WHAT E-READER TO BUY

E-readers. You know what they are. Kindles, Nooks, Kobo and the like.

Actually, pretty much any modern phone or tablet will do as well. Lap tops. Desk tops. Getting to be a pretty large list.

But, for the sake of convenience let’s say that we are talking dedicated e-readers. Electronic books. And now that we have agreed to that, let’s narrow the list down a bit.

I’m going to start with the big daddy of the market. The 500-pound gorilla, as it were. And that is any variant of the Amazon Kindle. In fact, the name Kindle has become so ubiquitous as to become almost generic. A Hoover, or a Fridge.

But let’s not forget the minnows. The top of this pile would most likely be the Kobo. Then arguably, the Nook.

After that we get the lesser known ones. Icarus, Book max, Tolino, Pocket Book, Pyrus…

Enough, I hear you cry out. I agree – enough.

And I’m going to go out on a limb here and say it. Kindle first then Kobo then…there is no then. Here’s my list of the best of the best at the moment.

1. Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 2018

All told – this is the best. We get value for money, a sturdy but relatively lightweight product with a great matt screen side lit for night time reading and a fair battery life. Yep – this upgraded paperwhite is the one.

2. Amazon Kindle 2019

Okay – this baby is almost as good as the Paperwhite. Some would say better, because of the price. Undeniably excellent value for money. But bear in mind, that means you miss out on top features like waterproof and battery life. Still – if you’re looking to spend a little less then this is the e-reader for you.

3. Amazon Kindle Oasis (2017)

This one is seriously cool. Bigger screen, waterproof, light sensor. Bluetooth for connecting to a headphone so you can listen to Audio books. An excellent package – but you pay for it. Probably not worth all the extra cash.

4. Kobo forma

Lightweight. Large screen. Supports e-pub. Water resistant. And this has a really nice ergonomic feel to it. The problem – not supported by Amazon and…really expensive for what you get.

5. Amazon Kindle 2016 8th generation

Right – not a bad reader if you can get a refurb really cheap. But once you’ve used a side lit screen then these old babies just won’t crack it anymore. Simple as that – who want to read by flashlight?

6. Kobo Clara

This is a sort of minimalist alternative to a Kindle. Stripped down. Lightweight, small, got wi-fi and easy to use. If you want a Kobo you can’t go far wrong with this nice and simple affair.

7. Kobo Aura One

With this you get free 3G a big screen and accesses to Overdrive for high quality library books. You also get access to a rather stiff price and after all it’s a little bit … Meh!

8. Kobo Aura H2O

If you absolutely, definitely have to have a waterproof e-reader because you keep dropping yours in the bath/toilet/pool – then maybe this one is for you. Otherwise, I can’t think of any other reason to buy one.