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E-readers and tablets · Kobo

Kobo Clara

Owners keep the Clara for daily reading, praising the pocketable size and the reading experience even though the screen and overall footprint split opinion depending on the model and the reader's hands.

Read from 97 owner accountsUpdated September 24, 2026Several generations under one name. Owners did not always say which.Compare it

What keeps coming up

Owners consistently say the reading experience itself is excellent, with several describing it as the reader they now reach for every day over a Kindle they used to prefer.

Recurring in 5 of 97 accounts · See accounts

What keeps coming up against it

The color screen quality theme is a clear complaint: every owner who raised it found it a step down from the black and white display, describing text as less crisp and colors as underwhelming for straight reading.

Recurring in 4 of 97 accounts · See accounts
Life with it

Once the novelty wears off, owners describe reaching for the Clara out of habit rather than excitement: it becomes the default device for nightly reading, commuting, or as a "burner" they don't mind carrying loose with keys. The app usability draws real praise, especially from readers who like series grouped together and who compare it favorably to fumbling with Kindle's library organization.

What people adjust to varies by model. Color screen buyers often admit there was no real practical reason to upgrade, they just like having color even while doing almost all their reading in black and white text. Others had to get used to switching from black and white to color, or from epub to kepub files to avoid crashes. Size is the biggest adjustment: some love the compact 6 inch screen as the best size ereader they've owned, while others find the same device too small compared to what they're used to.

Reliability & repairs

Device longevity gets clear praise from the owners who discuss it, several holding onto their Clara for years and switching between multiple Kobo models rather than replacing them outright. Ergonomics also skews positive, with smaller-handed owners specifically calling the Clara more comfortable to hold than larger alternatives.

Battery life is divided: some owners report it lasting a long time even with wifi and sync left on, while others note the color model drains faster than the black and white version due to the display itself and more frequent backlight use. Durability accounts are too few to draw a conclusion from, though the handful that exist skew toward problems rather than praise, so treat that one as open rather than settled.

More detail
What owners praise, where they are split, and the follow-up timeline

What owners praise

  • app usability6 of 7who raised it
  • reading experience5 of 5who raised it
  • ergonomics3 of 4who raised it

Where owners have concerns

  • color screen4 of 4who raised it

Where owners are split

  • device size4 for · 5 against · 7 mixedof 16 who raised it
  • screen quality4 for · 6 against · 4 mixedof 14 who raised it
  • device longevity8 for · 2 against · 4 mixedof 14 who raised it
  • battery life1 for · 2 against · 1 mixedof 4 who raised it

Counted from the owners who raised each subject, not from everyone. A subject is judged once at least 4 owners raise it.

22 more subjects came up from fewer than 4 owners each, which is not enough for a fair reading. To see how it stacks up, compare it with another machine.

Does it still kick?

2 weeks3 months6 months1 year2 years

The same owner, asked again at each point. Fills in as owners answer.

More in e-readers and tablets: Boox Palma 2, Kobo Libra 2, reMarkable 2.

Where this came from

Where this came from

Public discussions we read and summarised in our own words. Nothing here was submitted to Still Kicks.

Counted from public accounts by people who said they own it, and summarised by Still Kicks in its own words. Not a manufacturer claim, a lab test or an estimate.

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