Kobo Libra Colour eReader

The Kobo Libra Colour exists for readers who have stared at a comic, cookbook or lovingly highlighted study text on a monochrome eReader and thought: lovely, but why has the cover become a small fog bank? Colour E Ink is not a new civilisation, but it makes a real difference to material where colour conveys actual information rather than merely flattering the publisher’s typography department.

We think this is a sensible companion to the plain-reading crowd rather than a device trying to replace every screen in your life. The 7-inch Kaleido 3 display handles black-and-white content at 300 PPI and colour at 150 PPI, while Dark Mode and an adjustable ComfortLight PRO front light keep the reading setup pleasingly configurable. There is also 32 GB of storage, quoted by Kobo as up to 24,000 eBooks or 150 Kobo Audiobooks before system software takes its share.

Its controls are admirably specific. Physical page-turn buttons, left- or right-handed screen rotation and landscape orientation mean the interface has options beyond repeatedly smudging the same bit of glass. Kobo also supports its Stylus 2 for colour handwriting, highlighting, annotations and drawing, turning the device into a marginalia machine for people who regard an unmarked page as suspiciously undercommitted.

The sensible caveats arrive wearing sensible shoes. The stylus is sold separately, audiobook playback needs a Bluetooth speaker or headphones, and Kobo Audiobooks are only available in selected countries. Still, IPX8 waterproofing and a stated battery life of up to 40 days under Kobo’s specified light-use conditions make this a notably capable reader for books that deserve more than fifty shades of grey.