KoboLibra Colour | eReader | 7” Glare-Free Colour E Ink Kaleido™ 3 Display | Dark Mode Option | Audiobooks | Waterproof | (Black)

Exceptional design, easy to use, and it really makes reading easier, faster and more comfortable. It feels strong and robust, but it's also refined. You can feel the thought that has gone into it. After a few tries I was navigating the screens and options very easily. Like any device it takes a little effort, but after that it's become very intuitive.The screen is excellent in bright light and very comfortable in dull light. It's super light, very slim and easily fits into a bag or large pocket.I'm not used to eReaders but found the process of signing-up and download books very easy. The selection of books is vast. I tested the library by typing in some very obscure titles and was amazed when it returned not just the book I was looking for but different options as well.This device allows you to take notes and highlight the text. This is really important to me as I like to catch my thoughts, and it makes the Kobo great for research.

I am very pleased with this, and I'm pleased that I chose it as my first colour, e-ink reader - something I have been looking at for some time, It’s much better than any of the Kindle readers I have owned. One standout feature is the **Google Drive integration**, which makes adding your ownbooks incredibly easy and convenient.The eReader is lightweight, making it perfect for on-the-go reading. Another fantastic aspect is that it is fully repairable by the user – you can even replace the battery yourself! This is a huge plus for those who value sustainability and longevity in their devices.The display offers vibrant color saturation, which can be further enhanced by switching to "developer mode." This is a simple process, and there are plenty of YouTube videos available to guide you through it. The display is also glare-free, making reading comfortable even in bright sunlight¹.Additionally, the Kobo Libra Colour supports a wide range of file formats, including EPUB, PDF, and MOBI, giving you the flexibility to read almost any book you want. The device also features something kobo calls **ComfortLight PRO**, which reduces blue light exposure, making it easier on the eyes during nighttime reading.Overall, I highly recommend the Kobo Libra Colour for anyone looking to enhance their reading experience with a versatile, user-friendly, and sustainable Reader! It's also, for a colour reader especially, very cheap. Now, if only they would bring down the price of the stylus that goes with it.

