We tried every Amazon Kindle to find the best for every bibliophile — just in time for Prime Day
Overview
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UPDATE: Jul. 7, 2024, 5:00 a.m. EDT This article was updated in July 2024 ahead of Amazon’s Prime Day, which is coming July 16 and 17. It reflects the current Kindle lineup after the Kindle Oasis was discontinued earlier this year.
If you’re searching for the best Kindle to buy in 2024, you’re spoiled for choice. Amazon now makes a Kindle for every type of reader (including the cute yet highly functional Kindle Kids edition).
If you haven’t yet been converted to the lovely world of Amazon Kindle readers, we have to ask, frankly: What the heck are you waiting for?
And now is the time to buy. With Amazon Prime Day 2024 coming July 16 and 17, the mega-retailer always discounts its own products, which includes Kindles. We’re already seeing deals on bestsellers and Kindle e-books, so there’s no doubt we’ll see Kindle devices on sale, too. During past Amazon sales, we’ve seen Kindle deals with savings up to $90, so pause before paying full-price.
We know nothing compares to the feel of a book in your hands as you thumb through page after enticing page. Yet, even if you’re a ride-or-die bibliophile whose favorite smell is that of a bookstore (guilty), Kindles have undeniable benefits. You no longer have to pack 10 different books when going on vacation because you never know which book will suit your mood at any given time. You can also read poolside or at the beach without worrying about damaging your precious literature.
As of July 2024, Amazon makes six different Kindles, after the Kindle Oasis was recently discontinued. The current lineup has a vast variety of features and includes a new generation of Amazon e-readers released in 2022 as well as some older models still worth buying. We’ve gathered our favorites below along with highlights from our Kindle reviews, so read on to find the right model for your reading pleasure.
Testing the auto-adjustment feature on the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition.
Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable
What should I look for in the best Kindles?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. Depending on the model, Kindles can have anywhere from 8 GB to 64 GB of storage capacity to stash many thousands of your favorite reads at a time.
Battery life. Kindles generally have outstanding battery life (depending on your usage), but some models are even more impressive. 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 in case of accidental immersion in water without incurring damage.
Beyond those variable factors, 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. All Kindles are also equipped with WiFi connectivity to allow you to access and download all the reading material you could ever want. (However, select Kindle readers also allow for free cellular connectivity so you have more options.) All Kindles offer parental control options as well, whether or not you’ve purchased a Kindle device specifically made for kids. Plus, you can listen to audiobooks on Audible via any Kindle’s built-in Bluetooth connection.
What features do Kindles offer?Beyond the aforementioned standard features that are found across most (if not all) of the latest Kindle models, there are also specialized features that you’ll find on the higher-end models. To pick the right Kindle for your lifestyle, you’ll want to consider your particular needs and preferences as you shop.
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 worry about constantly fixing the brightness for optimal viewing in your current environment. 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 that tends to keep us awake and alert; you’ll need a Kindle that has an adjustable warm light feature so you can shift the display color from white to amber. 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.
Our Pick
Read our full review of the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition.
Building upon the already great Kindle Paperwhite, the Signature Edition (SE) is our top pick for the best Kindle for 2024. After hands-on testing the new entry-level Kindle as well as the most advanced model yet, the Kindle Scribe, we believe the Kindle Paperwhite SE has the best balance of features at a reasonable price.
Like the original Kindle Paperwhite, it has a 6.8-inch glare-free display with adjustable warm light. It also offers the same IPX8 waterproof rating so you can enjoy your “beach reads” poolside without any worries. The SE offers four worthwhile upgrades over the original — 32 GB of storage space, no lockscreen ads, automatically adjusting lights, and wireless charging. In fact, it’s currently the only Kindle that boasts wireless charging, although thanks to a great battery life, you may only need to do that once every other month or so.
The automatically adjusting front light means that you don’t have to worry about manually adjusting the screen for optimal reading when you go from indoors to outdoors and back again — a small but critical feature for someone who reads anywhere and everywhere, all in one day. Like the other Kindle models, you can opt into three free months of Kindle Unlimited with your purchase.
In his review, Mashable senior Editor Stan Schroeder found only one extremely minor quibble — the power button on the bottom can be pressed accidentally. Otherwise, it’s a near-perfect e-reader. The 32 GB of storage may be overkill for the average reader, but it’s a convenient feature if you listen to audiobooks. For readers on a budget, we recommend going with the Kindle (2022 release), but otherwise, this is our top pick among Amazon e-readers.
The Good
The Bad
Details
Read our full review of the Kindle (2022 release).
If you’re just jumping into the world of Kindles and don’t need any extra bells and whistles, then the baseline Kindle is the best, most budget-friendly choice. The all-new Kindle got an overdue upgrade in 2022, and in Mashable’s recent Kindle review, it received top marks for performance and user-friendliness.
It’s lightweight and compact so you can easily slip it into a bag or backpack and take it on the go. It has a glare-free, 6-inch display and boasts 16 GB of storage — that’s twice as much as previous versions — so you can keep thousands of books at your side at any given time. This Kindle also has an adjustable front light for easier reading in bright light conditions, as well as a dark mode for a more comfortable reading experience at night. Plus, a full charge via USB-C cable gives the Kindle up to six weeks of life.
