There’s nothing like heading off on a holiday without having to weigh your luggage down with piles of books. Now, though, there’s also a lot to be said for being able to access nearly limitless numbers of books without having to go to a shop to buy more. The Kindle reader is one of the most popular choices for ebook reading, letting you read your favourite books on a lightweight digital device, without the drawbacks that come with using a tablet or smartphone.

Here’s how they break down.

Best Kindle in 2023

The Kindle Oasis offers the best experience

  • 159 x 141 x 3.4-8.4mm, 188g 7.0in display, 300ppi 8/32GB, Wi-Fi or cellular IPX8 waterproofing

Bigger and better, the Kindle Oasis is designed to be the ultimate reading device.

This model has a 7-inch display - so, larger than all the other Kindle devices - and incorporates all the top features. It offers illumination, but with more LEDs so things are more evenly distributed. It also boasts auto-brightness, as found on the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition.

The Kindle Oasis is waterproof, while retaining a thin and light design, so it’s easy to slip into any pocket. With 6-weeks of battery life, it’s a premium reader and top of the Kindle family.

Like with Paperwhite, there’s the choice of Wi-Fi or 3G models, with the 8GB Wi-Fi model being the most affordable of the selection and the 32GB 3G version seeing the price soaring. The Oasis is easily the most accomplished Kindle - if you read every day then you’ll appreciate the additional skills it offers.

The only downside is the price - and that it still has a Micro-USB for charging.

  • 174 x 125 x 8.1mm, 205g 6.8in display, 300ppi 8GB, Wi-Fi IPX8 waterproofing

There’s 8GB of storage and it’s limited to Wi-Fi connectivity only - there’s no option for cellular connectivity.

There’s a front-lighting system so you can read in the dark, but you can also adjust the colour temperature of this, as you can in the Kindle Oasis (2019).

There’s a USB-C port for charging, with the battery lasting up to 10 weeks - that’s 4 weeks longer than the older Paperwhite. It is waterproof with an IPX8 rating.

But there’s no button for page turning - that all has to be done through tap, which we don’t find as natural as the Kindle Oasis’ buttons.

The Kindle Paperwhite Kids is the same model as the Kindle Paperwhite (2021), so has exactly the same features as the model above - but it comes in a bundle designed for kids.

The best thing is that when your kids outgrow the kids content, they can use the Kindle as a normal adult Kindle.

  • 174 x 125 x 8.1mm, 207g 6.8in display, 300ppi 8GB, Wi-Fi IPX8 waterproofing

The Paperwhite Signature Edition is based on the 2021 Kindle Paperwhite, but makes a few changes to make it slightly more premium.

While it’s the same case and same design from the exterior, it offers 32GB of storage, 4x that over the standard Kindle Paperwhite. It also offers an auto-adjusting front light to suit the reading conditions you’re in.

There’s also wireless charging, with a Wireless Charging Dock designed specifically for this model (an optional extra), so you don’t have to plug it in. This will all make for a slightly more premium experience overall.

If you’re looking for something cheaper

  • 157.8 x 108.6 x 8.0mm, 158g 6.0in display, 300ppi 16GB, Wi-Fi USB-C charging

There are some important changes for the 2022 Kindle. While the display stays the same size, it has increased in pixel density, so it will be sharper and offer a better experience. This is now the same resolution as the Paperwhite and the Oasis.

But there’s still a difference: the illumination only uses four LEDs - compared to 17 on the Paperwhite and 25 on the Oasis, so the illumination is no where near as good.

But, this is a thin and light Kindle, with plenty of storage and now USB-C - but it lacks any sort of waterproofing.

The Kids edition of the Kindle is the same core device as the Kindle above, but it comes with a cover (there’s a choice of three designs), as well as a 2-year warranty.

There’s also a 1-year subscription to Kindle Kids+, meaning access to loads of content, ideally tailored for younger readers.

A Kindle for writing

  • 196 x 229 x 5.8mm, 433g 10.2in display, 300ppi 16, 32, 64GB, Wi-Fi USB-C charging

The Kindle Scribe is designed to open a new frontier in Kindle use, to expand beyond reading and venture into notetaking and annotation.

It comes with a pen supplied, allowing writing on a range of paper types - including music - while also allowing written notes on books you might be reading.

There’s a huge battery but this is obviously a much larger Kindle than the others on this list - and that makes it slightly different.