It tienes doubts about which eBook to buy, in this guide we offer you everything you should know to make the right purchase. In this way, you will know how to choose the eReader that best suits your needs, as well as knowing how to distinguish which are the best.
The famous ereaders or electronic books as many people call them ebooks are devices designed to read. They do not carry games, nor are applications installed like on a tablet. Everything here is thinking of enjoying reading. So if you are a book lover, your ebook reader will surely become your inseparable friend.
If you are thinking of buying an ebook for yourself or to give it as a gift, this comparison and the descriptions and advice that we are going to give you will surely help you make a decision.
The best e-readers
How did I tell you if you are looking for an ereader here you have the best options you will find. These are the best ereaders currently on the market. The first, the best, the reference within the sector and with the best value for money is Amazon's Kindle PaperWhite:
Kindle Paper White
The king of eReaders. We can say that today it is the most used. It is a classic 6.8 ″ touch ereader of 300 dpi with a very great autonomy and with an illuminated screen that will allow us to read at night. The issue of lighting is important, since The Paperwhite achieves high-quality uniform lighting. It has integrated Wi-Fi, and 8-16 GB of memory that, although not expandable, is more than enough. In addition, Amazon offers us its unlimited cloud for files purchased in its store. It also comes with IPX8 protection, so it can be submerged in water without damage.
The Paperwhite has been the successor to the basic Kindle and although there are two models that are initially superior to Amazon, the Voyage and the Oasis, "their price does not justify their purchase." The Kindle Paperwhite has the best value for money on the market of the ereaders considered high-end. Whether it is for personal use or for a gift, it is a model with which we know that we will not fail.
The main drawback that the Kindle finds fault with is that they don't read files in .epub format, which we say is the market standard, they only read their own format. At the moment of truth it is not a problem because there are programs that we use daily as Caliber that converts them and sends them to the ereader automatically.
Kobo Clear 2E
Regarded as one of the the great competitor of the Kindle Paperwhite. It has a 6″ screen, e-Ink Carta type. Not only can it read more formats than Kindle, it also has a quality and technology comparable to Amazon. In addition, it has a high resolution, ComfortLight Pro technology to reduce blue light and generate greater visual comfort, the screen has an anti-reflective treatment, adjusts the brightness, has WiFi technology, is waterproof and has 16 GB of storage.
PocketBook InkPad Color
The PocketBook InkPad Color is another one of those e-book readers that will surprise you. Has a 7.8-inch screen type e-Ink Kaleido. It is a touch panel, with adjustable front lighting, WiFi and Bluetooth wireless connectivity technology for wireless headphones, since it can play audiobooks, as well as 16 GB memory.
With these data it may seem similar to the rest of the models here, but it has a great advantage and that is that the screen is in color. A way to enjoy the content of illustrated books in full color, or your favorite comics.
Kindle (Basic)
For a long time he was the best. The new Kindle has now become a staple in Amazon's repertoire of models. It is a simpler and cheaper reader. With 6″ screenThey have made it tactile by removing the physical buttons, but it does not have an integrated light.
Its resolution is 300dpi, with an e-Ink type panel. In addition, it is light and compact, and has more storage than its predecessors, with up to 16 GB. Let's say he plays in a lower league, although he is very good. If you are looking for a cheap eReader this is one of your great options.
Kobo Elipsa Bundle
The flagship of the Kobo company. Undoubtedly one of the most powerful and feature-rich eBook readers out there. This Kobo Elipsa includes a screen High-resolution E-Ink Carta with a 10.3-inch anti-glare touch panel. If that seems little to you, you also have to add the brightness adjustment function, its 32 GB of internal memory, or its included SleepCover.
But the most impressive thing is that this Kobo can compete directly with the Kindle Scribe, since it also includes a Kobo Stylus pencil to be able to make notes in your eBooks, so you can write as if you did in a real book to take your notes in the margins, draw, etc.
