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. Torn between the power bank and piece of good carry on luggage as my essential item but I will go with the carry on. A missing must have for me is hand sanitizer and wipes for the plane.

  2. The most essential item would have to be the suitcases, really can’t go anywhere without them. Add an eReader, Kobo is so much better to read on than a tablet and the battery last for sooo long

  3. some might need to bring a travel power bar, for example, to plug in a CPAP machine when the outlet is to far away, but for cruises the lines don’t want them to have surge protection. Of the items listed in the travel buying guide I like the travel power adapter.

  4. The most essential item is a travel power adapter. I think a passport/money holder you wear under your clothing is also essential and should be added to your list.

  5. an unlocked cellphone in case of emergencies is definitely essential. Also noise cancelling earphones should be included as well.

  6. I think an unlocked cell phone is important.
    I would also like to see wireless noise reduction headphones to use on the plane on the list.

  7. A good piece of carry on luggage is a must. What is missing is head phones that are noise cancelling, my go to is Bose.

  8. One item in the guide I consider the most essential is the lightweight day pack. The item not mentioned is a backpacking water filter.

  9. One item in that guide that I consider the most essential is a power bank- this could mean the difference between a relaxed trip and a stressful one!
    And one item not mentioned in that guide that I think is also essential and should be considered to improve the buying guide is a personal first aid kit- which should include pain killers, antacids, anti-inflammation, fever/flu medication that works for you. These may not always be available to buy while travelling.

  10. I think power banks are a necessity but my AirPods are also a must have for travel.

  11. The powe rbank is for sure the most essential but one thing you didn’t mention in the article is a pair of earbuds or headphones that can collapse to fit in any size bag for long plane/train/car rides

  12. I would consider a Travel Power Adapter mentioned in the guide as the most essential, and an item not mentioned in the guide would be to buy washable, “drip-dryable” travel clothes. Luckily, these days, there are stores that sell specialized clothing for travel.

  13. For me the unlocked cell phone is the item that I consider the most essential. I would add some earphones/headphones to the list.

  14. Power Bank is the most essential as many have already pointed out, the one thing that should be included in the list is a tag with emergency contact information.

  15. The power bank can useful as there isn’t always a plug available. And an international recognized credit card for emergencies is a must.

  16. An unlocked cell phone could be a life saver. A good pair of noise cancelling headphones or earbuds is a travelling must.

  17. The best idea for me is to have an unlocked cell phone. But it should also include a great set of ear buds.

  18. The power bank could be useful as there isn’t always a plug available and noise cancelling headphones or earbuds should be on the list as they are a must while travelling

  19. I’m outdoors most sunny days so to do anything on a Kobo eReader, the E Ink screen is a necessity. I’m sure that a neat organizer carry case with over the shouler strap would help to be added to this!

  20. Most essential item would be the power bank. Noise cancelling earphones would be great to include as well. Cheers!

  21. For me, a tablet is essential because you can do so many things on it…it’s like having a small laptop with you! And one thing I would add to the travel guide would be an organizer for all the wires/chargers needed for your devices!

  22. A travel power adapter is most important to have. An unlocked cell phone is essential to have.

  23. The camera is the item in that guide that you consider the most essential to capture moments and make memories last longer. I would also suggest adding some good quality earphone/headphone to the list

  24. I always forget to bring my power bank! So helpful for those long days exploring!

    My latest travel favourite is a good toiletries bag that you can hang up and unroll! Everything stays organized and it’s easier than digging through your bag!

Comments are closed.