I just spent a few weeks reading books on three Kobo ereaders to learn which one is better in different situations. By situations, I mean reading in bed, or in the tub, or outside, or while sitting at the dining room table. During my time with these, I read in a variety of places including at home (inside and outside in the garden on a sunny day), on the ferry, in my truck …. My wife also used them, and her opinions surprised me a little. I learned some things about these devices that I did not know just from reading reviews. And though I liked reading on all three devices that Kobo lent to me, I did have a clear favourite.
What’s the difference between a Kobo Nia, a Kobo Libra H2O, and a Kobo Elipsa
Firstly, I enjoyed reading on all three Kobo ereaders. I used to have a Kobo several years ago (one similar to the Nia). I loved it and was very upset to have it stolen. So I was looking forward to trying Kobo again. I enjoy pretty much everything about the Kobo experience: setting each of these up was simple, intuitive even. Creating an account with Kobo takes only a few minutes; however, I didn’t need to create an account. Instead, I recovered a long lost password from my old account. Happily, all of the books that had been on my old Kobo were there, and these immediately downloaded onto the three ereaders I was setting up. Also, finding new books I wanted to read, purchasing them, and downloading them could not have been easier.
While I had these ereaders, I regularly switched where and on what device I was reading. For example, before sleeping one night I might read on the least expensive Kobo Nia. The next morning, I might spend a half-hour with the Elipsa while I ate my breakfast at the dining room table. Over lunch, I might use the Libra on the patio in the sun. Regularly mixing it up allowed me to get a sense of which device I preferred in different situations. Let me break down some simple observations about each device:
Kobo Elipsa has the most complete ereader experience
Many people think of the Kobo experience as limited to reading. However, there is much more to the Kobo than reading. The Kobo that I used to own was given to me complete with a protective case. I didn’t use the case all the time (it was bulky) but definitely had it when I was travelling, or reading in the car (where it was when stolen!). So if a protective cover is important to you, you can purchase a cover for any Kobo; however, one obviously great feature about the Elipsa is that is comes complete with a cover. Also included is a stylus for writing on the screen, that clicks right into the cover so it’s out of the way when you aren’t using it.
So, that is the first big differentiator for the Kobo Elipsa: it comes with great accessories! More importantly, though, is the size difference. The Elipsa is big: 10.3 inches, or basically the size of a piece of loose-leaf paper. That comparison is important because the Elipsa is excellent for making notes, either right on the book you are reading or in a notebook that you can create right on the Elipsa.
I have never been someone who writes on physical books. NEVER! My wife, however, marks up her books all the time … in pen (drives me nuts!). If you know someone like that, then the Elipsa might be perfect for them. Of course you can upload PDFs and other documents and mark those up too. For example, my wife is an English teacher who marks many essays each semester; she could easily upload those papers to the Elipsa, and mark them using the pen, then send them back to her computer to return the feedback to the students. The Kobo Stylus is easy to use, but not to lose since it securely fits right at the top of the device within the case waiting for you to use it.
Like all Kobo ereaders, the Elipsa is easy to set up and use. Turn it on or off using the small button located on the side. Charge it by plugging in the included USB-C cable to the port on next to the power button. It will hold a charge for a couple weeks. Over the three weeks that I tested these ereaders, using all three every day, I only changed each of them once.
Kobo Elipsa is perfect for travelling
Travellers love Kobo ereaders for many reasons: take dozens of books with you in a device that takes almost no space in your luggage and not even have to be concerned about charging it. The Elipsa, though, offers a more complete ereader experience. I often get ideas while reading, especially while travelling. The Elipsa gives travellers the opportunity to jot down notes right on the device they are using for reading. Switching back and forth from a notepad to a book you’re reading is so easy … tap the screen to bring up the notepads, make your notes using the stylus, then click the stylus back into place and go right back to reading. Kobo always remembers where you left off, so you never lose your place.
And I’m sure for many people the larger sized screen will be just what they were hoping to see arrive in an ereader for home and for travelling. Until now, ereaders were all sized similarly to most novels. The Nia and Libra H2O are the basic size we’ve come to expect. Now people have another size option in the Elipsa. And it has all of the features that people love in a Kobo but with a bigger screen, a Kobo Stylus, and a cover all included.
