10 Best Kindles 2026 in the United States

The newest Kindle Paperwhite (12th generation) is a solid choice for anyone looking for a dedicated e-reader with excellent readability and convenience. Its 7-inch glare-free screen offers a sharp 300 ppi resolution, which means text looks crisp and easy on the eyes, even in bright sunlight. The front light is adjustable from white to warm amber, making it comfortable to read both day and night. This model is notably faster, with page turns about 25% quicker than before, which helps create a smoother reading experience. With 16GB of storage, it can hold thousands of books, so you won’t have to frequently delete titles. The battery life is impressive, capable of lasting up to 12 weeks on a single charge, depending on usage, which is great for long trips or continued reading without worrying about charging. The USB-C charging makes topping up the battery easier and faster compared to older micro-USB ports.

Weighing just 211 grams and measuring 7 by 5 inches, it feels light and compact enough to carry around comfortably. One major plus is its IPX8 waterproof rating, meaning the Kindle can handle immersion in water up to 2 meters for an hour, so you can read by the pool or in the bath without anxiety. Controls are mostly touchscreen-based, which is intuitive, though there are no physical buttons for page turning, which some users might miss if they prefer tactile controls. The device also avoids distractions by lacking apps or notifications, focusing purely on reading.

This Kindle Paperwhite is well suited for readers who want a lightweight, fast, and waterproof e-reader with a great display and long battery life. It may be less ideal for those who prefer physical buttons or require a smaller, lighter device.

The Amazon Kindle Scribe Colorsoft stands out with its large 11-inch Colorsoft display that shows paper-like colors and has a built-in front light, making reading and writing easy on the eyes. The screen has a high resolution (300 ppi in black and white and 150 ppi in color), which ensures clear text and smooth handwriting. The device is impressively thin and light at just 400 grams, which makes it comfortable to hold for long reading or note-taking sessions.

A big plus is the included Premium Pen that doesn’t need charging and offers a natural, paper-like writing experience thanks to the textured screen surface and quick responsiveness. The device’s 64GB storage provides plenty of space for books, notes, and documents, and you can easily import and export files with popular cloud services like Google Drive and OneDrive. Battery life is very good: you can expect up to 8 weeks for reading and about 2 weeks when frequently writing, which means fewer charges and more uninterrupted use. The Kindle Scribe also offers smart AI-powered features to help manage and improve your notes, such as summaries and handwriting conversion, which can be very helpful for organizing thoughts.

This device focuses more on note-taking and document markup, so if you mainly want a traditional black-and-white e-reader for casual reading, it might be more than you need. It does not mention water resistance, so it is best to keep it away from water. Additionally, the device relies on touchscreen and pen input without physical buttons, which some users might miss for quick page turning. The Kindle Scribe is ideal for readers who also want a powerful tool to write, annotate, and organize documents digitally, especially students, professionals, or anyone who likes combining reading with note-taking on a single device.

The Amazon Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is designed for those who want more than just reading on their Kindle — it combines a large 11-inch color screen with a natural, paper-like writing experience. Its Colorsoft display is gentle on the eyes thanks to a special oxide layer that offers color without harsh flashes, making it ideal if you enjoy reading and taking notes in books or documents. The included Premium Pen feels very responsive and requires no charging, giving you a smooth and natural way to write or draw. With 64GB of storage, there’s plenty of room for thousands of books, notebooks, and documents, which is great if you like keeping everything in one device. The device is fairly thin and light at 400 grams, making it comfortable to hold even during extended use.

Battery life is impressive — you can expect up to 8 weeks for reading and around 2 weeks if you’re writing regularly, so it won’t need frequent charging. The Kindle Scribe also supports importing and exporting documents with popular cloud services like Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive, which is handy for work or school. On the downside, while the color screen is a standout feature, the brightness and texture may feel slightly different compared to standard black-and-white Kindles, which might take some getting used to. It lacks physical buttons for page turning, relying instead on touchscreen controls, so if you prefer buttons, this could be a drawback. It does not specifically mention water resistance, so it’s best to keep it away from moisture.

The device also offers AI-powered tools for managing and summarizing notes, which can be very useful but might not be essential for casual readers. This Kindle suits users who want a versatile e-reader combined with note-taking and document annotation features, especially if color display and handwriting feel are important. Those looking for a simple, waterproof, or budget Kindle might consider other models better suited for basic reading.