Kobo Libra 2
Another of the most outstanding devices on the market is the Kobo Libra 2. This Canadian company belonging to Rakuten has developed a very complete eReader, with a 7-inch e-Ink Carta anti-glare touchscreen. It also includes adjustable front light in brightness and warmth, with blue color reduction.
Its internal memory is 32 GB to store thousands of titles, it is waterproof, and it has WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity so you can also connect your wireless headphones and enjoy audiobooks. So you can not only read, but also listen and be captivated by the best stories told.
Kindle Scribe
It is one of the most expensive Kindle models, but also one of the most advanced. Has a 10.2″ 300 dpi electronic ink display. This model also comes equipped with memory capacities between 16 GB and 64 GB to choose from. A true beast that keeps even more secrets.
And this eReader not only allows you to read, but also write thanks to its touch screen and pen. You can choose between the basic pencil and the premium pencil. In this way, you can add your notes to your eBooks or write what you need as if you were doing it on paper.
Kindle Oasis
Es the super high-end of 7″ eReaders. Like its cousins, it has a touch screen, illuminated, etc, etc. The novelties in this device is that it is even thinner and lighter, it has an asymmetrical ergonomic design and with physical page-turning buttons that the truth is that those of us who are used to them miss them a lot when they are not there.
You can choose it both with a configuration of 8GB of internal storage and WiFi, or in its version with 32 GB with WiFi, and there is even a possibility of 32 GB with connectivity with mobile data rate to be able to be connected wherever you go, like mobile devices.
Lighting has been improved by adding 60% more LEDs, which greatly improves uniformity.. It has a dual charging system, the device and the case are charged at the same time, so when it is discharged, the case provides power to the ereader and we can be using it for months without charging it again.
If you are looking for more affordable ereaders, look at our article with the cheapest ebook readers, where you will find affordable brands and models with a great value for money.
Top eReader brands
Maybe you still want to explore the market more and that is there are many brands and many modelsToo many to cover in one place. I'll give you some examples.
If we talk about brands and although there are many and many unknown ones, here in Spain we have to take into account the Kindle from Amazon, Kobo, NooK, Tagus (now called Vivlo) from the House of the Book,, the Papyre of Grammata among others.
We have selected some of the best sellers and models recommended for their performance and quality:
Kindle
Amazon has one of the best-selling and most acclaimed eReaders. Its about Kindle, a device with all the advances What can you expect from these readers, good quality, good autonomy, and, best of all, the largest library of books to have all the titles you need at your fingertips, as well as Audible for audiobooks.
With Kindle eReader enjoying reading is your only concern. Even if you lose your eBook reader or it breaks down, you don't have to worry about the books you bought. All of them will be automatically stored in the cloud of the Amazon service. Also, if you are a voracious reader, you will surely be interested in subscribing to the Kindle Unlimited service.
Kobo
Rakuten has acquired the Canadian brand Kobo, one of the Kindle's biggest rivals and, therefore, the best alternative if there's something you don't quite like about the Kindle. That is why It is not surprising that Kobo is another of the best sellers and loved by users.
In addition to the quality of these eReaders, we must also highlight their features, features and price similar to those of the competition. And if that seems little to you, we must also highlight the immense library of titles of all categories and for all tastes thanks to the Kobo Store.
PocketBook
On the other hand is the PocketBook, another of the most recommended and reliable brands what can you buy. It has a great value for money, good format support, all the technologies and functions you can imagine and more, such as apps to listen to audiobooks in MP3 and M4B, Text-To-Speech to convert from text to speech, dictionaries integrated in multiple languages, typing ability, and much more.
In addition, you will also have the service in the Cloud PocketBook Cloud to always have your books safely stored, in addition to having access to local public libraries by OPDS and Adobe DRM. And all in a very easy to use way.
Onyx boox
Finally, another of the best brands that you can find, along with the three previous ones, that is the Chinese Boox of the company Onyx International Inc. What you can expect from these eReaders is a device that is good value for money, with the latest technology, and a good range of features.
On the other hand, we must not forget that this firm already has extensive experience in the eReader sector, and that it is among the best when it comes to e-book readers with Android OS. And when it comes to models with a large screen, this firm makes some that go up to 13″.
