The best Kindle for 2023: Every Amazon e-reader reviewed and ranked

Read our full review of the Kindle (2022 release).

If you're just jumping into the world of Kindles and don't need any extra bells and whistles, then the baseline Kindle is the best, most budget-friendly choice. The all-new Kindle got an overdue upgrade in 2022, and in Mashable's recent Kindle review, it received top marks for performance and user-friendliness.

It's lightweight and compact so you can easily slip it into a bag or backpack and take it on the go. It has a glare-free, 6-inch display and boasts 16 GB of storage — that's twice as much as previous versions — so you can keep thousands of books at your side at any given time. This Kindle also has an adjustable front light for easier reading in bright light conditions, as well as a dark mode for a more comfortable reading experience at night. Plus, a full charge via USB-C cable gives the Kindle up to six weeks of life.

What's missing with the entry-level Kindle? Quite a bit, unfortunately, although nothing that's essential for a good reading experience. The basic Kindle lacks advanced features like the ability to take notes. You'll also have to live without wireless charging, adjustable warm light, and an auto-adjusting screen. The biggest downgrade is the lack of waterproofing, so be careful to keep this Amazon e-reader away from the water.

You can choose to opt into three free months of Kindle Unlimited at no extra charge, and you can select the "Without Lockscreen Ads” option for just $20 more.

Read our full review of the Kindle Paperwhite.

Who it's for:

The Kindle Paperwhite is for everyone. It hits all the marks and is the gold standard of e-readers. Getting books onto your Kindle is easy, whether buying through the Kindle store or borrowing through Libby. At 6.8 inches, it's just the right size that feels nice in your hand, especially since it's lightweight and your arm won't get tired while holding it up. Plus, it's the best choice for people on the go. With its compact size, it even fits in a small purse, and because it is waterproof, you'll never stress about spilling water on it.

Why we like it:

The Kindle Paperwhite was the last e-reader I tested, so I'd seen it all when I got to it. Immediately, I was struck by how zippy it was. Having gone through a series of e-readers that lagged on menus and turning the page, the Kindle Paperwhite zoomed through, switching between books and menu screens. And despite working hard, its battery life feels never-ending, lasting not just weeks but months at a time.

The matte screen is fantastic. It's just the right size, with customizable fonts in case you need to increase the size. I could read comfortably in any environment, as the screen looks just like a printed page despite being high-tech. Plus, the screen is responsive, quickly reacting to taps and swipes when you want to turn the page.

As an avid reader, my bank account simply can't handle my habits, so thankfully, there's Libby. Getting my library books onto the Kindle Paperwhite through Libby is simple. I just hit "Send to Kindle" on the Libby app, and they're in my Kindle library the next time I open it as long as my Kindle is connected to WiFi.

The Kindle Paperwhite is a significant improvement over the flagship Kindle because it is waterproof. While not everyone is concerned about reading at the beach like myself, the Kindle Paperwhite's waterproofness is a significant perk in the case of accidents like spilled water bottles in backpacks.

If I were to think of ways to improve the Kindle Paperwhite, I'd maybe wish it had side buttons to turn the page like the Nook Glow does. However, the Kindle's touchscreen is so responsive that you don't need it — it's just a personal preference of how you like to turn the page on your e-reader.

Read our full review of the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition.

Building upon the already great Kindle Paperwhite, the Signature Edition (SE) is our top pick for the best Kindle for 2024. After hands-on testing the new entry-level Kindle as well as the most advanced model yet, the Kindle Scribe, we believe the Kindle Paperwhite SE has the best balance of features at a reasonable price.

Like the original Kindle Paperwhite, it has a 6.8-inch glare-free display with adjustable warm light. It also offers the same IPX8 waterproof rating so you can enjoy your “beach reads” poolside without any worries. The SE offers four worthwhile upgrades over the original — 32 GB of storage space, no lockscreen ads, automatically adjusting lights, and wireless charging. In fact, it's currently the only Kindle that boasts wireless charging, although thanks to a great battery life, you may only need to do that once every other month or so.

The automatically adjusting front light means that you don't have to worry about manually adjusting the screen for optimal reading when you go from indoors to outdoors and back again — a small but critical feature for someone who reads anywhere and everywhere, all in one day. Like the other Kindle models, you can opt into three free months of Kindle Unlimited with your purchase.

In his review, Mashable senior Editor Stan Schroeder found only one extremely minor quibble — the power button on the bottom can be pressed accidentally. Otherwise, it's a near-perfect e-reader. The 32 GB of storage may be overkill for the average reader, but it's a convenient feature if you listen to audiobooks. For readers on a budget, we recommend going with the Kindle (2022 release), but otherwise, this is our top pick among Amazon e-readers.

