rewrite this title The best Kindles you can buy in 2025

The Kindle base model is the perfect device to house all of your favorite books. The latest version of the tablet offers a new color, Matcha Green, as well as improved page turning rates. Even with the upgrades, this Kindle remains the most affordable in the product family at $110 — essentially the cost of four hardcover books.

The convenient and accessible 6-inch tablet is perfect for a reader on-the-go, and its battery life lasts about six weeks. You can also choose to tack on a 3-month free trial of Kindle Unlimited for even more digital books. 

Review: Amazon Kindle (12th-generation)

After I went hands-on with this Kindle, I’d without a doubt recommend it to any word-lover. It has all the features you’d need in a respectable e-reader including a vivid, glare-free display, reactive and quick speeds, and a great battery life at a reasonable price.

Amazon Kindle specs: Screen size: 6 inches | Storage: 16GB, Amazon Cloud | Battery life: Up to six weeks at 30 minutes per day | Lock screen ads: Yes, removable with fee | microSD card support: No

The Kindle Paperwhite, which Amazon boasts as its “fastest Kindle ever,” is an upgraded version of the base model Kindle. While still 16GB, the 7-inch, glare-free screen has a higher contrast ratio and even faster page-turning speed. 

Maria Diaz, a ZDNET writer, went hands-on with the device and preferred it over her current e-reader daily driver. While it’s not full color, it has an automatically adjusting front light to go easy on your eyeballs in any environment. The battery life also boasts impressive performance with up to 12 weeks of charge. 

Review: Amazon Paperwhite (2024)

“After two weeks of daily reading on a single charge, some days for up to three hours a day, my Kindle Paperwhite’s battery is still at 32%. According to Amazon, the Kindle Paperwhite could last about 42 hours of reading with the brightness at 13,” Diaz said in her review.

Charlie Osborne, another ZDNET contributor, always has her Paperwhite on hand when she travels. Osborne said she prefers the Kindle display to using the app on her smartphone.

Kindle Paperwhite specs: Screen size: 7 inches | Storage: 16GB | Battery life: Up to 12 weeks at 30 minutes per day | Lock screen ads: Yes, remove with a fee | microSD card support: No

If you want a few more bells and whistles on your Kindle Paperwhite, you can check out the Paperwhite Signature Edition. It’s more expensive, but the Signature Edition comes with a whopping 32GB of storage.

In addition, the glare-free 7-inch screen has a higher contrast and a faster page-turn rate as well as an adjustable warm light and wireless charging. Unfortunately, the $23  is sold separately. 

According to Amazon, a single charge via USB-C lasts up to 12 weeks, which adds up to about 30 minutes per day at a light setting of 13, according to the device specs. Audiobook streaming through the Amazon Audible app will also drain the battery faster.

The Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition also sports a waterproof rating of rating of IPX8, which is perfect for poolside reading around splashy kids. The Signature Edition comes in the same colors as the original Paperwhite, but with a metallic finish.  

Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition specs: Screen size: 7 inches | Storage: 32GB | Battery life: Up to 12 weeks at 30 minutes per day | Lock screen ads: No | microSD card support: No

The $340 Kindle Scribe combines a digital library with a digital notebook. You can use the Basic Pen to create notes either through an app or directly on the pages of the e-book you’re reading. This is a super convenient feature if you’re studying for a test, enjoy annotating a novel, or want more organization while reading. The Basic Pen comes with the tablet, but you can upgrade to the Kindle Scribe to easily erase notes.

The display is remarkable, with a high-resolution 10.2-inch screen. You’ll also have access to ample storage options, and the battery life will let you read the next bestseller without worrying about finding the nearest plug for charging. 

Review: Amazon Kindle Scribe

When Matthew Miller reviewed the Scribe last year, he called it his on-the-go note-taking tablet of choice. “My desire to find something that doesn’t waste paper and also provides the ability to preserve and share my notes has been met with the Amazon Kindle Scribe,” Miller said. He adds that the writing and erasing capabilities are top tier — further bolstered with the add-on Premium Pen. 

Also: Best tablets for school in 2025

But there is certainly room for improvement. Currently, you can export notes to a PDF and email them, though sending notes to other programs like Microsoft Word would be ideal, as it will be part of a future software update. Additionally, we found that organizing your notes on the Kindle Scribe is nearly impossible. 

Overall, it’s an excellent foray into the digital note-taking market, but future software updates will help refine the product.

Kindle Scribe specs: Screen size: 10.2 inches | Storage: 16, 32, or 64GB | Battery life: Up to 12 weeks at 30 minutes per day | Lock screen ads: Yes, removable with fee | microSD card support: No

The Kindle Colorsoft finally gives users what they’ve wanted for years: a full-color Kindle option. Compared to similar e-readers from other companies, Amazon’s Kindle Colorsoft offers by far the smoothest experience. If you like graphic novels, illustrative texts, or want to take a bunch of children’s books on a family vacation, this Kindle is the perfect tool to view the art at its full potential.

When ZDNET’s Allison Murray tested the tablet, she had no issues reading in the sunlight. It’s also water-resistant — a perfect companion for a sunny day at the pool.

Review: Kindle Colorsoft

“I have virtually no complaints with this Kindle except perhaps its small size. The size itself is easy and comfortable to hold, but reading color books or magazines, a bigger size like that of the Boox Note Air C 3’s 10.3-inch display makes a greater impact, and you can really see and appreciate the color images better when seeing the entire page,” Murray said in her review. 

Like the Paperwhite Signature Edition, the Colorsoft has wireless charging capabilities, but the dock is sold separately. In addition, the battery life is only eight weeks, compared to the 12 weeks other Kindles offer. Still, if you need a colorful e-reader, look no further than the new Kindle Colorsoft. 

Kindle Paperwhite specs: Screen size: 7 inches | Storage: 16 or 32 GB | Battery life: Up to 8 weeks at 30 minutes per day | Lock screen ads: No | microSD card support: No