Affordable eReader Gets Big Upgrades Including Audiobook Support, Waterproof Rating, And Eco-Friendly Design
Within the Kobo eReader lineup, the Clara sequence has occupied one thing of a candy spot. It’s compact, reasonably priced and a step up from the entry-level Nia. Whereas different fashions just like the Sage (reviewed right here) goal hardcore digital studying followers with options like a super-sized 8-inch display, and bodily buttons, the Clara is aimed toward delivering a stable mainstream eReader expertise. It even contains premium options from the dearer Kobo eReaders, specifically the corporate’s glorious ComfortLight PRO. The most recent model of the Kobo Clara is the brand new Clara 2E, and it affords some severe upgrades over the earlier era Clara HD.
Recycled plastic makes up over 85% of this eReader’s exterior.
Contents
Upgrades For the Clara 2E
The fundamental kind issue of the Clara 2E hasn’t modified a lot from the mannequin it replaces. It’s a black, onerous plastic machine with a 6-inch show. There are minor adjustments like a special textured sample to its again and it’s ever so barely bigger (fractions of an inch and a fraction of an oz. heavier).
Clara 2E matches in a hand, has a textured again for grip.
It nonetheless has superior Kobo options together with the superb ComfortLight Professional (with adjustable coloration temperature), TypeGenius, and built-in OverDrive help (for borrowing eBooks from libraries). It’s designed to be a no frills eReader, however one which delivers some high-end options for a greater person expertise.
Clara 2E has USB-C and an IPX8 waterproof score.
For 2022, Kobo managed to maintain the $129.99 launch worth of the Clara HD (no small feat in these instances), whereas additionally delivering a formidable checklist of upgrades. Right here’s what’s new:
- Will get a brand new E Ink Carta 1200 touchscreen with darkish mode
- Onboard storage doubles to 16GB
- 802.11ac Wi-Fi
- Bluetooth with audiobook help
- USB-C charging
- IPX8 water resistance (as much as 60 minutes in six toes of water)
Any one in every of these could be a win, however put collectively they make for a a lot improved eReader geared up for contemporary customers. Nonetheless, there’s another change that’s price spiking out by itself.
Kobo’s First eReader Made With Ocean-Sure and Recycled Plastic
It’s not a practical characteristic, however the Clara 2E could sway you with its inexperienced strategy. Kobo says the Clara 2E’s case is comprised of greater than 85% recycled plastic, together with 10% ocean-bound plastic. The corporate states its purpose in making this transfer is to divert over 200,000 plastic bottles from oceans and to maintain multiple million CDs and DVDs out of landfill websites over the subsequent 12 months. SleepCovers for the Clara 2E may also be constituted of recycled materials.
Being eco-friendly isn’t going to make your studying expertise any higher, however it could make you are feeling higher about utilizing an digital machine versus a paper e book.
Arms-On With the Kobo Clara 2E
The Clara 2E is a compact eReader. It’s sufficiently small to slide right into a pocket (it should into each the back and front pockets of most of my shorts), so you’ll be able to carry it wherever. That features within the bathtub in case you select — I verified that being dunked in water was no concern. The patterned again supplies some grip, however it’s a tough plastic so that you received’t get the identical impact as softer materials. That being mentioned, this eReader is sufficiently small that I merely held it in a single hand like a smartphone, so I had a safe grip on the perimeters.
Kobo Clara 2E eReader beside an iPhone 13 Professional Max.
The E Ink Carta 1200 display (at 300 PPI) makes for crisp textual content and the touchscreen responds completely to a faucet for turning pages. I did discover the Clara 2E was just a bit sluggish in comparison with the Sage in relation to flipping pages and altering screens, however I’ll not have seen something if I didn’t have the opposite eReader to check it to. Which may be one space the place Kobo stored prices down — there’s no specification listed for the processor apart from 1GHz, and that’s the identical pace because the outgoing mannequin.
Clara 2E is considerably smaller and extra reasonably priced than the Sage (L), however has a lot of its … [+]
The custom-made studying expertise with Kobo’s TypeGenius stays one of the best within the enterprise, and the ComfortLight PRO (with its potential to shift to a heat amber hue to keep away from sleep-disrupting blue gentle when studying at evening) stays one in every of my favourite Kobo options. That new show additionally helps darkish mode in case you want.
Darkish mode!
I’m not an audiobook fan, however in case you wish to hearken to books, then the addition of Bluetooth can be a giant win.
Kobo Clara 2E Key Specs
- 6-inch HD E Ink Carta 1200 touchscreen @ 1448 x 1072 decision (300 PPI)
- Darkish Mode
- 16GB onboard storage
- Twin band 802.11ac Wi-Fi
- Bluetooth
- IPX8 water resistance
- ComfortLight PRO with adjustable brightness and coloration temperature
- Charging through USB-C, battery life rated at weeks
- TypeGenius (12 fonts and > 50 font kinds)
- Helps 15 file varieties together with EPUB, PDF, and TXT
- Helps Kobo Audiobooks
- Built-in OverDrive help, built-in Pocket help for offline studying
- 4.4 x 6.3 x 0.34 inches, weighs 6.0 ounces
- Sleep covers offered individually
- MSRP $129.99
Advice
The brand new Kobo Clara 2E is a good choice as an reasonably priced, 6-inch eReader.
The same old disclaimer for any Kobo eReader applies right here: in case you’re an Amazon Kindle proprietor and also you’ve been constructing a library of Kindle eBooks (with their proprietary file format), you’re not prone to leap platforms.
In the event you’re not caught on Kindle and searching for a stable eReading (and audiobook) expertise in a compact and reasonably priced package deal — and one that’s “greener” than most — the brand new Kobo Clara 2E is effectively price contemplating. You’re getting a whole lot of options for that $129.99 worth. And in case you’re searching for a extra upscale expertise, don’t overlook that Kobo additionally has the Libra 2, Sage, and the distinctive Elipsa in its lineup.
