If you’re looking to buy yourself a new ebook reader, there are more models to choose from than you might think. Whether you’re after a durable ebook reader that can survive a splash, or a model that will last hours at a time, we’ve got the details to help you make a decision.
Now that Amazon and Kobo are the only big names still making ebook readers, which brand you should go for? Does Kobo have what it takes to compete with Amazon’s Kindle? Our latest reviews reveal all.
Best Buy ebook readers – these models are perfect for page turners
Kobo Aura One (£190)
The new Kobo Aura One isn’t cheap, but for the price you pay, you get a huge 7.8-inch display. The Aura One comes with a unique ambient light sensor, which adjusts the brightness of the screen depending on the time of day. This makes it worth considering if you enjoy reading in bed in the evenings. This ebook reader’s screen is a whopping the largest of any ebook reader on the market, but you’ll have to take a look at our full review to see if it’s one of the best.
Unlike the Kindles, this ebook reader is waterproof, so it could be worth taking with you on holiday if you plan to relax by the pool. It has 8GB of memory, enough for around 6,000 books. Kobo’s OverDrive service comes pre-installed, so you can borrow ebooks from your local library. Of course, there’s also access to the Kobo book store – home to thousands of downloadable titles.
Take a look at our full review Kobo Aura One to see if this ebook reader did enough in our test lab to earn a Best Buy title.
Kindle Oasis (£270)
Oasis, The Kindle is Amazon’s most expensive ebook reader at £270. At this price, Amazon’s premium model is £80 more than Kobo’s top-of-the-line device. So why the big price tag?
This ebook reader arrives with an all-new asymmetric design that’s meant to make it easier to use with one hand. It has a 6-inch display (smaller than the Kobo Aura One) and becomes the thinnest Kindle we’ve sent to our test lab. The Oasis has 60% more LEDs than any other Kindle, so we took a close look at the screen in our lab to see if the changes make a big difference.
If you pick up the Kindle Oasis, you’ll have 4GB of internal storage to play around with. Books can be downloaded online through the Kindle store, and the device also has a web browser on board.
The Kindle Oasis may be the most expensive ebook reader we’ve tested, but is it the highest scoring too? Our Kindle review, Oasis has the answer.
Affordable ebook readers
Even if you don’t fancy spending over £100 on a new ebook reader that our expert reviews can still lend a helping hand. We’ve rigorously tested lots of cheaper alternatives, including the latest edition of Amazon’s entry level Kindle, the most expensive at £59.99. It has a 6-inch touchscreen and 4GB of storage, plus Bluetooth-activated voice view feature that provides spoken feedback for visually impaired readers. The cheapest Kindle is 11% thinner and 16% lighter than the previous version, but it doesn’t come with a dedicated backlight. You’ll have to take a look at our Kindle (2016) review to see if it deserves a spot in your bag.
Kobo has some alternatives too. Its latest budget offering, the Kobo Aura (£79.99), shares a similar look to the Kobo Aura One, but it’s much smaller. The Aura has a 6-inch display like the standard Kindle, and Kobo claims it has a battery life of up to two months. It has 4GB of memory and a textured back that’s meant to stop it from slipping out of your hands.
If you want to see which of the ebook readers we’ve mentioned are the best around, see our full range of ebook reader reviews. You’ll also find full reviews of the Kindle Paperwhite, Kobo Touch 2.0 and Kobo Aura H2O.
Kindle or Kobo – which brand is best?
If you’re working your way through a new novel on your ebook reader, you don’t want technical issues getting in the way. We recently surveyed thousands of Which? members to see how their ebook readers have held up over the years. After digging into the data, we found that the highest-scoring ebook reader brand achieved an impressive average test score of 80%. Just 10% of the table-topping brand’s ebook readers experienced a fault in the first four years of ownership. Head over to our best ebook reader brands page to see the full results of our survey.
Our expert guide to Amazon Kindle vs Kobo ebook readers has more information on what sets the two brands apart key.
Ebook reader reviews – the latest models from Amazon and Kobo
The best ebook reader brands – our customer survey reveals all
Best ebook stores for price – which brand offers titles for cheap?
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