What to look at when buying an ereader
An ebook reader, despite being a technologically advanced product, has fewer features that we must look at than other devices such as smartphones or tablets.
Screen
From the screen we look at the size. The standard ereades are 6″, although there are some 7″, 10″, etc. but they are exceptions. We will also have to see if it is tactile, if it has lighting (we are talking about lighting, light, the screens of an ereader are electronic ink if they tell you about Backlighting it is not an ereader or if it is, the screen is TFT in the tablet style and they tire eyes when reading)
The eBook Reader screen is the most important thing when choosing one model or another. and to know how to choose the most suitable screen for you is to look at the following screen specifications:
Type of screen
In principle, I would not recommend an eReader with an LCD LED screen for several reasons, one of them is because of its higher consumption, and another is because it is too tiring for the eyes when reading for long periods of time. Therefore, if you want an experience as similar to reading on paper, then it is best to choose one e-Ink or electronic ink screen. Within this type of screen you should differentiate the different technologies that exist, since many manufacturers show these in the descriptions and many users do not really know what it is. These technologies are:
- vizplex: was introduced in 2007, and was the first generation of e-Ink displays created by MIT members founding the company E Ink Corp.
- Pearl: Three years later this other technology used in many famous eReaders of that year would arrive.
- Mobius: a little later these screens would also appear, the difference of which was that they had a layer of transparent and flexible plastic on the screen to better resist shock.
- Triton: It first appeared in 2010 and then Triton II would appear in 2013. It is a type of color electronic ink display, with 16 shades of gray and 4096 colors.
- Menu: You have both the 2013 Carta version and the enhanced Carta HD version. The first has a resolution of 768×1024 px, 6″ in size, and a pixel density of 212 ppi. In the case of the Carta HD, it reaches 1080 × 1440 px resolution and 300 ppi, maintaining those same 6 inches. This format is very popular, used by the best models of current eReaders.
- Kaleido- It's a fairly younger technology, first appearing in 2019 to improve color displays by adding a color filter. There is also a Kaleido Plus version that appeared in 2021 and that improved its predecessor in sharpness. Kaleido 3 arrived more recently, and it offers a considerable improvement in the color gamut, with 30% higher color saturation than the previous generation, 16 levels of grayscale and 4096 colors.
- Gallery 3: finally, in 2023 some eReaders based on this ACeP (Advanced Color ePaper) based color e-ink display technology will start to arrive. Thanks to it, the response time of these panels is improved, being able to switch between black and white in just 350 ms, while colors can switch between 500 and 1500 ms. In addition, they come with a ComfortGaze front light that reduces the amount of blue light that affects sleep and your eye health.
touch vs regular
The screens can be conventional or touch. Many of the current eReader models already come with touchscreens, so that the interaction with it is easier, without the need to use botones as some tablets used in the past. However, some now also use buttons for quick actions like turning the page, which can also help.
Some models of eReaders that have a touch screen that also allow the use of electronic pens like the Kobo Stylus, or the Kindle Scribe, to be able to enter text. For example, to take your own notes in the books you read, write your own stories, etc.
Size
El screen size it is also another critical factor when choosing your eReader or eBook reader. We can differentiate between two fundamental groups:
- Screens between 6-8″: they can be perfect eReaders to take with you wherever you go, such as reading while traveling, etc. And it is that they are compact and light, in addition to the fact that their batteries tend to last longer as they have a smaller screen panel to feed.
- Large screens: they can go from 10 inches to even 13-inch screens. These other eBook Readers have the advantage of being able to see the contents in a larger size, as well as being suitable for people with vision problems. However, being bulkier and heavier, they may not be as perfect to carry from one place to another, and their battery will also be consumed faster.
Resolution / dpi
Along with the size of the screen, you also have to look at two other fundamental factors to ensure the quality and sharpness from our screen. And these factors are:
- Litigation, Arbitration: It is important that it has a higher resolution so that the quality is adequate, even more so when it is a device that is looked at closely and even more important in large screens, where the resolution should be even higher than in those of little size.
