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There's nothing better than settling into a good book, and today's reading tablets will make it easier than ever to cross off titles on your to-read list this season. These devices combine glare-free displays, marathon battery life, and user-friendly interfaces.
Our top picks from Kindle, TCL, Apple, and more include features like waterproofing, adjustable brightness, speedy performance, and long battery lives.
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We compiled this list by extensively going hands-on with the best tablets for reading on the market, considering price, storage, and special features in our testing. We've named the Kindle Paperwhite as the best reading tablet overall for its adjustable lighting, performance, and battery life. But we also include reading tablets from brands like Apple and TCL so you can find the right tablet for your needs and reading style.
In our August update, we performed copy changes and added new alternative products.
Why we like it: Amazon's Kindle devices are well known for a reason, and the new Kindle Paperwhite released this fall is our favorite. It has all the familiar features of a Kindle (300 ppi e-ink screen, long battery life, and adjustable warm light), along with noticeably faster performance -- Amazon claims it features 25% faster page turns and 20% of an overall faster experience, whether you're browsing book titles or downloading an audiobook.
The Paperwhite also gets up to 12 weeks of battery life (compared to 10 weeks from the previous Paperwhite generation. Staff writer Maria Diaz tested the Kindle for two weeks and never had to charge it. "After two weeks of daily reading on a single charge, some days for up to three hours a day, my Kindle Paperwhite's battery is still at 32%," she wrote in her review.
Review: One of the best E Ink readers I've tested isn't made by Boox or Kobo
Who it's for: The new Paperwhite also has a larger, 7-inch display (the previous generation was 6.8 inches) and is thinner, making it even more comfortable to hold while reading for hours. It's also waterproof (how many tablets can say that?), so you can read by the pool or in the bath without worrying about stray splashes.
There is still a Signature Edition to the Paperwhite, and for $40 more it offers wireless charging, 32GB of storage instead of 16GB, and an auto-adjusting front light sensor.
Who should look elsewhere: Of course, this is definitely more of an e-reader than a tablet, as you can't really browse the web, and there is no stylus compatible with it. Still, if your primary use of a tablet will be for reading, the Paperwhite is a great option.
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite tech specs: Display: 7-inch 300 ppi e-ink screen | Storage: 16 GB | Colors : Black, raspberry, jade | Weight: 7.4 ounces | Dimensions: 7 x 5 x .30 inches | Connections: USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | Battery life: Up to 12 weeks
Why we like it: The TCL Nxtpaper 11 Plus is the perfect nexus between a reading tablet and a regular tablet. TCL's Nxtpaper technology lets you switch from regular mode to color paper to ink paper (the most similar to what you can expect from an e-reader). Its display helps reduce eye strain while reducing blue light, omitting a conventional backlight, and eliminating flickering, making it easy on the eyes than traditional screens while displaying the different types of content you'd expect from a tablet or smartphone .
Who it's for: Diaz went hands-on with the TCL tablet and said it was perfect for everyday use, especially for reducing eye strain. " I use my MacBook Pro and iPad every day for work, so I found a big difference when using the TCL Nxtpaper 11 Plus instead of my iPad each night," she wrote, adding, "By the end of the night, my eyes weren't straining or exhausted, and my tension headaches even became milder, which is a big plus."
You can also set Reading Modes and enable Adaptive Brightness to further reduce the chance of eye fatigue. It comes built-in with Android 15, so you can browse the web, download reading apps, watch videos, and more.
The stylus (which is sold separately), has AI-powered handwriting recognition, and handwriting-to-text conversions.
Who should look elsewhere: This tablet is the heaviest on our list at 17.28 ounces, making it not as portable. If you plan to carry your reading tablet with you on your daily commute, it might be worth considering a lighter option.
Why we like it: The Kindle Scribe is the ideal option to satisfy your reading and note-taking needs. It has the same functions you've come to know and love in a Kindle (like a 300 ppi glare-free screen, weeks of battery life, and adjustable warm light), but it's also compatible with Amazon's Basic or Premium Pen, so you can take handwritten notes or underline important quotations in the book you're reading.
