I’ve spent years as an avid reader, amassing my own personal library, swearing that there was something special about the physical paper trophies on my bookshelves that was more important than the ease of e-readers. However, upon finally giving them a go… I understand.
My Kindle Paperwhite quickly became an indispensable item, with my main issue with it being its lack of colour, particularly noticeable when reading a book known for its vibrant cover. It doesn’t necessarily ruin the experience, but there’s a certain pleasure derived from admiring a stunning cover that isn’t rendered in greyscale.
Upon hearing about the Kobo Clara Colour, I knew without a doubt that I had to give it a whirl. For the most part, it’s on par with the Paperwhite, albeit with a few notable distinctions.
The first and most apparent is, naturally, the incorporation of colour. Initially, it felt somewhat strange to see colour on an e-reader, but there’s a gratifying sensation in seeing book covers displayed in all their might. Additionally, there’s the bonus of having four different colours to highlight with – I, like many readers, enjoy tabbing my books based on various themes, and the inability to distinguish my tabs has been a major bugbear with my Kindle, reports the Mirror.
This is particularly frustrating if I have a physical copy of the book that I want to transfer my highlights to and I have to categorise them all over again, it’s not the end of the world but there is an easier option.
Kobo’s bookmark system is slightly more satisfying too, instead of a cartoonish ribbon appearing to mark your page there’s the impression of a page corner being turned. There’s also the option to have multiple trackers of the position in the book on the page, at the top I have how many minutes are left in my chapter while at the bottom I can see exactly how many pages I’ve read. To see both of these stats on my Kindle I have to tap between the two.
Kobo also has the added bonus of syncing up with libraries that use Overdrive so you can read books completely for free and easily rent them out from your device. If you don’t have a library then Kobo does have their own Plus subscription with the option to even combine audiobooks and ebooks for £11.99 a month.
As someone who pays £8.99 for Audible and £9.49 for Kindle Unlimited every month, this is an obvious saving to take advantage of. You can’t transfer your books from your Kindle to your Kobo, or at least there doesn’t appear to be any official guidance on how to due to protections on ebook files from Amazon, but Kobo will price match any ebook in their store if you find it cheaper elsewhere.
The Kobo is a tad smaller than the Paperwhite, which I view as a plus. It’s more convenient to toss in my bag and if I’m reading in bed, I’m slightly less concerned about it falling on my face. My main gripe with the Kobo was some initial setup issues, but once I reported this to Kobo, they promptly sent a replacement and it’s been smooth sailing since.
However, Kindle has since launched the ColourSoft offering the same colour advantages as the Kobo model, but you can’t borrow library books on Kindles in the UK. The ColourSoft is also £120 pricier than the Clara Colour – although for those with an extensive Kindle ebook collection, sticking with the Kindle software could have its benefits.
I reckon I’ll be purchasing my books on Kobo from now on and building up that library, given their willingness to price match, though I will continue to read my unread Kindle books.
For dedicated Kindle readers, there’s a book tracker that records how many consecutive days and weeks you’ve been reading, and naturally, if you switch your reading to a new device, you’ll lose that streak. You can still monitor your reading stats, with Kobo even displaying your average pages per minute and the typical duration of your reading sessions.
If you’re embarking on your ebook journey, it’s certainly a wise move to start with Kobo rather than Kindle, as the device offers greater value for money. Although switching may be slightly more challenging if you have hundreds of Kindle books in your library, as someone with over 200, I’m making the transition without any regrets.
The Kobo Clara Colour is available for £149.99, while the Paperwhite costs £159.99 and the Coloursoft is priced at £269.99.