What’s missing with the entry-level Kindle? Quite a bit, unfortunately, although nothing that’s essential for a good reading experience. The basic Kindle lacks advanced features like the ability to take notes. You’ll also have to live without wireless charging, adjustable warm light, and an auto-adjusting screen. The biggest downgrade is the lack of waterproofing, so be careful to keep this Amazon e-reader away from the water.
You can choose to opt into three free months of Kindle Unlimited at no extra charge, and you can select the “Without Lockscreen Ads” option for just $20 more.
The Good
The Bad
Details
Read our full review of the Kindle Paperwhite.
Though it boasts a larger display than the standard Kindle — 6.8 inches vs. 6 inches — the Kindle Paperwhite still manages to be the perfect size and weight for comfortable handheld reading. As our reviewer Alex Perry puts it, the Paperwhite is “just heavy enough to not feel cheap and flimsy, without being a hindrance on the one-handed readers among us.”
The Kindle Paperwhite adds a few key features that make it a nice upgrade over the base model. It adds more than a dozen LEDs to its front light for easier reading in bright settings, plus IPX8 waterproof protection so it can withstand accidental immersion (while lounging in the bath, for example). The Paperwhite also adds an adjustable warm light that makes it easier on the eyes when you’re winding down with a good read before bed.
Similar to the OG Kindle, you can choose to get three free months of Kindle Unlimited at no extra charge, and you can banish lockscreen ads for an additional $20. You also have the option of upgrading the storage capacity from 8 GB to 16 GB for about $10 more.
Overall, we recommend the newer Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition over this older model, but if you don’t need extra storage space or wireless charging, you can opt for the still-excellent Kindle Paperwhite and save $50.
The Good
The Bad
Details
Read our full review of the Kindle Scribe.
If you haven’t been able to get on board with e-readers because you like to jot down notes in the margins of your books, the Amazon Kindle Scribe just might convert you. For supported books and imported files, it allows you to add digital “sticky notes” that you handwrite with the included battery-free pen. With a 10.2-inch display (and the brightest display of all Kindles), it also acts as a notebook and a journal thanks to included templates like blank pages, lined paper, to-do lists, and more.
That size (and corresponding weight), however, can cause some issues according to Mashable reviewer Alex Perry: “When held with two hands, it’s not a problem, but I could see it causing minor wrist strain for some people if they try to hold it with one hand for an extended period of time.” While the ability to use the Kindle for note-taking will be a dream come true for some folks, it might not be enough to justify the cost. For a similar price, you could get a full-fledged tablet from Apple or Samsung, which lets you take notes and read books — on top of a whole lot more.
The Amazon Kindle Scribe also boasts the elevated features of other higher-end Kindles: adjustable warm light, auto-adjusting front light, and automatic rotating page orientation (but no wireless charging). You get to choose from three different storage capacities from 16 GB to 64 GB, and you can also opt into three free months of Kindle Unlimited.
So, is the Kindle Scribe worth it? For folks who can’t stop themselves from doodling in the margins, absolutely. For everyone else, stick with one of Amazon’s other e-readers.
The Good
The Bad
Details
Read our full review of the Kindle Paperwhite Kids here.
The Kindle Paperwhite Kids is our pick for young readers. The more basic Kindle Kids is still worth buying, but the Paperwhite version adds key features such as IPX8 waterproofing that justify the higher cost.
How does this version differ from the entry-level Kindle Kids? The Kindle Papwerwhite Kids provides everything that the aforementioned child-friendly Kindle does (including the free year of unlimited access to Amazon Kids+) but with a few key upgrades. First, it has a larger display (6.8 inches) and an adjustable warm light to cut down on blue light, especially as bedtime nears. It also has a longer battery life (10 weeks) and offers double the storage capacity (16 GB).
So, is the Kindle Paperwhite Kids worth it? Adults may not mind the black-and-white display of Kindle e-readers, but it’s a bigger limitation for kids, who are used to seeing colorful drawings and artwork with their books. Likewise, adult readers may actually prefer a Kindle because they can’t be distracted by other apps like YouTube, but parents may want these capabilities for kids. In that case, we’d recommend buying an Amazon Fire tablet instead of a Kindle Kids.
Even with these limitations in mind, in our hands-on review, we found that the Kindle Paperwhite Kids is a great gift for young readers, and it even comes pre-loaded with a library of books. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Kids is waterproof so parents don’t need to worry about spills or accidental immersion in the bathtub or pool. Plus, it comes in three fun, colorful cover options and includes a two-year worry-free guarantee.
The Good
The Bad
Details
The new Kindle Kids model essentially has everything the baseline Kindle has, but with a few key benefits. It has the same 6-inch, glare-free display with 300 ppi for sharp resolution. It also has an adjustable front light and dark mode to ensure kids’ comfort while reading, both day and night.
It really stands out when it comes to kid-friendly extras, including one year of unlimited access to thousands of ad-free books with Amazon Kids+ (which would normally cost you at least $4.99 per month). Kids+ also includes a Vocabulary Builder where children can look up definitions and gain familiarity with previously unknown words.
