At a glance
1. Best overall
2. Best Kindle
3. Best mid-range
4. Best small
5. Best entry-level
6. Best extra large
7. Best compact with stylus
Honorable mentions
How to choose
How we test
E-readers have evolved beyond their singular task. Modern E Ink tablets come with B&W or color displays, and you can do much more than just read on them. From note-taking and listening to audiobooks to browsing the internet and using third-party apps, these eye-friendly tablets give you everything and more.
We recommend the Onyx Boox Note Air 5 C as the best E Ink tablet overall, since it provides a solid price-to-performance ratio. Aside from top options from companies like Boox and Amazon, there is a model of E Ink tablet for everyone. Let's break down the best ones.
Namerah enjoys geeking out over accessories, gadgets, and all sorts of smart tech. She has tested hundreds of phones and accessories over the last six years, and counting. She spends her time guzzling coffee, writing, casual gaming, and cuddling with her furry best friends.
Best overall
While most E Ink tablets tend to focus on doing the one thing they're meant for, the Onyx Boox Note Air 5 C does it all. Successor to the Note Air 4 C, the Note Air 5 C can display 4,096 colors on its 10.3-inch Kaleido 3 screen.
Thanks to the included stylus, you can draw, highlight, or jot down notes in different shades. The Boox Note Air 5 C's touch functionality for the stylus is powered by Wacom, the company that makes the best drawing tablets. It imitates the traditional feel of writing on paper with a pen, making for an awesome experience.
This stunningly slim tablet runs Android 15 out of the box, so you can install and use apps from the Google Play Store. It also comes with 6GB of RAM, 64GB of onboard storage, a microSD slot, stereo speakers, a mic, and a USB Type-C port that supports fast charging. Amazingly, the 3,700mAh battery can last for a week or two with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth in full use. The Boox Note Air 5 C is the complete package; it's almost comparable to some of the best Android tablets, except for a few limitations.
If you want the complete package, you'll have to pay for it since the keyboard and case have to be purchased separately. It also lacks any water and dust resistance, which is a bummer. We believe you can live with these shortcomings, as the combination of features in the Note Air 5 C is just too good. Unlike competitors like the Kindle Scribe or Colorsoft, it provides more value and has a lot more to offer, even if it costs almost twice as much.
Best for reading
For many years now, Amazon has dominated the e-reader market with its Kindle line of reading tablets, and for a good reason: Kindle e-readers are excellent devices, and many of them have displays with LED backlighting. The new Kindle Paperwhite (2024) takes over from the 11th-generation Kindle Paperwhite, and it is arguably the best Amazon Kindle e-reader out there.
This 12th-generation Amazon Kindle Paperwhite has many of the same features from before, like an IPX8 waterproof certification and five adjustable LED backlights. There's a faster processor which enables up to 25 percent quicker page turns, and a new oxide thin-film transistor in the display for richer contrast levels.
Its 6.8-inch 300ppi E Ink screen is a delight to look at and replicates paper very nicely. Audible integration makes it the ideal companion for lazy beach days when you want to sunbathe with your eyes closed. You can also connect a pair of Bluetooth wireless earbuds and listen to audiobooks in peace.
There's just one 16GB model now of the 2024 Paperwhite, which is enough to store thousands of e-books. The battery life is still excellent, and you get a USB-C charging port. Amazon sweetened the deal by setting a low price, but you'll need to spend a little extra cash for the ad-free version. In a nutshell, if you're an avid reader, you'll love Kindle Paperwhite. Some file formats aren't supported, although Amazon did introduce EPUB compatibility a while back.
Best mid-range
At $309, the super affordable Bigme B7 sits smack in the middle of Bigme's three color e-paper tablets. Just like all the best E Ink tablets, the Bigme B7 comes with Android 14 and the Google Play Store, so you can install all your favorite reading and writing apps. This value-packed e-ink tablet features 8GB of RAM paired with 128GB of internal storage, plus you can further expand that by up to 1TB. You'll never run out of space to keep all your favorite manga, comics, and graphic novels.
The Bigme B7 has a 7-inch E Ink Kaleido 3 and comes with a stylus that can register up to 4,096 levels of pressure, and you get native optical character recognition (OCR). The 5MP camera can be used to scan and convert documents via the OCR automatically on the device. This is such a vital feature for any tablet, whether it's an E Ink device or a full-blown traditional Android or iOS tablet.
