The Best Gifts for E-Book Readers in 2026

Credit: Product images courtesy of Amazon

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Unless you’re shopping from a wishlist, buying a book for a big reader is always a fraught prospect. Have they read it? Will they like it? Will they be offended at the mere suggestion that you think it’s the kind of book they might like? Will you be crushed when you give them a copy of your favorite book and they never get around to reading it?

Buying a gift for someone who prefers to read e-books—whether on a Kindle or one of the many excellent non-Kindle alternatives—can be much less emotionally charged: Instead of risking everything by giving them a book, just get them a cute e-reader accessory (if not a new e-reader) that they will thank you for every time they dive into a good read.

A Truly Pocketable Travel E-Reader: The Xteink X4 Pro

Credit: Joel Cunningham

Chances are good your giftee already owns a Kindle, but there’s room for another e-reader in their life—especially when it’s as small as the Xteink X4 Pro ($99). TikTok and Reddit are obsessed with this tiny, quirky device from a Chinese tech startup that has taken the e-reading world by storm over the past year, and it’s not hard to see why: For under $100, you can get a palm-sized, single-purpose e-ink device that will disappear into any pocket, so you can truly take your books with you wherever you go. Promotional images even show it magnetically attached to the back of a smartphone.

While the first Xteink device could be clunky and cumbersome to use, the new X4 Pro has improved software and quality-of-life updates like a faster processor, more RAM, a touchscreen, and a front light. It isn’t the ideal primary device for every reader, but as an ultra-portable alternative for reading on the go, it’s hard to beat—though competitors have popped up to give it a go. Learn more about the device (and its potential drawbacks) in my full Xteink X4 Pro review.

An E-Reader That Can Curb Any Smartphone Addiction: The Boox Palma 2 Pro

If you’ve got more to spend and want to give a potentially transformative gift, consider the Boox Palma 2 Pro ($399.99), part of the family of phone-shaped devices that kicked off the small e-reader craze (and helped me kick my own doomscrolling habit). It has a 6.13-inch color e-ink screen and runs on an open Android operating system, which means it can connect to the Google Play Store and run any reading app, from Kindle to Nook. That means your giftee will be able to read all of their existing e-books wherever they’re from, and get new ones from anywhere. It can connect to the internet via a mobile SIM and works with a stylus, so it also makes a great productivity and note-taking device—but with a screen that’s easier on the eyes, less stimulating, and subsequently, much less addictive than a smartphone. Learn more about it in my full Boox Palma 2 Pro review.

A Remote Page Turner: The Boox Tappy

Credit: Joel Cunningham

Typically, to turn pages on an e-reader, you have to press a button on the side of the device or, more often, tap the screen—but there’s a better way: Bluetooth page turners connect to an e-reader and make it possible to turn the page by clicking a remote that you hold in your hand. This is obviously great for anyone with motor control issues, arthritis, or any disability that makes manipulating a screen difficult, but honestly, they can be pretty useful even if you don’t experience anything of the sort. With a Bluetooth remote like the Boox Tappy, page-turning becomes a seamless, hands-free experience that keeps you comfortably in the story without interrupting your grip or position.