Tablet Buying Guide

Is Portability a Priority?
Most tablets with displays 8 inches or smaller weigh under a pound. Many are very thin, and most have at least 10 hours of battery life. Some get close to 20 hours. Of course, larger displays can provide a better experience for watching videos, reading, or using productivity and art apps, but they’re not as easy to transport as smaller tablets.

Are You a Bookworm?
You can save some money with a tablet from Amazon if you’re planning on relatively simple tasks such as reading e-books or streaming video, with some casual web browsing and social media use on the side. These tablets start at $60 and go on sale throughout the year. They don’t have the highest-quality displays, but you’re unlikely to notice if you’re mostly reading.

What’s Your Budget?
If you have $200 or less to spend, you might want to focus on Amazon Fire tablets. There are several models available at about that price, including a 7-inch model, two 8-inch models, and two 10-inch models. You’ll also find a limited selection of non-Amazon tablets priced under $200, but they don’t score particularly well in our tests. 

You have to spend at least $330 if you want an Apple iPad, the company’s entry-level model aimed at everyday usage. A handful of Android tablets at that tier get good scores, too.

The bulk of the market is between $500 and $1,000, with plenty of highly rated options manufactured by various brands. 

And if you have more than $1,000 to spend, you should look at models with high refresh-rate displays and hugely powerful processors aimed at professional users.

Do You Have Specific Needs?
Think about factors such as the size of the screen, the battery life, the amount of storage you need, and any accessories you’d like to use. 

We’re talking about personal preferences here—there’s no “right” or “wrong” screen size—but a bigger screen might be better if you’re planning to watch a lot of Netflix videos. Conversely, a smaller display is easier to take with you on a cross-country flight or merely to the local Starbucks. And smaller, lighter devices can be more comfortable to hold.

Battery life for tablets is generally pretty good, with many models offering more than 10 hours per charge, according to our testers. Amazon’s Fire Max 11 delivers nearly 20 hours on a single charge. But yes, there are also models in our ratings that dip below 10 hours.

Most people can get by with 64GB of storage—or even 32GB. But if you plan to load the device up with photos, video clips, and video games, you may want to spring for 128GB or more. Apple offers up to 2TB.

If you’re interested in adding a keyboard or a stylus for note-taking, drawing, or creating digital art, be sure to check on compatibility. Apple, for example, sells a few variants of its Pencil stylus, but not all work with every iPad. (For more info on that, go to this page on Apple’s website.)

Do You Have Kids?
If so, you may find the parental controls on certain tablets appealing. Some Amazon Fire and Walmart Onn models, for example, let parents create profiles that limit which apps each child can use. (Learn more in “Buying a Tablet for Kids?” below.)

Most tablets have a front-facing webcam. All offer WiFi connectivity. Some have built-in wireless connectivity (4G LTE or 5G), too, allowing you to access the internet when you’re on the go. This typically adds about $10 to your monthly phone bill, however. Many people are happy with just the WiFi connection.

Operating System
A tablet’s capabilities are in large part determined by its operating system, which governs which apps are available (see “Consider the App Market,” below). Apple’s iPadOS is tied to the Apple App Store and Google’s Android to the Google Play store. Amazon’s tablets run on the company’s Fire OS, which is based on Android but linked to the bespoke Amazon Appstore.

For the everyday “tablet-y” things you might want to do, from browsing the web to reading e-books to watching streaming video, you’ll find apps on each platform. But other apps may be exclusive to certain platforms—Apple’s iPad has a vibrant scene of independent developers, for example—so you’ll want to make sure your preferred apps are available.

In the past, tablets weren’t great at running multiple apps at once. But nowadays, both iPadOS and Android handle this well enough.

Ports
Like other gadgets, tablets use USB-C ports for peripherals. This allows you to plug in thumb drives or SD card readers without an adapter. If you have older devices, though, you may need to purchase a USB-A to USB-C adapter.

Printing Capability
You should be able to print wirelessly from just about any tablet without having to download additional software. This is typically done via the share sheet of the app you’re using, such as an email or notes app.

Pay Attention to Aspect Ratio
We find the iPad’s squarish screen to be better suited to most uses than a longer, narrower one. But rectangular screens, like those in the 16:9 ratio when the tablet is held horizontally, offer a wider landscape view that’s better for watching movies.

Consider the App Market
Apple’s app market still has a competitive edge with the iPad in terms of breadth and quality, and it continues to overshadow those for Android and Fire OS. App developers frequently create apps for Apple’s platforms first, and sometimes exclusively, with no options for Android or Fire OS users. Fire OS users also miss out on several popular apps. There are alternatives available, including Amazon’s Silk browser and Amazon WorkDocs, but you may miss working with the exact apps you’re already familiar with.

WiFi Is Good Enough for Most People
WiFi-only models are less expensive than those that incorporate cellular service, and cell connections add another charge to your monthly mobile bill. Keep in mind that many cell phone plans allow you to share your smartphone’s cellular internet service with your tablet via tethering, but they may charge extra for that option.

You Might Not Need a Tablet Case
Cases are almost mandatory to protect your phone, so you might assume you need one for your tablet, too. But cases (and screen protectors, for that matter) might not be as necessary for tablets. Phones are more prone to being dropped because people carry them everywhere and pull them out when they’re on the move. If you’re going to cart your tablet around with you all day, leave it rattling around in a bag with your keys, or give it to a child, a case or a screen protector could be a worthwhile investment. But if your tablet is mostly homebound, you can probably get away without one.

Age
While ordinary tablets are fine for older kids, Amazon has models created specifically for younger children. They offer parental controls that let you block access to certain apps and websites, and they provide curated content for an added fee.

Multiple Profiles
If you plan to have kids share a tablet, look for one that lets you create a profile for each user. That will ensure an age-appropriate experience for everyone.

Battery Life
If you’re planning to take the tablet on trips, make sure it will last long enough to keep your child occupied. Look for battery life in the 7- to 9-hour range.

Check out CR’s roundup of the best tablets for kids.