Kindle, Kobo, Boox. and more

If you’re looking to move beyond the bounds of dedicated e-readers to venture into Android land with an Onyx device, the Boox Nova Air C is the current standout from the manufacturer. Thanks to a slim form factor that’s easily portable (slimmer than a Kindle) and a color screen to boot, it’s a great option. The color screen is a little superfluous at 7.8-inches; however, since most color content like magazines and comic books require a larger screen for legible text, it’s still a fun novelty to mess around with. It’s especially great if you read manga and want to enjoy the first few pages in color, something you surely can’t do on an E Ink Kindle.

Best of all, the device runs Android, so you can install apps like Spotify to enjoy some tunes as you read. If you prefer to manage your own library of ePubs instead of relying on a single store, the Boox Nova Air C is a robust e-reader and an excellent choice.

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Kindles are the most well-known e-readers on the market, and for a good reason. Amazon spearheaded E Ink devices, polishing them to the point that mass adoption is now a reality. This is not only because of quality hardware designs that don’t break the bank, but also Amazon’s incredible e-book store. These e-books lean heavily on a proprietary format, but that’s how Amazon delivers the best e-book formatting in the business. With the 7.8-inch screen on the Kindle Paperwhite, you have plenty of room to display this well-formatted text.

Of course, this version of the Paperwhite is the Signature Edition, which means you get a few extra features over the base Kindle Paperwhite, including a choice of extra storage (32GB), warm lighting, and wireless charging. All these features add just a bit more polish to an already exceptional E Ink e-reader. Plus, with the E Ink Carta 1200 screen, there’s hardly any ghosting, especially if you utilize the new page turn animation in the latest Kindle firmware.

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If you’re looking to get in on the ground floor of Amazon’s Kindle E Ink e-reader line, then the base Amazon Kindle is the model you’re looking for. Recently refreshed with front-light support for all your nighttime e-reading needs, this device packs 8GB of storage. If you don’t mind lockscreen advertisements, you can snag one for $90, which is about as cheap as e-readers get, even Amazon’s.

While plenty of other e-readers offer all kinds of exciting features, like the ability to take notes with a stylus, the base Amazon Kindle is a no-frills device. It’s best for those who are only interested in reading on a portable 6-inch unit that can easily fit inside a purse or back pocket. At the very least, you do get Bluetooth support. If you’d like to listen to your Audible audiobooks over a Bluetooth headset, the base Amazon Kindle now supports Bluetooth connections for this very purpose. It’s a nice touch for such an affordable device.

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The Nook GlowLight 4e is Barnes & Noble’s competitor going up against Amazon’s affordable base Kindle model. Of course, Barnes & Noble has offered ePub support since the beginning, which means the Nook is a great device for those who own or plan to purchase a library of ePub e-books. It’s a much more open market than the proprietary formats used by Amazon and Rakuten, so you aren’t beholden to the prices on the default store built into the e-reader.

But even though the Nook is excellent for those who have invested in a library of ePubs, since you also get access to the Barnes & Noble e-book store, you can easily treat the Nook just as you would a Kindle. It’s a no-muss, no-fuss device, perfect for anyone at any age, especially now that Barnes & Noble’s has fully embraced physical page turn buttons. That feature is a fantastic addition since the buttons are way more accessible than tapping on a screen. So not only is the Nook GlowLight 4e competitively affordable, but it also offers tons of accessibility.

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Kobo’s Sage e-reader is the latest release from Rakuten, a competitor to Amazon’s Kindle Oasis. This device offers physical page turn buttons (on one side) and a large 8-inch screen with the latest E Ink Carta 1200 screen, which means you get the least amount of ghosting in an E Ink screen yet. You also get Bluetooth support for audiobooks and stylus support for taking notes; though the stylus isn’t included, you’ll have to purchase it separately. This is how Rakuten can undercut Amazon’s price for the Oasis, with the Sage retailing for $20 less at $260.

While Amazon’s e-book store is the best out there, the runner-up is the Kobo store, thanks to it also employing a proprietary format for its e-books that allows for excellent formatting on the screen (something ePub can’t claim). But you also get ePub support if you’d prefer to purchase your e-books from a selection of stores to maintain your own library of e-books instead of relying on a single store that may not be around in 20 years. So you get the best of both worlds, awesome formatting with the built-in store, with the option to purchase your own ePubs elsewhere to maintain your own library.

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Onyx isn’t a household name; not yet. But it’s been plugging away behind the scenes pumping out some quality E Ink devices, including the gigantic Boox Max Lumi 2 at 13.3-inches. This is an expensive device, so it’s not something you’ll buy on a whim. Still, if you require a large E Ink screen that runs on Android and supports stylus input for editing documents like PDFs, the Max Lumi 2 is one of the few devices on the market at its size. You’ll certainly pay for the privilege, but since so few bother to make e-readers in such large sizes, it’s nice to see somebody out there filling this gap.

Much like other Boox devices, you get Android app support through the Play Store, with external speakers built-in, perfect for chilling to some tunes as you edit another PDF or read through the latest e-book in your collection. While nighttime reading in bed will be a little outlandish at 13.3-inches, and you certainly won’t be bringing this device to the pool or beach since it’s a pain to carry around, it excels at providing tons of room to get some serious work done. This is more a device for lawyers or teachers, people who push paper all day but are looking to go digital.

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The Kindle Oasis has faded a little into the background with Amazon’s new Paperwhite models, which offer a similar screen size as well as USB-C. So the benefits of jumping up to the Oasis over a Paperwhite are growing smaller, though you still get physical page turn buttons, which could be worth the upgrade alone if you demand tactility with your e-readers. The ergonomic design is also a selling point, as the e-reader is very comfortable to hold in hand. Plus, you can splash out on a 32GB model to store even more books or audiobooks, though expandable storage sure would be nice to see in this premium e-reader.

So if you’re looking to stay within Amazon’s ecosystem but require the cream of the crop when purchasing your devices, the Oasis is still the top dog under the Kindle brand even though the Paperwhite is encroaching, especially if you require physical page turn buttons, which coincidentally feel great to click as you read.

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Since there are so few large E Ink e-readers, it’s nice to see Kobo offering a 10.3-inch device. It’s designed to be a competitor for note-taking E Ink devices. Still, it also excels as an excellent e-reader, thanks to its connection to the Kobo store (which offers excellent formatting for its e-books) and ePub support. This way, you can bring your own library and purchase books from other storefronts, greatly expanding the device’s versatility.

What’s really nice is that this is an all-in-one package that comes with an e-reader, a case, and a stylus. So even though the $400 price point is high, you actually get everything you need, unlike purchasing a Kindle, where you’ll have to pick up a case separately and even possibly pay to remove ads from your lockscreen. Kobo has no such issues with the Elipsa. Since you get everything you need in one fell swoop, it’s a great device to gift to family members, so they can hit the ground running.

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