The best Kindles 2024 are reduced for Amazon Prime Day
To help you on your way to a hot book summer, we’ve got the low-down on the best Kindle to invest in right now. And, luckily for us all, Amazon Prime Day has officially begun, so you can shop the wish list e-reader that you've been coveting for months for far less than it's original retail price.
While there’s nothing quite like the feeling of finishing a paperback book and proudly placing it back on your bookcase or floating bookshelf, an e-reader is often a more practical option if you’re always on-the-go. Or find it all too easy to put your new book down and pick up your phone to scroll TikTok (guilty).
If the background track to your primary school years featured your parents and teachers telling you just how important it is to read, don’t worry we won’t lecture you. But, it’s worth noting this: research shows that reading can help to reduce stress levels, and is more effective than listening to music, having a cup of tea, or going for a walk. What’s more, a recent survey found that it can support relaxation and make it easier to nod off.
So, whether you’re looking for an e-reader to take on your travels, or a distraction-free device to use when you're snuggled up in your favourite reading chair, we’ve got you covered with the best Kindles to shop right now.
SKIP TO: Which is the latest Kindle generation? | Which Kindle is best for reading in sun? | Which Kindle is best for your eyes? | What is the difference between a Kindle Paperwhite and Kindle Oasis? | How to choose the best Kindle for you | Our full reviews
Best Amazon Kindle 2024 at a glance:
- Best Overall: Kindle
- Best For Travel: Kindle Paperwhite
- Best For Kids: Kindle Kids
- Best Premium Kindle: Kindle Oasis
- Most Innovative Kindle: Kindle Scribe
Which is the latest Kindle generation?
The Kindle (2022) edition is the latest generation of the Amazon e-reader. The lightest and most compact, it has a new and improved high-resolution paper-like display for sharper text and images. We loved that it has double the storage of the previous generation, with 16GB that can hold thousands of books – from Yellowface to David Nicholls' You Are Here.
It also comes with an extended battery life that lasts up to six weeks, and according to Amazon, this generation was made more sustainable too. Using 30–75% recycled plastics and 90% recycled magnesium. Impressive, huh?
Which Kindle is best for reading in sun?
Whether you’re reading on holiday or, if the British weather behaves, on your sun lounger in your back garden, the Kindle Paperwhite is best for travel and for reading in the sunshine. It’s lightweight and waterproof in up to two metres of fresh water for up to 60 minutes and 0.25 metres for three minutes in seawater. It also has adjustable warm light technology and can invert black to white (changing the colour of your page and the text) so you can read day or night.
If needed, you can change the font type and size, and access VoiceView screen reader, which can provide spoken feedback and read books with text-to-speech. You can also connect it to Audible via Bluetooth headphones or a speaker if you want to move between reading and an audiobook when the sun comes out. Perfection.
Which Kindle is best for your eyes?
Kindle prides itself on its glare-free screen that reads like paper even in sunlight, but most models now also have adjustable light settings so you can change the backlight of your screen from white to amber for a more comfortable reading experience in low-lit spaces. The Paperwhite Signature Edition, Oasis and Scribe also have auto-adjusting light sensors to do the work for you, while the Paperwhite will require you to manually adapt the light. You can change the font type and size on all Kindles, and invert the pages from black to white – and vice versa.
What is the difference between a Kindle Paperwhite and Kindle Oasis?
When it comes to the Kindle Paperwhite vs the Kindle Oasis, there are a few differences worth noting.
- The Oasis has a slightly larger screen at seven inches compared to the six inch screen on the Paperwhite.
- The Oasis also has a much brighter screen when on full brightness thanks to 25 LEDS compared to the Paperwhite’s 17 LEDS.
- While both devices have adjustable warm light, the Oasis comes with auto-adjusting light sensors, auto-rotating page orientation and page-turn buttons for a hassle-free reading experience.
- The Kindle Paperwhite offers a reasonable 16GB of storage which, for reference, means it can hold thousands of books.
- With the Oasis, you have the option to go for 8GB or 32GB so depending on how much of a bookworm you are you might want to go for more storage.
