E-Readers for Seniors
These e-readers are ideal for elderly since they include large fonts and clear options.
A book lover’s best friend, e-readers let you store thousands of volumes in a single, portable device.
Additionally, you can read in low light without straining your eyes, or take your book to the beach without damaging the pages thanks to the newest models’ waterproof construction and lighted screens.
Many even allow you to check up a word’s definition, translate it, or highlight it with a single touch.
E-readers are fantastic reading tools for readers of all ages, but they have some qualities that make them particularly useful for senior citizens.
The majority of them have good accessibility features that let you adjust the font’s size or boldness, making each page easy to read.
Additionally, they frequently have streamlined interfaces that are simple to set up and use.
We’ve done the research to identify the top e-readers for seniors, whether you’re buying one for yourself or a reader in your life.
Check out our more comprehensive list of the best e-readers as well.
The Summary
- The Amazon Kindle Paperwhite is the best overall.
- The Best Features of the Amazon Fire HD 8 Tablet
- Best Essentials at Amazon: Kindle
- The Amazon Kindle Oasis is the best indulgence.
- Kobo Forma at Amazon has the best large screen.
- Best Kobo Nia at Amazon for borrowing from the library
- The Nook GlowLight3 from Barnes & Noble is the best button.
1. Best General What We Like About the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite
What We Like
- Waterproof
- Screen resembles paper
- Audible audiobooks are integrated
Things We Dislike
- Built-in advertisements are present on the less expensive variant.
The Amazon Kindle Paperwhite is a portable e-reader featuring a sharp display, long battery life, and up to 32 GB of storage.
You can alter the text in your book to make reading it as pleasant as possible by adjusting the font size, text boldness, and screen brightness.
Even in bright sunshine, the 300 dpi screen maintains its paper-like appearance and is glare-free.
At 6.6 by 4.6 inches, it is also small enough to be held easily in one hand.
Additionally, this particular Kindle has a few added features that make it our top pick.
One of them is that it is waterproof, allowing you to read anywhere without being concerned that a splash or spill would break your gadget.
The platform’s integration with Audible, Amazon’s audiobook service, is another.
The Kindle Paperwhite lets you switch between reading and listening to the text without missing a beat for some books.
This special function makes the Kindle Paperwhite our top pick for senior e-readers, along with its strong accessibility features and user-friendly design.
2. Best Qualities: Tablet Amazon Fire HD 8
What We Like
- Cheap price
- Increased number of tablet features
- Compatibility with Alexa
Things We Dislike
- Limited processing capability
- Screen reads differently than paper
The Amazon Fire HD 8 combines a tablet’s extensive adaptability with a dedicated e-text reader’s customization options.
The Fire HD 8 is a cheap and user-friendly solution if you want to read ebooks as you browse the internet, utilize social media, or watch your preferred streaming services.
The high-definition, eight-inch screen is a fantastic size for reading and watching videos.
The Alexa virtual assistant is also integrated into this tablet.
Allowing you to use voice commands to start apps, ask questions, and queue up your favorite media.
This tablet has a built-in Kindle software with accessibility features including changeable font size and eye-friendly backdrop colors.
Your access to Amazon’s huge collection of Kindle e-books will also be made possible by an Amazon Prime membership.
You may either buy books separately from Amazon or sign up for Kindle Unlimited to download unlimited books for a fixed monthly subscription fee.
The Fire HD8 comes in four different colors and two storage options: 32 or 64 GB.
3. The best necessities Google Kindle
What We Enjoy
- Backlit display
- Battery may go weeks without recharging.
- Audible audiobooks are integrated
Things We Dislike
- Screen of lower resolution
An incredibly functional, condensed e-reader, the Amazon Kindle is simple to use and works well.
This gadget is for you if you only want to feel like you’re reading a paper book without any additional apps or unique features.
You can fit an entire library’s worth of books on this 4.5 x 6.3-inch tablet because to its 8GB of internal storage.
For convenient reading in dim light, you can alter the text’s size and front light’s brightness on the Kindle.
You may read outside in direct sunshine without experiencing eye strain or screen glare because the screen also resembles paper (as opposed to a standard tablet screen).
Simply by tapping the words on the page, you can translate them or look them up in a dictionary.
This Kindle’s screen has a somewhat lower resolution (167 dpi), although an ultra-sharp display is not required as the screen primarily displays text.
It simply takes a few minutes to set up and is really simple to use because to this device’s simplified design.
The 2019 model of the Amazon Kindle allows you immediate access to the company’s collection of Audible audiobooks and Kindle e-books, just like other Kindle devices.
Additionally, it allows for seamless text change between reading and hearing.
Be aware that using these services requires you to either buy the books yourself from Amazon or borrow them from your local library.
With a Kindle Unlimited or Audible Unlimited monthly membership, you may also take advantage of limitless browsing and listening.
