The Best Kindle to Buy in 2025, Tested and Reviewed

For Easy Reading

Photo: Nena Farrell

If you suffer from hand cramps after reading for long periods of time, these accessories can help. You can view more of our options Best Kindle Accessories guide.

Strapsicle E-Reader Wrist Straps for $21: Attach one or both of these to the back of your Kindle—one angled for your right hand, one angled for your left—and slide your hand inside. Your hands won’t get squeezed, you won’t accidentally hit the screen, and you won’t flip it. pages and the reader will not slip from your hands. There are three sizes designed to hold different types of e-readers. You should see exactly which models they work with, just like on their Amazon pages This page on the Strapsicle website.

Lamicall Gooseneck Tablet Holder for $29: WIRED reviewer Nena Farrell tried it and said While it’s not completely hands-free, it’s a super comfortable and convenient experience, especially if you have a chronic source of pain in your wrists. The clamp is easy to attach to bed frames and side tables (also a Floor stand version for $70). It’s light enough to fit anywhere and has enough neck resistance that it doesn’t fall forward or out of position. It wobbles a little when tapped to turn the page (or bumped into by a curious cat). he tended to put his hand on her to keep her from him and his feline roommate. Add if you want to work completely silent page turner remote control so you can read without lifting a finger.

A PopSocket for $10: Popsockets works great not only for your phone, but also on e-readers. Whether you have a Paperwhite or your basic Kindle, this is another great solution to reduce hand cramps.

Do you need a cover?

Photo: Amazon

Kindles, thankfully, aren’t as fragile as our expensive smartphones, but if you often carry it around in a bag, you may want to add a cover to protect the screen. These are not filled for serious drops. Children’s editions come with boxes.

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

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

The Quirky Cup Collective E-Reader Sleeve for $42: I prefer these gorgeous sleeves, especially Sun and moon version. They’re beautiful 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, the inside is satin, with a little padding in between, and it has a zipper. There is a small zippered pocket on the back. You will see which devices are compatible on each product page, but please refer to the measurements. There are also separate and larger ones book and iPad sleeves.

CoBak Clear Case for $10: The best thing about having a clear case is that it protects the back of your Kindle and allows you to decorate with stickers on the bottom. I recommend this in addition to CoBak’s work fun sticker pack ($10).

Great Reading Lights

Photo: Simon Hill

If you usually read before bed but don’t want to disturb sleeping partners, children or roommates, I suggest investing in a reading light. All Kindles now have a front light, yours doesn’t need one, but these can still come in handy, especially if you switch between your Kindle and physical books. Below are a few of our favorites. You can find more on us The best Reading Lights guide.

Vekkia 14 LED book light for $18: This is our top pick. It’s a clip-on light with an adjustable gas neck and two rotating light bars, each containing seven LEDs. You can switch between five brightness levels and three warm colors. It’s relatively large though, so not great for small paper copies. The clamp opens 2.1 inches wide and serves as a stable base for placing on a night stand.

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

Black Diamond Wiz headlamp for $28: This is our favorite headlamp for kids. Comfortable and adjustable straps come in a variety of colors. There are three brightness settings and a IPX4 water resistance ratingso you don’t have to worry about splashes. It automatically turns off after two hours if they’ve slept with it. Requires two AAA batteries.

About those old Kindles

Amazon doesn’t often release new Kindles—the company usually takes several years between models. As each new model arrives, the stock of its predecessor begins to dwindle. Not that I don’t recommend these per se, but I do if you can find them on sale at the right price. Otherwise, I recommend getting the latest version.

Before buying, compare the price with the latest model to make sure you’re spending quite a bit on an older device.

• Kindle (2022, 11th Generation): It’s the smallest of the lot with a 6-inch display, measuring 6.2 inches tall by 4.3 inches wide. If you find tablets too difficult to hold with one hand, consider this. With this model, Amazon has doubled the memory to 16 gigabytes and upgraded the display to a resolution of 300 pixels per inch (PPI) (up 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 a step up from the basic model. It has a bright 6.8-inch screen with adjustable warm lighting, fast page-turning speed, a USB-C port and 16 gigs of storage. It is also waterproof. I like Signature Edition (8/10, WIRED Recommends) it also includes automatic brightness adjustment and 32 gigabytes of memory. I don’t recommend spending more than $100 if you can find it.
• Kindle Scribe (1st Generation): Writer (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is a great choice for note takers. It has a huge 10.2-inch screen for taking notes, annotating or annotating PDF documents drawingand multiple paper formats to choose from, such as college-ruled or dotted. It also comes with a Basic Pen that feels natural to write on and attaches magnetically to the side of your Kindle. 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 one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+, parental controls and a two-year warranty. I don’t recommend spending more than $70 on it.
• Kindle Paperwhite Kids (2021): The Paperwhite version is a step up from the Kindle Kids. It has a high-resolution 300 ppi display with adjustable heatsink and is also waterproof. You shouldn’t spend more than $110 on it.