Kobo Nia is small, lightweight, and a great device for people on the go
As I stated before, the Kobo Nia is similar to the Kobo I had previously owned. You turn it on using a small button on the bottom of the device. Next to that button is the small USB charging port: it comes with a charging cable. There are no other buttons: navigation and controls are conveniently done right on the touch screen (as with all Kobo ereaders). I had no issues with responsiveness of the screen. In fact, this was one of the characteristics my wife liked best. She had used a kindle in the past and had told me that she did not like the ereader experience. However, she read a couple novels using these Kobo while they were in our home and now she said she wants a Nia (her preference because of the size and the lack of buttons).
The Nia is the smallest of the three devices at six inches diagonal. It’s really a perfect take-anywhere companion for reading. It fits in a jacket pocket; it is really lite, it’s easy to read in the dark thanks to its backlighting, and is as good as any paperbook in bright sunlight, thanks to the e-ink display. Also, this size is great for flipping pages with a touch of a finger while holding it in one hand. You can hold a cup of coffee in one hand and the Nia in the other and navigate the book, your library etc with ease. All told, if it was up to my wife, I’d be purchasing a Nia soon. However, the Nia was not my favourite ….
Kobo Libra H2O adds a couple features that I don’t want to live without
It’s true, the Nia is a wonderful ereader and I liked its features a lot. However the Kobo Libra H2O has two additional features that stand out for me. First it’s waterproof and I like to read in the tub. If I had a Nia, I would take the risk and still read it in the tub, but spending a bit more (the Libra costs a little more than the Nia) is worth it for a waterproof device. More important for me is the extra large bezel on the one side with buttons. I had no idea how much I would love that feature. Clicking on the buttons to advance or reverse pages with my thumb felt natural. My wife, however, preferred the Nia and didn’t feel the buttons added convenience. I loved it and would get the Libra just for that feature.
The Libra is turned on using a button on the back, and charged via the small USB port on its side. As such the experience using it is very similar to the Nia and you can do pretty much everything you’d want in an ereader (apart from writing on the screen with a stylus—only the Elipsa allows that) from downloading new books, to touching a word on the screen to access the onboard dictionary: believe me this is a critical component if you read older texts (I’m thinking Dickens here) or writers with a brilliant vocabulary (e.g., Anthony Burgess, especially his amazing epic Earthly Powers). You can also make annotations using the onscreen keyboard. But if annotations are your thing, then you should really consider the Elipsa.
Kobo ereaders are perfect for anyone who enjoys reading
I have not read as many books since my Kobo was stolen several years ago and blamed it on life getting too busy. The fact is, I read more books with a Kobo. I read faster and with better comprehension … and I enjoy reading more. Just after these three Kobos arrived for my to try, I posted a query on Twitter asking people what I should read for this project. I received many suggestions. You can see two of those suggestions in the images above of books that I read. One thing I love about Kobo though is their email newsletter with suggestions for new books to read. Often it includes special offers, like the offer to purchase “Klara and the Sun” for only $4.99. These offers are usually time-sensitive and I jumped on that one! The book is Ishiguro’s newest that just came out this year and wow did I ever love it. My wife did too: she read it on the Kobo Nia.
After testing these out I told my wife that for a Christmas present she can get me a Kobo ereader and my preference is the Libra H20. She replied that we can’t wait for Christmas; as soon as I send these devices back to Kobo, she wants me to buy one for us. She wants the Nia, I want the Libra H20. Perhaps we will end up with two!
Kobo Elipsa is perfect for travelling
Kobo Elipsa is perfect for travelling
We would love to win the Kobo Elipsa because it has the most complete ereader experience.
I feel like the Kobo Elipsa would save my life. I love reading but i also love writing dowm theories, ideas and what not whenever i can, this results in me often carrying around a bulky bag so if i had an Elipsa i would have a lot less to carry around.
It would be the Libra H2O for me. The fact that it’s water proof is ideal for read in the tub or by the pool.
As a chronic note-taker I’d really like to try out the Elipse.
I would love the Kobo Elipsa which I will use to read my textbooks. This ereader will let me make notes.
I’d love the Kobo Nia because it’s so portable!
The Kobo Elipsa looks amazing!
I think the Elipsa would be perfect for me. Screen size and functions are amazing
Without a doubt – it’s the Kobo Elipsa for me
Reading is already a challenge for me, but the Elipsa addresses those challenges very well
– highlighting and underlining is extremely helpful in learning and understanding text (I hope highlighting will be in it’s future)
– size matters.. my sight gets poorer as I get older so having to squint isn’t ideal for me
– I travel lots, so carrying books around isn’t convenient, but an eReader takes care of that
I have a Kobo Clara now and I’d love to upgrade to the Kobo Libra H2O. Lightweight for travel and waterproof for poolside.
