Kobo Clara Colour Review
The Kobo Clara Colour is the cheapest way to get colour e-ink from a name you can trust, and it comes in the most pocketable size going. It is a compact 6 inch reader with a colour screen, waterproofing and Kobo's excellent library support, all for well under the price of the bigger colour models. If you want small, cheap and colour, and you can live with the compromises colour e-ink brings, it is a lot of reader for the money.
Specifications
| Screen | 6" |
|---|---|
| PPI | 300 |
| Colour | Yes |
| Frontlight | Yes |
| Waterproof | Yes |
| Stylus | No |
| Storage | 16 GB |
| Weight | 174 g |
| Price | $149 |
Verdict
The Kobo Clara Colour packs colour e-ink, waterproofing and Kobo's brilliant library support into the most pocketable, affordable package around. Colour on a small screen is more novelty than necessity, and text is a touch softer than on a mono model, but as a cheap, compact, open-ecosystem reader with a bit of colour, it is genuinely appealing. It is the value pick of the colour e-reader crowd.
What we like
- Cheapest colour e-reader from a major brand
- Compact, light and waterproof
- Native EPUB and excellent Libby/OverDrive library support
- Warm-adjustable frontlight
Worth noting
- Colour e-ink is muted and softer than mono, more so on a small screen
- 6 inch screen is cramped for comics
- No physical page-turn buttons
- Kobo store smaller than Amazon's
Small, Colour and Waterproof
The Clara has always been the sensible compact Kobo, and the Colour version keeps that: a light 6 inch body, IPX8 waterproofing and a warm-adjustable frontlight, now with a colour panel. Covers, highlights and comics get colour, which is a nice touch at this size and price.
The usual colour e-ink caveats apply, and they bite a little more on a small screen. Colour is muted, the panel is slightly softer and dimmer than a mono Clara, and comics on a 6 inch screen are cramped. Colour here is a pleasant bonus rather than a reason to buy for serious comic reading.
Kobo's Open Ecosystem
As with every Kobo, EPUB opens natively, library borrowing through OverDrive and Libby is built in where supported, and Pocket lets you send web articles across. For readers who lean on libraries or own their files, that openness is the real selling point over a Kindle.
The store is smaller than Amazon's and there are no physical page-turn buttons at this size, so it is a pure touchscreen reader.
Price and Who It Is For
At around 149 USD it is the most affordable colour e-reader from a major brand. Buy it if you want a small, cheap, waterproof reader with a splash of colour and open formats.
Step up to the Libra Colour for page-turn buttons, a bigger screen and stylus support, or pick a mono Clara or Kindle if you never read colour and want the sharpest possible text for less.
Frequently asked
Is the Kobo Clara Colour good for comics?
It can show them in colour, but a 6 inch colour e-ink screen is small and muted, so comics feel cramped. For serious comic reading a larger colour device like the Boox Note Air 4C is far better.
Is it waterproof?
Yes, it is rated IPX8, so it handles accidental immersion and is fine for the bath or poolside.
Clara Colour or Libra Colour?
The Clara Colour is smaller and cheaper. The Libra Colour adds physical page-turn buttons, a bigger 7 inch screen and optional stylus support for more money.
Can it borrow library books?
Yes, through OverDrive and Libby in supported regions, and it reads EPUB natively, both advantages over a Kindle.