People looking to get a new Kindle often get confused by Amazon’s selection of different Kindle models and sub-models, and the question of which is the best one to get comes up frequently, so I thought I’d do my best to answer that in this post.
First off, the “best” Kindle isn’t going to be the same for everybody. Some people have different needs and uses for Kindles, and some value certain features more than others. Given that, I’ve broken down the best Kindles into different categories.
Amazon did a complete refresh of the Kindle lineup in late 2024 so all the current models are less than a year old. Because of that, it’s very unlikely that Amazon will replace any of them in 2025; Amazon usually sticks with each new Kindle model for at least 2 years.
Some people are still waiting for a new Kindle Oasis, but it’s time to give up on that dream. Amazon released the Kindle Oasis 2 in 2017, and all they did was add a warm frontlight to it in 2019 and called it a new model, so technically the last Oasis design goes back 8 years. There’s no way they’re working on a new one after that many years.
If you’re wondering about the models that Amazon markets for kids, they’re exactly the same as regular Kindles. They’re just a bundle package that includes a cover, an upgraded 2-year warranty, and a 1-year subscription to Amazon Kids+. Sometimes the kids models go on sale for less than regular Kindles, at which point you’re better off buying the kids bundle instead.
Best Kindle Overall
The Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition is the best Kindle in the current lineup. It has the best screen, the best battery life, it’s the fastest Kindle, and it’s the better value if you want an ad-free Kindle with the most features.
You can get the base Kindle Paperwhite for $40 less than the Signature Edition if you don’t mind the screensaver ads and the smudge-prone rubbery coating on the back, but it costs $20 extra to remove the ads so at that point it’s only $20 more for the upgraded Signature Edition.
The Signature Edition adds wireless charging, an auto-brightness sensor, it has double the storage space with 32GB, it doesn’t have screensaver ads, and it has a metallic finish on the back instead of a rubbery coating. The base Paperwhite is the better option if you don’t care about any of that.
See my Kindle Paperwhite review for more details.
Best Kindle for Portability
If you want a small and lightweight Kindle, the basic Kindle is quite a bit smaller than the Kindle Paperwhite. It’s more pocketable and easier to take with you, and it’s very lightweight at 158 grams.
Plus the current basic Kindle isn’t as basic as it used to be. It has most of the same features as the base Kindle Paperwhite, minus the warm frontlight and the waterproofing.
Battery life isn’t as good as the Paperwhite, though, and the plastic feels pretty cheap and it scratches easily, but the screen is really nice and it’s not a fingerprint magnet like the flush screen on the Paperwhite.
See my 2024 Kindle review for more info.
Best Cheap Kindles
The entry-level Kindle is a good option at $109 (with ads) if you want to get a new Kindle, and it often goes on sale for less, but you can get an older used or refurbished Kindle for even less if you don’t want to spend much.
You can often find used Kindles for really cheap from places like Goodwill or eBay. And Woot is a good place to get refurbished Kindles, but their Kindle listings are sporadic so you have to check often.
Kindles last a long time, but I wouldn’t recommend buying anything older than a 10th gen Kindle at this point, which date back to 2018 and 2019. Anything older than that has a good chance of having a battery that’s starting to wear out.
The best older models to consider are the Kindle Oasis 3, the 2022 basic Kindle, and the 11th gen Kindle Paperwhite. I still really like the Kindle Voyage and think it’s one of the best Kindles ever, but at this point I wouldn’t recommend buying one unless you’re comfortable replacing the battery yourself since that model is now over 10 years old.
Best Kindle for Notetaking
This one is a little tricky. The Kindle Scribe is the only Kindle that supports notetaking with a stylus (you can add highlights and text notes using regular Kindles, but only the Kindle Scribe supports notebooks and writing in ebooks), but it still might not be the best option for everybody.
If you want advanced notetaking features you might be better off forgoing the Kindle Scribe entirely and getting an eNote from Onyx instead. Their notebook app adds a lot more features, and Boox devices run Android so they can be used to read Kindle ebooks as well. However, you can’t write on Kindle ebooks using the Android app, so there are some limitations in that regard.
Amazon released a new Kindle Scribe for 2024, but it’s almost exactly the same as the original that came out in 2022. The new model has a white bezel, whereas the old model has a black bezel. The features are the same so it just comes down to personal preference. If you can buy the older model for less you aren’t missing out on anything.
The Kindle Scribe is also nice if you just want a Kindle with a larger screen, and it’s much better suited for reading PDFs and such than smaller Kindles.