Top-Grade E-Book Readers According to Warentest Rankings
Sustainable Book Lovers' Guide: Top-Rated E-Readers (Stiftung Warentest 2025)
E-books are more eco-friendly compared to traditional paper books, making them an excellent choice, even if you just read a couple of books a year. With vacation season upon us, we've got you covered on the best e-readers to suit your needs, according to Stiftung Warentest's latest tests from 2025.
Devices without Input Pen
If you're all about the basics, these e-readers have got you covered.
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2024)- Quality Rating: 1.4 (Very Good)- Avg. Price: 180€- Standout Features: Excellent image quality, robustness, workmanship, and battery life.
The Pocketbook Inkpad 4 and Tolino Epos 3 follow closely, both with quality ratings of 1.5 and similar features.
Pocketbook Basic Lux 4- Quality Rating: 2.0 (Good)- Avg. Price: 115€- Standout Features: Good display, handling, battery life; Satisfactory robustness and processing.
Although slightly weaker in robustness and processing, the Tolino Shine (Gen. 5) may be worth a slight increase in cost due to its better performance in these categories.
E-Readers with Input Pen
Looking to take notes or make marks on your e-books? The Amazon Kindle Scribe (2024) is currently the only tested device with this feature, receiving a quality rating of 1.9.
Devices with Color Display
For a colorful reading experience, these e-readers offer the best screen quality.
Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition- Quality Rating: 1.7 (Good)- Avg. Price: 235€- Standout Features: Very good screen quality, especially for black and white representation.
If you're after a screen with even better quality, consider the Kobo Clara Colour and the Tolino Shine Color. However, you'll have to settle for good battery life with these e-readers.
In conclusion, choosing an e-reader can be eco-friendly while catering to your individual preferences. Whether you're a basic bookworm or a color enthusiast with pen input needs, there's something out there for you!
[1] Stiftung Warentest: E-books are significantly more environmentally friendly than printed books.
[2] Stiftung Warentest: Reusing existing devices is the best way to reduce environmental impact.
[3] Stiftung Warentest: Selecting a high-quality device ensures better sustainability and longer product life.
[4] Stiftung Warentest: E-books reduce paper use substantially.
The Community policy could be strengthened by encouraging the recycling of old e-readers, like the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2024), Pocketbook Inkpad 4, Tolino Epos 3, Pocketbook Basic Lux 4, Tolino Shine (Gen. 5), Amazon Kindle Scribe (2024), Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition, Kobo Clara Colour, and Tolino Shine Color, as they contain valuable components that could be reused in vocational training programs, encouraging the use of technology and promoting eco-friendly practices.
Moreover, to further promote sustainability, the Community could organize vocational training sessions teaching residents how to repair and maintain these gadgets, ensuring their long-term usage and reducing the need for constant tech replacements.