Your notes are automatically organized in one place for every book so that you can browse, review, and export them via email--an excellent feature for students or professionals citing multiple sources. The Kindle Scribe also comes with preset templates to help you create notebooks, journals, and lists, and you can create sticky notes in Microsoft Word and other compatible Word documents.
Who it's for: ZDNET contributing writer Matthew Miller called the Kindle Scribe "close to perfect" when he went hands-on during testing. "I use my Kindle Scribe daily as my primary note-taking device, and the habit of carrying it has also resulted in me reading more books than I have in years," Miller wrote. "It's an excellent ebook device while also serving as a capable working tablet."
The Kindle Scribe comes with the Basic pen, but for the more advanced features like a dedicated eraser and the shortcut button you'll need the Premium pen, which costs $30 extra. However, Amazon customers who have reviewed the Kindle Scribe say that the premium pen is worth paying for, especially since it has an eraser and a button that lets you switch the nib from writing to highlighting.
Who should look elsewhere: If you're not much of an annotator, you're better off with the base-model Kindle or the Kindle Paperwhite.
Kindle Scribe specs: Display: 10.2-inch 300 ppi Paperwhite display| Battery life: Up to 12 weeks (at 30 minutes per day) | Weight: 15.3 ounces | Storage: 16 GB, 32 GB, or 64 GB
Why we like it: Of course, you don't have to get a dedicated e-reader in order to read on a tablet. The iPad Mini serves as a great reading device in addition to an app-toting tablet thanks to its lightweight and sharp screen. It has an 8.3-inch liquid retina display with 326 ppi, which is a higher resolution than the Kindles. As a result, text looks especially sharp on screen, and Apple's True Tone technology (which adjusts the color and intensity of your display to match the ambient light) ensures you have a natural reading experience.
Who it's for: Diaz also tested the Apple iPad Mini and said, "The iPad Mini 7 is compact and fast, and its Apple silicon processor is built to last for years." She recommended users to "buy the iPad Mini 7 for the entertainment tablet it is."
Apple's anti-reflective screen coating also reduces the likelihood of catching a glare when reading outside on a sunny day. And, since it's a traditional tablet, you can read articles or blog posts on the web, download the Kindle app and read traditionally, or download other apps to borrow library books or find independent authors.
With the iPad Mini, you're also getting Apple's powerful A17 Pro chip, an ultra-wide 12 MP front camera, support for the Apple Pencil Pro to take notes, Apple Intelligence capabilities, and more.
Who should look elsewhere: It's an expensive tablet that offers reading as a feature--not centered around it--so if budget is a key factor for you, you might want to consider other options.
Apple iPad Mini specs: Display: 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display (326 ppi) | Battery life: 10 hours | Weight: 10.4 ounces | Storage : 138GB, 256GB, or 512GB
Why we like it: Amazon's Fire HD 8 Kids tablet is an excellent kid-friendly reading device. It has a kid-proof case built to withstand use by children, and comes with a free one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+. The subscription gives you access to thousands of kid-friendly, ad-free books and movies, games, and other educational content your child will love.
Review: Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Tablet (12th generation)
Who it's for: ZNDET writer Maria Diaz had her kids tested the Fire HD 8 Kids tablet and called it "a perfect first tablet" built with kids in mind. "Endurance is the main reason why any parent should buy the Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids," Diaz wrote. "I can't tell you how many times my preschoolers have dropped (or thrown) their [Amazon] tablets and stepped on them 'by accident' over the past three years, yet the screens have remained intact."
Parents can use parental controls built into the tablet to control screen time and set educational goals for their children, which ensures that your kid is actually reading or learning something during use. Plus, it has 2 MP front and rear-facing cameras with 720p HD video recording and the ability to add themed filters and fun frames to photos.