Bonus: The Kindle Kids comes with three cutesy cover choices and a two-year worry-free guarantee that states Amazon will replace the device — for free — if it breaks. However, you’re missing two key features compared to the Kindle Kids Paperwhite: No waterproofing and no adjustable warm light. So, if you’re looking for the best Kindle for sleep, we recommend spending a little more on the Paperwhite version.
For young readers used to reading on screens, it’s a smart purchase and a product that often goes on sale during events like Black Friday and Prime Day.
The Good
The Bad
Details
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
All Kindles are designed to be easy to read — just like the pages of a book — but the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite simply does it even better than the standard Kindle model. The Paperwhite boasts more than quadruple the LEDs on its front light than the baseline Kindle, so it’s even easier to read in bright environments. It also has a larger display, waterproof properties, and an adjustable warm light for less eye strain (i.e. less blue light), especially when reading before bed.
The only potential downside is that the standard Paperwhite only has 8 GB of storage compared to the OG Kindle’s 16 GB. However, the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition boasts a whopping 32 GB of storage as well as an auto-adjusting light and wireless charging.
The Kindle Paperwhite Signature edition (which got a Mashable Choice award earlier this year for its outstanding performance) is the newest version of the Paperwhite series, and it has four significant upgrades over the older model. The new Paperwhite SE features 32 GB of storage (ideal for downloading audiobooks), no lockscreen ads, auto-adjusting light, and wireless charging. Of course, it’s also $50 more expensive (outside of the brief, twice-a-year Prime Day shopping window), so factor that into your shopping decision.
Mashable editors and product reviewers have tried every Kindle for sale in 2024, and we believe the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition is the best Kindle for most people. That said, parents may prefer the Kindle Kids for young readers, while shoppers on a budget will appreciate the entry-level Kindle. Read Mashable’s full Kindle reviews if you need help selecting the perfect e-reader for your needs and budget.
All Kindle devices allow for instant access to the Amazon Kindle eBooks store where you can buy individual titles with no monthly subscription fee required. That said, Amazon Prime members can access free books via the Prime Reading service which would be subject to the current Prime membership rate.
Beyond that, you can get a Kindle Unlimited subscription for $11.99 per month to gain unlimited access to more than three million titles and thousands of audiobooks, and borrow up to 20 eligible Kindle Unlimited titles at a time at no extra cost. You can typically opt into a few free months of Kindle Unlimited with your Kindle purchase (or simply by being a Prime member) to give it a spin, and you can cancel the subscription at any time.
Because Kindles are one of Amazon’s cornerstone products, you’ll see their prices plummet during twice-annual Amazon Prime Day events, which usually take place in the summer and fall of each year. (Prime Day 2024 takes place on July 16 and 17.) The next shopping holiday you should have your sights set on is Black Friday (followed by Cyber Monday, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Back-to-School season, and other holiday savings events throughout the year). On such momentous occasions, you will often find the price of Kindles slashed down to as much as 40% off — sometimes even more.
Outside of those big holiday markdowns, you can still find a Kindle at a lower price for a limited time every few weeks as the price fluctuates. So if you’re really looking for a bargain, bookmark the Kindle page at Amazon (and also track our in-house Kindle deals coverage!) — before taking the plunge.
Yes, you can buy new Kindles at Best Buy. However, if you’re searching for the best price and the most convenient shopping experience, then we recommend sticking with Amazon. Since the Kindle store is also hosted at Amazon, you’ll need an account there anyway, and it’s hard to beat Amazon’s prices on its own products.
There are two different Kindle models designed just for kids, and they do have some attractive features parents (and their kiddos) will appreciate. Depending on which model you choose, your Kindle Kids will have features such as IPX8 waterproofing, a built-in cover, and a 1-year Amazon Kids+ subscription.
We believe the Kindle Paperwhite is the best Kindle for reading in bed. The Paperwhite has adjustable warm light that lets you find the perfect setting for late-night reads. For the same reason, it’s also the Kindle we recommend for reading outside.
In most instances, you’ll also have the choice to select either an ad-supported or an ad-free experience for your Kindle, with the latter option typically costing about $20 more. For most readers, we highly recommend opting for the ad-free version.
If you don’t want to go for the mini splurge of nixing the advertisements, you’ll be “treated” to ads on your lockscreen every time you open the cover of your Kindle. That’s fine if you don’t mind swiping them out of the way every time you sit down to read. But if that sounds like as much of a tedious dealbreaker to you as it does to us, you’ll definitely want to just cough up those two Hamiltons. It’ll be well worth it, if only for the fact that opening the cover of your Kindle will feel more like opening up a real book (except even better, because it’ll bring you right to the last page where you left off).
Ashley Keegan is a freelance contributor to Mashable.
Stacia Datskovska is an NYU journalism major (graduating this December). Her work has appeared in USA Today, Boston Globe, Teen Vogue, HuffPost, Bustle, and more. When she’s not writing something or other, Stacia can be spotted crying over poetry, making a home-cooked meal, or walking on an NYC pier. For her more half-baked thoughts: @staciadats on Twitter.
