of Kindles, including the cute yet highly functional Kindle Kids edition. After extensive testing of Kindles and the competition, we still think Amazon makes the best e-readers.

If you haven’t yet been converted to the lovely world of Kindles and e-books, we have to ask, frankly: What the heck are you waiting for?

Will Kindles go on sale during October Prime Day?

As one of Amazon’s flagship devices — who else is old enough to remember when Amazon was primarily a bookseller? — you’d think that Prime Day would be the best time to buy a Kindle. Unfortunately, during Prime Day in July, the Kindle deals were rather lackluster. Now, we’re looking ahead to October’s Prime Big Deal Days, coming October 8 and 9. We’ve already spotted some early deals on Kindle bundles and Kindles for kids, so we’re staying cautiously optimistic for the big event.

Testing the auto-adjustment feature on the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition.
Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

What should I look for in the best Kindles?

As of July 2024, Amazon makes six different Kindles, after the Kindle Oasis was recently discontinued. The current lineup includes a new generation of Amazon e-readers released in 2022 as well as some older models still worth buying.

When shopping for a new Kindle, consider the following factors:

Display size. The smallest Kindle has a 6-inch display while the largest has a 10.2-inch display.
Storage capacity. Kindles range from 16 GB to 32 GB of storage capacity.
Battery life. Kindles generally have outstanding battery life (depending on your usage). On the low end, they last up to six weeks per charge, while others last up to 12 weeks.
Waterproof protection. Not all Kindles are waterproof, but those that are provide peace of mind when reading in the tub.

All the latest Kindles boast a 300 ppi, high-resolution display with zero glare so you can enjoy sharp text and images at any viewing angle. Kindles are also equipped with WiFi connectivity to allow you to download all the reading material you could ever want. (Select Kindles also have cellular connectivity.) Plus, you can listen to audiobooks on Audible via any Kindle’s built-in Bluetooth connection.

To pick the best Kindle for your lifestyle, you’ll want to consider your particular needs and preferences as you shop.

a kindle scribe with note-taking stylus and pencils

The Kindle Scribe is the only Kindle e-reader that comes with its own stylus for note-taking.
Credit: Molly Flores/Mashable

Perhaps you like to read outside often; you’ll want a Kindle with an auto-adjusting light so you don’t have to constantly fix the brightness. The Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition and Kindle Scribe all have this auto-adjustment feature.

Or, maybe you like to read before bed and want to cut out blue light; opt for a Kindle with adjustable warm light so you can shift the display color. And after the 2022 release of the Kindle Scribe, there’s even a Kindle that will allow you to jot down notes on your texts for later reference.

We’ve gathered our favorites below along with highlights from our Kindle reviews, so read on to find the best Kindles for your reading pleasure.

How we tested

Ever since Amazon released a new generation of Kindles in 2022, Mashable editors have been hard at work testing them. With the exception of the Kindle Kids, every Kindle featured in this review was hands-on tested by someone on the Mashable team. To pick our favorite Kindles, we tested and compared the newest models — the Kindle (2022 release), Kindle Scribe, Kindle Paperwhite, and Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition.

Prior to the release of the latest models, Mashable editors had already tested the Kindle Paperwhite Kids. The entry-level Kindle Kids is the only e-reader that wasn’t reviewed for this guide, but we chose to include it based on its stellar reputation, feature set, and affordable price tag.

To select the best Kindles of 2024, we carefully researched Amazon’s current lineup of Kindle devices and analyzed our own writers’ individual, in-depth reviews. We strived to include all of the latest models in our roundup and compared and contrasted their features extensively to determine the best e-reader for a variety of different reading styles. To do this, we took several key factors into consideration:

Size and weight. Kindles can vary significantly in size and weight, so we considered which models were better for certain scenarios, like one-handed reading and taking on the go.
Waterproof protection. We made sure to pinpoint which models are waterproof for a worry-free outdoor reading experience as well as those better suited for children.
Special features. We analyzed the range of features on higher-end Kindles for different types of reading styles, such as auto-adjusting displays for indoor/outdoor reading, warm light settings to block blue light for nighttime reading, and page turn buttons for one-handed reading.
Price. Kindle models vary wildly in price; we made sure to include budget-friendly options as well as splurge-worthy, treat-yourself picks.
Ease of use. How easy was it to download and read new books? Did each model’s signature features work as advertised? For example, in the case of the Kindle Scribe, we checked to see how well the stylus and note-taking features worked.