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We all know that person who loves to read. This year, instead of simply adding another title from their favorite author to take up more space on their bookshelf, why not change the way they read books altogether? Gifting an e-reader can do just that and it's one of the best gifts for readers you can give. These lightweight devices are easy to read, they take up a fraction of the space of even most paperbacks and allow you to carry your entire collection of digital books with you wherever you go. We've rounded up the best e-readers and e-reader accessories to give as a gift to the book lovers in your life. You can check out more ebook reader suggestions here, plus we've tested several big-screen multifunction E Ink devices that are more tablet-like and add stylus support.
Best e-readers to gift in 2024
Amazon has released a baseline Kindle E Ink e-reader for $100 that no longer seems so entry-level. While its 6-inch screen makes it a smaller and lighter e-reader than the step-up Kindle Paperwhite ($140), its display has the same 300-ppi resolution as the Paperwhite. However, the Paperwhite model adds waterproofing and incorporates a more sophisticated front lighting scheme, with 17 LEDs compared with the basic Kindle 2022's four LEDs.
In the past, we've recommended stepping up to the Paperwhite if you could afford it, mainly because it had a higher resolution display than the entry-level Kindle, which allowed text to appear more crisp. But with both models now featuring similar displays (at least as far as resolution goes), we may have to revise that recommendation.
Read our Kindle (2022) review.
The Paperwhite is Amazon's middle-of-the-road Kindle, between the base model and the Oasis. It now sports a 6.8-inch screen and better battery life than its predecessor, which makes it my go-to choice, as it's almost as good as the fancier Oasis now.
While the Paperwhite is waterproof and can adjust its display color temperature, it lacks the Oasis' physical page-turn buttons.
There's also an upgraded model, the Signature Edition ($190), with 32GB of storage (versus 8GB) and an auto-adjusting front light. More importantly, it also works with the same wireless charging Qi pads as your phone. Again, hold out for a sale or a good trade-in deal on these.
Read our Kindle Paperwhite (2021) review.
Even though it was released a few years ago now, the iPad Mini is still a great little tablet for those who don't want the usual 10- and 11-inch tablet behemoths. With an 8.3-inch screen, it's also the perfect size for ebooks, and the color screen makes it a great choice for reading digital comics (ahem, graphic novels). At $500, it's more expensive than the fanciest Kindle reader, but you get a full-fledged iPadOS device that can serve as a streaming video player or game machine as well. It's also often on sale.
Read our iPad Mini review.
Some folks don't want to buy into the Kindle ecosystem -- for them, get the Kobo Elipsa 2E. This is the newest version of the company's extra large e-reader, equipped with a sharp screen that's easy to read. It's one of the few e-readers that allows you to use a stylus to take notes -- just note that the stylus is sold separately for the Elipsa 2E.
Big e-readers aren't for everybody, but if you like to see a lot of words on a page or bump up the font size, this Kobo e-reader is an appealing option.
Amazon's bigger-screen Kindle Scribe isn't just an e-reader. It also lets you write, draw and take notes by hand right on the 10.2-inch display. As CNET's Taylor Leamey says, "Think of the Scribe as a supercharged Kindle that you can take notes on. It's big enough to write comfortably and the side-by-side page view is about as close as you can get to feeling like you're reading an actual book. "
It's a hefty $340 to start, or up to $420 with an upgraded premium stylus and larger storage options. That's a lot for an e-reader, but with the ability to take notes, sketch, and notate documents, you're getting much, much more.
Read our Kindle Scribe review.
Best e-reader accessories
Amazon's official case for the 11th generation Kindle comes in a lightweight fabric design with three color options; pink, navy and black. The built-in magnets in the cover wake and sleep your Kindle automatically when you open or close the case and the soft interior fabric is meant to protect the screen.
Just like the fabric case for the 11th-gen Kindle, this official Amazon one for the Kindle Paperwhite has a magnetic cover that wakes your Kindle. The water-safe fabric should withstand a few drops of water for poolside reading sessions and comes in black, navy and a light dusty green.
Designed for the various ways you can use the Kindle Scribe, this leather folio case from Amazon is pricey, but has all the bells and whistles that make it a nice gift. Real full-grain leather exterior? Check. Pen holder to keep the Scribe's stylus from getting lost? Check. Magnetic cover that folds into a stand? Check. It's available in two colors, grey and dark green.
Reading on a Kindle in bed can be infinitely more comfortable than a physical book, but it can also come with its own ergonomics issues. CNET's Sarah Mitroff swears by this swiveling elastic tablet strap, which helps her rotate her Kindle so that her wrist isn't bent trying to hold it. It makes an excellent extra gift to go with a Kindle or as a stocking stuffer.
For the most comfortable reading position, considering gifting this Kindle and tablet holder that attaches to a bed frame, bedside table or any other secure post. You can then position the flexible arm into basically any position and clamp your Kindle into the stand for hands-free reading. This one comes recommended from folks on CNET's team, and more than 15,000 five-star Amazon reviews.
To complete the ultimate hands-free Kindle experience, get a remote control page turner for your giftee so they don't have to touch their Kindle to read. You just clip a receiver on to the side of the Kindle and use the remote to click back and forth through the pages. This one is widely popular across the Internet and on Amazon, with almost 7,500 five-star reviews.