Kobo’s new Clara 2E is an eco-friendly ereader, and it’s available to pre-order
Since 2010, Rakuten’s Kobo has been solidifying itself as a force to be reckoned with in the realm of ereaders, becoming the ultimate challenger brand against Amazon’s popular Kindle devices. But it’s always struggled to one-up the tech juggernaut, who always feels a step ahead in terms of software and hardware.
Now Kobo has unveiled a new ereader called the Kobo Clara 2E, and it’s set to compete directly with Amazon’s flagship Kindle paperwhite (£129.99, Amazon.co.uk) ereader in a big way.
The Kobo Clara 2E is a 6in mid-range ereader. It’s fully waterproof and features a lengthy battery life, but the biggest selling point is its eco-conscious credentials. The 2E’s exterior is made with 85 per cent recycled plastics, including 10 per cent ocean-bound plastic. Think old plastic bottles or plastic objects found close to the coastline or on beaches. The packaging is also made from FSC-certified recycled paper, printed with soy ink.
Earlier this year, Kobo committed to offsetting 100 per cent of its carbon emissions associated with direct shipments of its Kobo ereaders. It’s also committed to transitioning to certified recycled materials “wherever feasible”, with the company stating that it hopes to divert more than 200,000 plastic bottles from the oceans and more than a million CDs and DVDs from landfills.
While Amazon says that 95 per cent of the Kindle paperwhite’s packaging is made from 95 per cent wood-fibre-based materials from “responsibly managed forests or recycled sources”, just 60 per cent of the ereader itself is made from post-consumer recycled plastics and 70 per cent recycled magnesium.
The sustainable ereader will go on sale on 22 September, and it is available to pre-order now. We’ve listed everything you need to know about the ereader and where you can pre-order the device below.
Kobo Clara 2E: £129.99, Kobo.com
The Kobo Clara 2E is a 6in HD ereader, with an ink carta 1200 glare-free touchscreen display and a 1448 x 1072 resolution, similar to its predecessor – the Clara HD. It features a dark mode and the company’s ComfortLight pro tech, which reduces the amount of blue light emitted from the screen, helping you get to sleep after a spot of late night reading. The Clara 2E now also supports both Bluetooth and audiobooks, so you can listen to your books with your wireless earbuds too.
It’s also the company’s first fully waterproof ereader, featuring an IPX8 waterproof rating, meaning it can survive a 60 minute swim in 2 metres of water. You get 16GB of storage – that’s double the amount on the Clara HD – which Kobo says works out to about 12,000 eBooks or 75 Kobo audiobooks.
It also supports OverDrive, so you can borrow eBooks from your local library. And Kobo says that you should get “weeks” of battery life from its 1,500mAh battery. That’s enough to finish a good number of books.
On top of the device itself, Kobo has also designed eco-conscious sleepcover cases. The back case is made with 97 per cent recycled plastic, including 10 per cent ocean-bound plastic, while the inner microfibre lining is said to be made with 40 per cent plastic bottle recycled fibre. You can get the sleepcover in coral reef orange, sea glass green and black, and all feature a built-in stand which can auto-wake the Clara 2E and put it to sleep.
Can’t wait for the Kobo Clara 2E to come out? Have a read of our best ereaders to buy now