How to choose the best Kindle for you
Consider what you are looking to get from your Kindle and where you’ll be using it. If your goal is to read more at home, then the classic Kindle (2022) has got you covered, with the ability to hold thousands of non-fiction books, cookbooks, autobiographies, vegan cookbooks, self-help books and romance novels – so you’ll never get bored.
For those who want to read on-the-go, in the bath or by the pool, it’s best to opt for the waterproof Kindle Paperwhite. If you want to use your Kindle for more than reading, try the innovative Kindle Scribe, an all-in-one e-reader and digital notebook that feels just like paper. If you’re already a Kindle fan and want to upgrade, the Kindle Oasis with its adjustable warm light technology and page-turn buttons makes for easy-reading.
Use these Amazon promo codes to help you save on your order.
Ahead, our full reviews of the best kindles for keen readers in 2024.
Best Kindle overall
- Screen size: 6”
- Screen type: Paper-like and glare-free
- Storage: 16 GB
- Release year: 2022
- Resolution: 300 ppi
- Weight: 158 g
- Backlight: No adjustable warm light
- Battery life: Up to 6 weeks
- Touch screen: Yes
- Pros: Lightweight and extended battery life
- Cons: Not waterproof
The latest generation of the classic Kindle comes with a whole host of new and improved features. Released in 2022, it’s the lightest and most compact Kindle yet with a 6” screen and weighing just 158g. Plus, it comes with an extended battery life that lasts up to six weeks and double the storage so you can store thousands of books. Reading a book on a smartphone makes it all too easy to get distracted by Whatsapp messages or take a quick Instagram break that leaves you scrolling for hours. If you're anything like us, you’ll love that this entry-level Kindle is distraction-free, made specifically for reading.
What’s more, it’s also designed to feel like a book with a paper-like and glare-free display that can adjust from day to night mode so you can read easily wherever you are. The latest generation has been designed with the planet in mind using 30–75% recycled plastics and 90% recycled magnesium for a more sustainable design. And, once your device is on its last legs, you can send it to Amazon for its recycle scheme or trade-in program so it doesn’t end up in landfill.
The only downsides to this e-reader is that it’s not waterproof - so no reading in the bath or the pool - and it doesn’t have an adjustable warm back-light like the Oasis. But, overall it’s the best Kindle for most readers if you’re planning to read at home, and it’s also the cheapest.
Best e-reader Kindle for travel
- Screen size: 6.8" glare-free
- Screen type: Paperwhite display technology with built-in light
- Storage: 16 GB
- Release year: 2021
- Resolution: 300 ppi
- Weight: 205 g
- Backlight: Adjustable warm light
- Battery life: Up to 10 weeks
- Touch screen: Yes
- Pros: Waterproof, long battery life
- Cons: Up to 5 hours charging time
For the globetrotters amongst us, it’s worth spending a little bit more and investing in the Kindle Paperwhite. The latest generation has a slightly larger glare-free screen and paper-like display with adjustable warm light so it’s easy on the eyes and reads like real paper even in bright sunlight.
Unlike the classic Kindle, this e-reader is waterproof so you can read by the pool or on the beach with peace of mind that if you accidentally drop it after one too many cocktails, it will survive.
It can take up to five hours to fully charge but it does have an extra-long battery life, so you can rest assured it won’t run out of juice on your travels for up to 10 weeks. There’s 16GB of storage that can hold up to thousands of books (see our guide to the best new books if you need some inspo).
We were glad to see Amazon had created this device with sustainability in mind in 2021 too, using 60% post-consumer recycled plastics in the device and 95% of the packaging made from wood-fibre-based materials. One of the only downsides to this standard Kindle e-reader is that it doesn’t have auto-adjusting light sensors, so you’ll have to do that manually which, when the sun is flitting in and out of the clouds on hols, might be more of a pain.
Best Kindle for Kids
- Screen size: 6"
- Screen type: Glare-free
- Storage: 16 GB
- Release year: 2022
- Resolution: 300 ppi
- Weight: 256 g
- Backlight: Non-adjustable
- Battery life: Up to 6 weeks
- Touch screen: Yes
- Pros: Optimised font technology, includes 1-year of Amazon Kids+
- Cons: No waterproof, no VoiceView
While there is some research that suggests physical paper books are better for children than e-readers, we firmly believe that no matter the method, encouraging your child to read can only ever be a good thing. Not only can it boost their mental wellbeing, it can also support their development, including their language and comprehension skills.
