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The Kobo Clara Colour won't transform the way you read novels – most books are still black text on a white page — but once you've had a colour e-ink screen, going back to monochrome feels like a step backwards. It's compact, lightweight, waterproof, and lasts for weeks on a single charge. The colour screen makes browsing your library genuinely pleasant, and for around $20 more than the black and white Clara, it's an easy recommendation. Just don't buy it expecting a great comic reader.
- Colour screen makes the whole reading experience feel more inviting
- Excellent battery life with weeks between charges
- Lightweight, waterproof and comfortable to hold
- More open platform than Kindle, with wider file format support
- Repair kits available via iFixit
- Colour adds little if you read mostly novels
- Comic and graphic novel experience can be frustrating
- Australian Libby library support is very limited
- No Google Drive or Dropbox sideloading
Being able to carry thousands of books around in a device that’s a bit smaller than a novel still gives me a real thrill. But e-ink has, for the longest time, been extremely dull to view.
But a couple of years ago, Kobo launched a pair of ebook readers with a colour e-ink screen. Then Amazon followed suit with its first coloured e-ink device, the Colorsoft.
I may be a little late to getting my eyes (and hands) on a colour e-ink screen, but reviewing the Kobo Clara for the past month or so, I don’t think I could easily go back to a black and white device. That honestly surprises me, too, because the benefits aren’t as significant as I hoped.
But the Clara Colour isn’t resting entirely on its screen to sell units. Kobo has included features like Bluetooth connectivity for audiobook playback, an IPX8 rating, and up to a 1,900 mAh battery that lasts for weeks.
And while I’ll write it as a separate review, you can pair it with the Kobo Remote to be able to control the reader without even touching the screen. It sounds ridiculous, but it’s actually really convenient.
The end result is a really pleasant ereader experience.
What makes the Kobo Clara Colour stand out?
Colour e-ink isn’t exactly new anymore, but if you’ve spent years looking at the dull monotone that was tradition e-ink, it’s a complete breath of fresh air.
It’s not bright and vibrant like an iPad screen. It’s a bit more muted, more closely resembling a matte paper finish.
If you read a lot of novels, you’ll mostly notice the colour elements when you’re browsing the Kobo store, with colour covers helping the platform feel more like an actual bookstore.
Illustrated books and comics obviously show you the colour on the screen as well, though there are limitations there with the interface and the screen size. I’ll discuss those a bit further on, though.
Like most ebook readers, the Clara Colour can last for weeks on a single charge, which is plenty of time to bang through a bunch of novels. It has a backlit display, and an IPX8 rating, which means it should survive a quick dunk in the bath if you drop it, but won’t cope too well with sand or dirt.
The Kobo supports a wide range of file formats, including EPUB, EPUB2, EPUB3, PDF, FlePub, MOBI, PDF, CBZ and ZBT for comics, plus HTML, TXT and RTF.
For avid readers, there’s also a $13.99 / month Kobo Plus subscription, which offers access to millions of ebooks.
Kobo Clara Colour Specs
| Category | Specification |
|---|---|
| Display | 6" E Ink Kaleido 3 with FastGLR and Dark Mode |
| Resolution | 1448 x 1072 | 300 PPI (black and white) / 150 PPI (colour) |
| Storage | 16GB (approx. 12,000 ebooks or 75 audiobooks) |
| Processor | Dual-core 2.0 GHz |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11 ac/b/g/n (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz), Bluetooth, USB-C |
| Battery | Black: 1,500 mAh | White: 1,900 mAh — up to 42 days* |
| Waterproofing | IPX8 (up to 60 minutes in 2 metres of water) |
| Dimensions | 112 x 160 x 9.2 mm / 174g |
*Based on 30 minutes of reading per day at 30% brightness with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth off.
Design and build quality
The Clara Colour comes in both Black and White bodies. The frame looks much like any other ebook reader – there are no buttons on the front – just a discrete power button on the back and a USB-C port at the bottom for charging.
The key element here is the display. Kobo’s colour e-ink panel has a 1448 × 1072 resolution, at 150 PPI for colour and 300 PPI for black and white content.
Breaking it down a bit further, the E Ink Kaleido 3 display can show 4,096 colours, including 16 levels of greyscale. That means that colours are clear and images are easy to see in full colour, though they aren’t as bright or vibrant as a tablet would be.
Because it’s e-ink, the screen retains the image when it goes into sleep mode. That means that you’re looking at your book’s cover – in colour – when you pick up the Kobo to start reading.
It’s a purely psychological thing, but it really does make you want to read more.
The 16 GB of onboard storage lets you store 12,000 ebooks or 75 audiobooks, which is more than enough for a long, long commute.
The Kobo is also lightweight, easy to pick up and control. The ComfortLight Pro front light automatically adjusts between warm and cool tones to help rest your eyes against blue light at night.
Kobo supplied me with a Colour Sleep cover, which does add slightly to the bulk, but has a cool design that allows it to fold and act as a stand while you’re reading.
When you open the Sleep cover, it automatically wakes up the Kobo, so you’re ready to read.
And while it’s not something I got to – or even wanted – to test, Kobo has built the Clara Colour to be easily repairable. So if something does go wrong, you may not need to replace the whole thing straight away, which is a nice touch. You can just hit up iFixit for a repair kit, with a screen replacement costing $133.99.
It managed this by using up to 85% recycled plastic, including ocean-bound material, making it a sounder option for anyone looking for an environmentally friendly ebook reader.
Performance
I think you’d be hard-pressed to find an e-ink screen that isn’t great to read these days. The Clara Colour is no exception – it’s like reading off paper, with the benefit of a frontlight when the ambient light in the room isn’t good enough to read from.