Apart from the stylus and excellent e-paper display, the Bigme B7 has all the advantages of E Ink tablets and e-readers, and some extra goodies. Its 3,000mAh battery provides weeks of battery life, and you get a USB-C port with OTG support as well. Other additions include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth connectivity, support for loads of file formats, built-in speakers, and even a microphone. Another really cool feature of the Bigme B7 is 4G calling, along with a call-to-text feature that lets users record calls and transcribe them.
When looking for a writing tablet with an e-paper display, the Bigme B7 is easily the winner. If you don't mind the lack of water resistance, this is the E Ink tablet to get for $300.
Best small
The Onyx Boox Palma 2 is an iterative update to the Onyx Boox Palma and is more of an E Ink smartphone than a tablet. Its compact form factor enables you to carry it around anywhere in your pocket. The sub-$300 price tag might feel a bit high for the size, and you could easily get a basic entry-level Kindle for less than half that money. However, no Kindle comes with Google Play Store support, and that's just one of the many enticing draws of the Boox Palma 2.
The Onyx Boox Palma 2 has a microphone, speakers, and all modern connectivity options that full-fledged Android tablets have, such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. The only connectivity option missing is cellular support. The new version does come with a fingerprint sensor for added security.
You get Android 13, and the Google Play Store pre-installed, granting you access to millions of apps. And because the device uses a B&W E Ink display, the battery lasts for months! The 128GB of native storage is insane, but if that somehow isn't enough for you, you also get a microSD card slot and USB-C OTG support for USB-C thumb drives.
It's hard to find another handheld e-ink device that's this capable because honestly, there isn't one! The Palma 2 is one of a kind.
Best entry-level
E Ink tablet lovers out there on a budget can still get one for a nifty price. The entry-level Amazon Kindle (2024) is a budget e-reader sporting a 6-inch 300ppi e-paper display. It doesn't have many funky features like a waterproof rating or Sudoku, but it can support a healthy number of file formats and looks brilliant too.
It isn't that bright in sunlight, but the adjustable front light comes in quite handy for reading at night. The basic Amazon Kindle has some more no-nonsense specs, such as 16GB of storage, fantastic battery life, Wi-Fi, and audiobook support. If you don't want to use the Kindle app, you can transfer files to the Amazon Kindle (2024) e-reader from your PC, too.
In comparison to almost every other e-paper device out there, the Amazon Kindle is the winner, hands down, when it comes to price. The base model Kindle performs a tad bit slower, and it doesn't have waterproofing, but it is still the best E Ink tablet for reading on a tight budget.
Best extra large
Onyx Boox has ventured into all corners of the e-paper tablet world, giving us the tiniest of devices like the Boox Palma and the biggest of slabs with the Onyx Boox Tab X C and the Note Max. Released earlier this year, the Boox Tab X C is the company's biggest to feature a color E Ink display. And there's an optional Keyboard Cover that turns this into a proper portable working machine.
The Tab X C is incredibly slim at just 5.3mm and is slightly heavier than the Note Max at 625g. You do get Android 13, though, and access to apps from the Play Store. The RAM and storage are the same at 6GB and 128GB. There's no microSD slot, but that shouldn't be a big issue, all things considered. The one major drawback for some is the price, with the Tab X C coming in at north of $800. The tablet does ship with the Boox InkSpire stylus, which is a nice bonus.
Best compact with stylus
The Onyx Boox Go 7 is a bit more expensive than a Kindle Paperwhite, but you get plenty more features and capabilities to justify the price. The Go 7 features a 7-inch color E Ink screen with a built-in backlight for about $220, and there's a new second-generation color version called Go Color 7 for $250. Both support the Boox InkSense stylus, which can be bought separately. They both share the same set of features, apart from the screen technology.
The 7-inch Carta 1300 monochrome display on the standard Go 7 features 300dpi and adjustable light color tone for the front light. The bezel on the right side is extra thick, making it comfortable to hold, and there are two ergonomically positioned buttons to turn the page forward and back just where your thumb would rest. The tablet is powered by an octa-core CPU, there's 4GB of RAM, and the 64GB storage can be expanded via the microSD slot.