4. Best Indulgence: Kindle Oasis from Amazon
What We Enjoy
- Waterproof
- Flexible lighting conditions
- Adaptive design
Things We Dislike
- Greater expense
- Built-in advertisements are present on the less expensive variant.
The Amazon Kindle Oasis is the high-end model of e-readers.
Although it is more expensive than average for a device of this type, it features a slightly larger seven-inch display and is built to be read in any lighting.
When reading in the dark, the adjustable front light adjusts the color of your page from bright white to warm amber, making it easier on the eyes.
Even better, you can program it to make nighttime light adjustments automatically.
Additionally, the Oasis has an IPX8 rating, making it waterproof up to two meters, just like the other more recent Kindle devices.
Without concern, take your Oasis to the pool, beach, or bathroom.
The Oasis is Amazon’s most ergonomic Kindle in terms of design.
It is easier to handle because of the grip on the back and the broader bezel on the right side of the screen.
Additionally, the Oasis incorporates physical page flip buttons on the right side if you prefer buttons to touch screen controls.
It comes in gray and gold and has storage options of 8 or 32 GB.
5. Kobo Forma has the best large screen
What We Enjoy
- 8-inch screen with 300 ppi
- Flexible lighting conditions
- Waterproof
Things We Dislike
- Greater expense
- Unsupported audiobooks
The market for e-readers is now dominated by Amazon’s Kindle devices, but if you’re not already a member of Amazon’s ecosystem of services and would prefer an alternative.
Kobo makes a series of high-quality e-readers that are independent of the Kindle universe.
Their largest model, the Forma, features a roomy eight-inch screen with 300 ppi resolution.
The Kobo Forma’s display is grayscale and simulates paper, just like those of other premium e-readers, and it doesn’t glare even in bright sunshine.
With a warm to cold temperature range, the front light gently lights the screen for enjoyable low-light reading.
Despite having a huge screen, the Forma’s ultra-slim design makes it lightweight and incredibly pleasant to use.
Depending on how you choose to read, it supports both landscape and portrait configuration.
6. Kobo Nia is the best for library borrowing
What We Enjoy
- Display brightness controls
- Fantastic battery life
- Simplifies borrowing from public libraries
Things We Dislike
- Less ergonomic features
The Nia, which has a six-inch display without glare, is the most portable Kobo product.
With built-in public library borrowing through OverDrive, the Nia brings this feature front and center although many other e-readers can enable library lending.
Other e-readers can make things more difficult if you prefer borrowing to buying because they only handle a select few ebook file formats.
The Nia’s wide format compatibility streamlines the borrowing procedure by enabling you to peruse the collection of your nearby library directly from your mobile.
It also gives you access to millions of books on the Kobo eBookstore if you’d rather buy.
The Nia comes with 6,000 e-books‘ worth of storage space, an adjustable ComfortLight display brightness setting, and great battery life.
Its usual tablet design and tiny bezels make it portable but less ergonomic than other tablets.
7. Barnes & Noble has the best buttons. GlowLight3 Nook
What We Enjoy
- Slick plastic construction
- Blue light reading with warm light
- Adaptable display
- Button bezels for simple reading
- Increased pixel density
Things We Dislike
- Confusing home page
- Decreased battery life
- Not watertight
- Slow computer
The Nook GlowLight 3 is a fantastic option for a budget-friendly e-reader with a six-inch screen.
It uses Ambien GlowLight technology to block out blue light and provides hours of crystal-clear 300ppi reading time before bed.
A digital library for subway rides or flights may be readily created with 8GB of storage, which can hold thousands of books.
The fact that it has a total of six buttons two page-turning buttons on the left and right bezels, the power button above.
And the Home button at the bottom that can also enable the GlowLight feature is probably its most notable benefit.
The e-reader is easy to hold, and even people who have trouble with touchscreens will have no trouble using it.
Final Conclusion
The 2018 Amazon Kindle Paperwhite is our preferred e-reader (view at Amazon).
It allows for extensive text customisation, has a waterproof design, and works with Audible audiobooks so you can switch between reading and listening with ease.
If you have the money to spend, we suggest looking at the Kindle Oasis (see at Amazon), which is a larger, more ergonomically designed gadget with more bells and whistles.
What Seniors Should Look for in an E-Reader Size and Weight
Size and weight are important factors to consider when buying an e-reader for a senior.
A larger gadget with a large screen should be taken into consideration by someone who struggles with fine motor control.
If that’s not an issue, consider obtaining a lighter device so you don’t have to struggle to hold it.
Backlight and contrast
Seniors frequently experience vision problems, so you should make sure the e-reader you select has excellent contrast.
A model with a backlight is another option to think about because it makes reading more convenient regardless of the illumination.
Text Size
The ability to make the text much larger on e-readers as opposed to traditional books is one of their benefits.
To be sure that the text size is large enough for you (or the senior in your life) to read, it’s worth experimenting with several e-readers.
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