MakeUseOf90
A highly enthusiastic review praising the compact colour reader, especially for comics, with only small complaints about the case and screen size.
Kobo Clara Colour
10 expert reviewsChecked 1 Nov 2026
Quick answer
The Kobo Clara Colour has a critic score of 85 out of 100 from 10 professional reviews, including MakeUseOf, TechRadar and Engadget. 9 of 10 recommend it, and scores range from 71 (The eBook Reader) to 92 (Tom's Guide). 5 of the scores are printed by the outlets and 5 are our estimates from the review text. Most praised: picture quality (8 of 10); battery life (6 of 10). It ranks #1 of the 4 e-readers we score.
Reviews checked 1 Nov 2026
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Best for: Best value color e-reader
Our verdict
10 professional reviewers tested the Kobo Clara Colour, and 9 recommend it. Most praised: picture quality and battery life.
The catch: The screen is small and the Kobo book store is smaller than Amazon's.
Critic agreement: Medium
Scores run from 71 to 925 printed scores, 5 estimated · printed scores only: 86
5 of these 10 outlets print no score. We estimated theirs from the review text and corrected for the known tendency of estimates to run high.
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What do critics say about the Kobo Clara Colour?
TechRadar90
A strong affordable colour e-reader that is compact, waterproof and long-lasting, though six inches may be too small for some.
Engadget88
A well-built, speedy colour e-reader that the reviewer calls the one to beat, despite a slightly softer screen than its predecessor.
How-To Geek80
A compact, comfortable and simple color e-reader that suits beginners, with strong battery life.
PCMag UK80
A waterproof, repairable and affordable colour e-reader with great library support, held back by clumsy file transfer.
Tom's Guide92est.
An Editor's Choice review that calls it the best Kindle Colorsoft alternative, recommended to nearly everyone.
Digital Trends89est.
An emphatic recommendation of the Clara Colour as an excellent, cheap colour e-reader that rivals the Kindle Colorsoft.
Good Housekeeping UK89est.
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.
The Verge83est.
A joint review calling both colour readers fast and nearly perfect, but irritated by the bookstore-centred design and clumsy library borrowing.
The eBook Reader71est.
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.
Scores are converted to 0–100. "est." means the outlet gave no number, so we estimated one from its verdict. How we score
What critics praise most
Picture quality8 of 10
Battery life6 of 10
Performance2 of 10
What critics dislike most
No clear pattern.
Alternatives
Not sure about the Kobo Clara Colour?
Common questions
Is the Kobo Clara Colour worth it?
Most critics think so: 9 of 10 recommend it. The screen is small and the Kobo book store is smaller than Amazon's.
Do critics agree about the Kobo Clara Colour?
Agreement is medium: scores range from 71 (The eBook Reader) to 92 (Tom's Guide), a spread of 21 points across 10 reviews. Most reviewers land close together, with some outliers.
What is the best alternative to the Kobo Clara Colour?
The Kobo Libra Colour (critic score 83), best overall.