Reader’s choice: The best Kindles to buy in 2024

Kindle dominates the e-reader marketplace, offering devices and e-books at price points across budgets, catering to fans of new releases and classics, newspapers and comics. But this success didn't come overnight. When e-readers first landed on our shelves, they were met with distrust and disdain, mainly due to clunky operation, reflective screens and quick-draining batteries.

These shortcomings have been addressed as the Kindle range has undergone many iterations over the past decade. Faster, lighter, and more versatile than ever before, a Kindle device is now the premier way of accessing e-books, audiobooks and digitised print media.

The best Kindles of 2024 at a glance:

• Best overall Kindle: Kindle Paperwhite – View on Argos
• Best for casual readers: Kindle (2022 release) – View on Argos
• Best for margins scribblers: Kindle Scribe – View on Amazon

Storage volume has shot up to gigabytes, while e-book size has shrunk to around one megabyte. Their battery life is beyond good, lasting for weeks on a single charge. Anti-glare screens have come leaps and bounds, now readable in any light, including direct sunlight, with screen resolutions displaying crisp, precise text.

The customer experience has also hit new heights. The Kindle bookstore is quick and easy to navigate, and downloads come straight to the device in seconds with a Wi-Fi connection. Prime members have a selection of free texts with Prime Reading, and a Kindle Unlimited subscription service provides access to a library like no other, featuring thousands upon thousands of works from across the ages.

The Kindle range explored

As the Kindle range has improved, it's also expanded to include seven models. Though all models have similar looks and basic operations, some notable differences exist. Knowing which is best for your needs will ensure that you're maximising the impact of your money and not overspending on needless features or underspending and missing out.

Kindle (2022): The range starts with the Kindle (2022). It features a six-inch, 300ppi glare-free display, offering crisp text for reading. It includes 16GB storage, a USB-C port for faster charging and a battery lasting up to six weeks. With adjustable front light and dark mode, it's lightweight and designed for comfortable reading.

Kindle Paperwhite: The Paperwhite is the most popular Kindle, and it adds some quality-of-life features, including 17 in-screen LEDs, making it perfect for night reading. It builds on the Kindle (2022) with a larger 6.8-inch display, adjustable warm light for comfortable reading and a flush-front design. It's also waterproof, which is ideal for reading by the pool or in the bath. Its battery life keeps you running for up to 10 weeks on a single charge.

Kindle Oasis: The Kindle Oasis features a seven-inch, high-resolution display with an adjustable warm light and auto-rotating page orientation. Its design is wider for improved grip, and it includes page-turn buttons.

Kindle Scribe: The latest and largest model is the Kindle Scribe, which features a large 10.2-inch screen and combines reading with note-taking capabilities. It's unique to the Kindle range as it includes a stylus for handwritten notes and annotations directly on the page.

While the above models make up the main range, there are a couple of offshoots to note. The Kindle (2022) and Paperwhite have a Kids Edition, which takes the standard model, adds a robust case, and overhauls some of its features to support and educate young readers.

There's also the Paperwhite Signature Edition, which enhances the standard Paperwhite with 32GB of storage, wireless charging, and an auto-adjusting front light for optimal brightness in any environment.

If you want to learn more about each model, read on for our best ranking based on hands-on experience from What's The Best's bookworms.

The best Kindles to buy in 2024:

All prices are correct at the time of writing. Prices, stock and deals are subject to change without notice.

Kindle buyer's guide: Your questions answered

Why buy a Kindle over traditional books?

Kindles are about the convenience of turning a pile of books into a single object. We understand if you love displaying your books on a shelf or prefer the tactile experience of reading a well-thumbed paperback. However, the ease of carrying an entire library in a lightweight device makes it perfect for travel and commuting or eliminating the need for bulky bookshelves at home.

An added plus of the Kindle is that e-books are often more affordable than physical copies, allowing you to expand your reading collection without breaking the bank.

Are there any downsides?

While Kindles offer many conveniences, they also come with some downsides. For one, you cannot access second-hand markets, which often provide cheaper finds (plus you miss out on that wholesome bookshop smell). Similarly, you can't easily lend a digital book to a friend as you would with a physical copy, which makes it harder to spread the love of your favourite reads.

However, it is worth noting that Kindle users can borrow e-books from some local libraries, though the selection may vary and sometimes require waiting for availability.

What is ppi?

Pixels per inch, or ppi, is a measure of pixel density in a digital display. It tells you how many pixels are within one inch of the screen. Higher ppi results in sharper, more detailed images and text, enhancing clarity and readability.

Kindles have 300ppi, which is comparable to print quality. Text appears sharp and clear, while images look detailed and vibrant.

What does IPX8 mean?

