A Comprehensive Guide to Amazon's Kindle Lineup

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Let me guess: At the start of 2024, one of your resolutions was to read more. “I’m gonna read more,” you glibly said, vowing to visit your local library. Now—shit—it’s already April and you haven’t picked up a single book. Instead, you’ve been getting bamboozled by whatever the hell this is. It’s not too late change course and get back to your resolution! While we’re big fans of reading physical books, we love the convenience, simplicity, and reliability of a Kindle.

A staple since its debut in 2007, Amazon’s Kindle e-reader lineup has grown to offer six models. Each one caters to different preferences with varying features, storage capacities, and price points. For instance, the Kindle Paperwhite has a comfortable paperback-sized design that offers an impressive balance between features, performance, and affordability, making it a popular choice for many readers. If you’re looking for something flashier, the tablet-size Kindle Scribe lets you scribble down notes, mark up PDFs, and, of course, read your favorite books on its giant 10.2-inch screen.

Look, reading isn’t just for seniors. Especially in our hyper-connected world, there’s no better time than now to unwind with a good book. With thousands of titles at your fingertips and a design that helps eliminate distractions, Kindle devices are your gateway to heart-pounding sci-fi and reflections on creativity. Here’s a breakdown of the best Kindles to help you find the perfect match for your reading preferences.

Let me guess: At the start of 2024, one of your resolutions was to read more. You said this to yourself as you visited your local library. Now, shit, it’s already April and you haven’t picked up a single book. Instead, you’ve been getting bamboozled by whatever the Apple Vision Pro actually does and binging your favorite new TV shows. It’s not too late change course and get back to your resolution. While we’re big fans of reading physical books, we love the convenience, simplicity, and reliability of a Kindle.

A staple since its debut in 2007, Amazon’s Kindle e-reader lineup has grown to offer six models. Each one caters to different preferences with varying features, storage capacities, and price points. For instance, the Kindle Paperwhite has a comfortable paperback-sized design that offers an impressive balance between features, performance, and affordability. If you’re looking for something flashier, the tablet-size Kindle Scribe lets you scribble down notes, mark up PDFs, and, of course, read your favorite books on its giant 10.2-inch screen.

In our hyper-connected world, there’s no better time than now to unwind with a good book. With thousands of titles at your fingertips and a design that helps eliminate distractions, Kindle devices are your gateway to heart-pounding sci-fi and reflections on creativity. Here’s a breakdown of the best Kindles to help you find the perfect match for your reading preferences.

Kindle Paperwhite (16 GB)

The Amazon Kindle Paperwhite stands out as a favorite for a reason. It’s comfortable, lightweight, and water-resistant—perfect for poolside reading on vacation. It also strikes the perfect balance between features, design, and price.

The Paperwhite boasts a 6.8-inch, 300 ppi screen that ensures crystal-clear text. Around the display are 17 LEDs, so lighting is consistent. For comfortable nighttime reading, the Paperwhite offers and adjustable warm light that reduces blue light emission. Plus, an auto-brightness feature adapt the screen’s illumination to your environment, so you can always read comfortably.

The Paperwhite also offers up to 10 weeks of battery on a single charge, making it an excellent travel companion. The flush-front design eliminates any raised bezel or edges around the screen for a sleek and modern aesthetic. Plus, the Paperwhite delivers snappy performance with responsive taps and page turns.

I’m a longtime Paperwhite user—I still own and use the model I bought in 2014—and it’s perfect for what it is, offering an immersive reading experience in a small, lightweight package. With its combination of features and design, the Paperwhite is an excellent choice for all types of readers.

Kindle Scribe (16 GB)

The standard Kindle is Amazon’s most affordable e-reader, making it an excellent choice for budget-conscious readers or those looking for a simple and reliable device. It features a six-inch glare-free display, adjustable backlight for comfortable reading, and long battery life that lasts up to six weeks on a single charge. The screen is now 300 ppi, up from the 167 ppi of the previous generation, matching the more expensive Kindle Paperwhite.

With 16GB of storage, it can hold thousands of e-books or dozens of audiobooks, keeping your entire library at your fingertips. Like the Paperwhite, it delivers a fast and responsive experience when navigating menus and turning pages.

There are some trade-offs to consider here. Unlike the pricier Paperwhite, this model lacks an adjustable warm light, which can be helpful for nighttime reading. The built-in backlight only uses four LEDs, which doesn’t provide as even illumination as other options in the Kindle lineup. Additionally, the standard Kindle isn’t waterproof, so you’ll need to be cautious around water or spills.

Despite these limitations, the standard Kindle’s affordability, crisp display, and lightweight design make it an excellent choice for readers on a budget.

Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition (32GB)

The Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition is the e-reader to get if you want a little bit more from the standard Paperwhite. It builds on the Paperwhite’s strengths with some key upgrades, including doubling the storage to 32GB. For us, that was the equivalent to thousands of e-books and a massive library of audiobooks.

Another perk of the Signature Edition is its support for wireless charging. It’s the only Kindle that works with Qi charging pads (sold separately, obviously). It was easy to charge the device overnight and have it ready to go the next day. While the standard wired charging method offers weeks of battery life, wireless charging adds a touch of convenience. It’s not a must-have feature by any means, but it's one less wire to worry about on your nightstand.

