The Kobo Clara Colour is a 6-inch color e-reader that costs roughly $130–$150, undercutting Amazon’s Kindle Colorsoft by $90 while delivering better color performance and a paperlike display. At 174 grams, it’s light enough for one-handed page turning via screen taps, and it ships with features Kindle charges extra for or omits entirely—waterproofing, night mode, and a Kaleido 3 color filter that saturates hues more vividly than the competition.
Key Takeaways
- Kobo Clara Colour costs $90 less than Kindle Colorsoft while matching or exceeding color quality.
- 6-inch E Ink Kaleido 3 display with 4,000+ colors and 300 PPI black-and-white resolution.
- IPX8 waterproof rating survives 2 meters of water for up to 60 minutes.
- Battery lasts weeks of regular reading without needing a charge.
- Lightweight design (174g) with recycled and ocean-bound plastic construction.
Why the Kobo Clara Colour Outshines Kindle Colorsoft
The Kobo Clara Colour’s biggest advantage is its Kaleido 3 color filter, which sits at the top of the display stack rather than buried underneath, delivering noticeably richer and more responsive colors. The screen renders over 4,000 colors with a glare-free sunken design and no glass layer, giving text a genuinely paperlike feel that matters during extended reading sessions. Kindle Colorsoft lacks this refinement—reviewers have noted the Kobo’s color saturation simply looks better, especially for graphic novels and cookbooks where image quality drives the reading experience.
Waterproofing is another decisive factor. The Kobo Clara Colour carries an IPX8 rating, surviving up to 60 minutes submerged in 2 meters of water. Kindle Colorsoft offers no such protection, making it unsuitable for poolside or bath reading. For travelers and readers in humid climates, this difference alone justifies the switch.
Display and Design: Lightweight Without Compromise
At 112 x 160 x 9.2 mm and 174 grams, the Kobo Clara Colour is genuinely light—one reviewer compared it to a frisbee. This matters for one-handed reading, where you tap the screen to turn pages rather than pressing buttons. The 6-inch E Ink Kaleido 3 panel delivers 1448×1072 pixels at 300 PPI in black-and-white mode, dropping to 150 PPI for color, a trade-off that keeps the display sharp for text while maintaining color responsiveness.
The device includes 16 levels of grayscale and ComfortLight for adjustable lighting with automatic blue light reduction—features that protect your eyes during evening reading. Color highlighting works via finger tap-hold on words, lines, or paragraphs, supporting four colors: yellow, pink, blue, and green. There’s no stylus support or advanced markup tools, but for pure reading, this simplicity is a strength rather than a limitation.
Battery, Storage, and Practical Longevity
The Kobo Clara Colour runs for weeks on a single charge depending on usage intensity. With 16GB of storage, it holds approximately 12,000 e-books or 75 audiobooks, enough for most readers’ travel libraries. The device uses recycled and ocean-bound plastic in its construction, and Kobo ships it in eco-friendly packaging designed to resemble a book—a nice touch for environmentally conscious buyers.
Battery life stands in stark contrast to phones and tablets, which drain daily. This is precisely why dedicated e-readers matter: the Kobo Clara Colour frees you from charging anxiety for weeks at a time, making it genuinely portable for vacations and commutes.
Where the Kobo Clara Colour Falls Short
The device prioritizes reading over everything else. Book sideloading is basic, with no Dropbox or Google Drive support, limiting how easily you can add personal documents or PDFs. There are no user controls for adjusting color contrast, vividness, or saturation—the Kaleido 3 filter delivers what it delivers, and you can’t tweak it. If you need a stylus for note-taking or want the larger 7-inch Kobo Libra Colour with physical page-turn buttons, you’ll pay more and carry extra weight.
Outdoor reading in direct sunlight can produce glare despite the sunken screen design, though this is mitigated better than on many competitors. The color resolution at 150 PPI means images aren’t as sharp as they would be on a phone, but for the intended use case—reading text with color illustrations—it’s adequate.
Kobo Clara Colour vs. Kindle Colorsoft: The Real Difference
Kindle Colorsoft launched after the Kobo Clara Colour and Libra Colour, giving Kobo first-mover advantage in the color E Ink space. Amazon’s device costs roughly $220–$240, while the Kobo sits at $130–$150, a $90 gap that buys you waterproofing, night mode, and superior color vibrancy. If you’re already invested in Amazon’s ecosystem and value Kindle’s library integration, that premium might make sense. But for readers who prioritize display quality and durability over brand loyalty, the Kobo Clara Colour is the smarter buy.
The Kobo Libra Colour offers a larger 7-inch screen and stylus support for markup, but it’s heavier and costs more—a trade-off for readers who want a premium device with note-taking features. The Clara Colour targets portability and simplicity, which is exactly what most readers actually need.
Is the Kobo Clara Colour waterproof?
Yes. The Kobo Clara Colour has an IPX8 waterproof rating, meaning it can withstand submersion in up to 2 meters of water for up to 60 minutes. This makes it safe for poolside, bath, and beach reading without worry.
How much storage does the Kobo Clara Colour have?
The Kobo Clara Colour includes 16GB of storage, which holds approximately 12,000 e-books or 75 audiobooks. This is more than enough for most readers’ personal libraries and travel needs.
Does the Kobo Clara Colour support stylus and note-taking?
No. The Kobo Clara Colour does not support a stylus or advanced markup features. Highlighting is done via finger tap-hold in four colors, but there’s no note-taking or annotation system. If markup is essential, the larger Kobo Libra Colour supports the Kobo Stylus 2.
The Kobo Clara Colour proves that you don’t need to spend premium prices for a genuinely excellent color e-reader. It outperforms Kindle Colorsoft on display quality and durability while costing significantly less, making it the obvious choice for readers who want vibrant colors, waterproofing, and long battery life without the Amazon premium.
Where to Buy
$159.99 at Amazon | $159 | £149 | $159 at Amazon | £149 in the U.K.
This article was written with AI assistance and editorially reviewed.
Source: Tom's Guide