I prefer the Kobo Elipsa for its large size and the stylus for notes. I never write in my books, but then have scraps of paper with notes, comments, words to look up. Being able to make notes in a separate notebook in Elipsa is a fantastic feature.
I would love the Elipsa for its large size, and the stylus for making notes. I never mark up my books and end up with scraps of paper with my notes, words to look up, etc. so having the capability to create a separate notebook with Elipsa would be great.
I would love to get a Kobo Eclipsa as I read a lot of reference books for the job and I could then use this to take notes at the same time.
I may favour the Kobo Libra H2O due to it being waterproof. although I like the size of the Elipsa
I prefer the larger Kobo Elipsa for the screen size.
I really like the Kobo Libra H2O because of the buttons and how it’s a bigger size! 😉
The Kobo Libra H20 is suitable for my needs. I would sit and enjoy a fantastic good book. Heck if I don’t win one I’ll probably gift myself one. Thanks for the opportunity to win and a great Christmas idea.
Personally, I like the Nia because it’s small and lightweight.
I prefer the Kobo Elipsa and larger screen size
Kobo Elipsa Would be perfect because I would to take it with me when I travel plus the bigger screen since these eyes aren’t what the were
I like the Kobo Elipsa and larger screen size
I like the Kobo Elipsa as the screen size is larger and easier to read
I like the Kobo Elipsa due to the size
I would love the Kobo Elipsa to be able to mark up documents.
I’d go for the Kobo Elipsa Pack with 10.3″ Digital eReader, Stylus & SleepCover Case. I think the screen size would make for ease of use, as well as the stylus.
I would prefer the Kobo Elipsa mainly because of its larger screen for those of us with poor eyesight.
It’s hard to choose, but I’d have to say the Elipsa since the screen is bigger and easier to read. Thanks for the great pre-Christmas contest!
The Kobo Elipsa for the win! The Libra H2O was a close second, but I love the ability to write on the screen. I have an old old old Sony eReader (remember those?) that takes forever to load, and is literally falling apart (dropped it on the train platform, oop!) I often want to scribble notes or circle passages in a books and the Elipsa would make it soooo easy. And I love that it comes with a cover. One and done!
I would love the Nia because it’s small and awesome.
I’d go for the Kobo Elipsa. The size gives it a away forr me. I like more screen real estate.
I would like the Elipsa because it has a larger screen and I like the ability to take notes with the stylus
I would like the Nia because it’s lightweight and very portable.
I would love the Nia because it’s small and lightweight.
I would love the Kobo Libra H2O and a long soak in the tub!
I’d like to own the Kobo Libra H20 because it seems like the perfect size for my use.
I would live the Elipsa because of the option to take notes with the stylus and the comfort light
I would love the Libra H20. The waterproof is definitely a perk, while still being small enough to carry around easily. It would be a great upgrade from my current reading on an old failing Windows tablet.
I would love the Kobo Elipsa, because of the larger screen, and of the amazing fact that I could write notes and I like it in general.
The Elipsa would be so cool. I didn’t know eReaders could also have a stylus for editing and drawing over!
I would love the Kobo Elipsa, because of the bigger screen, and the fact that I could write notes and such.
I like the Elipsa the best as it is 10.3 inches. I like the increased size and the bigger screen for ease of reading. I also like the pen I can use to take notes for my Book Club. This is the one for me.
I would love the Kobo Elipsa. I’m always taking notes and writing thoughts when I read a book so it would be super handy to have the notepad built in!
I would love the Kobo Elipsa. I like to read on the dock. Since it’s water proof it can withstand the splashes!
Kobo Elipsa All in one notebook
Kobo Elipsa, I like the larger screen and like that I can make notes
Thanks for the great contest. I would love Kobo Elipsa . I like the larger screen The notes is a nice bonus as well. I love James Patterson I would love to read him on a new reader.
I would like to own the Kobo Elipsa. Bigger screens make reading easier on the eyes. I also like the ability for me to scribble down nots on the ebook itself!
The Kobo Elipsa sounds like the model for me. Being an older model myself my eye sight when reading isn’t always the best I would therefore enjoy a larger screen. Being a dyslexic that loves to read I often take a bit longer than some to complete a book so owning an e-reader would mean less hassle of constantly inserting a book mark or dare I say rabbit earring my pages. I must admit I’m not the most tech savvy person but your article certainly gave me some valuable information. Thank you.
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