Meanwhile, the Signature Edition features an auto-adjusting light, so the screen will always be at the optimal brightness, no matter if you’re reading outside or in your bedroom. It’s another convenient feature that helps elevate the Signature Edition that much more over the standard Paperwhite. These features—along with no ads—come at a higher price tag. But if you’re an avid reader who flies through books, the additional cost is worth it.

Kindle Scribe (16GB)

The Kindle Scribe is the largest e-reader offered by Amazon, and the most expensive. It boasts a 10.2-inch display with 300 ppi, allowing you to pack more text on the page than ever. We found the large screen hit its stride when reading comic books and graphic novels, providing a more natural representation of a physical copy. The front light has 35 LEDs—the most of any Kindle—and there is an adjustable warm light and auto-adjusting light.

The Scribe’s headlining feature is its stylus support, which makes it function like a tablet with an e-paper screen. You can jot down notes, sketch, annotate in books or documents, write to-do lists, and more. The writing experience is excellent, with nice precision and responsiveness. You can upgrade to the Premium Pen, which adds a dedicated eraser and a shortcut button. The stylus opens up a world of possibilities for Kindle users, making it an exciting tool for students and professionals that mark up a lot of text documents. You can even use it to play crossword puzzles, word searches, and Sudoku.

The Scribe is great for someone who reads a lot and doesn’t want the distractions of a traditional tablet. The large screen is excellent for reading and writing, and the battery is never-ending. Unfortunately, the Scribe is expensive at $340 (as of this writing) and its large size means it’s not as portable. Put it this way: It's not something you can comfortably use while lying on your side in bed.

Paperwhite Kids (16GB)

Young readers will adore the Kindle Paperwhite Kids. It boasts up to 10 weeks of battery life and is waterproof to protect from accidental spills. With a 6.8-inch, 300 ppi display, it offers clear and crisp text. Additionally, it comes bundled with one of three kid-friendly covers, providing extra protection from drops and dings. Each Paperwhite Kids comes with a two-year “worry-free guarantee."

The Paperwhite Kids is essentially the standard Paperwhite, but comes with a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+, granting access to thousands of kid-friendly books. It features an adjustable warm light, allowing kids to personalize the screen tone for a more comfortable reading experience, especially at night.

Parents will appreciate the Parent Dashboard feature, which enables them to adjust age filters, add books to their child’s library, and monitor their reading progress. The Paperwhite Kids also offers an ad-free experience and supports Audible, allowing kids to enjoy their favorite books in audiobook format. With 16GB of storage, there’s plenty of space for thousands of books and dozens of audiobooks.

Kindle Kids (2022 Version)

The Kindle Kids is a perfect choice for parents trying to get their kids off TikTok and into some books. It’s essentially the standard Kindle but designed specifically for kids. It features the same clear and easy-to-read six-inch display, but with a fun and colorful protective cover. Amazon gives buyers a generous two-year warranty in case of accidental drops or spills.

Like the Paperwhite Kids, the Kindle Kids comes with a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+. The service provides access to a library of age-appropriate content. To help young readers develop their vocabulary, the Kindle Kids boasts Vocabulary Builder and Word Wise features. With 16GB of storage, there’s enough space to hold a large collection of titles and audiobooks.

The biggest drawback is the Kindle Kids doesn’t offer waterproofing, which we've always found to be a necessity on kids' tablets. For beginner readers, though, its simple design, access to kid-friendly content, and parental controls, make the Kindle Kids great for promoting reading to young children.

What to Consider When Buying a Kindle

The current lineup of Kindles offer similar baseline features, including a glare-free 300 ppi resolution display, adjustable brightness, Wi-Fi connectivity, and weeks of battery life. There's also Bluetooth capability to listen to audiobooks via wireless headphones. However, diving deeper reveals key differences between each model, from water resistance to storage and slight differences in the screen design.

Display size: The Kindle offers three display sizes. For ultimate portability and one-handed reading, the six-inch Kindle is the perfect travel companion. For a slightly bigger screen without sacrificing portability, the 6.8-inch Kindle Paperwhite and Signature Edition fit the bill. And for those who prioritize a large screen, the 10.2-inch Kindle Scribe provides ample room for reading and writing.

Storage space: Storage options range from 16GB up to 64GB, depending on the Kindle model you choose. E-books are tiny, so storage space isn’t a major concern if all you plan to do is read. However, audiobooks can take up a lot more space. If you enjoy audiobooks and have an Audible subscription, consider a Kindle with more storage (32GB or 64GB).

Lighting: Kindle models offer varying levels of front light brightness to enhance your reading experience in different environments. The most basic Kindle uses 4 LEDs, while the Kindle Scribe’s larger display boasts 35 LEDs. The number of LEDs can improve screen visibility, especially outdoors under bright sunlight. More importantly, higher-end models, like the Paperwhite and Scribe, elevate your comfort with an adjustable warm light. The feature lets you switch between a cool white and a warm orange hue.

Why Trust Esquire?

We love testing and reviewing new tech, but we also love slowing down to read. We've collectively spent decades with the Kindle lineup, and many of us use one day-to-day. That’s the thing: We test the devices we recommend, whether it’s Apple’s newest laptop, the best Bluetooth shower speakers, or the best handheld vacuums, you can trust that we’re always ensuring our picks are the best of the best.

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