Read our full review of the Amazon Kindle Scribe.

Who it's for:

If looking through your bookshelf, your books have dog-eared pages, highlighted lines, and scribbles in the margins, your instinct might be that an e-reader isn't for you, but I'd like to introduce you to the Kindle Scribe. With an included pen that magnetically attaches to the side of this e-reader, it's ready for all your handwritten thoughts. The pen moves nicely across the screen, mimicking the texture of writing on paper. In addition to a library of books, the Kindle Scribe also comes with a journal section where you can take notes. The notes feature is especially great for students who want to handwrite notes and convert their handwriting into text.

Why we like it:

The Scribe is shockingly big at 10.2 inches compared to the Kindle Paperwhite. That screen size does make it a little more awkward to hold, but for writing or annotating, it's optimal. Unlike other tablets (I'm looking at you, iPads) that require you to buy a pen separately, the Kindle Scribe comes with a pen that conveniently attaches to the side so it doesn't get lost. However, it's not the most secure magnetic hold, so be careful of bumping off the pen accidentally.

Writing on the Kindle Scribe is a joy. Before testing this e-reader, I used my iPad and Apple Pencil to annotate readings, but I never loved the feeling of it because the screen felt too slick for the Apple Pencil. The Kindle Scribe does not suffer this problem, as the matte screen lends some friction to the pen, making it feel like you're writing on paper. I really enjoyed writing with the pen, and I swear my handwriting looked better on the Kindle Scribe than it does on my iPad.

Like the Kindle Paperwhite, the Scribe's battery life is excellent, lasting 12 weeks. Where it starts to differ is the user interface. In comparison to the Kindle Paperwhite, I found that the Scribe's processing ran slow. It often lagged when starting to wake up or switching between journals or books. This is especially disappointing considering the price, which is over double that of the Paperwhite.

However, if you want to take notes but still want the convenience of an e-reader, I don't think you can go wrong with the Kindle Scribe — make sure to grab it when it's on sale during Prime Day.

The new Kindle Kids model essentially has everything the baseline Kindle has, but with a few key benefits. It has the same 6-inch, glare-free display with 300 ppi for sharp resolution. It also has an adjustable front light and dark mode to ensure kids' comfort while reading, both day and night.

It really stands out when it comes to kid-friendly extras, including one year of unlimited access to thousands of ad-free books with Amazon Kids+ (which would normally cost you at least $4.99 per month). Kids+ also includes a Vocabulary Builder where children can look up definitions and gain familiarity with previously unknown words. 

Bonus: The Kindle Kids comes with three cutesy cover choices and a two-year worry-free guarantee that states Amazon will replace the device — for free — if it breaks. However, you're missing two key features compared to the Kindle Kids Paperwhite: No waterproofing and no adjustable warm light. So, if you're looking for the best Kindle for sleep, we recommend spending a little more on the Paperwhite version.

For young readers used to reading on screens, it's a smart purchase and a product that often goes on sale during events like Black Friday and Prime Day.

Read our full review of the Kindle Paperwhite Kids here.

The Kindle Paperwhite Kids is our pick for young readers. The more basic Kindle Kids is still worth buying, but the Paperwhite version adds key features such as IPX8 waterproofing that justify the higher cost.

How does this version differ from the entry-level Kindle Kids? The Kindle Papwerwhite Kids provides everything that the aforementioned child-friendly Kindle does (including the free year of unlimited access to Amazon Kids+) but with a few key upgrades. First, it has a larger display (6.8 inches) and an adjustable warm light to cut down on blue light, especially as bedtime nears. It also has a longer battery life (10 weeks) and offers double the storage capacity (16 GB).

So, is the Kindle Paperwhite Kids worth it? Adults may not mind the black-and-white display of Kindle e-readers, but it's a bigger limitation for kids, who are used to seeing colorful drawings and artwork with their books. Likewise, adult readers may actually prefer a Kindle because they can't be distracted by other apps like YouTube, but parents may want these capabilities for kids. In that case, we'd recommend buying an Amazon Fire tablet instead of a Kindle Kids.

Even with these limitations in mind, in our hands-on review, we found that the Kindle Paperwhite Kids is a great gift for young readers, and it even comes pre-loaded with a library of books. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Kids is waterproof so parents don't need to worry about spills or accidental immersion in the bathtub or pool. Plus, it comes in three fun, colorful cover options and includes a two-year worry-free guarantee.