But the catch with that is that aside from viewing the covers of books, there’s very little benefit to a colour e-ink screen. Don’t get me wrong – I love it, and with just $20 between the colour and Black and White version of the Clara eReader, I 100% recommend picking up the colour version for everyone.
But most books you read are in black and white. It’s a black font on a plain background. If you buy the Clara Colour hoping to bring new life to your favourite novel, the truth is that it doesn’t.
Comics and illustrated books have the potential to be different. The very first thing I did with the Clara Colour was download a comic to it, hoping to enjoy an immersive, colourful experience.
But here, its interface lets down the Clara. E-ink does not load quickly. The Clara’s screen, at just six inches, is too small to read a full paged comic without zooming in.
But Kobo’s software does not support any panel-by-panel viewing for comics. You have to zoom in to the full page and drag it around to see the panel you want. That’s slow, and the refresh of doing so leaves an echo on the screen that can make it harder to read.
While it's not something I've done since I was in high school, the colour e-ink screen does let you highlight text in your book in four different colours. This would definitely be useful for students or avid notetakers, but it wasn’t a feature I found myself using.
One other thing I wanted to flag – Kobo has integrated support for the digital ebook library service Libby, which lets you borrow from local libraries. Well, it does if your local library is part of the Libby system, and in Australia there are seemingly few libraries that are.
This isn’t a criticism of the Clara Colour, for what it’s worth. But I was excited by the possibility of borrowing books on this ebook easily, and the lack of Aussie libraries meant that it wasn’t an option. Hopefully, the upcoming StoryGraph implementation will be more Australia-friendly.
Verdict
Colour e-ink didn’t transform my reading life the way I had hoped. If you buy the Kobo Clara Colour expecting your next novel to feel like a whole new experience, you'll be waiting a while. Black text on a white page is still black text on a white page.
But spend a month with this device, and you'll understand why I'm not sure if I could go back to a monochrome reader. The colour makes the library feel alive. Covers pop, the store feels like browsing an actual bookshop, and there's something about picking up a device that looks inviting rather than utilitarian that makes you want to read more.
Beyond the screen, this is a really well-made ereader. It's lightweight, waterproof, runs for weeks on a charge, and sits on a platform that's more flexible than Kindle.
The comic experience is a bit disappointing, the Libby situation is frustrating for Australian readers, and I wish the software had panel-by-panel viewing for illustrated books.
But for anyone who reads mostly text and wants a compact ereader that feels a step above the basics, the Clara Colour is an easy recommendation, especially at just $20 more than the black and white version.
Buy the Kobo Clara Colour if…
- You want an ereader you'll actually look forward to picking up. The colour screen makes browsing your library and cover art feel surprisingly pleasing, and that alone is enough to make you read more. For a $20 premium over the black and white Clara, it's a no-brainer.
- You read in bed or near water. The warm/cool frontlight, IPX8 waterproofing and weeks of battery life make this a great companion for bath readers, beach trips and night owls who are precious about eye strain.
- You want out of the Kindle ecosystem. Kobo's platform is more open, supports a wider range of file formats, and lets you listen to Kobo Plus audiobooks and borrow titles from supported libraries. You're not locked in the way you are with Amazon.
Don't buy the Kobo Clara Colour if…
- You're buying it for comics or graphic novels. The six-inch screen is too small for full-page comic layouts, and Kobo's software has no panel-by-panel reading mode. You'll spend more time pinching and dragging than actually reading.
- You read exclusively black and white text. The colour screen makes the store and covers pop, but a novel in black font on a white background looks near-identical to the cheaper Clara BW. There's no meaningful reading upgrade for fiction-only readers.
- You rely on Libby for library borrowing. Libby support exists, but the Australian library network coverage is thin. If free library ebooks are a major draw, check whether your local library is part of the Libby system before you buy.
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Frequently asked questions
How does the Kobo Clara Colour compare to the Kindle Colorsoft?
Both are colour e-ink readers aimed at the mainstream market. The Colorsoft has a larger screen and tighter Amazon ecosystem integration, while the Clara Colour is more affordable, more open to third-party files and formats, and lets you side-load ebooks directly via USB-C. The Clara Colour is also waterproof; the Colorsoft is not. For Australian buyers especially, the Kobo's wider format support and competitive pricing make it worth serious consideration.
Can you read comics on the Kobo Clara Colour?
Technically yes, but it's a frustrating experience. The six-inch screen is too small to read a full comic page without zooming in, and Kobo's software doesn't offer panel-by-panel navigation. You'll need to zoom and drag around each page, which is slow and leaves ghosting on the screen.
Does the Kobo Clara Colour work with Libby or OverDrive for library borrowing?
Yes, the Clara Colour supports OverDrive (the platform Libby runs on), which lets you borrow ebooks from participating public libraries. The issue for Australian readers is that relatively few local libraries are currently part of the Libby network, so check your library's availability before buying with that feature in mind.
How long does the battery last on the Kobo Clara Colour?
Kobo rates it at up to 42 days based on 30 minutes of reading per day at 30% brightness with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth off. In real-world use with Wi-Fi on and brightness higher, you can still expect several weeks between charges. According to the specs sheet, the white model actually has a larger battery (1,900 mAh vs 1,500 mAh in the black) if longevity is a priority.
Is the Kobo Clara Colour waterproof?
Yes. It carries an IPX8 rating, which means it can survive being submerged in up to two metres of water for up to 60 minutes. It's fine for reading in the bath or by the pool, but IPX8 doesn't cover sand or grit, so keep it away from the beach shore.
