Color e-readers are the latest innovations in the market. But Kindle has a surprising competitor, who is making better, more affordable options. Plus, as of February 2026, we've added the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft to this guide.
When we write about e-readers, Kindle is usually the first name that comes to mind. But in the color e-reader market, Kindle has been late to the party. That delay opened the door for other brands to step in with stronger devices. We’ve rounded up the best color e-readers, and here are the ones that stood out.
2026 has not been a good year for tech prices. Due to the global memory crisis, prices are increasing on tablets, phones, laptops, and even e-readers. Three out of the four color e-readers on this list increased in price this year. The only e-reader to avoid a price hike was the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft.
Only the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft was safe from a price hike in 2026.
Credit: Mashable
An e-reader's color won't be quite as vibrant as a tablet's or physical book's.
Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mangino
Having tested my way through a lot of e-readers — and now color e-readers — I’ve found a universal truth: While the colors are accurate, they often look a bit washed out. No matter which brand you use, that’s going to be the case. The muted tones don’t outweigh the convenience and portability of color e-readers, but it’s worth tempering your expectations.
Don’t expect the vivid, punchy colors of an iPad screen. An iPad has a max nits of 500 (a measure of brightness), while Kobo and Kindle e-readers max out at 100.
In February 2026, we added the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft to this guide. After testing Amazon's latest e-reader, we were thoroughly impressed by both its speed and display. With an 11-inch display, it's still too large for daily e-reader use; however, that makes it a fantastic device for note-taking. Not to mention it is an investment at $629.99, making it the priciest model on this list.
You might notice that ReMarkable e-ink tablets are not on this list. We've tested both the ReMarkable Paper Pro and ReMarkable Paper Move, and while they're dynamic digital notebooks, they're limited in their e-reader capabilities. Getting e-books on these devices was a bit of a struggle, and we missed the Libby integrations available on Kindles and Kobos. So while we think they're great e-ink tablets, they're inferior e-readers.
This story was first published by Mashable. Read the original report
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