The best e-book readers

Why e-readers are perfect presents – and great gadgets too

E-readers are brilliant things, especially for avid readers or travellers: they can store hundreds of books in a single slim case, they run for weeks without needing recharging, they’re much easier to read in sunlight than shinyscreened phones or tablets, and they can read e-books from all kinds of places, not just their manufacturers’ online shops. Some are made for kids; others for book-obsessed adults. The most popular e-reader is Amazon’s Kindle, which is available in multiple versions for different kinds of user. Amazon regularly updates and replaces different models in the range, and it often offers huge discounts on the RRP: we wouldn’t recommend paying full price for any Kindle because Amazon cuts their prices so frequently. For example, at the time of writing Amazon has dropped the price of its Kindle Kids from £99.99 to £54.99. The current Kindle range starts with the most basic Kindle, at £69. It’s a nice little device with a decent screen and weeks of battery life between charges, and the Kids edition is the same but with a kid-friendly protective case and a year’s free access to Amazon’s Kindle Kids subscription service. The pick of the range is the Kindle Paperwhite (RRP £129 or £99 for the Kids edition). That has a larger, much higher resolution screen for paper-like print quality, it’s waterproof for beach or bath reading, and it has a warm light that’s much easier on the eyes when you’re reading after dark. An extra £50 gets you the Signature edition, which has wireless charging. The top of the range Kindle is the Kindle Oasis, which is bigger still and has more storage. However it’s also the most expensive option, at £229. The main UK rival to Amazon is Kobo, with options ranging from £89 to £249. The flagship is the Sage, which is great for notetaking, but all models have good displays, plenty of storage and excellent battery life. It’s worth pointing out that you don’t need a Kindle to read e-books: the Kindle and Kobo apps are available for all kinds of phones, computers and tablets. Apple has a rival service, Books, and Google Play offers e-books. But reading on a computer isn’t as nice as on a dedicated e-reader.

Apple Books

You can turn any smartphone, tablet or computer into an e-book reader with apps such as Apple Books, Kindle or Kobo – although reading on a screen isn’t as comfortable as on the e-ink display of a dedicated e-reader. But it’s handy for occasional reading. Free, apple.com

Kobo Sage

Kobo’s e-readers start at £89 but the money-no-object option is the excellent Kobo Sage (£249), which enables you to annotate books with a stylus. If you’re a margin scribbler and phrase underliner that alone makes the Sage a must-buy. £249, uk.kobobooks.com

Amazon Paperwhite Kids

If your kids are bookworms, this slightly more expensive Kindle Paperwhite Kids (£99 compared to £54.99 for the basic Kindle Kids) has a warm white display that’s much less tiring for latenight reading sessions when they’re supposed to be sleeping. £99, amazon.co.uk

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite

This is the best Kindle for most people. It’s a nice size, it’s waterproof, it has a really nice warm white light that won’t tire your eyes and it lasts for weeks between charges. As with all Kindles, keep an eye out for discounts and don’t pay full price. £129, amazon.co.uk

Amazon Kindle Oasis

The Kindle Oasis is Amazon’s biggest and most powerful Kindle, but for most people we think the Paperwhite is the better buy: that model is £100 cheaper before any discounting and isn’t significantly smaller or less powerful. £229, amazon.co.uk Please mention The Villager and Town Life when responding to adverts