Evaluation: Is the Kobo E-Reader Price It?
I’ve a confession: I haven’t purchased a bodily e e ebook as rapidly as this yr. For most individuals, which can’t sound too wild. Nonetheless as somebody who’s already research 65 books this yr and used to shout from the rooftops that no e-reader might ever change the texture of an actual e e ebook, I uncover this transformation large. Positive, printed books have their appeal to, nonetheless the comfort of an e-reader is unbeatable. I can research mendacity down with out awkwardly propping up pages, carry as many books as I would like on journeys with out worrying about chubby baggage prices, and reduce your payments with digital library loans in its place of impulsive journeys to Barnes & Noble.
I do know I’m not alone in my newfound e-reader obsession. E-readers are surging in recognition, and evaluation enterprise them to achieve over one billion prospects by 2027. With so many individuals leaping on the bandwagon, it’s solely pure that there are an rising number of e-readers within the market for individuals to strive. For some time, I blindly relied on my Kindle till I started listening to concerning the company Kobo all by way of social media. With selections like shade displays and annotation at a fraction of Kindle’s value, the hype was ample to make me determined to strive one. To see if Kobo lived as loads as its recognition, I, together with The Everygirl’s Senior Managing Editor, Garri Chaverst, put two fashions—the Kobo Clara Color and Kobo Libra Color—to the study, specializing of their selections, effectivity, and worth for cash. Correct proper right here’s what we discovered:
What are Kobo e-readers?
Kobo e-readers are digital digital readers that primarily operate as your personal bookshelf, public library, and bookstore, all wrapped up in a compact, moveable system for easy discovering out. Kobo presents many different fashions to your particular discovering out wishes, nonetheless they’re most acknowledged for his or her shade displays. They carry your entire satisfaction of observing a splendidly color-organized bookshelf nonetheless are much more useful.
Kobo
The Kobo Clara Color is true for readers who:
- Need a compact discovering out system
- Research text-heavy books
- Have an curiosity contained in the Kindle Colorsoft nonetheless desire a additional low cost threat
Kobo
The Kobo Libra Color is true for readers who:
- Have or need to assemble an enormous e-book assortment
- Avidly annotate their e-books and wish the choice to color-code these annotations
- Love the comfort and discovering out expertise page-turning buttons current
Our first impressions
As a former Kindle stan, my bar was excessive for the Kobo Clara Color to outperform my trusty e-reader. Nonetheless, after one too many occasions of my Kindle lagging on web net web page turns or turning into unresponsive to the contact, I approached the Kobo with an open concepts. After I cracked open my Kobo and commenced downloading books, I used to be instantly wowed by how attractive the colour library appeared. Whereas shade clearly isn’t obligatory when discovering out (I point out, the precise pages of the e e ebook are in black and white, in any case), scrolling by way of my digital library and seeing e e ebook covers in all their glory was so vigorous in contrast with how boring and sterile some e-readers can really actually really feel. It rang a bell in my memory of looking bookstore aisles, capturing a bit little bit of that magic in its place of feeling like a purely bare-bones expertise. That—blended with fast downloads, no web net web page lagging, and an easy-to-use interface—impressed me from the beginning.
Our Senior Managing Editor, Garri Chaverst, had an an similar expertise with the Kobo Libra Color. Even at first look, it felt like an improve in contrast alongside together with her Kindle, with a much more aesthetic discovering out expertise. The Kobo Libra Color makes use of a stylus for annotating, which she discovered much more seamless than battling clunky finger highlighting—one issue that looks like a unending battle to truly spotlight the passage you’re aiming for. There was a bit little little little bit of a discovering out curve whereas writing notes with the stylus, nonetheless Garri is the primary to confess that her handwriting may actually merely be that atrocious.
Earlier the advantages of the colour current, Garri furthermore cherished how the Kobo Libra Color allows you to prepare your books merely. The nice responsive page-turning buttons have been one totally different standout, providing a neater reply to navigate than the touchscreen. Plus, there are quite a few on-page customization picks that allow you to tailor your discovering out expertise to your actual preferences (she’s a small textual content material materials girlie) and quite a few data picks to maintain up observe of your progress. As somebody who areas hours into their e-reader every day, she feels it’s a very worthwhile improve.
