kobo sage and libra2 best buy contestNever travel without a Kobo eReader. Slip it in your carryon and you have a whole library of books, without affecting luggage weight limits, and without limiting your reading choices to one or two books during your trip. An eReader is a must have travel item, as essential as a toothbrush or a camera. So read on to learn more and to learn how you can enter for an opportunity to win one of the two newest Kobo eReaders that we recently reviewed on the blog.

An eReader is one of the essentials you need for travelling

Travelling requires planning and making tough choices of what to bring and what not to bring. Even after carefully considering our options, we often find that we packed too much, including many non-essential items, finding that either the luggage is so over stuffed that it won’t close or it does close but is so overweight we risk having to pay a fortune in extra airline fees. Worse, you think you packed everything but arrive at your destination lamenting not having remembered one item. You need an objective list of things that are essential when travelling, like the Travel buying guide we just created on the blog.

It isn’t just a great resource for things to purchase when about to take a trip, it’s also something to guide your packing choices. If it’s not on the list, it may not be a true travel essential. I know what some of you are going to say: my medication isn’t mentioned in that article and it’s essential. Clearly, we couldn’t cover everything for everyone. However, most of the things you might want to take on a trip will be covered in that buying guide. Incidentally, blog articles are editable: if you have a suggestion of something we missed, you can add it in a comment and it might get included in the next round of editing.

Relax, recline, and read

You might have notice that I didn’t actually say why an eReader is essential for travelling. Let’s take a minute to consider a typical trip. You get to the airport and wait for sometimes hours. You try to access Wi-Fi but get no signal: their Wi-Fi is down. You are prepared for this. You get your eReader and scan the selection of books that you downloaded in advance. You feel that the classic Fitzgerald you are half-way into doesn’t suit your mood. You find several others you have been eager to start and pick Rushdie’s “Midnight Children”. When you hear the boarding call, you are surprised to not have even noticed the time fly by. You nudge the person sitting across the aisle with eyes closed and headphones on: she might have missed her plane if you hadn’t been there to awaken her!

A similar scenario could capture the benefits of the eReader while flying across the ocean for many hours. The fact is, an eReader provides the kind of experience you won’t get from other forms of entertainment. You could watch a movie, and might do that for a couple hours, but a book does so much more than a video or film. You aren’t at the director’s mercy for how the story is interpreted, how the characters look, or how the scene feels. Books require you to use your brain with the payoff being you get more out of the experience. There’s a reason why the book is usually much, much better than the film version of the story.

Your whole trip is better thanks to having an eReader along. The two Kobo eReaders we are giving away in this contest are perfect no matter where you go. Read at the beach, the E Ink screen is unaffected by the bright sun; reading is just like on paper. But of course you’ll have thousands of books in a Kobo and it’s waterproof—get it wet and keep reading without a worry. Even at night, under the stars on the patio of your AirBnb, the comfortLight in the eReader means you can read in comfort, without impacting your ability to count shooting stars.

I’ll just add one note about the Kobo Sage and its accompanying Kobo Stylus that we are giving away. You can learn about the similarities and differences between the Sage and the Libra 2 by reading the review on the blog. The biggest difference is that the Sage enables you to take notes right on the screen using the Kobo Stylus. You likely won’t be writing a novel on your travels, but you may find the ability to jot some notes really useful. For example, you could note some of the landmarks you photographed: one of my pet-peeves is looking through my photos after a trip and not being able to remember the names of some places.

How to enter

Entering this contest is easy and you can enter in two different ways.

  1. Read the Travel buying guide on the blog, then in a comment below, tell us one item in that guide that you consider the most essential, and one item not mentioned in that guide that you think is also essential and we should consider adding to improve the buying guide.
  2. For up to two (2) additional entries, create a public post on a social media channel (one entry per channel!) telling your friends and followers that you are entering to win a Kobo eReader from Best Buy; include the hashtag #BBYKOBOContest, so we can find your post, and include a picture of the Kobo prizes like that shown here or above. Then return here and tell us in a comment below, on which channel you posted it and the name of your channel (since many people use pseudonyms) so that we can check and verify your entry. You can use any social media channel (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, etc) but the post must be public so we can verify it is there. Add one comment below for each social media channel for up to 2 contest entries.

What you can win 

At the end of this contest, we’ll randomly select two (2) winners: one will get the Kobo Sage and Kobo Stylus that were reviewed on the blog, and the other will get the Kobo Libra2 that was reviewed on the blog.

This contest runs from June 29th to July 12th.

Remember you can enter in two different ways, as discussed above. Increase your chances of winning by telling anyone you love to travel with about the contest so they too have a chance to win.

Win a Kobo eReader Contest Rules and Regulations

Good luck!

