Amazon Kindle (2024)

It ranks #2 of 18 on our e-readers tier list, in A tier. That placement draws on 4 independent outlets.

Anyone who wants the cheapest reliable e-reader and will use it indoors or in dry places. It is Wirecutter's outright top pick for almost everyone, with fewer parts than any rival, no moving components and the simplest firmware surface in the category, which adds up to boring, reliable ownership for years. Buy the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2024) instead if you read in the bath or by the pool, because the base Kindle is not waterproof. Buy the Kobo Clara BW instead if you want a compact reader you can repair and that is not tied to the Amazon store.

Years, and probably longer than fancier readers. The board's research notes that it has fewer parts than any rival, nothing that moves and the simplest firmware in the category, with years of Amazon updates ahead. Less hardware means less to fail. The main wear item is the sealed battery, which slowly loses capacity, and the glass e-ink panel, which needs a case against drops.

No. The base Kindle has no water-resistance rating, so keep it away from the bath, the pool and rain. If you want waterproofing from Amazon, the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2024) carries an IPX8 rating and is the top pick on our board.

The Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2024) if you can stretch to it, because it is waterproof, has a larger screen and is the S tier consensus pick on our board. The Amazon Kindle (2024) is the right choice if you want the lowest cost of entry, the smallest and lightest device, or simply the fewest parts to go wrong. Both share Amazon's store, library borrowing and support network, so the reading experience is the same once you are past the hardware.

The Amazon Kindle (2024) is the current base Kindle on our board, and the 2024 Paperwhite and 2025 Scribe are the newer members of the wider range. A newer base model would show up on the board when expert reviews cover it. Buying the 2024 model now does not put you at a disadvantage, because it is the current generation with years of updates ahead.