Kobo Clara Colour
Exact average 85.6 · 6 printed, 5 estimated · printed scores only: 86
The eBook Reader's review has no printed score; we read it as 71/100. The other 10 average 87.
Image: Kobo11 professional reviewers tested the Kobo Clara Colour, and 10 recommend it. Most praised: picture quality and battery life.
Reviewed by Woman & Home, MakeUseOf, TechRadar and 8 more
The catch: The screen is small and the Kobo book store is smaller than Amazon's.
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What 11 critics said
Highest score first · all converted to 0–100- 90Woman & Home
A compact, sturdy and affordable e-reader whose colour screen adds a nice touch for highlighting, named the best-value pick despite colour adding little to fiction.
Read Woman & Home review - 90MakeUseOf
A highly enthusiastic review praising the compact colour reader, especially for comics, with only small complaints about the case and screen size.
Read MakeUseOf review - 90TechRadar
A strong affordable colour e-reader that is compact, waterproof and long-lasting, though six inches may be too small for some.
Read TechRadar review - 88Engadget
A well-built, speedy colour e-reader that the reviewer calls the one to beat, despite a slightly softer screen than its predecessor.
Read Engadget review - 80PCMag UK
A waterproof, repairable and affordable colour e-reader with great library support, held back by clumsy file transfer.
Read PCMag UK review - 80How-To Geek
A compact, comfortable and simple color e-reader that suits beginners, with strong battery life.
Read How-To Geek review - 92est.Tom's Guide
An Editor's Choice review that calls it the best Kindle Colorsoft alternative, recommended to nearly everyone.
Read Tom's Guide review - 89est.Digital Trends
An emphatic recommendation of the Clara Colour as an excellent, cheap colour e-reader that rivals the Kindle Colorsoft.
Read Digital Trends review - 89est.Good Housekeeping UK
After a month of use, the reviewer calls it the best-value colour e-reader, light and waterproof with great battery life, though text is a bit less sharp.
Read Good Housekeeping UK review - 83est.The Verge
A joint review calling both colour readers fast and nearly perfect, but irritated by the bookstore-centred design and clumsy library borrowing.
Read The Verge review - 71est.The eBook Reader
The reviewer calls the Clara Colour an oddball: the cheapest colour E Ink reader, but the small screen and thin colour content make colour of limited use.
Read The eBook Reader review
"Est." means the outlet printed no score, so we estimated one from its verdict and checked our estimates against ratings outlets print. How we check estimates
How it compares
Direct comparisons by professional outlets, exact models only, in our words. Shown as evidence; they never change the critic score.
vs Kobo Clara BW82
- Digital Trends picks the Kobo Clara Colour.
- The eBook Reader: it depends. Choose this one if: you read comics or children's books, or want colored highlights and covers.
What critics praise most
What critics dislike most
No clear pattern.
Other e-readers critics rate highly
Common questions
Is the Kobo Clara Colour worth it?
Most critics think so: 10 of 11 recommend it. The screen is small and the Kobo book store is smaller than Amazon's.
Do critics agree about the Kobo Clara Colour?
One critic disagrees: scores range from 71 (The eBook Reader) to 92 (Tom's Guide), a spread of 21 points across 11 reviews. The eBook Reader's review has no printed score; we read it as 71/100. The other 10 average 87.
What is the best alternative to the Kobo Clara Colour?
The reMarkable Paper Pro Move (critic score 86), best pocket e-ink notebook.