Public transport is hell. To help you pull through, you need a gadget that transports you to your happy place: the Kindle. Amazon, like Apple, knows that giving you access to what you already own is not enough. So, while the Kindle makes a brilliant job of rendering books on its ultra-crisp, six-inch, e-ink screen, it also lets you buy any new tome you can think of, immediately, thanks to integrated Wi-Fi and/or 3G and its superb virtual book store, replete with smart recommendations and only-occasionally insane user reviews. No wonder Amazon now sells more ebooks than paperbacks…

Price: £152 (Wi-Fi & 3G) | Amazon

It weighs less than a paperback, is readable in bright sun, making it perfect for the bus on a sunny day, and its new, crisper fonts, make it easier on the eye. One charge lasts up to a month, and it’ll hold up to 3,500 e-books – enough to last through years of commuting. 

While the browser is fairly limited, it’s perfectly fine for basic email checking and with built-in Twitter and Facebook integration, you can share passages with friends at the touch of a button: just the kind of pick-me-up colleagues will appreciate before work.