One of the most enduring summer rituals is that of lounging beside a pool or sitting on the beach, reading a dog-eared novel.
In this day of ubiquitous smartphones, tablets and instantly available e-books, some things haven’t changed: you still can’t beat that summer reading session.
However, while your Apple (AAPL) mobile device may be good at a lot of things, reading e-books outdoors in the blazing sun is not something you’ll enjoy doing with an iPhone or iPad.
Save yourself hours of squinting, cursing the sun glare and worrying about battery life by choosing one of these e-readers instead. With their E Ink displays, these dedicated reading devices are ideal for outdoor use, and month-long (or more) battery life means one less power adapter to bring on vacation.
Here are five of the best e-readers to take along with you to the beach, the pool, or just that comfy chair in your backyard this summer.
Best E-Readers for the Beach: Kindle Paperwhite
When it comes to e-readers, Amazon (AMZN) is the undisputed industry leader.
The company has been selling its own Kindle line of e-readers since 2007 and moves more e-readers and e-books than anyone else.
The Kindle Paperwhite is Amazon’s mid-range e-reader and it was just upgraded for 2015, making it an even more compelling choice than before.
Notably, the new Kindle Paperwhite boasts a 300 pixels-per-inch (or ppi) display, making for razor-sharp text.
The Paperwhite starts at an affordable $119, with Special Offers.
Best E-Readers for the Beach: NOOK GlowLight
Barnes & Noble (BKS) isn’t the presence it once was when it comes to e-readers, but it still offers the NOOK GlowLight.
This is a 6-inch e-reader that competes with the Kindle Paperwhite. Like the Amazon e-reader, it uses touch input and has side-lighting for use in the dark.
At 212 ppi, the NOOK GlowLight’s display isn’t nearly so sharp as the new Kindle Paperwhite, but it’s also less expensive at $99 –without having to put up with Amazon’s Special Offers ads.
And if you happen to be a B&N member, that knocks 10% off the price, bringing the NOOK GlowLight to just $89.
Best E-Readers for the Beach: Kobo Touch
The most compelling alternative to Amazon’s Kindle line when it comes to e-readers is Kobo.
The former Canadian company — now a division of Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten (RKUNF) — has been making e-readers since 2010 and claims more than 4 million titles in its e-bookstore.
Unlike Amazon, Kobo supports the ePub format for its e-books, which means compatibility with more sources than the Kindles — which are locked into Amazon.
The Kobo Touch is the company’s cheapest model and sometimes that’s what you want when it comes to e-readers, especially if they’re going to be braving the elements, lugged around with a bunch of beach gear and smeared with sunscreen.
The 6-inch display has a modest 800 x 600 resolution, there’s no built-in light and it will only store 1,000 e-books (which really should be more than enough for your summer reading), but at $79.99 you won’t be losing out on much if a Kobo Touch gets accidentally dropped in the pool or buried in sand.
Best E-Readers for the Beach: Kindle Voyage
Some people want the very best digital reading experience and they also want to look good while flipping through those e-books.
Amazon has just the device for this demographic: the Kindle Voyage.
A high resolution display with laser etched glass, adaptive lighting, touchless page turns thanks to built-in force sensors, ultra thin and boasting a high class, Magnesium back panel, this is the e-reader for the luxury crowd.
It’s price to reflect that target market, starting at $199.
With 4GB of storage, you can cart a virtual library around with you, but for the ultimate experience, Amazon offers a version with free 3G connectivity (starting at $269), so you can shop for and download e-books from practically anywhere.
Best E-Readers for the Beach: Kobo Aura H2O
Finally, we come to what is the champion when it comes to any list of e-readers that are expected to see heavy summer vacation duty: the Kobo Aura H2O.
At $179.99, this isn’t the cheapest of e-readers, but it delivers on the spec front with a high resolution E Ink Carta display, built-in ComfortLight and a high degree of customization with 11 different font types and 24 font sizes.
However, what makes the Kobo Aura H2O so great for summer use is its IP67 certification.
While other e-readers risk becoming useless hunks of plastic if splashed, the Kobo Aura H2O can survive being submerged in three feet of water for half an hour — I confirmed the claim in my review of the device. Not only that, but it’s dustproof as well, so blowing sand is less of a concern.
When it comes to reading by a pool or on the beach, you’ll have a hard time finding an e-reader better suited to the task than the Kobo Aura H2O.
As of this writing, Brad Moon did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.
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