I used the Kindle Oasis for the higher a part of the final 5 years, however I used to be pissed off with the shortage of a brand new mannequin with USB-C charging. That is why I switched to Kobo’s Libra Color at first of 2025; the e-reader options the most recent E Ink Kaleido 3 tech, has a light-weight design that makes it comfy to carry, and you’ll simply learn comics on it due to the colour E Ink panel.
Better of all, it has bodily web page flip buttons — vital on any good e-reader — and it costs through USB-C. I learn dozens of books on the Libra Color over the past six months, and it’s the ideally suited improve to the Kindle Oasis. The e-reader normally prices $249, however it’s now all the way down to $209 on Amazon, making it a terrific discount.
✅Advisable if: You want a high-end e-reader with a unbelievable E Ink panel, bodily web page flip buttons, adjustable heat mild, standout battery life, Bluetooth connectivity to hearken to audiobooks, and USB-C charging. The Libra Color has all of it, and with IPX8 water resistance, you should utilize it within the tub.
❌Skip this deal if: You desire a monochrome e-reader on a funds, and also you want the Kindle Retailer.
The Libra Color has a plastic chassis, but it surely does not really feel like a funds e-reader within the least — Kobo did a very good job with the general design. The white model I am utilizing appears to be like elegant, and additionally it is obtainable in a black mannequin. It feels good to carry and use, and is not uncomfortable even throughout marathon studying periods.
It has the 2 options I want essentially the most in an e-reader: bodily web page flip buttons and adjustable heat mild. The buttons had been slightly stiff once I obtained began with the Libra Color, however they’ve good tactility now. You intensive configurability in terms of adjusting the depth of the LEDs, and similar to the Kindle Oasis, you get a heat mild that reduces eye pressure.
A neat addition is the 7-inch coloration E Ink panel; it unlocks completely new use circumstances, and it holds up whereas studying comics on the system. You may also use the Libra Color as a journal, and it has stylus integration (there is not one included within the bundle). The E Ink panel has 300ppi pixel density, and it’s simply nearly as good because the one on the Kindle Oasis — with the added versatility of a coloration panel.
It has IPX8 ingress safety, so you should utilize the e-reader within the tub or close to the pool. One other welcome addition is USB-C charging; it lasts two weeks between costs even in case you learn day by day, and USB-C simply makes it much less of a trouble when it is advisable to cost it. Kobo’s e-book retailer is not wherever as intensive as Amazon’s providing, however on the plus facet, the Libra Color is not locked down in the identical method, so you possibly can simply carry your Kindle ebooks over to the system with none points.
Total, I did not suppose I would really like the Libra Color as a lot as I did, and it’s the Kindle Oasis improve I’ve all the time needed. Coming in at $209, now’s the time to modify to the e-reader in case you’re nonetheless utilizing a Kindle.
