What's good
- Extensive file support
- Plenty of storage
- Built-in light with temperature adjustments
- Comfortable to hold
- Large, crisp 300 PPI display
- Overdrive and Pocket integration
What's bad
- Squishy buttons
- Software sometimes sluggish
Verdict
Combining one of the largest screens on a mainstream e-reader with a unique design, the Forma is an interesting alternative to Amazon’s e-readers -- as long as you’re not already tied too much to Amazon’s ecosystem.
What's good
- Snappy performance
- Adjustable front light color temperature
- Long battery life
- Sharp 300dpi screen
- Ergonomic design
What's bad
- Smaller library selection than Apple or Amazon
- Not water-resistant
- Awkward Overdrive interface
Verdict
The Kobo Clara HD is a great budget e-reader with excellent performance and a beautiful screen. Unless you want access to the Kindle Store's massive line-up, the Clara HD goes toe-to-toe with nearly any low-to-mid priced e-reader out there.
What's good
- Large display allows for 30 percent more on-screen text
- Excellent battery life
- Waterproof
- Ergonomic design
- More accessibility options
What's bad
- Expensive
- No integrated speaker
- Can not read a book and listen to an audiobook at the same time
Verdict
The Kindle Oasis (2017) might be expensive, but its large display, waterproofing, and performance make it a must-buy for those looking for a premium e-reading experience.
What's good
- IPX8 rating for full waterproofing for 60 minutes up to 2 meters
- Large, sharp screen
- Durable build
- Blue-light filter to avoid disturbing sleep patterns
What's bad
- Lackluster performance
- Lack of selection in Kobo store
What's good
- Crisp screen
- Good battery life
- Ambient light sensing
- Color temperature adjustments
- IPX8 water resistance
- Overdrive integration
- Large display
- Exceptional file support
What's bad
- Price
- Lack of hardware page buttons
- No storage expansion
What's good
- Light and thin
- Rounded edges make it easier to hold
- More RAM for faster responsiveness
- Bluetooth connectivity for blind or visually impaired users
What's bad
- No front lighting
- Not enough changes from 2014 version to warrant an upgrade
- No 3G connectivity
What's good
- Lightweight and thin
- Uniform lighting
- Accelerometer to adjust screen orientation
What's bad
- Without case only 2 weeks of battery life
- Expensive
- No waterproofing
What's good
- 300 DPI screen
- New About This Book feature gives more detail on titles
- Faster performance
What's bad
- No auto brightness
- No page navigation button
What's good
- High resolution display
- Compact and comfortable design
- Affordable
What's bad
- Limited storage
- Fewer book options in store
- Some lag when opening books and turning pages
What's good
- Uniform screen brightness and almost pure white background
- IP67 certification for waterproofing
- Large, high resolution display
What's bad
- No pinch-to-zoom capability for PDFs
- Impersonal store experience
- Loads PDFs slowly