The Best Kindle of 2025: Paperwhite, Scribe, or Colorsoft?

Comparing Our Favorite Kindles

What About the New Kindle Scribes?

I got to test two of Amazon’s new Kindles, the Kindle Scribe ($500) and Kindle Scribe Colorsoft ($630), though the Scribe Colorsoft won’t start shipping until January. Both have a similar look, though the Scribe Colorsoft has a color screen and a shorter battery life (only eight weeks of reading time, compared with 12 weeks for the black-and-white Scribes). Both have a new, taller design with an 11-inch screen, slightly slimmer form factor, and updated stylus. They both also have a quad-core chip and have a new homepage, will support a variety of AI features including AI search (along with some AI tools for summarizing books you’re reading without giving spoilers, but those won’t arrive until next year). Users can connect to Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive to mark up documents.

Overall, I’d say they’re good devices, but as long as the cheaper second-generation Kindle Scribe is available, I think it’s the better buy. It also has AI capabilities and will get the same updated home page next year, so you really don’t need to upgrade. I’m also disappointed that these cost so much; for the price of the Scribe Colorsoft, you could get the more powerful reMarkable Paper Pro, which also has a color screen but can double as an e-paper tablet and almost laptop with its keyboard accessories.

There’s a base model Kindle Scribe without the front light ($430) due out next year, but as someone who loves to read in the dark, I don’t love this concept. We’ll see how I feel once it arrives; this guide will be updated with testing notes once it’s available.

Accessories for Easier Reading

Photograph: Nena Farrell

If you’ve ever had a long reading session that gives you hand cramps, these accessories might help. You can check out more options in our Best Kindle Accessories guide.

Strapsicle E-Reader Hand Straps for $20: Attach one or both of these to the back of your Kindle—one is angled for your right hand and the other for your left—and slide your hand in. Your hands won’t cramp, you won’t accidentally hit the screen and flip pages, and the reader won’t slip out of your hands. There are three sizes meant to hold different types of e-readers. You should see exactly which models they work with on the Amazon pages, as well as on this page on the Strapsicle website.

Lamicall Gooseneck Tablet Holder for $18: I love this device. While I wouldn’t call it completely hands-free, it’s a super convenient and comfortable experience, particularly if you have chronic pain in your wrists. The clamp is easy to attach to bed frames and side tables (there’s also a floor stand version for $60). It’s lightweight to deploy anywhere and has enough resistance to the neck that it doesn’t fall forward or out of the position you place it in. It did wobble a bit when I touched it to turn the page (or it got bumped by a curious cat), so I usually keep a rest hand on it to hold it steady. If you want to go fully hands-free, add a page-turner remote so you can read without lifting a finger.

PopSockets PopGrips starting at $10: PopSockets PopGrips aren’t just for your phone. They also work great on e-readers if paired with a MagSafe case or adhesive ring. The more affordable PopSockets work with adhesive, while the more expensive ones use MagSafe adapters, letting you take them on and off without leaving sticky residue behind. My personal favorite is the Heart of Silver ($40), since it’s a larger PopSockets and I have small hands. The Heart of Silver one makes the seven-inch Kindle Paperwhite and Colorsoft really comfortable to hold, and comes with an adapter ring to convert any case you have into a MagSage one.

Nomad 65W Slim Power Adapter for $55: Kindles have long battery life, but former WIRED reviewer Brenda Stolyar liked to carry a charger with her on the go just in case. This one from Nomad is her favorite. It’s super thin and comes with two USB-C ports, so she uses it to charge her e-reader and phone simultaneously (the left side delivers 45 watts and the right delivers 20 watts when charging two devices at the same time). The prongs also fold up, so it fits nicely in the side pocket of a bag.

Best Kindle Cases and Covers

Photograph: Nena Farrell

Amazon Kindles are, thankfully, not as fragile as our pricey smartphones, but you may still want to add a cover to protect the screen if you’re frequently toting it around in a bag. These aren’t padded for serious drops, but are the best Kindle cases we’ve found for daily protection from scratches and scuffs. The Kids’ editions come with cases.

PopSockets PopCase Kindle for $40: These Kindle cases are designed with a MagSafe adapter in the back, so you can easily add a MagSafe PopSockets grip to the back. You used to have to adhere the grip or buy a MagSafe adapter to use PopSockets on your Kindle, but now you can customize freely with these cases. These cases are also a nice quality, but they don’t include a cover, and the grip can only be attached to the predetermined lower center spot. If you have smaller hands like I do, get one of the bigger PopGrips, like the Heart of Silver ($40) or Heart of Gold ($40) to more easily reach it.

