Read our full review of the Kindle Paperwhite.
The Kindle Paperwhite used to be our top overall pick, but after testing the Kobo Clara Colour, it got edged out for a better device design and smarter processor. However, it’s still a great e-reader and the best Kindle.
If Amazon is pretty intrinsic to your spending, then going for a Kindle, specifically the Paperwhite, makes the most sense. Amazon promised that the 2024 Kindle Paperwhite would be the fastest yet, and it delivered. It turns pages without stuttering, never slowing down when you’re in the thick of the action.
The screen is vibrant and has adjustable brightness, meaning it can adjust when transitioning from reading in bright sunlight to dimmer indoors. It also comes with adjustable screen warmth, perfect for evening readers who want to give their eyes a chance to relax. It’s lightweight and fits comfortably in small crossbody bags. Plus, it’s waterproof, keeping it safe against poolside vacations and spilled water bottles in bags.
It’s also going to be the best e-reader for Libby. If you use Libby to its fullest potential, with your account loaded with multiple library cards, the Kindle allows you to read from all of those accounts at once, something you can’t do on a Kobo e-reader.
Not a ton has changed between the 2022 (our previous pick) and 2024 models of the Kindle Paperwhite, but I can say for certain that the 2024 Kindle Paperwhite is the sleekest, fastest e-reader yet. It now has a slightly bigger screen at 7 inches compared to the previous 6.8-inch model, but the change is minuscule — besides the fact that the bigger model is slightly too big for my old Kindle case.
The 2024 Paperwhite has gotten a slight upgrade in screen quality compared to the 2022 Paperwhite. While the resolution is still 300 ppi, it appears to have higher contrast, straying away from the like-paper look and edging closer to the look of a tablet. Don’t worry, though — unlike tablets, the Kindle Paperwhite still has a gloriously glare-free screen. It still has an IPX68 waterproof rating, so you can get some leisurely reading in the bath.
In his review of the 2022 model, Mashable senior editor Stan Schroeder found only one extremely minor quibble with the Paperwhite Signature Edition, and I have to agree with him. On all Kindle models (besides the Scribe), the power button sits on the bottom, resulting in many accidental presses. This was the case with the prior Paperwhite model, and I was hoping that it’d move up top for the new model, but alas, Amazon has not made all the improvements it could have. Additionally, I wish this Kindle Paperwhite had page-turning buttons like the now-discontinued Kindle Oasis or the Kobo Libra Colour for a more ergonomic design.
Plus, a reason why I like the Kobo Clara Colour over the Kindle Paperwhite is that when you adjust the font size on the Kindle, it shifts content to different pages, effectively changing the number of pages you’ll be reading. However, on the Kindle, it doesn’t recalculate your page count like the Kobo does, meaning you don’t have a precise page number, so you can’t actually know how many pages are left in a chapter. (Note that Kindle page numbers match up with the physical copy of the book, while Kobo’s are the number of digital pages in the e-book. So, two or three “pages” on a Kindle might actually equal one page.)
That said, the Kindle Paperwhite is the best Kindle you can buy.