What sets this apart from a Kindle is that the Play Store comes preloaded, so you can download all your favorite apps to the tablet. The Quick Notes app lets you organize all your notes with various templates, turn handwriting into text, and rearrange notes with the Lasso tool. The pricing is really sweet with the Onyx Boox Go 7 and Go 7 Color, but if you want the cheapest option, the B&W Go 7 model is the better pick.
Honorable mentions
There are so many more wonderful e-paper tablets that didn't make the cut for this list. However, there they do deserve an honorable mention at the very least. If you need something extremely niche and are interested in expanding your options even more, here are a few noteworthy alternatives to consider.
Premium and small
Many have been clamoring for reMarkable to release a smaller E Ink tablet, and the company has delivered with the Paper Pro Move. This "Paper Tablet" features a 7.3-inch color display, adjustable lighting, and comes with the Marker Plus stylus. Plus, its rated to last for up to two weeks on a single charge, and when charging for just 10 minutes, you'll get "three days of power."
Best premium writing tablet
A niche tablet with limited functionality may seem too rich for your blood but wait until you write on the ReMarkable 2. This is the best premium tablet built for writing, setting the industry standard for stylus sensitivity and feel. It's extremely expensive, which is why I didn't deem it worthy enough to rank among the top six E Ink tablets. However, it's a fantastic product in itself.
Best under $300
An E Ink tablet with a color display for less than $300? Yes, you read that right! The cheap and cheerful Bigme B751C Color is what makes that possible, giving you a 7-inch E INK Carta 1200 screen with a stylus, Android 11, and a microSD slot at a great price. The UI isn't as smooth or intuitive as Onyx Boox, but the low price demands some compromises.
Best Kindle with a stylus
Amazon specializes in the budget segment of Android tablets, but it also has a new version of the Scribe for 2024. Despite the lack of the Play Store, the Kindle Scribe (2024) is a fantastic e-reader and note-taking E Ink tablet. It's expensive, but you can now finally annotate directly onto the book you're reading, and that makes it worth considering.
How to choose
The best all-around E Ink tablets are multifunctional
Why you can trust Android Central Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
After staring at bright screens day in and day out, your eyes really need a break. The best E Ink tablet not only provides relief but also lets you carry out various tasks. Pick one based on your specific needs. If you intend to read basic e-books, an entry-level e-reader should be fine. But if you intend to do more like drawing and taking notes, take those use cases into consideration before making a final choice.
The Onyx Boox Note Air 5 C is the best E Ink tablet due to its fabulous soft colors, extremely sleek and lightweight build, and multitasking capabilities. It isn't limited to just being an e-reader, but if you want, you can use it for that purpose. However, if the need be, you can also use it to take down notes, sketch some lovely drawings, or underline passages of text.
Let's also not forget that you get native optical character recognition with the Onyx Boox Note Air 5 C, enabling you to convert your handwriting into digital text in real-time, whether it's to use the search bar in the Google Play Store or to use the search function in your handwritten notes. This alone is a remarkable feat for any decent tablet with a stylus.
The Note Air 5 C accommodates office use as well as home use. You don't have to sacrifice battery life or connectivity. It even has stereo speakers and a mic. What's even more brilliant is its ability to run almost any Android app. You can actually use it as a full-blown tablet for most tasks related to reading and writing. The Boox Note Air 5 C pushes the boundaries of an E Ink tablet in the best sense, which is why it's the best one to buy right now.
How we test
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☑️ Over 15 years of product testing
☑️ Thousands of products reviewed and tested since 2007
☑️ Dozens of E Ink tablets tested every year by our team
Our team has thoroughly tested each of the best contenders in the e-paper tablet segment. We've been on top of the movers and shakers in the E Ink industry for years, so we know what makes an e-reader or E Ink Android tablet really stand out. The evolution of e-paper devices has been good fun to watch over the years.
The procedures and steps designed to test e-ink tablets aren't just dry lab-based experiments driven by numbers and data. We put our review devices through proper real-world usage, pushing them to their limits. Our testing is very comprehensive and in-depth, even if it requires weeks or months of our time to conduct. This is why you know that you can fully trust us when we recommend something.
