Independent, in-depth reviews of every current e-reader and e-ink tablet, with specs, verdicts and who each one is for.
Every e-ink device built for handwritten notes, PDF markup and distraction-free thinking.
An e-ink writing tablet pairs an electronic-paper screen with a stylus, so you can take handwritten notes and mark up PDFs the way you would on paper, while a plain e-reader is built only for reading books.
The Kindle Paperwhite is the e-reader I recommend by default, and nothing this year changes that.
The best big-screen Kindle Amazon has made, with a lovely pen and a reading experience I adore.
A beautifully made colour e-ink reader and notebook with one real party trick (colour writing that appears with no flash) and two real catches (muted colour and weaker battery), sold at a premium price.
Discontinued
The Kindle Oasis was a very good device that the rest of the range has caught up with and passed.
The Kobo Libra Colour is the most versatile mid-size e-reader on the market: page-turn buttons, waterproofing, colour, native EPUB, strong library support and optional note-taking, all in one comfortable body.
The Kobo Libra 2 is one of the best mono e-readers you can buy: page-turn buttons, waterproofing, a warm-lit screen and Kobo's library support, all without paying for colour.
The Kobo Clara Colour puts colour e-ink, waterproofing and Kobo's library support into the most pocketable, affordable package around.
The Kobo Elipsa 2E is the natural pick for anyone who wants a large read-and-write e-ink device without being locked into Amazon.
The Boox Go 10.3 is the value pick for an open, large-screen writing tablet.
The Boox Note Air 4C is the most versatile e-ink device you can buy: colour, a good pen, open Android and every reading app on one screen.
The Boox Palma 2 is a niche device that does its niche very well.
The Boox Tab Ultra C Pro is the maximalist e-ink tablet: colour, fast, camera-equipped and running full Android, it does more than any single-purpose device.
Best for serious note-taking, no subscription
The PocketBook InkPad Color 3 opens more formats than any other colour e-reader.
The PocketBook Era is a practical, flexible mono reader with two tricks the big names lack: it opens almost any format natively, and it has a built-in speaker for out-loud audiobooks.
The Tolino Epos 3 is a good large-screen reader, and whether to buy it depends on where you live.
The Kindle is the default e-reader for good reasons: Amazon has the biggest ebook store on the planet, the syncing works, and there is a model for almost every kind of reader. It is also a walled garden, with no native EPUB and a store that wants to keep you inside it, and every buyer should know that going in.
My reviews
Kobo is Rakuten's e-reading brand and the one serious global alternative to the Kindle, and for a lot of readers it is the better choice. Kobo reads EPUB natively and has library borrowing through OverDrive and Libby built into the device, so you are not tied to one store the way Amazon encourages.
My reviews
Everything on Kobo →reMarkable makes the best-feeling writing tablet you can buy, and it gets there by leaving almost everything else out. This Norwegian company builds paper-tablets: distraction-free e-ink devices for handwriting, note-taking, and reading documents, with no apps, no notifications, and no browser to pull you away.
My reviews
Everything on reMarkable →Onyx Boox is the brand to look at if you want your e-reader to do more than read books from one store. This Chinese maker runs full Android on its e-ink devices, so the same screen can open Kindle, Kobo, Libby, a PDF, a browser, and a note-taking app, all on one paper-like display.
My reviews
Everything on Onyx Boox →Supernote is the writing tablet for handwriting purists, the people who care more about how the nib feels than about apps or color. Made by the Chinese company Ratta, these e-ink devices chase one thing: a lagless, paper-like writing experience you can keep for years.
My reviews
Everything on Supernote →PocketBook is an e-reader for people who want to open whatever files they have. This European brand's pitch is format flexibility: it natively reads a huge spread of ebook and document types, most models keep physical page-turn buttons, and several even handle audio, which is rare in e-ink.
My reviews
Everything on PocketBook →Tolino was created by an alliance of major German booksellers and a telecom partner. It is the dominant e-ink brand across the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) and reaches France, Spain, and Italy through partner bookshops.
My reviews
Everything on Tolino →For the full ranking across every use case, see my best e-ink tablets of 2026.
