Best Kindle in 2024 for every type of reader
We've tested every Amazon e-reader to recommend the very best Kindle for every bookworm and budget
Looking for the best Kindle? We don’t blame you. Amazon’s Kindle devices are the most popular e-readers around for a reason with a great selection of titles to boot. Over the years, they’ve become incredibly good at replicating the experience of reading a book on their digital screens, with the benefit of the electronic format being that you can access an entire library on a single, highly portable gadget.
They also make reading cheaper and ebooks are more environmentally friendly than that pile of paperbacks you’ve been nursing, so e-readers have an awful lot going for them. The only real issue is deciding which Kindle to buy – but we can help with that.
There are now three base Kindle models to choose from and each one does something a bit different, so read on as we reveal the best Kindle to buy for most people and help you find the Amazon e-reader that’s right for you, and if you want to check out other brands, check out our best e-readers guide.
Why you can trust Stuff: Our team of experts rigorously test each product and provide honest, unbiased reviews to help you make informed decisions. For more details, read how we test and rate products.
Quick list: what’s the best Kindle?
The Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (buy now) is arguably the definitive Kindle, with a classic design and feature set that should suit most people – especially as the latest model comes with a number of upgrades.
The Amazon Kindle (buy now) might not be its flashiest e-reader, but for a lot of people, it’s all they’ll ever need.
The Amazon Kindle Oasis (buy now) has full IPX8 waterproof treatment and features ambient light tech so you won’t have to keep tweaking the brightness
The Amazon Kindle Scribe (buy now) is a brand new Kindle category for Amazon, thanks to its special ability — namely, a screen that’s capable of being doodled and written on, thanks to an included stylus Pen.
The Amazon Kindle Kids Edition (buy now) comes with a year’s free subscription to Kids Unlimited and a two-year breakage guarantee.
The best Kindle you can buy today:
Best Kindle for most people
1. Amazon Kindle Paperwhite
Stuff Verdict
The Kindle almost everyone should buy remains the Kindle almost everyone should buy
Pros
- Bigger display and warm light is a great addition
- Positive changes to user interface
- USB-C…finally
Cons
- No buttons for turning pages
- Awkwardly positioned power button
| Amazon Kindle Paperwhite specs | |
|---|---|
| Display | 6.8in 300ppi E Ink with warm light |
| Storage | 8GB / 32GB (Signature Edition) |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi |
| Battery Life | Up to 10 weeks (depends on usage) |
The Kindle Paperwhite is arguably the definitive Kindle, with a classic design and feature set that should suit most people – especially as the 2021 model comes with a number of upgrades.
These are headlined by the addition of an adjustable warm light and USB-C charging while splashing out for the fancier Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition gets you more memory (32GB vs 8GB), wireless charging, an auto-adjusting front light, and comes without ads as standard.
Both still have a curvy soft-touch back like earlier Paperwhites, but they now offer a larger 6.8-inch display for significantly slimmed-down bezels and a more refined overall look.
This is the Kindle avid readers should pick, as that screen is ultra-sharp at 300ppi, making text look every bit as sharp as it does on the physical page. It’s also where the Kindle line-up starts being able to go for a splash, with all versions of the Paperwhite being waterproof up to the IPX8 lab standard.
- Read more: Kindle Paperwhite review
Best entry-level Kindle
2. Amazon Kindle
Stuff Verdict
The 2022 Kindle is hands down the best entry-level e-reader for anyone looking to dive into the world of digital books.
Pros
- Affordable price
- 6-weeks battery life
- USB-C
Cons
- You’ll miss the warm backlight for night reading
| Amazon Kindle specs | |
|---|---|
| Display | 6in display with built-in light, 300 ppi |
| Storage | 16 GB |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Wi-Fi |
| Battery life | 6 weeks |
The 2022 Kindle is hands down the best entry-level e-reader for anyone looking to dive into the world of digital books. It’s lightweight, compact, and so easy to use that it makes the whole experience feel seamless from the start. The 6” high-resolution display gives you crisp, paper-like text, making it perfect for those just getting into e-readers without overwhelming them with too many features.
