Whether you are heading away on holidays or looking to pass the time on the daily commute, an ebook reader can be an essential companion for an avid bookworm. Our test results can help you find an ebook reader that you won’t want to put down.

Ebook readers are becoming increasingly popular and seem to be especially favoured by commuters who can get a lot of reading done on their electronic devices while travelling to and from work. Of course, ebook readers are particularly handy when it comes to journeying farther afield, as these slimline, lightweight devices are easily tossed into your luggage when heading away on holiday to provide ample reading material by the pool without incurring astronomical excess baggage charges in the same way that a couple of heavyweight paperback thrillers or 800-page historical novels might. Although these devices are improving incrementally all the time, they are not subject to the constant changes and latest must-have features that are common with other technologies and that leave your old device looking out-moded and antiquated before it has even time to get a bit scuffed. So if you get the decision right when you first buy your ebook reader, you are unlikely to feel the need to upgrade for some time to come.

Improvements and developments

Ebook readers are portable electronic devices, generally with energy-frugal black-and-white screens primarily designed to display the digitised versions of printed books. These devices are about as thin as a smartphone and are much lighter than a single hardcover book but with the ability to hold thousands of titles. Screen size is typically around 6 inches, so they are generally larger than a smartphone and smaller than most tablets and can fit easily into a handbag or large pocket.

Ebook readers use electronic ink (e-ink), a matte grey-on-grey image of text that gives the perfect amount of contrast, with little or no glare from the screen even in sunshine. E-ink displays simulate the appearance of a paper book and do not require a backlight, which means less strain on the eyes for prolonged reading sessions. E-ink is made up of small transparent capsules containing negatively charged black particles and positively charged white particles suspended in a clear fluid. A negative charge pushes the black particles to the surface of the capsule to form black text whereas a positive charge does the reverse. E-ink takes about half a second to “form up” once the page of the ebook is turned. The batteries on ebook readers are exceptionally long-lasting because e-ink displays do not use any power until you “turn” to the next page and the screen is refreshed. An ebook reader is capable of delivering thousands of page turns and can last weeks in standby mode on a single charge.

The latest ebook reader models have higher resolution screens, sharper text and faster processing chips to deliver speedier page turning and a more immersive reading experience. The massive and growing popularity of tablets is influencing ebook reader design for the better, with all models on test sporting a touchscreen so that page turns and menu access are all done swiftly and easily by tapping or swiping the screen with your finger. In earlier versions, ebooks were downloaded onto an ebook reader by connecting the device to a computer via a USB cable but all our models on test have wi-fi connectivity so you can download content directly without needing access to a PC. An ebook reader with wireless 3G access offers the greatest flexibility for obtaining new content for the reader but such devices will cost considerably more to buy and for most people, wi-fi access is sufficient.
Because ebook readers do not incorporate a backlight to enable you to see the screen, older versions could not be read in low light without the aid of an external booklight. Newer versions have introduced illumination for the display that lets you read in bed without disturbing your sleeping partner. Instead of using a backlight to provide this illumination, many ebook readers use a series of small lights that shine onto the e-ink page from the edge of the display for more comfortable reading. All but one of our models on test provides built-in illumination.

The tablet/smartphone option

With a range of ebook reader apps available, ebooks are increasingly being downloaded to smartphones and tablets. Given their small size, smartphones have portability on their side, and the larger dimensions of tablets, combined with their versatility, make them popular choices for reading ebooks. All our dedicated ebook readers on test have black-and-white displays, and while they are ideal for reading print, those who want a device for browsing through colour magazines might prefer to opt for a tablet.

However, multipurpose devices are generally less suited to ebook reading than dedicated ebook readers. The colour LCD screens on tablets and smartphones are more visually stunning but they typically display text less crisply than ebook-reader screens, and once a backlight is introduced, it becomes very difficult to provide the ideal reading experience, particularly for lengthy reading sessions. When it comes to reading in bright sunlight, you are much more likely to find yourself squinting at the screen on smartphones and tablets than on an ebook reader. In addition, tablets tend to be heavier to hold in your hand for long periods. If you are looking for a multifunctional device on which to read the occasional ebook, smaller tablets like the iPad Mini and the Google Nexus 7 might present good options as they are more comfortable to hold than their larger counterparts as well as being significantly cheaper.

Opting for an ebook reader

Buying an ebook reader makes most sense if you are an avid bookworm or someone who often lugs books among several favourite reading locations. One major appeal of an ebook reader is that you don’t have to be particularly tech-savvy to use it. These are simple devices dedicated to performing a single task very well indeed, so those who might struggle to navigate other electronic devices should have no problem mastering the more limited range of features on an ebook reader.
An ebook reader can also be a good choice for those with a visual impairment as type size can be enlarged and some models also allow fonts to be changed. Some ebook readers offer a text-to-speech option that turns the content into an “audio book.” Compared with the emotion and pace of a real audio book, the text-to-speech function can sound stilted and mechanical, but some may see this as an advantage, as it allows them to put their own interpretation on the material.

If anyone in your household already has an ebook reader, it is a good idea to buy a device by the same manufacturer as you will be able to share books without having to buy them all over again. Ebook readers are a less costly purchase than many other electronic devices, with models on test coming in at around €150 or lower, unless you want such nonessential extras like 3G capability or a high-definition screen, which push the price up.

If you are a voracious reader who flies through fiction and breezes through bestsellers, an ebook reader can be an essential holiday companion. You won’t have to decide before you even set off what kind of books you will fancy reading when you are on the beach as you will have a whole library at your fingertips and can download something new if the whim takes you. However, a traditional paper book can take a lot of bashing and is undoubtedly substantially more robust that an ebook reader. Even though we test for durability, at the end of the day, an ebook reader is another pricey electronic device that requires a certain amount of care and attention.

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E-Book Readers tested