It might look like a boring tablet, but an ereader is designed specifically only for digital versions of books, whether novels or comics, fiction or non-fiction. All ereaders – also called ebook readers – use a special display that makes reading in any kind of ambient lighting condition easy. These displays have a look that resembles the texture of paper (not the feel), and that's easy on the eyes. Since they perform only a single task – display ebooks – they don't use powerful processors and can be slow to refresh. However, this doesn't affect the performance of an ereader and, in fact, allows the battery life to go on for weeks on a single charge. An ereader typically comes with 16GB of storage these days, if not more, and can store thousands of titles. That means you can carry your entire library with you on holiday.

What is the best E Ink screen type and size for ereaders?

For most people's needs, a grayscale (or monochrome) screen will suffice on an ereader, and 6 inches is the most common size. And there's only one company that supplies these screens – E Ink. For black-and-white devices, the current screen of choice is the E Ink Carta 1300, although some devices available at the time of writing also use the previous generation E Ink Carta 1200 display. The former is just a touch faster and has good contrast – if optimized well, it makes reading a pleasure. If you prefer a color epaper display, then E Ink's Kaleido 3 is the most common screen, but the reMarkable Paper Pro uses a custom version of the E Ink Gallery 3 technology. While the latter allows for more color saturation, a well-implemented Kaleido 3 screen will make book covers and comics pop, just not as much as on an LCD or OLED display. My sweet spot for the best screen size is 7 inches – anything larger can become a little unwieldy to use while out and about, or when lying in bed to read. It's good to opt for a 10-inch epaper writing tablet though, as that ensures your notes are not squished into a small area.

Are color ereaders worth buying?

Whether you should opt for a color ereader is very much a personal choice, although anyone who typically reads a lot of comics or manga might enjoy the experience better. It is, however, important to keep in mind that colors on the E Ink screens appear 'washed out' or muted compared to what you'd see on your phone or tablet (like an iPad), which is due to the limitations of the screen technology. If you mostly read text, which will anyway be displayed in black and white, you'll save money by opting for a monochrome ereader.

Kindle vs Kobo: what is the difference?

While the devices themselves are largely similar, there are a few differences between Kindles and Kobo ereaders. For starters, the former is widely available in any market Amazon operates in, but Kindles can lock you into Amazon's ecosystem by pushing you to purchase titles only from the Kindle Store. Kobo also has its own bookstore accessible via its ereaders, but the ecosystem is a lot more open and sideloading books you already own is a lot easier. Kobo's file support is wider, as is its font support. In fact, you can even sideload Amazon's dedicated fonts like Bookerly and Ember if you prefer them. Then there's borrowing library books – while both devices give you that option, Kindle users can only do so if they live in the US. If you happen to reside elsewhere, you might want to consider a Kobo, provided your local library has OverDrive support (you can ask them before you decide to buy an ereader). Kobo devices are typically a little more expensive, but then you also get more device choices from the Japanese-Canadian ereader brand. And if you're after a note-taking device, we think Kobo is the way to go. Find out more about how to choose between a Kindle and a Kobo ereader .

Which ereader is better for library books?

If your main source of reading material would ebooks from your local library, then it's best to opt for a Kindle or a Kobo device. Both with allow you to access your local library's ebook catalogue from anywhere (as long as you are connected to a Wi-Fi network), but keep in mind that Kindles only support borrowing from American libraries. If you live outside of the US, a Kobo would be a better option. Kobo devices work with the OverDrive service that lets you borrow in regions including the US, UK, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore (amongst others). If you want to own your books, the Amazon marketplace is much larger than Kobo, and has a huge self-publishing component for finding independent authors.

Can I listen to audiobooks on an ereader?

As long as an ereader has Bluetooth connectivity, you should be able to pair a set of wireless headphones to listen to supported audio files. While brands like Onyx and PocketBook will allow you to sideload audio files, including audiobooks, Kindle and Kobo devices only support those purchased from their respective stores. In fact, some Onyx and PocketBook ereaders have built-in speakers, so you may not even need headphones to listen. However, don't expect great sound quality from them because, like your phone, they're small drivers and the sound would be better via a connected pair of headphones. Also keep in mind that audio files are typically larger than ebook formats, so if you're storing a lot of these on your device, you'll need to keep an eye on how much space you've got left.

What fonts can my ereader support?

Most ereaders will support some basic fonts natively and you won't need to tinker with them at all. However, if you do want to change things up, a Kindle or a Kobo is a good idea as they both make it easy to change fonts on the device. You'll find that the Kindles have some custom fonts designed by Amazon, with Bookerly and Ember being the most popular ones. We found that the list of fonts on Kindles is extensive enough that we didn't find the need to sideload more, but you can if you need to. Kobo devices also have their own set of default fonts, but there's no rule against sideloading more, including Amazon's own custom ones like Bookerly. And sideloading is as easy as plugging your Kobo ereader into a computer and moving your desired font to the device's fonts folder.

How to choose an ereader

While your budget is arguably the most important consideration when choosing the best ereader for you, it's also important to keep in mind what you really want from that device. Consider the screen and the user interface as your starting points. The former should be clear and easy to read, but also feature a good light, while the latter should be streamlined and easy to use use. You also need to figure out if a grayscale display will suffice or whether you need a color screen. Storage capacity might be important to voracious readers who would likely have hundreds of titles in their digital library, if not thousands. While 16GB of internal storage is becoming the norm – and that's plenty for thousands of titles – some brands offer expandable storage via microSD cards. These become even more important if you prefer listening to audiobooks as these files are larger than ebooks. This means you also need to consider file formats that the ereader can support natively. Some devices offer broader file support than others, so check your existing library or online bookstores to see what the most common format is (ePUB is typically quite common). Also check if your ebook are DRM-locked as your ereader may support the file format it's in, but only without DRM. A broad font support can also be handy to have. Lastly, if you're not keen on buying new titles, you'll want to pick up an ereader that allows you to borrow from a local public library either natively or via a third-party application like Libby. The secondary considerations to keep in mind would be the importance of waterproofing and whether you really need stylus support.

What is the difference between an ereader and a tablet?

If you already own a tablet – whether an iPad or an Android – do you really need another device for reading digital books? An ereader has limitations, but for reading it can be far superior to a more extensible tablet. 1. E Ink technology The main difference between an ereader and an iPad you will notice immediately. The ereader screen is almost always grayscale, using special E Ink technology that is very crisp and specialized for fonts and text. It refreshes relatively slowly and it sometimes leaves a trace (ghosting) that needs to be refreshed. E-ink screens also don't flicker like a normal screen, making it more comfortable to read for a longer period of time. 2. Battery life While you might hope to get a day of use out of your iPad, an ereader tablet measures battery life in weeks. Because the screen only refreshes when you turn the page, it draws very little power. Our favorite ereaders have a backlit screen, but those LED lights don't use much battery. If you read for 30 minutes a day or so, you can get a few months of battery life with our top pick devices. 3. Blue light filter While dark mode has become quite common in recent times and many modern electronic screens automatically adjust their displays depending on ambient lighting, there's no filter to reduce blue light. The best ereaders, however, use front lights with a white to yellow hue that's better for the eyes (and your sleep pattern) as compared to phones and tablets. 4. Affordable and convenient If you are mostly reading books, an ereader tablet is a bargain over an iPad. The base model Amazon Kindle 2022 is a bare fraction of the price of an iPad or a Samsung Galaxy Tab, while large-screen ereaders like the Kindle Scribe and Kobo Elipsa can be had for an equivalent price or for not that much more than a base model iPad (depending on where you live). If books are your main thing, stick with an ereader and save money versus a tablet.