While everyone likes to own a physical book, if you travel a lot or you're running low on shelf space, an e-reader offers an elegant solution.
For those who like to read outside, e-readers have evolved to ease the worries of old – glare-free screens and huge battery capacities mean that you can read for hours while catching some well-earned sun.
Even a device with the smallest memory capacity lets you to store thousands of books – it's fair to say this makes reading on the train or packing for holiday much simpler. The current generation of e-readers have universally high Pixels Per Inch (ppi), meaning that all text will be clear and defined without any pixilated, fuzzy edged letters.
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To help you decide which device is best for you, we’ve lined up the best e-readers available on the market today.
There are only two brand choices for the dedicated e-reader: Amazon Kindle or Kobo. With this choice comes a decision on the e-book supplier, too. Amazon users will be able to access 6 million Kindle titles through the Amazon store, while Kobo users will have access to 5 million through Rakuten Kobo. Either way, there will be plenty to read.
Amazon users: If you order a new book with a Kindle e-book equivalent through the Amazon store, some titles will let you get reading straight away with a digital copy – you can just pick up the hardcopy when it drops through the letterbox, which won’t be long with a Prime membership. Prime Reading is also an added benefit for members, who will have access to hundreds of free magazines and books.
The best e-readers
Amazon's 2019 Kindle has 6-inch glare-free screen so you don't need to decide between enjoying the sun or enjoying a book. The screen is front lit by four adjustable LEDs, letting you read into the early hours without eyestrain. The 4GB memory can store over 2000 books, and the 174g weight makes it comfortable to hold. One aspect of the Kindle that's always impressed is the battery life - the 2019 model will run for weeks from one charge. With an Audible membership, you can seamlessly switch between reading and listening.
Like its Kindle cousin, the Kindle Paperwhite has a 6-inch glare-free front lit screen. The pixel density is nearly twice that of the Kindle, making the text super crisp. This screen clarity makes the Paperwhite suitable for magazine and comic readers. There are two memory options, 8GB or 32GB, allowing a lot more space for those who want a more varied reading experience through magazines, audiobooks and e-books. The Paperwhite is waterproof, making it ideal for the bath or poolside reader (or the one who gets teary at the romantic bits). You can seamlessly switch between reading and listening with an Audible membership. For a higher price, an option is available with free 4G connection in addition to the standard WiFi, so you can get the latest releases no matter where you are.
Though the Fire 8 HD is not a dedicated e-reader, it is designed to entertain. The HD screen offers great text clarity with 189 ppi, and the brightness can be dimmed to stop eye-strain at night. As the Fire HD 8 is a tablet, you can easily switch between your e-book, e-mails, social media, or your favourite Prime shows. The 10-hour battery life gives you plenty of charge to enjoy all your content in bed, the park, on holiday day or on the commute.
Kobo's 300 ppi 6-inch E Ink screen is a real delight to read, and the ComfortLight Pro will keep you reading after dark. There's 8GB of internal storage, letting you keep over 6000 e-books ready at your fingertips. The Kobo Clara HD is the lightest e-reader on this list at just 160g, and the battery life is substantial too.
The Kobo Forma has a large 8-inch, 330 ppi E Ink screen which can be switched between portrait and landscape orientations depending on the user's preference. There is also an angled side panel, which will be welcomed by anyone looking for comfortable hold on their device. Pages can be turned via either the touchscreen or buttons. Outdoor and beach readers will rejoice at the full waterproof casing. A nifty feature offered exclusively by the Forma is OverDrive, an app which can connect to a participating local library and borrow e-books.