The adjustable brightness and dark mode let us read comfortably anywhere, whether it’s in bright sunlight or late at night. What we really love is how this Kindle strips away distractions – there are no apps or notifications to pull you out of your story.
The 16GB storage is more than enough for thousands of books, and the 6-week battery life means you can forget about charging it for ages. If you’re new to e-readers and want something simple, affordable, and built for reading, this is definitely the way to go.
Best premium Kindle
3. Amazon Kindle Oasis
Stuff Verdict
Just like a good bubble bath, the Kindle Oasis is all about luxury. It’s a super premium e-reader for when you want the latest e-reading tech.
Pros
- Water resistance is great
- Its sleek, thin design with a dedicated handgrip is comfortable to hold
Cons
- Significantly more expensive than other Kindle models
- Limited colour option
- Still Micro-USB
| Amazon Kindle Oasis specs | |
|---|---|
| Display | 7in Paperwhite display with next-generation e-paper and built-in light, 300 ppi |
| Storage | 8 or 32 GB |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi |
| Battery life | 6 weeks |
Just like a good bubble bath, the Kindle Oasis is all about luxury. Its body trims down to a MacBook Air-like 3.4mm thin at one end, leaving the other end to act as a comfy handgrip. The screen has stretched to an even larger 7-inch size, so you can fit more words on a page. And as there’s no annoying Kindle logo on the front, it works for lefties and righties equally. Just flip it around.
It was the first Kindle to be given the full IPX8 waterproof treatment and features ambient light tech so you won’t have to keep tweaking the brightness, as well as page-turning buttons so your fingers can properly chillax. To accentuate all these totally unnecessary but absolute awesome features, there’s a lovely real leather case that fills in the wedge on the back.
Available in merlot, walnut and black, there’s something terribly classy about the Oasis wrapped in its formal wear, so this is also the Kindle design-conscious readers should probably plump for. Put simply, it’s the Aston Martin of e-readers. Buy it if you can.
Best Kindle for kids
4. Amazon Kindle (Kids Edition)
Stuff Verdict
The Kindle for Kids isn’t perfect but it’s easily the best e-reader you can buy for children
Pros
- Sturdy build and good screen
- Two-year replacement scheme
- Safe environment
Cons
- Lack of colour options
- Slightly sluggish performance
- A few gaps in the library
| Amazon Kindle (Kids Edition) specs | |
|---|---|
| Display | 6in display with built-in light, 300 ppi |
| Storage | 16 GB |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi |
| Battery life | 6 week |
The Amazon Kindle Kids Edition is designed to encourage children to read, offering a sturdy and colourful e-reader with kid-friendly features. Iit includes a protective case, a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+ (previously referred to as Fire for Kids Unlimited), and a two-year replacement guarantee, making it a solid deal for parents. The device is essentially an 11th-generation Kindle with a 6-inch, 300ppi high-resolution glare-free display, double the storage (now 16GB), and a longer-lasting battery compared to earlier models.
Its sturdy build and child-proof design ensure durability, though it lacks the waterproofing found in higher-end models. Performance-wise, the device is purpose-built for reading, not for apps or games, and the speed is sufficient for navigating books, although it may lag slightly when handling images.
Battery life can last up to six weeks, depending on usage, especially with the front light and wireless turned off. The child-focused software offers features like Awards for reading goals, Word Wise for vocabulary building, and Vocabulary Builder, which helps children tackle challenging words. The selection in Amazon Kids+ includes popular series like Harry Potter and Big Nate, but some well-known titles, such as Diary of a Wimpy Kid, may still be missing, depending on licensing agreements.
Overall, the Kindle Kids Edition is a well-built, distraction-free device with enough features to justify its price, particularly for families looking to encourage reading. While it’s not perfect and lacks waterproofing, it remains one of the best e-readers available for children.
- Read more: Amazon Kindle (Kid Edition) review
Best Kindle to buy for notetakers
5. Amazon Kindle Scribe
Stuff Verdict
It’s a beautiful ereader and notepad, but so very expensive – and handwriting-to-text recognition is badly needed to push things on.