The Kindle Paperwhite, Paperwhite Signature Edition, and Oasis are IPX8-rated, meaning they can withstand two metres underwater for an hour. Not only great for reading in the bath or by the pool, this waterproofing also helps them against drink spills and rain.

What is "with ads" or "without ads"?

When purchasing a Kindle, customers can choose between a model "with ads" (with special offers) and one "without ads" (ad-free). The "with ads" version is cheaper, and it displays sponsored screensavers and special offers on the lock and home screens, but not during reading.

These ads often promote e-books and other Amazon products. The ad-free version costs about £10 to £20 more and provides a clean, distraction-free interface.

If you purchase a "with ads" version and find that you don't like the advertisements, you can pay the difference later to have them removed.

What is Kindle Unlimited?

Kindle Unlimited is a subscription service that, for a monthly fee, gives access to over one million e-books, thousands of audiobooks, and several popular magazines.

It operates like a library, just without return dates. You won't own the books you download. Instead, you'll be borrowing them. You can download up to 10 titles; once you reach this limit, you'll need to return a title to download a new one. If you cancel your subscription, you lose access to any books borrowed through the service. You must purchase a book separately from the Kindle Store to keep it permanently.

Amazon often provides a free trial of up to three months, and the subscription typically costs £7.99 per month. You can visit the Kindle Unlimited catalogue to see what's available.

Are the books on Kindle free?

Books on Kindle are not typically free, as most titles available through Amazon's Kindle Store require a purchase. However, there are several ways to access free books on a Kindle. Amazon offers a selection of free e-books on the Kindle Store, including classic literature, promotional titles, and self-published works.

There's also Kindle Unlimited, a subscription service that offers unlimited reading from over a million titles and access to an extensive library of e-books and audiobooks for a monthly fee.

If you are an Amazon Prime member, you can use Prime Reading to access a rotating selection of books, magazines, and audiobooks at no additional cost. Visit the Prime Reading page to see what's available.

Audible and Whispersync explained

Audible provides audiobooks that can play on various devices, including Kindle e-readers with Bluetooth capabilities. Whispersync for Voice is a feature that synchronises e-books with their audiobook counterparts, allowing seamless switching between reading and listening. With Whispersync, you can start reading on a Kindle device and continue listening from the same spot on an Audible-enabled device or vice versa.

Whispersync is a neat feature that is highly appealing. However, it is a costly endeavour. Using Whispersync requires purchasing both the Kindle e-book and its Audible audiobook counterpart – this could easily cost you around £30. An Audible subscription would bring this cost down, but the process is still more costly than picking only one medium.

Can I read and listen to audiobooks on all Kindle models?

You can listen to audiobooks via Audible on most Kindle models, except the basic Kindle (2022), using Bluetooth headphones or speakers. This feature is available on the Kindle Paperwhite, Paperwhite Signature Edition, Oasis, and Scribe.

What is the main difference between the Kindle (2022) and the Kindle Paperwhite?

The Kindle (2022) is an entry-level model with a six-inch display and basic features. The Kindle Paperwhite offers a larger 6.8-inch screen, adjustable warm light, and waterproofing.

What is the benefit of the warm light feature on the Kindle?

The warm light feature allows users to adjust the screen's colour temperature, reducing blue light exposure and providing a more comfortable reading experience in low-light conditions. This feature helps prevent eye strain and can make reading before bed more pleasant.

How often do I need to charge my Kindle, and how long does the battery last?

The battery life varies by model and usage, but most Kindle models can last from six to 12 weeks on a single charge, based on 30 minutes of reading per day with wireless off and brightness settings at a mid-level.

This impressive battery life is due to Kindles' E Ink screens, which only consume power when the page is turned or the screen is refreshed. LEDs or streaming audiobooks using Bluetooth will consume most of the battery.

How does the Kindle's storage capacity affect my reading experience?

The storage capacity of a Kindle doesn't affect your reading experience, but it does dictate how many books and audiobooks you can store on your device. Models with higher storage, such as the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition or Scribe, are ideal for users with vast libraries or who frequently download audiobooks.

Can you watch Netflix on a Kindle?

E-readers in the Kindle range are for text-based content only. They don't support video playback.

If you want to combine the e-reader experience with video playback, including Netflix, then the Amazon Fire tablet range has what you need. Alternatively, you could download the Kindle app on your smartphone or another tablet, such as an Apple iPad.

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William Austin-Lobley is the Editor for What's The Best. Here, he oversees, curates and researches listicles and reviews as many products as his home office can handle.

He has spent nearly five years writing about tech, audio, outdoors and fitness and has reviewed everything from smartphones to ice baths. In addition, he's well-versed in sniffing out the best deals and savings the internet offers.

When not at his desk writing, reviewing or deal-hunting, he'll be relaxing with Japanese crime novels, bingeing some classic anime, strolling the countryside or at the gym listening to the heaviest metal Spotify has to offer.

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