Who should look elsewhere: This tablet is designed for children ages three to seven, so if your child is older than that, you may want to consider other options or another Fire Kids tablet model.
Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Tablet specs: Display: 8-inch HD display, 1280 x 800 (189 ppi) | Battery life: Up to 13 hours | Weight: 1.14 pounds | Storage: 32GB or 64GB
The best reading tablet is the Kindle Paperwhite, which has reading-specific features like adjustable warm light, great battery life, and a screen that's easy on the eyes. Below is an overview of how the best reading tablets compare based on price, display size, and battery life:
While all these reading tablets are great options, it ultimately comes down to a few questions. Do you want your tablet to be just for reading, or do you also want it for other things like streaming and web browsing? How big do you want the tablet to be? How much storage space do you need, and how much are you willing to spend?
Here is a look at the unique features of each of these reading tablets:
The best overall option. This reading tablet has IPX8 water resistance, a 12-week battery life, and adjustable warm light.
An Android tablet with a unique e-ink screen technology. You can switch from reading mode to browsing the web in regular mode in seconds.
An e-reader that doubles as a note-taker with an outstanding battery life and an included pen. It's even compatible with Microsoft Word.
An Apple tablet that's powerful yet lightweight for reading with True Tone technology. The pixel-dense display also makes for sharper text.
A reading tablet with kid-friendly features like an Amazon Kid+ subscription for one year. It's also super durable and comes with a two-year worry-free guarantee.
Whether you want to jot notes while reading, have a water-resistant tablet for poolside browsing, or invest in a kid-friendly option, we have you covered. ZDNET considered price, size, and special features when making our final picks.
The ZDNET team chose all of the tablets included in this list based on their performance when tested in the real world . When we test tablets, we typically follow the same routine for each one to see which performs best.
We also compare the display's performance with what the manufacturer promised, test the screen's responsiveness to touch, and assess the performance of any extra features, like a manufacturer's stylus.
Performance: For real-world performance metrics, our reviewers measure how quickly the tablet reacts to input, assess game performance and frame rates, test how the tablet handles having multiple apps running simultaneously, measure the time it takes to launch apps, and even assess the tablet's temperature during intensive tasks.
For a deeper look into our testing process, check out our comprehensive tablet testing methodology .
The average size book is 6 by 9 inches, so tablets that have a 7 to 10-inch screen are about the same as picking up and reading an actual book. However, please pay attention to how much a tablet weighs since you don't want it to be too heavy for its size.
You can also test out what works for you by visiting a local electronics retailer or bookstore.
If you're serious about reading, getting a Kindle over your average tablet is probably your best bet since they come with reading-specific features like adjustable warm light, waterproof designs, and page-turn buttons without the distraction of internet-based apps.
Also: Which Kindle e-reader is right for you? The top models compared
However, if you want an all-in-one type tablet, you can opt for a tablet like the iPad Mini or the Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8.4 for browsing the web, streaming videos, taking photos, and reading books.
Like all things, doing something too much or too long is never good. If you want to use a tablet for reading, be sure to take frequent breaks to give your eyes a rest from the screen. It's also a good idea to invest in a pair of blue light blocking glasses if you plan to read on a tablet at night.
It depends on what you're looking for. A Kobo has many options and a user-friendly interface, but we prefer Kindle readers for its portability, performance, and battery life. However, depending on your preferences, a Kobo could fit your needs better than a Kindle.
For those who prioritize portability, this 6.13-inch device packs a lot of punch into a small package. The backlit Kaleido 3 color display resembles a newspaper or magazine, with a highly customizable range of preset refresh modes and color options. Because of the Google Play Store, you can download any reading app you like, including Kindle.
This color e-reader can also double as a note-taking tablet, thanks to the included stylus and various templates. The vivid color display makes pages pop, and you can also highlight passages in books in various colors. While you still need a subscription to gain access to books to download, a Kobo subscription costs just $7.99 a month, compared to Kindle's subscription which is priced at $11.99 per month.
