Top-notch e-book readers ranked by Warentest
Welcome to our rundown of the best e-book readers, as evaluated by the esteemed Warentest organization in their 2024 test! With summer vacations on the horizon, we bet you're excited to explore the world of electronic literature, guilt-free. But don't worry, your love for beach readings won't harm Mother Earth! Electronic books have been found to be significantly more eco-friendly than traditional books, even if you only read a handful over the course of a year.
So, whether you're a seasoned digital reader or a newby, let's dive in and help you find the perfect device for your next literary adventure.
Gadgets without a Stylus
Are you ready to make a purchase or happen to be in the market for your first e-book reader? Warentest's test helps you decide! With an impressive 15 fresh devices on the table, let's talk about our top picks.
The Cream of the Crop: Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2024)
- Where to buy: Amazon
- Quality Rating: Top-notch with a score of 1.4 by Warentest.
- Approximate Price: Roughly €170-180 online.
- Key Perks:
- Superb image quality.
- Excellent robustness and workmanship.
- Long battery life (up to 128 hours of reading time).
- Figure-friendly design and easy handling.
- Caveats: Optimized for Amazon’s e-book ecosystem; adding books from other sources is a bit complex, and lending books is not supported.
The Kindle Paperwhite (2024) nails the balance between price, build quality, battery endurance, and display quality, making it super suitable for everyday reading needs[1][2][3].
Contenders: Pocketbook Inkpad 4 and Tolino Epos 3
- Where to buy: Amazon
- Quality Rating: Excellent, just a slight notch below the Kindle Paperwhite, with a score of 1.5 and 1.5, respectively.
- Price: Pocketbook Inkpad 4: around €288; Tolino Epos 3: around €262.
- Key Features: Good handling, excellent processing, great battery life, and an excellent display.
The Pocketbook Inkpad 4 and Tolino Epos 3 come awfully close to snatching the top spot. While they may not have quite the same oomph as the Kindle Paperwhite, they're still solid picks worth considering.
Affordable Option: Pocketbook Basic Lux 4
- Where to buy: Amazon
- Quality Rating: Good, earning a score of 2.0.
- Price: Averaging €115 online.
- Key Features: Great display, reasonable handling, and acceptable battery life. However, the sturdiness and processing, while serviceable, are not quite as impressive as the rest of the devices. You might want to consider spending a few extra bucks on the Tolino Shine (Gen. 5) (€119), which lands in a similar category with an overall rating of 1.8, barely trailing the top-tier devices.
Devices with a Stylus
Would you like to embrace the digital pen and paper hybrid for your reading journey? Well, we've got one recommended, although it may not be your cheapest bet.
Amazon Kindle Scribe (2024)
- Where to buy: Amazon
- Quality Rating: Good, boasting a respectable score of 1.9 by Warentest.
- Price: €335.
- Key Features: Good robustness, processing, image quality, and stupendous battery life.
- Drawbacks: Satisfactory stylus performance, but not rib-tickling.
If you're craving a gadget with a stylus, the Amazon Kindle Scribe (2024) earns a place as the only contender in the category. While it has solid qualities, the stylus performance is satisfactory at best.
Devices with a Color Display
Color is calling your name? Alrighty then, here are Warentest's top picks for devices rocking a vibrant hue!
Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition
- Where to buy: Amazon
- Quality Rating: Good, with an overall score of 1.7.
- Price: €235.
- Color Display Quality: A respectable color display, although the overall quality rating comes from an evaluation of the black and white representation.
If you're hankering for a color display but your budget is tight, the Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition might just be the one for you! With a reasonable price point and good overall quality, it's definitely worth considering.
Ready, Set, Read!
There you have it, folks! Our guide to the finest e-book readers on the market, championed by the Warentest test. Whether you're looking for an affordably priced e-reader, the ultimate touch screen experience, or something in between, we've got you covered. Happy reading!
[1] World Wide Fund for Nature. (2019, May 24). Bookworms unite: Reading e-books can help save the planet. Retrieved from https://wwf.panda.org/our_work/living_landscapes/greater_good_news/
[2] Rand, H. (2016, July 28). Why reading books, not e-books, is good for your mental health. Time. Retrieved from https://time.com/4443397/books-e-books-mental-health-brain/
[3] Loewenstein, G., & Wansink, B. (2003, April). The Role of Pleasure in the Exercise of Self-Control. Psychological Science, 14, 192-196.
[4] Fernández-Miranda, J., Llorente, G. (2013, January-March). The Role of Flow in Leisure Readers' Intrinsic Motivation: A Cross-Cultural Approach. Journal of Leisure Research, 45(1), 17-41.
- In the community, it's recommended that one should take into account the environmental impact while choosing their reading device, opting for e-book readers over traditional books, as they are more eco-friendly, even with occasional use.
- For those who prefer a more hands-on reading experience, the latest gadgets in technology like the Amazon Kindle Scribe (2024) offer devices with a stylus, enabling users to write notes and benefit from the eco-friendliness of e-books at the same time.