Kobo E-Reader Execs and Cons
Kobo Execs:
- Light-weight and compact
- Waterproof
- Shade current
- Blue-light filter for evening time discovering out
- Constructed-in library operate
- Specific person-friendly
- Customizable web net web page picks
- Extended battery life
- Stylus efficiency permits for seamless annotating with the Kobo Libra Color
- Entry to Kobo’s giant library of eBooks accessible to buy, similar to Amazon’s catalog
- Kobo Plus subscription: Entry to over 1,000,000 eBooks and audiobooks for $10/month
Kobo Cons:
- Some connectivity elements
- Slower purchase velocity in contrast with completely totally different e-readers
- Smaller present in contrast with rivals
- No entry to Kindle Limitless books
What makes Kobo e-readers stand out?
The very very very first thing I observed when unboxing the Kobo Clara Color was how light-weight it felt. With a 6-inch present, it’s compact ample to toss correct proper right into a bag with out along with heaps weight. Plus, it’s constituted of 85 % recycled plastic, a delightful bonus if eco-friendly merchandise are essential to you. My favourite design attribute, although, is its water resistance. There’s nothing I really like larger than discovering out in a steaming scorching tub, which sadly signifies that no matter I’m discovering out takes an inevitable dip each once in a while. I’ve spent years by chance dropping my telephone and bodily copies of books into the water, so the fact that the Kobo Clara Color is waterproof is unimaginable, IMO. I can profit from my gratifying soaks in peace with out the looming stress that one misstep and my e-reader is toast.
The Kobo Libra Color is equally compact and light-weight, nonetheless it furthermore has an e-reader attribute that the e e ebook neighborhood has been mourning because of the retirement of the Kindle Oasis: web net web page flip buttons. Should you’re a Kindle shopper, you already know that the present operate will most likely be lower than spectacular at occasions. Normally, it takes a wide range of faucets to truly flip the web net web page, in every other case you’re continuously by chance citing a menu that then takes a wide range of seconds to shut and get as soon as extra to discovering out. The Kobo Libra Color’s web net web page flip buttons keep away from any of these elements. Garri recommends pairing the system with a popsocket or completely totally different easy-to-hold system, so discovering out with the Kobo is cozy and useful.
With each the Kobo Clara Color and Kobo Libra Color, the colour present is a huge promoting diploma, and each testers agree it lived as loads as a result of the hype. Whereas the colours are muted, it’s nonetheless way more visually attention-grabbing than the utterly black-and-white e-ink expertise in Kindles. Now, Kindle has its non-public shade mannequin, nonetheless the value diploma is approach steeper than that of comparable Kobo units. We each agreed that should you’re trying to find to buy one, the Kobo is likely one of the easiest methods to go.
Is there additional to the units than the colour current?
The standout attribute of the Kobo Clara Color and Kobo Libra Color is certainly its shade current. Not solely does your digital library look lovable with vibrant e e ebook covers, nonetheless additionally it is potential to spotlight in fairly a couple of colours—great should you profit from delicate annotating. Should you dabble in graphic novels or magazines, this e-reader can care for them, although its small present is most interesting fitted to text-focused reads. The 6-inch E Ink Carta 1200 touchscreen is clear and glare-resistant, making it easy on the eyes. You may swipe or faucet to level out pages, and whereas sometimes a faucet launched up the house present and settings in its place of turning the web net web page, this may presumably be a outcomes of my stubby fingers barely than a present glitch.
One totally different game-changing attribute is ComfortLight PRO, which lets you alter brightness and filter blue delicate for a gentler nighttime discovering out expertise. I frequently attempt to restrict blue delicate at evening time time, nonetheless when utilizing my Kindle, I merely turned a blind eye to the blue delicate from my e-reader. Now, I can full my anti-blue delicate evening time time routine and luxuriate in my evening time binge-reading programs. The Kobo Libra Color furthermore has all these selections, merely on a barely larger 7-inch present—which makes graphic novels, comics, and magazines barely simpler to review.
What number of books can the Kobo retailer, and the best way briskly is it?
With 8GB of inside storage, the Kobo Clara Color can add an entire bunch of books to your library, so storage shouldn’t be a problem. Its page-turning was easy and with out lags, although downloading books was slower than my Kindle. Syncing my library took quite a lot of makes an strive, and I had some elements with my Libby books arriving in my library, nonetheless as rapidly as loaded, they ran seamlessly.
The Kobo Libra Color has 32GB and might retailer as loads as 24,000 books, so I terribly doubt anybody will ever get to the purpose the place they should begin deleting books to make room for storage. The present was very responsive with no lags, and with the page-turning buttons, flipping the web net web page is flawless.