Martin Renaud
Editor in Chief
Martin loves working with the talented editors and writers on the Best Buy Blog as Editor-in-Chief. During his spare time he is either working on his next novel, cooking up a masterpiece in the kitchen, or adding some smart tech to his new home on Mayne Island in British Columbia.

545 COMMENTS

  1. Travel power adapter, and the charger to charge and store power so I can use it as much as I desire.
    NOT Mentioned: A pair of noise cancelling headphones would make flights better, cutting down on all the noise around me, especially with so many children traveling during to reconnecting with family since covid.

  2. For me, power bank is essential. One thing haven’t gotten mentioned is ziplock bags, very versatile from luggage organization, to preventing leakage of liquid, to carrying that souvenir you pick up on the beach.

  3. power bank is essential to me!
    A hat is also essential to me and not mentioned in the article
    ty

  4. I would say that the Nicci Luggage 6-Piece Travel Organizer Set – Grey is most essential and something not on the guide I would add would be a fun card game like Cards Against Humanity: Canadian Edition Card Game – English! No one wants to be bored when they are on their travels! 😉

  5. A power bank is most essential for me when traveling to keep my phone charged for directions, weather, information on the go. One thing I’d add to improve the Travel Buying Guide is a decent Passport Holder.

  6. We always do carry on and this time I’ll try the luggage organizers to see if it helps. I always need a good pair of headphones for the plane ride!

  7. Luggage is essential. Otherwise you’d have to carry things in plastic bags. One thing left out is a towel! Just like they said in the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, never go anywhere without your towel.

  8. Definitely the tablet is something I bring with me everywhere…but you’re forgetting about bringing a good HAT. I know, it’s something very simple…but it’s essential! A good hat like a Tilbury hat can also be used as a pillow in a pinch..

  9. the most essential thing is the power bank. a small portable speaker would be nice to carry around when traveling.

  10. As someone who gets lost very easily and isn’t that great with maps, GPS/ GPS watch is definitely the most essential for me. A portable Wifi-hotspot would also be pretty important during trips to keep yourself updated with local news and people who you are traveling with!

  11. The Power bank is definitely essential these days and a pair of noise cancelling ear buds are easy to carry and super helpful for comfortable travel.

  12. The power adaptor and an unlocked phone are at the top of my list, but a photocopy of your essential paperwork in a different location is a must for me as well as comfortable shoes!

  13. My Tablet is essential. I like a larger view to share pictures. I also like to be able to search easily for local to dos.

    I would also add a travel security alarm for those of us traveling solo to feel safer.

  14. Travel power adapter and bank for sure is essential for traveling. Noise cancelling headphones for the flight or for some quiet when you want to sleep at a campground.

  15. Packing cubes are mentioned and I think these are game changers! Not mentioned would be RFID wallet/purse/passport holder. That is something I will be taking on my next trip!

  16. Essentail is the power bank!
    not mentioned would be mobile phone gimbal like dji om5 or zhiyun smooth 5

  17. Definitely the Travel power adapter, so you can charge your devices in other countries using different plugs.

    What was not mentioned would be some good headphones for the flight. A pair of noise cancelling headphones would make your long flights MUCH better, cutting down on all the noise around you.

  18. The power adapter is essential and a good pair of wireless headphones is not mentioned. So helpful in all parts of travelling.

  19. The one thing I think the Travel Buying Guide highlights, that I can’t imagine doing without, is the unlocked mobile phone. Comes in so handy.

    A couple of things I would add to the list, especially in today’s travel environment are Tile or Apple AirTag location trackers for your luggage, and good Travel Insurance with all the bells and whistles. It maybe expensive, but its worth the peace of mind.

  20. Packing cubes are essential which you mentioned; what was not mentioned but I think should be is a RFID wallet/purse/passport holde

  21. Check your Passport Expiry Date first of all!
    Packing for your trip would be next after you have a destination.

  22. Packing cubes are essential which you mentioned; what was not mentioned but I think should be is a RFID wallet/purse/passport holder.

  23. As someone who has travelled in the past, I never went on a trip without taking along a camera (remember those instant disposable cameras where you would get them developed at your local drug store?) with me, so I consider this item to be the most essential thing I would want to take with me so I can always fondly remember everything that I saw and did on my trip!

  24. must have for me from the list would be a camera!

    Not listed I would add an Aeropress and hand grinder for making coffee while away from home.

  25. A carry on with all your personal effects and toiletries is essential because there is always the possibility of your luggage getting lost (particularly these days), or your flight being delayed. One item that wasn’t mentioned is a cordless flat iron. It is essential to me, and probably lots of other women, and I won’t leave home without one else I look like a birch broom in the fits.

  26. Essential is the power bank for me!

    Not mentioned in the article would be nice to have noise-canceling headphones.

Comments are closed.