Kobo’s diminutive color e-reader just got a brighter look. The Kobo Clara Colour is now available in a white finish, based on reader feedback clamoring for a lighter look without any change to what’s under the hood.
A colorway readers actually requested
White e-readers are about more than a fashion statement. Some readers also feel a pale bezel makes a digital page feel more like a paperback page, particularly with illustrated books and comics. Kobo had already released the larger Libra Colour in white, and the community have been asking for the same for the smaller Clara Colour since day one. This release closes that gap.
Same hardware, new coat
Its DNA is not exactly transformed in the white edition. You still have a 6-inch E Ink Kaleido 3 panel that dishes out up to 300 ppi for monochrome text and 150 ppi for color, able to pull off as many as 4,096 shades with enhanced saturation compared to previous Kaleido generations, according to E Ink Holdings. It’s a nuanced paperlike hue that’s just right for charts, highlights and line art.
ComfortLight PRO is still on board to help keep blue light at bay during evenings, while the device retains its waterproof rating, so you can read near the bath or pool without fear. There’s USB-C for charging, Bluetooth audio support for Kobo Audiobooks and enough storage for a decent-sized library. Voice controls stay off if you want, but if you decide to leave them on, you can double the battery life and stretch it from weeks to months per charge, depending on brightness and wireless usage.
Reading features that matter
The same can’t be said of Kobo’s software. And with built-in library borrowing through OverDrive, it’s easy to search for, place holds and download titles right to the device — a feature that has ramped up e-reading adoption as public libraries circulate millions of digital loans annually. Kobo Plus offers a catalog of all-you-can-read books to subscription readers, and fans of read-it-later can send web articles from services like Pocket.
On the formats side, it supports ePUB, PDF, comic containers (such as CBR/CBZ). The colour layer adds additional utility beyond comics: you can tag highlights in various hues, and thereby find at a glance the highlights of an analysed text or the annotations you wrote up for a digest of a non-fiction text.
Price and accessories remain familiar
Kobo is keeping pricing straightforward. The white Clara Colour comes in at the same price of the black model as well, $159 with no increase for the lighter finish. It’s compatible with the existing SleepCovers, starting at $29.99, which are available in multiple colors so that you can coordinate or not with the new shell.
Why there’s a white bezel debate
There has been a long-running division among e-reader fans regarding bezel colors. Another common choice is a black frame, which can feel like a good contrast — your eyes interpret it as negative space, providing a neutral background against which text can pop. But for color e-paper, a white surround can make illustrations and margins feel more natural, like a printed page. It’s a matter of subjective preference between the two, and offering a white option just allows the buyers to get the experience that matches their habits best.
Sustainability and repairability continue
Kobo’s more recent devices have been embracing responsible design, and the Clara Colour is no exception. The chassis is made from recycled and ocean-bound plastics, and the company has teamed up with iFixit for replacement parts and official repair guides in supported regions. A way to reduce e-waste is to extend the life of an e-reader – in a way that is both reasonable and won’t sacrifice the light, slim features readers love.
The bottom line
If you appreciated the Kobo Clara Colour for its small bezels, long battery life and kinder color rendering, you’ll find the latest white edition meets all your needs, only in a brighter package for your bedside table or tote. It’s a small refresh fueled by user demand — but sometimes, that’s damn near the best kind of change for making a device feel just right.