- Pixel density: Can be measured in pixels per inch, or dpi, and refers to the number of pixels in each inch of the screen. The higher it is, the sharper it will be. And this depends on the screen size and resolution. In general, you should consider eReaders with at least 300 dpi.
Color
Another factor to take into account when choosing the screen is if you prefer a black and white (grayscale) or if you prefer to see the content in color. In principle, to read most books color is not necessary. On the other hand, if it is about illustrated books or comics, perhaps it is worth having a color screen to see all that content with its original tone. However, keep in mind that color screens usually consume a little more than black and white ones.
Platform and ecosystem
Without a doubt that our eReader belongs to a strong community where they solve our doubts and problems and that it has a great catalog to help you.
If you want more detailed information or ask us any questions, enter our ereader and ebook buying guide
audiobook compatibility
The next factor to consider is whether your eReader should only be compatible with eBooks or eBooks, or if you want it to be compatible with audiobooks or audiobooks. Audiobooks allow you to listen to your favorite books while you are doing other activities, such as during your exercises, while traveling in the car without distractions, while cooking, etc. In addition, it can be an ideal function for those who have visual problems.
Processor and RAM
On the other hand, it is also important that you choose an eReader with powerful hardware, to offer the expected performance and without fluidity problems when running the apps. To choose a good device, you should have at least 4 ARM processing cores and a RAM memory of at least 2GB. This may be enough for most cases.
Operating System
Many simple eReaders usually come with simplified proprietary software, others include Linux as a base, while the most current ones usually come with an operating system Android or based on it. The operating system is important since the number of functions, apps that you can run, and user experience will largely depend on it. Also, if the eReader also includes OTA updates, much better, since this way you will be up to date with security patches and correction of possible errors.
Storage
Storage is also important. eReaders often contain a internal flash memory of different sizes. You should know that, approximately, in an 8 GB device you can store about 6000 titles on average, while in a 32 GB device that amount goes up to approximately 24000 titles. However, this will depend to a large extent on the size of the book, the format, and also on whether it is an eBook or an audiobook in MP3 or M4B format that usually take up something more.
Remember that many of these eReaders have a cloud service to be able to store the books there and thus not saturate the available space, and have only the titles you want to read downloaded offline. In addition, there are some models of eBook readers that also have a slot for microSD memory cards, so they will allow you to increase the capacity if necessary.
Connectivity (WiFi, Bluetooth)
Some older eBook models lacked WiFi connectivity, so you could only pass books through the cable, connecting it to your PC and downloading the book from the corresponding library. Instead, they now include WiFi so you can connect to the Internet wirelessly and thus have the possibility of downloading directly from your device, and even uploading your books to the cloud.
On the other hand, those that are compatible with audiobooks also usually include Bluetooth connectivity, since this way you can connect wireless speakers or headphones to be able to listen to these audiobooks without the need for cable ties. That way you will be free to do other activities, as long as you keep a distance of about 10 meters with your eReader.
Although it is very rare, you could find the occasional model with LTE connectivity to have mobile data to be connected wherever you need through technologies such as 4G or 5G thanks to a SIM card from a service provider.
Autonomy
As you well know, these eBook readers have Li-Ion batteries to supply the necessary energy for them to work. These batteries are not infinite, they have a limited capacity measured in mAh. The higher the number, the greater the autonomy. Some current eReaders may have Autonomies of several weeks without the need for charging.
Finish, weight and size
The design, the quality of finishes and materials, as well as the weight and size you should also consider them. On the one hand, the resistance will depend on that, as well as mobility if you plan to take the eBook from one place to another easily. In addition, if you are going to choose an eReader for children, it would be positive to also take into account that a compact size and light weight will allow them to hold it for longer without getting tired. Don't forget ergonomics either, to allow you to enjoy reading in the most comfortable way possible...
Something else should be highlighted, and that is that some models have water resistance. Many have an IPX8 protection certificate, which means that the eReader can be submerged under water without fear of damage.