I last tried the Kobo Libra Colour about ten months ago. It was a rebound purchase when my Scribe packed in after a year, and Amazon was singularly unhelpful, refusing to repair or replace a £400 bit of kit. In a fit of pique, I decided to come away from Amazon and try the Kobo. But I wasn't in the right headspace. Although I desperately wanted a colour device (the Colorsoft hadn't launched then), I was comparing the Kobo against the Scribe and the Oasis. I was also still very immersed in the Amazon ecosystem - I've had Kindles since the first iteration. I was really looking for a unicorn - a large colour reading device plus notebook. I wasn't impressed with the Kobo notebook - the screen was small, and the pen didn't feel like writing on paper, as the Scribe does. I sent the Kobo back.So now, months on, I recently tried the Boox Note Air 4C (it was a birthday gift). But the battery life was woeful. Yes it had a colour screen, and yes the notebook functionality is way better than the Scribe. But I didn't feel it was good enough to replace the Scribe. So I decided to give the Kobo another try and re-calibrate my approach. Not viewing it as a notebook device to replace Scribe but as a 7 inch colour e-reader to replace the Kindle Colorsoft (but the Kobo happens to have a notebook as an added bonus). Plus, we are now at the point where Amazon's approach to licencing means many people have moved away from the ecosystem in favour of Kobo. If they can do it, I can too, I thought.This time, I'm viewing the Kobo through new eyes. I thought it felt cheap and plasticky originally. But I hadn't realised it's made from ocean-bound plastic. In fact, it's a very environmentally friendly product, designed to be fixed if it goes wrong, rather than discarded. And it's super light too. Suddenly I got what all the reviewers have been raving about. It IS a device for readers. Small and thoughtful features enhance the reading experience no end. Let's compare it to the Kindle Coloursoft, as I think that's the fairest and closest e-reader to this. The display on the Kobo Libra Clour is way better. I know there's a lot of talk about colour devices being darker and, yes, both are compared to non colour e-ink devices. However, you can get the Kobo to a B&W e-reader background lightness without feeling like the front-light is cranked up too high. At just 8% it begins to feel akin to regular e-readers and it just gets better from there. And, unlike the Boox, using the front-light doesn't eat up battery. By comparison, the Kindle Coloursoft has a very murky screen. Also, the colour screen is much more vibrant on the Kobo. Side by side, I'd say it knocks the Coloursoft out of the water. I've added photos but the difference is far more obvious in reality.Initially, I did have a niggle with the Kobo's fonts - none seemed as bold as those offered on Kindles. However, this time, I learned you can adjust the 'weight' of the font in the settings to make them bolder. You can also download fonts for free online then save them to the font folder on the Kobo (it's super easy to do - just connect the Kobo to your computer or other device). Doing this, I was able to download Bookerly, which is the font I normally opt for.The next plus is how easy it is to adjust the front-light. No having to tap on the screen a couple of times to bring up the brightness menu and adjust. On the Kobo, you can choose to run your finger up and down the left side of the screen and, hey presto, it adjusts your light. This is such a reader-friendly option. And on the subject of making things quick and easy, you can also slide down from the top to easily get back to the last few things you viewed - whether a novel or a notebook. In both the Coloursoft and Scribe, you need to click back to the home screen. It was always an irritant on the Scribe not being able to easily toggle back to the book I was reading from within the notebook, and vice versa.The reading experience itself is enhanced by the addition of the stylus, if you choose to get it. But even just being able to highlight in different colours is helpful (something you can also do on the Coloursoft). However, to also be able to write directly on the book page, and in various colours, is game changing for keen annotators. Scribe has made it a little more intuitive to write on the page, but still doesn't offer the full-on option of having what you write appear directly on the page - instead, it shoves it into an expandable side-margin or a text-box that takes up space on the page.Another really helpful tool on the Kobo is being able to highlight a word (which brings up a drop-down menu) and click 'search'. Most people who use e-readers probably try to search when reading a book to find where names or other things have appeared previously. This is a direct route to doing that. On Kindles, though, you have to click the magnifying glass icon, then type in the word or name you're searching for. This function on the Kobo makes it so much quicker and more seamless to perform this function.You can also customise both footers and headers in the Kobo, to give you different info e.g. percentage read/ page number/time left in book/ in chapter etc. So this is totally customisable. Finally, the Kobo has PAGE TURN BUTTONS! This is something many hardcore Kindle fans have missed immensely in later iterations. Better still, the Kobo does a full auto rotate (which can be disabled). Something which, for some unknown reason, was a function Amazon removed from the Coloursoft. The full auto-rotate means you can move the device from left to right hand (the page-turn buttons automatically recalibrate) AND you can read it in landscape mode too.Now to the ecosystem ... I realised shifting would require a change in outlook. I've spent around 15 years downloading samples and curating my Amazon collections. I realised I'd NEVER move device if I remained wedded to that. I just had to take the plunge. Realistically, when you go into physical bookshops, you don't see exactly the same books in each one. You browse what's on offer and make your choice from there. So, personally, it was a bit of a mental letting go for me. I don't use Kindle Unlimited so that wasn't an issue. I believe the Kobo equivalent isn't quite as good (although it is cheaper) - but it's anticipated that as more authors move over to Kobo, their catalogue of free novels will increase. There's also a reward scheme where you pay £6 a year and can earn points for every book you buy, which you can then redeem for a free book. So Kobo are rewarding loyal readers. The device itself is much more reader-friendly - showing you the books/previews on your device and encouraging you to read what's on there - rather than trying to sell you more books, like Amazon does. There is also access to Overdrive to borrow library books; although it doesn't seem like it's available for most libraries in the UK who use a different borrowing system to Libby (which is linked to Overdrive). But really, once I put the Amazon catalogue I have on my Kindle out of my mind, I've found there's more than enough choice and deals on Kobo. Generally, if a novel goes on offer on Amazon, it'll have the same offer on Kobo.Overall, even though I've only had the Kobo a few days, I'm loving it so far. It ticks so many boxes: colour/waterproof/notebook as a bonus/very intuitive/makes reading easy. A note on the stylus - I got the Kobo one but you can get cheaper compatible versions, but from what I've gleaned, the highlighter and eraser functions are always reversed; so if you get an eraser at the end, that'll highlight and the button on the pen will erase. Apparently the Metapen M1 at £29 is manageable because the eraser and highlighter functions are both buttons on the pen body, so it's not too important which button does what. And it's almost half the price of the Kobo stylus.Finally, cases ... if the case is just as important as the device for you (which it is for me, as it's part of the reading experience), suitable cases are thin on the ground. Largely because there is no streamlined case that has a pen holder. There are chunkier cases which have a pen loop at the side. But nothing that encases the stylus within the case. Apart from Kobo's own Notebook case. Generally, I like a kickstand and pen holder. However, I decided having a place to safely stow the pen was more important, so I opted for the Kobo Notebook case in blue. It is a beautiful case (definitely not the cheapest option though at around £34). Also, I've found that when turned sideways, there's a flap on the front of the case that can be used to prop the Kobo up - not sure if that's intended, but it works well.All told, when stacked up against the Colorsoft, the Kobo wins hands-down. It's a lovely looking device, a little wider where the Coloursoft is longer - but with the same size reading area on both. It's just a lovely, intuitive device that's had a lot of thought put into it by a design team who has clearly researched what readers want.

I bought this to replace a much older Kobo reader after the screen stopped working. The colour screen isn't a big advantage as it looks dull and washed out. It's less comfortable than my old one because the back is flat, hard and slippery. It's slightly faster and the page turning seems a bit smoother. The buttons are a bit too stiff which doesn't help although I like the fact that you can swap them around. It's a very good ereader however and I use it a lot. The menus are intuitive and the selling point for me is the fact that you can easily download books from a laptop or PC. The screen size is about right and it's not too heavy. I travel a lot and this goes everywhere with me.