The Best Kindles to Take Your Library Anywhere
Kindles are one of our favorite devices. They're simple, reliable, and perfect at what they do—in one palm-sized device, you can bring thousands of books with you to the park or mountain. They get more than a month of battery life per charge, and you can subscribe to get unlimited books from Amazon. You can also get free books from your local library. But what's the best Kindle? Our guide will help you decipher the differences.
Are you ready to wade even further into the field of Amazon devices? We have guides to the Best Fire Tablets, Best Alexa Speakers, as well as many other buying guides for more advice.
Updated December 2021: We've added more details on the three new Paperwhites now that we've fully tested the Standard Edition.
Special offer for Gear readers: Get a 1-year subscription to WIRED for $5 ($25 off). This includes unlimited access to WIRED.com and our print magazine (if you'd like). Subscriptions help fund the work we do every day.
If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more. Please also consider subscribing to WIRED
- Photograph: Amazon
Best for Most
Amazon Kindle (2019, 10th Generation)If you want a basic ebook reader, this has all the essentials (8/10, WIRED Recommends). WIRED editor Adrienne So could hardly tell the difference between it and a 2018 Paperwhite, except for the lack of waterproofing. The base Kindle has an adequate 6-inch E Ink capacitive touchscreen for reading, and it lights up so you can read in the dark—a first for a Kindle under $100. If you can spend $20 more, you should opt for no ads.
It can also stream Audible audiobooks to headphones via Bluetooth, but storage is limited to 8 gigabytes (about 8,000 megabytes). For reference, an hour of audio will take up about 30 megabytes, so it can probably fit dozens of audiobooks. (You can delete audiobooks when you're done to clear space.) It gets about three to six weeks of battery life, depending on how much you read.
- Photograph: Amazon
A Worth-It Upgrade
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2021, 11th Generation)The Paperwhite went from one e-reader to three that now rival the more expensive Oasis. We tried the Signature Edition (8/10, WIRED Recommends), but all three have bigger, 6.8-inch screens with smaller bezels. The screens are brighter overall at their max and now have adjustable warm lighting, but only the Signature can auto-adjust that brightness to your surroundings—we think that should be standard across all models. Its faster page-turn rate means there's no delay while you read.
The Signature has 32 gigabytes of storage and the Standard has 8 gigs. That's a big difference, but you can still read and store a lot of books with 8 gigabytes (around 5,000). If you mostly listen to audiobooks, you may want to go for the Signature, since those tend to take up more room. Still, if you want to save some cash, just clean out your backlog—you can remove a book from your device without deleting it entirely from your Amazon account. The 2021 Paperwhites all get USB-C charging, but the Signature supports wireless charging. Read more about the Kid's Paperwhite below.
- Photograph: Amazon
Frivolously Awesome
Amazon Kindle Oasis (2019, 10th Generation)There's no practical reason to buy a $270 ebook reader. (You can save $20 if you agree to have ads, but at this price, you don't want them.) The Oasis costs the same as three standard Kindles—but it's an absolute joy to use. Many of the Oasis' features now show up in the new Paperwhites, like adjustable warm lighting and a faster processor. At 7 inches, the touchscreen is now only slightly bigger than the new Paperwhites. However, it still has the sleek aluminum design with a ridge on one edge and physical buttons to turn the pages. These make it ideal for one-handed reading. The light-up display also looks a little more natural and automatically adjusts the brightness.
If you're investing in a Kindle this expensive, you may also want the premium leather cover to complete that luxe feel. On the downside, it's too large to fit in many pockets, and if your library includes a ton of audiobooks, you'll want the 32-gigabyte option, which is $30 more.
- Photograph: Amazon
Best for Kids
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Kids Edition (2021, 11th Generation)The new Paperwhites include a Kids Edition. Like the others, it has a bigger and sleeker screen with smaller bezels and more lighting options. It's also waterproof (with an IPX8 rating)—standard for Paperwhites, but a first for kids. If you have an accident-prone kid, or one who just likes to read by the pool or in the tub, it's a good idea to spend the extra $50 on this version. We didn't test the new Kids model, but we did try the Signature Edition and are confident this one holds up.
Like prior kids models, you'll get a year's subscription to Amazon Kids+, which is a kid-friendly content library that allows for parental controls. (You can access the same platform across other Amazon devices too, if you have a Fire Tablet or an Echo.) It also comes with a case and a two-year no-questions-asked replacement guarantee. If your kid smashes it just once, you get your money back. If you're going to get your kid an entertainment device, an ebook reader that doesn't have a browser or access to social media is probably as safe as you can get.
★ Cheaper alternative: The 10th generation Kids Kindle ($110) is still available for $50 less if you don't need waterproofing. We think it's still a fine Kindle for kids to enjoy. If you already own this model, you don't have to rush to upgrade.
- Photograph: Amazon
Older Kindles Are OK
Amazon Kinda Old Kindles (2013 and Newer)Have a pal who's ready to give up their Kindle? It may work fine for you. If you're buying a sixth-generation Kindle Paperwhite (2013) or newer, it's probably just fine. You'll get fewer pixels, and it may lack Bluetooth for audiobooks or any semblance of waterproofing, but older Kindles generally hold up well for reading—even used or refurbished. You'll want to do a factory reset (go to Settings → Device Options → Reset) and sign in to your own Amazon account.
Photograph: AmazonAvoid These Kindles!
Amazon Ancient KindlesAs a general rule, if there are buttons on the front of a Kindle (other than the Oasis!) or a keyboard, don't shell out money for it. It may still work, but you're going to enjoy the experience much more with a newer device. Your ebook collection with Amazon is saved in the cloud and accessible from any tablet, phone, or Kindle. If you do get your hands on an older, nonworking one, you can trade it in for credit toward a newer model.
Extra savings up to $15 with TurboTax discount
H&R Block Sale: Up to 33% off all tax preparation software
Exclusive 50% off 1 year - Rosetta Stone promo code
$10 off $100 Student Finish Line promo code
KiwiCo promo code - Enjoy 10% off Store Purchases
Sign for newsletter to get a $10 off Hotwire promo code