How extended does the battery remaining?
Each Kobo fashions solely wanted to be charged as rapidly as since we obtained them a couple of month before now. A sort of occasions was before a flight, merely to be protected, despite the fact that it wasn’t even near ineffective. Relying on use, the Kobo Clara Color and the Kobo Libra Color batteries can remaining a wide range of weeks and worth rapidly when wanted. It has among the many finest e-reader battery life I’ve tried, making it nice useful to journey with.
What makes discovering out on a Kobo e-reader absolutely completely totally different?
The Kobo Clara Color presents a customizable discovering out expertise that basically impressed me. You may alter font, margins, and background shade to your want, so the entire thing is tailor-made to your liking. One totally different a part of the Clara Color I cherished was its seamless integration with public libraries. As somebody who virtually absolutely reads library e-books utilizing OverDrive, I really like that I’ve direct entry to library loans and curated lists so I can borrow books right from my system. The Pocket app integration is one totally different favourite for saving on-line articles to review offline—a win for magazine-obsessed girlies like myself. Whereas discovering out, additionally it is potential to simply observe your progress contained in the e e ebook with web net web page numbers, chapter development, and share research, so that you just simply frequently know the place you stand.
The Kobo Libra Color has the entire an similar selections because of the Kobo Clara Color with added stylus compatibility. Which suggests should you’re frequently writing little notes contained in the margins of your bodily copies, you can lastly do the an similar digitally. With the colour current, this implies you can spotlight and write in fairly a couple of colours and color-code your annotations to rearrange them. As an illustration, Garri highlighted swoon-worthy moments in pink and suspected foreshadowing in inexperienced.
Are Kobo e-readers undoubtedly effectively well worth the cash?
The Kobo Clara Color is a perfect threat for readers looking for prime quality at a budget-friendly value. It’s low cost, notably for a color-display e-reader, and exceeded my expectations for effectivity. It’s half the value of its Kindle competitor counterpart and is my new go-to system for locating out.
Should you’ve been avoiding e-readers on account of you can’t half alongside alongside together with your annotating methods in any other case you’ve got some essential storage wishes, you obtained’t uncover the following deal than the Kobo Libra Color. The mannequin new Kindle Colorsoft, which doesn’t current the flexibleness to annotate with a stylus, is $100 larger than the Kobo Libra Color.
So, do it is a should to purchase a Kobo e-reader?
The Kobo Clara Color is a unbelievable e-reader for my discovering out habits and wishes. I largely research textual content material materials novels and like to spotlight nonetheless not normally utterly annotate my books, and I acknowledge the addition of shade. In case your discovering out habits align with mine, I want to recommend searching for. Whereas it has some minor connectivity drawbacks, it’s dependable and user-friendly. Between the Kobo Clara Color and the Kobo Libra Color, I’d advocate the Clara Color as among the many finest worth differ threat and a gentle totally different for first-time e-reader prospects.
Garri has already given her outdated Kindle to her husband and is totally dedicated to the Kobo Libra Color. If that doesn’t convey how obsessed we’re, I don’t know what’s going to. It’s the proper e-reader for somebody who likes to annotate (which you’ll be able to technically do with a Kindle, nonetheless it’s nowhere close to as precise as with the Kobo stylus), and I’m desperate to wager cash that everytime you strive it, you’ll under no circumstances return. Should you, like Garri, are an avid reader with an infinite library of books, need additional customization picks, and love a compact nevertheless intuitive design, the Kobo Libra Color can’t be beat.
Which Kobo e-reader do it is a should to get?
Kobo
The Kobo Clara Color is true for readers who:
- Need a compact discovering out system
- Research text-heavy books
- Have an curiosity contained in the Kindle Colorsoft nonetheless desire a additional low cost threat
Kobo
The Kobo Libra Color is true for readers who:
- Have or need to assemble an enormous e-book assortment
- Avidly annotate their e-books and wish the choice to color-code these annotations
- Love the comfort and discovering out expertise page-turning buttons current
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lauren Blue, Way of life Employees Author
As a Way of life Employees Author for The Everygirl, Lauren ideates and writes content material materials supplies for each facet of our readers’ lives. Her articles span the themes of residence decor, scrumptious recipes, hobbies, journey itineraries—and the entire thing in between. When she isn’t testing the latest TikTok pattern, she’s going to most likely be discovered scouring Instagram for beautiful houses to attribute on the location.
