OverDrive will be phased out by the end of 2022, which means you’ll have to download the Libby app on your iOS or Android device to wirelessly deliver ebooks to your Kindle. All of the ebook readers we tested allow you to use the OverDrive or Libby apps to borrow free ebooks from your local library. Just a few examples include the capability to share purchased books with people on your Amazon Prime account X-Ray, which helps identify notable people and terms in your books the optional Kindle Unlimited service, which gives you on-demand access to a huge catalog of books for a flat rate every month and Amazon Kids+, which provides access to kid’s books, movies, TV shows, and more (a free, one-year subscription is included with the Kindle Paperwhite Kids). The huge collection of services that Amazon and its partners offer is a major reason why we love the Kindle Paperwhite Kids. While all readers allow you to side-load unprotected content, it’s important that they provide easy access to a large library of commercial books.

Library: Ebook readers can’t stand on the strength of their hardware alone.

Other features: While not required, features like waterproofing and Bluetooth audio can make a good e-reader great.

In other words, most specs are less important than how good the ebook reader feels in the hand.

Battery life and storage: Most of the readers promise battery life somewhere between six and eight weeks (depending on usage) and offer 8 GB or 32 GB of storage.

Six-inch screens are the most common size, as well as the most portable and likely to be pocketable, although newer readers pack larger screens into similarly sized bodies, which is a bonus.

Build quality and size: While most ebook readers are made of plastic, some feel better than others in your hands.

Anything lower will mean less crisp text and images.

Screen quality: We gave preference to devices with a pixel density of 300 dots per inch, the highest available in any ebook reader and what most models offer.

(Unlike tablets such as the iPad, ebook readers use a side-lighting system that provides a glow across the screen, rather than from behind it.) Because this feature is so prevalent, we didn’t test any readers without it. Built-in lighting: Most e-readers provide their own light for reading in dark environments.

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