The benefit of opting for a Kindle Kids over a tablet with other apps, is that the Kindle is specifically designed for reading sessions with no access to other apps that might distract them. This is often the reason why experts advise paper books over tablets, because tablets with other functions are more likely to distract from reading.
The latest Kindle Kids edition released in 2022 has a high-resolution display, double the storage and a longer battery life of up to six weeks, perfect for the summer holidays. Like the other Kindles, it has a glare-free screen and adjustable light so your little one can comfortably read day or night. With so many similar features to the classic Kindle, you may be wondering why it’s even worth investing in. Well, the benefit of Kindle Kids is that it comes with a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+, which is designed to help children aged 3-12 learn, grow and explore safely, and a child-friendly cover. They’ll also get unlimited access to thousands of books and hundreds of audiobooks. Plus, you can adjust the age filters, add books to their library and view their progress in the Parent Dashboard.
Additional Kindle Kids features that might support your child’s development include Vocabulary Build and Word Wise to help them read more challenging books, as well as OpenDyslexic, a font preferred by some readers with dyslexia.
Best premium Kindle
- Screen size: 7" glare-free
- Screen type: Paperwhite display with next-generation e-paper and built-in light
- Storage: 8GB or 32GB
- Release year: 2019
- Resolution: 300 ppi
- Weight: 188 g
- Backlight: Adjustable
- Battery life: Up to 6 weeks
- Touch screen: Yes
- Pros: Adjustable warm light, waterproof, connects to Audible
- Cons: No cover included, no wireless charging
The most premium Kindle in the range, the Kindle Oasis is great for those who already own an e-reader and want to upgrade to a new kindle to have a more luxury device.
What sets this device apart from the others is its adjustable warm light that allows you to shift from white to amber, and the page-turn buttons that fall naturally under the fingers for a more comfortable reading experience. The sharper and brighter screen also makes it easy to read during the day and at night. Like the other Kindles, it's lightweight with a sleek glare-free screen and paper-like display although it’s a little thicker and more tablet-like.
It’s waterproof and protected against accidental slips into water, ideal if you plan to read in the bath, by the pool or on the beach. You can also connect this device with Audible and Bluetooth headphones or a speaker so you can jump seamlessly between reading and listening to your latest book. It takes around three hours to fully charge and the battery can last up to six weeks. While this device does offer a more premium reading experience and the page-turn buttons might be reason enough to pick it up, it’s significantly more expensive than the Kindle and Kindle Paperwhite which will suit most people.
Most innovative Kindle
- Screen size: 10.2”
- Screen type: Paperwhite display technology with built-in light,
- Storage: 16, 32, or 64 GB
- Release year: 2022
- Resolution: 300 ppi
- Weight: 433 g
- Backlight: Adjustable
- Battery life: Up to 12 weeks
- Touch screen: Yes
- Pros: Writing capability, digital notebook, long battery life
- Cons: Not waterproof, heavier
The Kindle Scribe is the most innovative e-reader from Kindle yet. The first all-in-one Kindle and digital notebook, it’s great for students or anyone who wants to read and take notes all in one place.
With a larger and sharper display, you can read with ease thanks to the adjustable warm light and an auto-adjusting front light. As you read, you can create sticky notes with the tap of a screen and annotate books or documents. In a separate notebook section you can also create to-do lists, take meeting notes or journal and convert your handwritten notes to text so you can share with others or use in presentations without worrying about messy handwriting! Like the other Kindles, you can read and, in this case, write naturally like you would on paper, and it’s distraction-free without access to any other apps.
It’s a little heavier than the other Kindles, but still sleek and comes with a battery life of up to 12 weeks. You can choose a Basic or Premium Pen and storage options of 16GB, 32GB and 64GB are available. This is the most expensive e-reader in the Kindle line-up, and only really worth the investment if you were considering buying a tablet or digital journal, too.
