The Best E-Readers and Kindles to Gift Your Favorite Bookworm

The Kindle Paperwhite is the best e-reader on the market. It's thin, lightweight, and, best of all: It's completely waterproof. Despite costing over $100 less, it has the same resolution as the more expensive Oasis model, so the text is crisp and easy to read. Plus, it's backlit by 17 LEDs, so it's perfect for night owls.

The Paperwhite weighs less than an iPhone 14 Pro Max, and it measures 6.9 inches tall, making it comfortable to hold, compact, and light enough to fit in a small bag or even a back pocket. If you're gifting it to an audiobook lover, don't fret it plays those, too since it's equipped with Bluetooth.

If you're willing to spend $20 extra for an e-reader that comes with a case, consider the $160 Kindle Paperwhite Kids Edition, which also adds a 2-year extended replacement guarantee. The Kids edition includes a year of Amazon's “Kids+” subscription, but even if you won't use the service, at least you'll have peace of mind knowing your new e-reader is protected by a magnetic case and a longer warranty.

If your budget is around $100, this entry-level Kindle offers few compromises and still delivers an outstanding reading experience. It also has twice the storage space as the Kindle Paperwhite, which comes in handy if the person you're buying for listens to many audiobooks.

Previous iterations of the Kindle featured a much lower resolution display, but this newer model is equipped with a similar 300ppi display as pricier models. This means the screen is responsive, easy on the eyes, and refreshes fast. It's also backlit for nighttime reading.

Even though the Kindle has a shorter battery life than other Amazon e-reader models — you get 6 weeks, compared to the other model's 10 weeks — that's still plenty of time to read on a vacation without worrying about finding an outlet!

The Amazon Kindle Kids Edition is essentially the standard Kindle we previously mentioned, but with a more kid-friendly design. It sports the same 6-inch glare-free display and even comes with a colorful cover to protect it from scratches.

This Kindle, unfortunately, is not waterproof. On the plus side, it's backed by a 2-year worry-free guarantee, which means that Amazon will replace the Kindle if it breaks from accidents like drops or spills.

Every purchase of a Kindle Kids Edition comes with a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+. This service grants access to timeless kid-friendly classics like The Boxcar Children and popular series like Harry Potter.

Parents can set educational goals and manage content thanks to the Kindle's integrated parental controls, and the device's Vocabulary Builder feature creates flashcards for your child to learn new words. Overall, it's an excellent device at a great value that'll help encourage kids to read more.

The word “Kindle” is practically synonymous with the term “e-reader,” but for those who would rather opt for something else, we recommend the Kobo Libra 2. Like the Paperwhite from Amazon, it supports Bluetooth for listening to audiobooks, uses USB-C for faster charging, and packs a 7-inch display with the same 300-ppi resolution, meaning the text is crisp and easy to read.

What separates Kobo e-readers from the Kindle is their wider file support, so you can download books obtained outside of Amazon's online bookstore. Not only that, you can use OverDrive to easily borrow books from your library for free.

If you're gifting to someone who reads a lot of books or listens to a lot of audiobooks, this is the best e-reader to get since it has a larger 32GB hard drive compared to the Paperwhite's 8GB drive. It also has an automatically adjusting backlight, which comes in handy for reading at nighttime or outside.

It's also worth mentioning that some users who previously owned an Amazon Kindle may find it difficult to migrate and transfer their previous library to the Kobo. Regardless, the Libra 2 is a feature-filled e-reader that definitely gives Amazon Kindles a run for their money!

The Kobo Clara HD is a Kindle Paperwhite competitor made from mostly recycled materials. It features a gorgeous and crisp 300ppi screen, 16GB of storage, and a large battery that should last a month on a single charge. It's also backlit, has Bluetooth for audiobooks, and supports more file formats than Amazon's Kindle lineup (but you can't read books you downloaded from a previous Kindle on it).

What sets it apart from the Kindle is its ComfortLight PRO feature that reduces the amount of blue light the screen puts off as the day progresses, making it especially easy on your eyes at nighttime.

We also were happy to see that the model is completely waterproof. On the plus side, Kobo's e-readers support OverDrive integration — a free service that lets you borrow eBooks from your local library's digital collection.

If you're gifting for a bookworm or just want to treat yourself to latest and greatest e-book reader and can afford its higher-end price, the Kindle Oasis is the best e-reader money can buy. It's more compact, travel-friendly, durable, and sharper than any other Kindle. Compared to the similarly shaped Kobo Sage, it feels more upscale since it uses aluminum and glass compared to the Sage's plastic body.

The Oasis weighs just 6.6 ounces, and it's just 3.4 millimeters thick at its thinnest point, which makes for good one-handed reading. The Oasis has an aluminum backside and comes in champagne gold or graphite colors. Plus, it offers up to 6 weeks of battery life.

It’s the only Kindle with an adjustable warm light, meaning you can change the “page” color from white to amber to better resemble the color of actual paper. No other Kindle offers users 3G compatibility, either, so users can download books without a Wi-Fi connection, which is another nice perk for this premium Kindle.