We’ve voiced our thoughts about how e-paper devices serve as the perfect gateway to start your children out with technology. They aren’t as harmful to eyesight as mainstream tabs, they help save you a lot of money on traditional paper products and storage spaces, they are safer for the environment as fewer trees have to be sacrificed, and so much more. With the conversation about kids and tablets becoming more popular, it makes sense that parents would want to buy an e-ink tablet as their child’s first device.
The problem, if you could call it that, with the current e-reader space is that there is no shortage of options. If you want a dedicated reader, you can find one. If you want something built from the ground up for taking notes, you can find one. And if you want something that does a little of everything, you can find one. Guardians may become confused and that’s why we are here to help them select only the best e-ink tablets and e-readers for their kids.
Amazon Kindle Kids
We can’t start this list without mentioning the Kindle Kids from tech giant Amazon. It is the only e-reader ever made especially for children. The onboard storage may be a humble 8GB, and it doesn’t have an IP rating, but the rest of the specs are top-notch. This means that parents get all they could ask for from a single, wonderfully affordable, and eye-friendly 6-inch E Ink device.
The Kindle Kids is perfect for children due to so many reasons. It comes with a complimentary one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+, it has access to Audible audiobooks, you get a fun and colorful case for free with it, there is a two-year warranty to safeguard your purchase, and there are some great parental controls.
All in all, the Amazon Kindle Kids is the best e-reader to buy for your children. You won’t have to break the bank either because it costs only $109.99 at Amazon.
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite
Children are an absolute delight if you are blessed with them. Of course, they are prone to being clumsy and dropping things at times so you have to be careful when giving them electronic devices. Luckily, Amazon offers a great feature in the 10th generation of the Kindle Paperwhite: An IPX8 waterproof rating.
We cannot stress enough the importance of a water-resistant e-reader for kids. Your children can enjoy all the benefits of a Kindle device minus the headache of reading by the poolside or with a juice box in hand. The waterproof Kindle Paperwhite comes with a 6-inch E INK Carta HD screen, Audible, waterproofing, 8GB and 32GB storage options, WiFi and Bluetooth.
As with any Kindle device, the Paperwhite has access to the Kindle Store that carries millions of up-and-coming titles. Unlike the Kindle Kids edition, you will need to buy a cover separately. The Amazon Kindle Paperwhite costs $169.99 for the 8GB variant and $189.99 for the 32GB version. There’s also an LTE model with 32GB onboard coming in at $239.99.
Onyx Boox Nova Air
The Nova Air is hot out of the oven at the time of writing. It combines the reading and writing functionalities under one beautifully slim and featherweight product. While most stylus compatible e-paper tablets from Onyx Boox are extremely expensive, the Onyx Boox Nova Air leans towards a more accessible price tag. It is suitable for school-going children as well as college students due to its fantastic note-taking capabilities.
Since it runs Android 10, it has access to the Google Play store which means you can actually substitute it as your child’s main device. Enticingly, it ships with a stylus and free accessories. Under the hood, it has dual speakers, WiFi, Bluetooth, a Snapdragon 363 processor, 3GB RAM, and 32GB storage. The 7.8-inch E INK Carta HD is a nice size for reading and writing. It is also one of the few e-paper devices with a USB-C charging port.
If the cost of buying one still scares you away, think of it as an investment. Priced at $379.99, the Onyx Boox Nova Air is going to be with your kids for a long time. They’ll get a lot of use out of it throughout school and then later on in college or university.
Pocketbook InkPad Color
Anyone who’s been around a youngster will know that children get bored with B&W. They prefer books with lots of pictures filled in with vivid colors. If your kid doesn’t like black and white e-paper displays, the Pocketbook InkPad Color is the way to go. Pocketbook always packs more bang for buck against competing products like the iReader C6. You get a 7.8-inch E INK Kaleido color screen which can show 4,096 colors.
Although there’s a limited 16GB of onboard storage, you can expand that up to 32GB via MicroSD. There’s the usual WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity along with a USB C Port. Pocketbook includes a USB-C to 3.5mm headphone jack in the box so you can listen to audiobooks. In addition to a host of supported ebook, manga, and graphic novel file formats, users can use the internet browser to view webtoons.
The bright colors of the InkPad Color are sure to attract your kids. It’s an intriguing device that will definitely encourage young ones to read more. Plus, they can even scribble or write on it with the accompanying stylus. You can acquire a unit of the Pocketbook InkPad Color for $299.99.
Boyue Likebook P78
Modern-day tablets run Android, play audio and video, and offer WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity. The Boyue Likebook P78 has all of that and then some. This e-paper device touts a 7.8-inch E INK Carta HD e-paper display that will not hamper your child’s vision as much as a ‘normal’ tablet.
You can download and install plenty of apps from the Google Play store as its operating system is Android 8.1. There’s also a USB-C port, a giant 3,200 mAh battery, and 32GB internal memory that can be expanded to a whopping 128GB via MicroSD. There’s no beating that ample amount of storage!
Kids will enjoy their reading experience on the Likebook P78 even though it can’t display colors other than black and white. It comes with a free case and a stylus for children to draw and take notes with. The Boyue Likebook P78 is an excellent study buddy and you can grab one for $239.99.
Rakuten Kobo Clara HD
Some of the more expensive options on the list might not fit every parent or guardian’s budget. For those who aren’t looking to splurge as much, the Kobo Clara HD is a fine choice. It is a dedicated e-reader from Rakuten and it costs less than $200, so it’s a thrifty buy for your kids.
Just because it costs less doesn’t mean it skimps out on features. There are a ton of exciting features in the Kobo Clara HD that make it a suitable device for kids. Your child won’t be able to write on it, but they will certainly be able to read plenty of ebooks and access the Kobo eBook store online. The 8GB of storage can store up to 6000 ebooks and if that’s not enough, your kids will be able to borrow e-books from your local public library through the internet.
The Kobo Clara HD is also extremely eye-friendly owing to the adjustable ComfortLight PRO paired with the 6-inch E Ink Carta HD display. Get the Rakuten Kobo Clara HD today for a reasonable $169.99.
Namerah is a Technology Journalist with experience at leading online publications like Android Central. She has a passion for all things tech and gaming, and has been an honorary Goodreads librarian since 2011. When she isn't writing, she can be found chasing stray cats and dogs in the streets of Dhaka or slaying dragons in the land of Skyrim. Email her at namerah@goodereader.com
