The Kindle (2022) and the Kobo Clara 2E are both accomplished ereaders, but they’re also quite different.
If you’re in the market for an ereader, you might simply be wondering which variety of Kindle to buy, given that Amazon’s imperious ereader line really does rule the roost in pure sales terms.
There are some very good alternatives out there, however, if you’re not a big fan of Amazon’s approach to business. The most notable member of the chasing pack is Kobo, with the Kobo Clara 2E serving as a strong alternative to Amazon’s mainstream Kindle (2022) ereader.
So how do the Amazon Kindle (2022) and the Kobo Clara 2E match up? We’ve reviewed and hugely enjoyed both, so let’s examine the small print and attempt to read between the lines.Amazon Kindle (2022) vs Kobo Clara 2E: price and availability
Prices for the Amazon Kindle (2022) start from $99.99 / £84.99 for the ad-supported model. There is no such option in Australia. Alternatively, you can pay a little more for a Kindle (2022) with no ads, at a cost of $119.99 / £94.99 / AU$179.
There are no ad-related options with the Kobo Clara 2E. It costs a straight-up $139.99 / £129.99 / AU$229.95.
As you can see, Kobo’s latest ereader is quite a bit more expensive than its Amazon equivalent, marking an early win for Amazon. However, there are a couple of cool extras for the Kobo on the design front.Amazon Kindle (2022) vs Kobo Clara 2E: design
These two compact ereaders look fundamentally similar. They’re both squat, rectangular slabs of black plastic designed to be held single-handed in a portrait orientation.
The Kobo Clara 2E is the slightly bigger of the two in every way, measuring 159.02 x 112.05 x 8.66mm to the Kindle (2022)’s 157.8 x 108.6 x 8.0mm. It’s also a little heavier than Amazon’s mainstream champ at 171g versus 158g.
While the Kindle (2022) wins for sheer portability and wieldability (just about), the Kobo Clara 2E wins on the sheer quality of its construction. It gets IPX8 certification, which means that it’s waterproof for up to 60 minutes in two meters of water. There’s only one of these ereaders you should be reading by the pool this summer – or even in it – and it’s not the Kindle.
The Kobo is also just plain more interesting to look at, not to mention more pleasant to hold, courtesy of a finely textured navy blue back.
