Bibliophiles know how quickly their luggage limit is exceeded when packing for a holiday, and if they don’t pack enough books, fast readers can be left without a new novel to keep them entertained during the summer break.
Thankfully, there’s a stack of ereaders available to choose from, compacting massive libraries into a convenient travel-sized package so you can keep on top of your reading goals even while you’re away.
Two of the top brands, Kindle and Kobo, have a range of ereaders with various features, some with premium price tags. But if you want the best deal on an ereader right now, this offer on the Kobo Clara 2E is a standout.
With plenty of space for both ebooks and audiobooks, the Kobo Clara 2E is a great companion for anyone who enjoys a good book, and while it’s prime for travel reading, the display also makes it a good bedside companion.
Its E Ink Carta 1200 display has a built-in backlight which you can set to warmer hues to help keep eye strain down, and it also means you won’t necessarily struggle to go to sleep after looking at a digital screen. Plus it packs in Bluetooth connectivity, so you can pair it with one of the best headphones to listen to your favourite audio book if that’s your preferred style.
The Kobo Clara 2E even ranks in our best ereader list, taking the slot for the best midrange ereader due to its feature-packed build and affordable price point, especially when it’s on sale.
As a 6-inch ereader, it’s one of the top compact options, but it does face some fierce competition – Amazon has been keeping up with its ereader offerings ahead of Christmas, slashing the price of the base Kindle released in 2022 to just AU$157 if you’re on a bit more of a budget.
You’d be forgiven for thinking these were the same ereader – neither strays from the standard design, but the 2022 Kindle does host a variety of differences, making it more affordable, especially if you don’t need all the features packed into the Kobo Clara 2E.
The base Kindle doesn’t come with a water resistance rating – so keep it away from the pool or bathtub. And while the display is backlit, it can’t be set to automatically adjust to warmer temperatures when you’re settling in to go to sleep like you can with the Kobo Clara 2E.
Additionally, Kindle is locked into Amazon’s ecosystem, while the Clara 2E is locked into Kobo’s. Both of these have access to online stores so you can purchase ebooks, as well as ways to sign up for the respective book subscription services like Kindle Unlimited and Kobo Plus, but we think the Kobo trumps the Kindle as the better option for Aussies. That’s because all Kobo ereaders come with OverDrive baked in so you can borrow ebooks right from your public library, saving you even money in the long run on future book purchases.
While Amazon has expanded the Kindle’s file format support, you need to jump through hoops to get an epub added to your library. On the other hand, it’s easier to sideload ebooks of various file formats onto a Kobo. It’s a similar thing with fonts too – Kindles have custom fonts that are lovely – we’re partial to Bookerly and Ember – and you can sideload these onto a Kobo quite easily.
Either one of these ereaders would make a great Christmas gift for a reader in your life (or for yourself), especially with the current discounts, but you won’t want to wait too long if you want to make the Christmas delivery cut-off.
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