Pros
- What a nice-looking tab
- The pen is pretty light
- Writing on the screen is lovely
Cons
- Needs writing recognition pronto
- Navigation isn’t the best
| Amazon Kindle Scribe specs | |
|---|---|
| Display | 10.2in 300ppi Paperwhite with built-in light |
| Storage | 16, 32, or 64 GB |
| Connectivity | USB-C, 2.4/5GHz Wi-Fi |
| Battery life | 12 weeks |
The Kindle Scribe is a brand new Kindle category for Amazon, thanks to its special ability — namely, a screen that’s capable of being doodled and written on, thanks to an included stylus Pen.
With a 10.2-inch, 300ppi display, it’s got all the clarity you need for comfortable reading, but it’s the stylus powers that really make it stand out. Promising to recreate the feeling of jotting down notes on actual pen and paper, it’s clearly aimed at serial notetakers and annotators. If you’re the type of person to jot down notes on work documents and revision material (or simply enjoy supplementing your reading with notes and reminders), then this is clearly the only Kindle device that should be top of your list.
The stylus itself can magnetically attach to the main body of the Scribe for easy storage, and it’s a passive affair too, which means it’ll never need charging. Huzzah! At just 5.8mm-thin, the Scribe is svelte enough to pop into even the slimmest of bags, and there’s also a dedicated notebook app for jotting down ideas and thoughts outside of actual books and documents.
It’s important to note that you’ve got the option for either a Basic or Premium Pen, with the former coming in at a bit cheaper. While they both have magnetic attachment powers, the Premium Pen also features a shortcut button, along with a handy dedicated eraser for faster editing. Ultimately, if you’re looking for the best Kindle in 2023 for taking notes, the Scribe is the best (and only) option.
- Read more: Kindle Scribe review
What to look for when buying the best Kindle
When buying a Kindle, display quality is a key consideration. The most important thing, if you’re an avid reader or someone who spends long hours with your e-reader, is a high-resolution screen. Standard Kindle models typically have a 167ppi display, which is fine for basic reading. However, if you prefer crisper text and sharper images, the Kindle Paperwhite or Kindle Oasis, with their 300ppi screens, offer a more comfortable reading experience. This level of resolution mimics the look of printed paper, reducing eye strain during longer sessions. Additionally, consider features like an adjustable warm light, available in some models, which lets you control the screen’s brightness and tone for better night-time reading.
Storage is another crucial factor, especially if you have a large digital library or plan to download audiobooks. While basic models usually come with 8GB of storage, higher-end Kindles like the Paperwhite Signature Edition and Oasis offer up to 32GB. This might be necessary if you plan to store a lot of Audible audiobooks, graphic novels, or large PDF files. Keep in mind that Amazon also provides free cloud storage for all purchased content, so the storage space on the device itself is primarily for offline access.
Battery life is always a priority when buying an e-reader, and fortunately, most Kindles excel in this area. Even basic models can last several weeks on a single charge, making them ideal for travelling or commuting without needing to carry a charger. However, higher-end models with additional features like a built-in light or wireless connectivity might see faster battery drain if these features are used frequently.
Lastly, durability and waterproofing can be essential, especially if you plan to read by the pool or on the beach. Mid-range and premium models like the Paperwhite and Oasis come with an IPX8 rating, meaning they can withstand being submerged in water, making them more versatile. Some Kindles also come with ergonomic designs and page-turn buttons, like the Kindle Oasis, which can improve your reading experience if you tend to read for long stretches or prefer to use one hand.
How we test the best Kindles
Our process begins with a detailed examination of each Kindle’s features, such as screen resolution, battery life, and storage capacity. However, we believe that numbers alone don’t tell the whole story, so truly understand how a Kindle performs, we use it just like any reader would in everyday situations.
We test each device on the train, where we assess its readability under various lighting conditions and how easy it is to handle while commuting. In bed, we evaluate how comfortable it is to hold and use in low light, and whether the adjustable front light meets our needs for bedtime reading. We also take the Kindle into the bath, testing its water resistance and how well it stands up to humidity (if possible).
By immersing ourselves in these typical reading scenarios, we can better judge the Kindle’s practicality and reliability.
James Laird
Contributing Editor 
