This e-reader is the new test winner for Stiftung Warentest
26.6.2025
Translation: machine translated
15 e-book readers were tested in four categories - and the Kindle Paperwhite, model 2024, from Amazon took first place.
All of the newly tested devices are either «very good» or «good», as can be seen from the table (here to the paid article) with the test results. The differences in the test categories «image quality», «handling», «robustness and workmanship» and «battery life» are in the range of tenths of a mark.
If you are interested in an e-reader, the equipment and technical features are more exciting. You should choose a device that best meets your personal needs. Stiftung Warentest also points this out:
The best way to find your personal test winner is to answer the following five questions for yourself.
I will briefly summarise the five questions and link you to the recommended devices.
1. buy or borrow?
You can use the «Onleihe» platform to borrow e-books from public libraries. If this is important to you, you should cross the devices from the Amazon universe and those from Kobo off your list, because you can't borrow books with them, you can only buy them. The Stiftung Warentest recommendations for readers that can be borrowed are:
If you buy your digital books, i.e. can do without «Onleihe», then according to Stiftung Warentest, the Kindle store has the devices with the best battery life and some convenience. However, the following devices also get a recommendation:
2. one hand or two hands?
There are devices that do away with buttons altogether and that you operate using the touchscreen alone. And then there are e-readers that have at least two buttons that you can use to scroll forwards and backwards. This is important and practical if you like to read your e-books one-handed. For example, because you need your other hand for the handrail on the bus. Or holding your drink on the beach.
For one-handed reading, Stiftung Warentest recommends two models in particular. Here, the curved handle bar has two buttons for turning pages.
You can find my detailed test report on the Tolino Vision Colour here.
The pocketbooks have no grip bar, but still have buttons. When tested, the Inkpad X Pro achieved an overall score of «good» - it has a dedicated page turn button.
With the devices without physical buttons, you can also turn pages one-handed with a little skill. But from my practical and testing experience, I can tell you that you mainly use such devices with two hands. One hand holds the reader, the other touches the display to turn pages.
All Kindle devices, the Tolino Shine, the Kobo Clara or the Inkpad Eo belong to the e-readers without buttons for turning pages.
3 How big should it be?
E-readers are available in a small format for your jacket pocket, i.e. devices with a screen diagonal of up to seven inches. These usually weigh less than 200 grams. Larger devices are the right choice for more reading material on a page or space for your own notes. They are also suitable if you want to read colour graphic novels, for example.
For Stiftung Warentest, the Tolino Epos 3 is a recommendation among the larger devices because, with a screen size of 8 inches, it is still quite light at 235 grams.
4. read only - or do you want more?
Newer e-readers are still far from being tablet computers, but many can also play audio books. To do this, you connect your headphones via Bluetooth. And you can use some e-readers as a notebook. They are then equipped with a stylus as an accessory. This makes sense, because despite the touchscreen, using your fingers on the sluggish displays is definitely no fun.
The Elipsa 2E from Kobo was named the best e-reader with a stylus by Stiftung Warentest. The device can also play audiobooks, but it is not compatible with «Onleihe».
5. black and white or colour?
If you only read «normal» books with text, you will get a good to very good typeface with all the e-readers tested, according to Stiftung Warentest. The built-in e-ink displays come from just a few suppliers anyway and are very similar.
For devices with a colour screen, Stiftung Warentest recommends these inexpensive 6-inch devices:
Michelle Brändle, the Galaxus editorial team's expert for tablets and e-ink displays, has summarised her personal recommendations here:
Header image: Shutterstock
Martin Jungfer
Head of Content
Martin.Jungfer@digitecgalaxus.chJournalist since 1997. Stopovers in Franconia (or the Franken region), Lake Constance, Obwalden, Nidwalden and Zurich. Father since 2014. Expert in editorial organisation and motivation. Focus on sustainability, home office tools, beautiful things for the home, creative toys and sports equipment.
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