The Best Kindle to Buy in 2025, Tested and Reviewed

Easy Reading

If you’ve ever had a long study session give you cramps, these resources can help. You can explore other options in our Best Resources guide.

Strapsicle E-Reader wristbands for $21: Attach one or both of these to the back of your Kindle—one angled for your right hand and the other for your left—and slide your hand in. Your hands won’t get crowded, you won’t accidentally hit the screen and scroll. pages, and the reader will not leave your hands. There are three sizes designed to handle different types of e-readers. You should see exactly what models they work with on the Amazon pages and on this page on the Strapsicle website.

Lamicall Gooseneck Tablet Holder for $29: Phone reviewer Nena Farrell tested this and said that while it’s completely hands-free, it’s very convenient and comfortable, especially if you have chronic pain sources in your wrists. The clamp is easy to attach to bed frames and side tables (there’s also a $70 floor stand version). It’s easy to fit anywhere and has enough neck resistance that it doesn’t fall forward or out of place. It wobbles a bit when touched to turn the page (or poked by a curious cat), so. he used to put his hand on it so that it wouldn’t move around him and his ox that he lived with. If you want to be completely hands-free, add a page-turning remote to read without lifting a finger.

PopSocket for $10: Popsockets aren’t just for your phone, they also work great for e-readers. Whether you have a Paperwhite or a Basic Kindle, it’s another great solution to reduce hand cramps.

Do You Need Cover?

Photo: Amazon

Kindles, thankfully, aren’t as flimsy as our expensive smartphones, but you may still want to add a cover to protect the screen if you often drag it out of your bag. This is not intended for serious drops. Children’s programs come with cases.

Kindle Cloth Covers ($32) again Paper White ($37): These open like a book and come in a variety of black, blue, pink, or green. They are made from post-consumer recycled fabric.

Author Cloth Cover ($60): This one flips up like a notepad, and you can put it on the stand too. There’s also a slot for a pen if you don’t want it attached to the magnet all the time. It is also made from recycled materials.

The Quirky Cup Collective E-Reader Sleeve costs $42: I love these beautiful sleeves, especially the Sun and Moon version. They’re great and will protect your device when you’re not using it, so you can throw it in your bag without worry. The outside is velvet and the inside is satin, there is padding in the middle of the zipper closure. On the back is a small zip pocket. On each product page, you’ll see which devices fit, but look at the measurements. There are also different, and larger, sleeves for the book and for the iPad.

A clear CoBak case costs $10: The best part of having a clear case is that it protects the back of your Kindle again allows you to decorate it with stickers underneath. In addition to the CoBak case, I also recommend this fun sticker pack ($10).

Great Reading Lights

Photo: Simon Hill

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

Vekkia 14 LED Book Light for $18: This is our top pick. It’s a bright light with an adjustable gooseneck and two moving lights that pack seven LEDs each. You can cycle through five brightness levels and three warm colors. However, it is quite large, so it is not suitable for small paperbacks. The clamp opens 2.1 inches wide and serves as a stable base for placing in the nightstand.

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

Black Diamond Wiz Headlamp for $28: This is our favorite lamp for children. It’s comfortable, and the adjustable straps come in a variety of colors. It has three brightness settings and an IPX4 water resistance rating, so you don’t have to worry about splashes. It turns itself off after two hours, in case they sleep with it on. Two AAA batteries are required.

About Those Old Relatives

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

Before your purchase, check the price on the latest model to make sure you’re getting the right price for an 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 heavy to hold with one hand, consider this one. With this model, Amazon doubled the storage to 16 gigabytes and improved the display to 300-pixel-per-inch (PPI) resolution (from 167 PPI). It’s hard 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 from the basic model. It has a bright 6.8-inch screen with adjustable brightness, a fast page opening rate, a USB-C port, and 16 gigs of storage. It doesn’t fit anymore. I like the Signature Edition (8/10, WIRED Recommends) which also includes automatic brightness and 32 gigabytes of storage. I don’t recommend spending more than $100 if you can find them.
• Kindle Scribe (First Generation): Scribe (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is a great option for note takers. It has a large 10.2-inch screen, for taking notes, marking up PDFs, or drawing, and multiple paper formats to choose from, such as college ruled or dots. It also comes with a Basic Pen that feels natural to write with and attaches to the side of the Kindle magnetically. I only recommend it for $230 or less.
• Kindle Kids (2022): This is a kid-friendly version of the entry-level Kindle. It comes with a cover, a year’s subscription to Amazon Kids+, parental controls, and a two-year warranty. I don’t suggest spending more than $70 on this.
• Kindle Paperwhite Kids (2021): The Paperwhite version is a step up from the Kindle Kids. 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.