Library
Many of today's eReaders allow pass the books you need in a multitude of formats from your PC via a USB cable. However, it is important when choosing a store with as many titles as possible so that you do not want a specific one that is not available. For that, it is best to use Amazon Kindle and Audible, the two most extensive platforms for eBooks and audiobooks. However, the Kobo Store also has a large repertoire of titles.
Lighting design
eReaders not only have the backlight of the screen itself, which can be adjusted in many cases. Also have additional light sources, as can be the front LEDs that will also allow you to choose the level of illumination of the screen so that you can read properly in any lighting scenario, from the darkness of the interiors to spaces with high light intensity such as outdoors.
Waterproof
Some eReaders also come protected and certified with IPX8, which is a type of protection that protects them against water. In other words, these are waterproof models that you can use while you relax in the bathtub or while you enjoy the pool.
When we talk about IPX8 degree protection, it not only protects against splashes, it also protects against immersion complete. That is, you will be able to submerge your eReader under water without water seeping in and causing a failure in the device. So they are totally waterproof.
Supported formats
Don't forget to analyze the supported formats of each eBook Reader. The more formats it supports, the more files it can read or play, so you can count on a richer content. For example, some very popular formats are:
- DOC and DOCX documents
- TXT text
- Images JPEG, PNG, BMP, GIF
- HTML web content
- eBooks EPUB, EPUB2, EPUB3, RTF, MOBI, PDF
- CBZ and CBR comics.
Dictionary
Some eReader models also have built-in dictionaries, which is very positive if you want to look up the meaning of a word without having to connect to the Internet. On the other hand, other models also allow reading or listening in several languages, and include dictionaries for several languages, which is also an important help if you have any questions.
Price
Finally, you should ask yourself How much money do you have to invest in your eBook Reader. In this way, you can discard all the models that are out of your requirements. In addition, you have to choose that you can find low-cost models from €70 in some cases, up to €350 in others, so they adapt to various pockets.
Tablet vs eReader: which is better?
Many users have the doubt whether it is really worth buying an eReader or with your tablet is enough. Here we clarify the doubts if you are one of these users:
eReader: advantages and disadvantages
Between the advantages we have:
- Light weight and compact size: These devices usually have very light weights, even below 200 grams in some cases, as well as quite compact sizes.
- Greater autonomy: those of e-Ink can have autonomies much higher than any tablet, even going so far as to last a month with just one charge.
- e-ink screen: offers less eye fatigue, and an experience similar to reading on paper.
- Waterproof: many are waterproof, so you can wear them while enjoying a relaxing bath, at the beach, or in your pool.
- Price: eReaders are generally cheaper than tablets.
The disadvantages in front of the tablet are:
- Limited features: in an eReader, in general, you will not be able to use a multitude of apps, play games, or communicate.
- black and white screen: If it is a B/W e-Ink screen, you will not enjoy color.
Tablet: advantages and disadvantages
Apple Pencil
The advantages of the tablet versus the eReader are:
- Rich functions: Thanks to operating systems like iPadOS or Android, you can have a vast library of apps to do almost anything, something that is not possible in most eBook readers.
As for the disadvantages:
- Price: Tablets are more expensive than eReaders in general.
- Autonomy: autonomy is more limited, since most tablets do not usually have more than 24 hours of battery life.
- Screen: You will experience more eye strain if you read through the non-e-Ink screens.
Recommendation
After evaluating all the options on the market Today our recommendation as the best device, that is, the most balanced high-end is the Kindle Paperwhite. It will give you a very, very good user experience as a reader at an appropriate price and with the confidence that comes from having Amazon behind you in case there is a problem. Surely for all this he is THE KING
How do you see? There are a wide variety of readers on the market and many factors to take into account. If you have any questions, leave a comment and we will try to help you.
Conclusion
If you already have a tablet, for very little more you can buy an eReader, which will allow you to enjoy reading with greater comfort without a doubt. The tablet may be good for occasional reading, but not if you are a regular reader.