Fabric Covers for Kindle for $32 and Paperwhite for $37: These open like a book and come in some variation of black, blue, pink, or green. They’re made from postconsumer recycled fabric.

Fabric Cover for Scribe for $60: This one flips up and over like a notepad, and you can position it into a stand, too. There’s also a slot for the pen if you don’t want it to attach it magnetically all the time. It’s also made with recycled materials. It’s designed for the second-generation model of the Scribe that I prefer.

The Bookish Kindle Cases starting at $36: I really like that this cover also has a built-in strap, so you can enjoy the security of a hand strap while reading and have the protection of a cover when you’re not. There are a bunch of fun colors, too.

The Quirky Cup Collective E-Reader Sleeve for $29: Our team loves these gorgeous sleeves, particularly the Sun and Moon version. They’re beautiful and will protect your device when you aren’t using it, so you can throw it in your bag without worry. The outside is velvet and the inside is satin, with some padding in between and a zip closure. On the back is a small zip pocket. On each product page, you’ll see which devices fit, but consult the measurements. There are also separate, larger book and iPad sleeves (starting at $38).

CoBak Clear Case for $9: The best part about having a clear case is that it protects the back of your Kindle and allows you to decorate it with stickers underneath.

Great Reading Lights

Photograph: Simon Hill

If you read before bed but don’t want to disturb sleeping partner, kids, or roommates, invest in a reading light. All the Kindles now have a front light, so you don’t need one, but these can still be handy, especially if you switch between your e-reader and physical books. Below are a few of our favorites. You can find more in our Best Reading Lights guide.

Vekkia 14 LED Book Light for $16: This is our top pick. It’s a clip-on light with an adjustable gooseneck and two swiveling light bars that pack seven LEDs each. You can cycle through five levels of brightness and three warm colors. It’s relatively large, though, so it’s not great for small paperbacks. The clamp opens as wide as 2.1 inches and serves as a stable base to place on a nightstand.

Glocusent LED Neck Reading Light for $22: This reading light wraps around your neck, so it looks silly. But it’s an excellent alternative to a clip-on reading light while remaining hands-free. It’s lightweight, adjustable, and comes with three color temperature modes as well as six brightness settings. It’s rechargeable and offers up to 80 hours of battery life at dimmer settings.

About Those Older Kindles

Amazon doesn’t release new Kindles often—the company usually takes a few years between models. Whenever a new one arrives, its predecessor’s stock starts to dwindle. It’s not that we don’t recommend these per se, but we only suggest these if you can find them on sale for the right price. Otherwise, we recommend buying the latest version.

Before making your purchase, cross-check the price with the latest model to make sure you’re spending a fair amount less on the older device.

• Kindle (2022, 11th Generation): This is the smallest of the lot at 6.2 inches tall and 4.3 inches wide, with a 6-inch screen. If you find tablets too cumbersome to hold with one hand, consider this one. With this model, Amazon doubled the storage to 16 gigabytes and upgraded the display to 300 pixels per inch (PPI) resolution (up from 167 PPI). It’s tough to find, but if you manage to snag one, you shouldn’t spend more than $50.
• Kindle Paperwhite (2021, 11th Generation): This is the next step up from the basic model. It has a bright 6.8-inch screen with adjustable warm lighting, a fast page-turn rate, a USB-C port, and 16 gigs of storage. It’s waterproof too. We like the Signature Edition, which also includes auto-adjust brightness and 32 gigabytes of storage. Don’t recommend spending more than $100 if you can find them.
• Kindle Scribe (1st Generation): The original Scribe is a great option for note-takers. It has a giant 10.2-inch screen for taking notes, marking up PDFs, or drawing, and numerous paper formats you can choose, like college-ruled or dotted. It also comes with the Basic Pen, which feels natural to write with and attaches to the side of the Scribe magnetically. It’s only worth it for $230 or less.
• Kindle Kids (2022): This is an older kid-friendly model. It comes with a cover, a year’s subscription to Amazon Kids+, parental controls, and a two-year warranty. Don’t spend more than $70 on this one.
• Kindle Paperwhite Kids (2021): This older Paperwhite version is a step up from the previous basic Kids models. It has a high-resolution 300-ppi display with an adjustable warm screen and is also waterproof. You shouldn’t spend more than $110 on this one.

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