Are you looking to relax at the beach or go on vacation and bring a stack of books with you? E-Readers will be your salvation this summer and there are plenty of new devices that come out in the past six months that are worth a look.
The second generation Amazon Kindle Oasis came out in November and it is the first e-reader larger than six inches since the Amazon Kindle DX, which was released in 2009. This device is waterproof and dustproof, so you don’t have to worry about it around the swimming pool or when chilling at the beach. Once you are finished reading a book you can throw on a pair of wireless headphones and listen to an audiobook from Audible.
The Kobo H2o Edition 2 was released last May, but is a relevant device for the summer. The Aura H2O Edition 2 is waterproof, so you will be able to take it to the beach or the bathtub and not have to worry about totally submerging it in water. This is also useful if you are the type of person that often spills coffee or tea all over the place. It has a 6.8 inch screen and comfortlight technology so you can mute the bright white screen and make it more orange.
Last summer the Aqua 2 came out it still is one of the companies most popular device. It is waterproof and dustproof, so you don’t have to worry about splashes or the kids playing with it. It is a standard six inch fair and pretty cheap. On the bottom of the Aqua 2 is a small flap that reveals the USB port. The device comes with a cable that allows you to charge and transfer ebooks to the device. It also comes with a USB to female 3.5mm headphone jack so you can plug in headphones or a speaker. When we plugged in a really good portable speaker I was impressed with the audio quality.
The EPOS e-reader has a giant 7.8 inch capacitive touchscreen display and is the first Tolino branded product that is larger than six inches and should be a boon for anyone who needs extra screen real estate to read ebooks. This device is waterproof and has the same comfortlight system as the Kobo H2O. This device is only relevant for people who live in Belgium, Germany, Netherlands or Italy.
Barnes and Noble Nook Glowlight Plus
The Nook Glowlight Plus came out in 2015 and has since been replaced by the Nook Glowlight 3. The Glowlight Plus was the last Nook e-reader that was waterproof and dustproof and can be purchased online for cheap. It is IP67 certified, which means you could leave it submerged in fresh water for up to 30 minutes at a maximum depth of 1 meter. It is important to note that while it is submerged you cannot turn pages or access any sort of touchscreen functionality. So you won’t be able to read in the shower, but is quite ideal for using it in the bathtub and reading your favorite coffee blog. What I like about the waterproof nature is that your e-reader will be immune to coffee or tea or other things being spilled on it.
This e-reader is waterproof and has a giant 7.8 inch screen. It is the only e-reader you can borrow ebooks directly from Overdrive, so you will save some money in the long-run. It also has comfortlight technology so you can mute the bright white screen when reading at night. This e-reader is a bit on the expensive side, but it is the best one Kobo has ever made.
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
