The best 10 e-readers in comparison

The digital book revolution has reached almost every bookworm. E-readers readers can store thousands of books, magazines, and newspapers, and most of them are lighter than a hardcover novel. You can take notes, look up words using the built-in dictionary, and even browse the internet.

While Amazon has been dominating the e-reader market since it introduced the Kindle in 2007, there are also Kindle alternatives among the best e-readers of 2021. But what are the differences between the Amazon Kindle Oasis and the Kobo Clara HD? The following guide will walk you through the key features you should take into consideration when buying an e-book reader.

Design

Screen size

The screen size of e-readers varies between 5 and 10 inches, while the most common size is 6 inches, like in the case of popular Kindle Paperwhite. E-readers are typically smaller than tablets because, unlike tablets, they cover one specific use case: reading. There are also larger e-readers, with screen sizes exceeding 9 inches, but they are usually more expensive, going from $250 to $600.

In the end, it's a matter of personal preference. Large-screen e-readers typically have additional functions and accessories, such as stylus pens. For example, the ReMarkable e-reader is also a highly performant writing slate. However, e-readers with smaller screens are more portable and usually offer front light technology.

Screen types

Most e-readers have e-paper displays, which imitate ink's appearance on paper and reflect light, unlike displays used in smartphones or tablets, which emit light. The functioning mechanism of e-paper displays, about which you can read more here, makes e-readers highly energy-efficient. In addition to reduced power consumption, e-ink displays allow you to read in bright sunlight, while LCD screens with glossy displays, used on tablets, reflect light and make reading outside more difficult.

E-readers with LCD screens have shorter battery life, but, on the other hand, they can reproduce color and have better graphics, which can be an advantage for illustrated books and comic books.

Mid-range and high-end e-readers have built-in lights integrated into the bezels, usually on the device's top and bottom. Some models have multiple LED lights integrated on all sides of the e-reader, with the option to adjust the intensity.

Other factors that influence your reading experience are the resolution, pixel density, and contrast ratio. A high pixel density and a high resolution mean that the images are sharp and clear. In general, more expensive e-readers also offer better image quality.
The contrast ratio refers to the range between the lightest and darkest areas of the image. A higher contrast ratio is desirable because it makes text appear clearer and sharper.

Built-in lights

Built-in lights allow you to read for a long time without making your eyes tired. Most e-readers have LED lights that surround the screen. Some e-readers offer the option to adjust the light tone and between a warm light or a cool light. Thanks to this technology, you can easily read in the dark without putting a strain on your eyes, as it's the case with smartphones or tablets.

Navigation

Depending on the navigation style, there are three types of e-readers. There are the ones that have page flip buttons or bars, there are models with a touch screen, where you choose the content or turn pages, and models that offer both options.

Touch screens

The advantage of touch screens is the on-screen keyboard, which makes it much easier to browse in online book stores, take notes, or search for words within the text.

Page flip buttons or bars

Most manufacturers stopped producing e-book readers with page flip buttons when touch screens became widely used on devices. However, side buttons are very convenient for single-handed use, as flipping pages with a swipe can be a tricky task in this situation. Therefore, Amazon brought back the page flip buttons and flip bars on some of its newer devices, such as the Kindle Voyage, adding a new feature: haptic feedback.

Compatibility & storage

Number of file formats supported

Before buying an e-reader, it is essential to know what types of files you will be using the most and check out which e-reader supports those types of files. It is also important to consider other file types than the standard e-book formats, like music or video files. The more types of files your device can support, the more flexibility you have. Kindle e-book readers support many types of files: the standard Kindle format (AZW and AWZ3), TXT, PDF, MOBI, PRC, HTML, DOC, DOCX, JPEG, GIF, PNG, and BMP through conversion.

The problem concerning compatibility is that there is no universal e-book format, so when you decide on one brand, you are more or less stuck with the standard format that the brand is using. For example, Amazon's proprietary formats, AWZ and WZ3, work with all Kindle devices, but not with Kobo e-readers.

With a Kindle, it is almost impossible to switch to another device and keep the books you have already purchased. With free, public domain books, it is a bit easier because they are available in a wide range of formats.

Storage

More internal storage means you can keep more content on your e-reader, which is nowadays not a problem since most e-book readers can store more than 1,000 books or 4GB of storage. If the internal storage is not enough for you, there are e-book readers that support external storage via a microSD card. You can significantly increase the storage space and turn your device into a vast digital library.

If this is still not enough, you can use the cloud storage that almost every vendor offers. The download works only when connected to Wi-Fi, so you'll need a model with Wi-Fi. Nowadays, almost all e-readers offer Wi-Fi. Still, if being able to download content whenever you want is essential for you, then you will want to check out the best e-readers with cellular technology.

Battery

Most e-readers have an integrated battery. E-readers with e-ink displays have low power consumption. Therefore, the battery can last for more than a week on one charge. The average battery power for e-book readers is around 1,400 mAh, which will hold a charge for around 10 days with average use.