My favorite Kindle alternative is $30 off after a recent price increase

<figure> <img alt="A hand using a stylus to take notes on the Kobo Libra Colour e-reader." data-caption="The Kobo Libra Colour lets you take notes. | Image: Rakuten Kobo" data-portal-copyright="Image: Rakuten Kobo" data-has-syndication-rights="1" src="https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25382590/S8___LIBRA_HERO_MARK_UPS___EN.jpg?quality=90&#038;strip=all&#038;crop=0,0,100,100" /> <figcaption> The Kobo Libra Colour lets you take notes. | Image: Rakuten Kobo </figcaption> </figure> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">Kobo <a href="https://www.theverge.com/tech/934469/kobo-rakuten-price-increase-e-reader-clara-libra-colour">recently raised</a> the price of its Libra Colour e-reader to $259.99, but today&#8217;s deal effectively erases that hike. The <a href="https://us.kobobooks.com/products/kobo-libra-colour">company</a>, <a href="https://www.bestbuy.com/product/kobo-libra-colour--ereader--7-glare-free-colour-e-ink-kaleido-3-display--dark-mode-option--waterproof-2024-white/JXSHPC3Q96">Best Buy</a>, and <a href="https://www.target.com/p/kobo-libra-colour-7-32gb-ereader-glare-free-colour-e-ink-kaleido-3-display-dark-mode-option-audiobooks-waterproof/-/A-91830243">Target</a>, are all selling it for its old $229.99 price as part of broader sales, making now one of the best times to grab <a href="https://www.theverge.com/23769068/best-ebook-readers#4JJ8kh">my favorite alternative to Amazon&#8217;s Kindle</a>.</p> <div class="product-block"><h3>Kobo Libra Colour</h3> <figure class="product-image"><img width="300" height="200" src="https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25494702/247144_best_ebook_reader_SVasani_0002.jpg?w=300" class="attachment-medium size-medium" alt="" /></figure> <h3>Where to Buy:</h3><ul><li><a href="https://www.bestbuy.com/product/kobo-libra-colour--ereader--7-glare-free-colour-e-ink-kaleido-3-display--dark-mode-option--waterproof-2024-white/JXSHPC3Q96"> <strike>$259.99</strike> $229.99 at <strong>Best Buy</strong></a></li><li><a href="https://us.kobobooks.com/products/kobo-libra-colour"> <strike>$259.99</strike> $229.99 at <strong>Rakuten Kobo</strong></a></li><li><a href="https://www.target.com/p/kobo-libra-colour-7-32gb-ereader-glare-free-colour-e-ink-kaleido-3-display-dark-mode-option-audiobooks-waterproof/-/A-91830243"> <strike>$259.99</strike> $229.99 at <strong>Target</strong></a></li></ul></div> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">If you&#8217;re not heavily invested in Amazon&#8217;s ecosystem, I think the Kobo Libra Colour is a better buy than its closest Amazon rival, the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CGVSKR1G">$249.99 Kindle Colorsoft</a>. It offers many of the same core features, including a sharp seven-inch color display that makes book covers, comics, and highlights pop with only slightly less vibrancy than the color Kindle. It&#8217;s also waterproof so you can rest easy at the beach, and features adjustable warm lighting for more comfortable nighttime reading.</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">The Kobo also has a few advantages over Amazon&#8217;s e-reader. It supports EPUB and a broader range of file formats, making it easier to read books from a variety of sources, while offering twice as much storage (32GB). Unlike the Colorsoft, the Libra Colour includes physical page-turning buttons, which I find make for a more intuitive reading experience. It also supports Kobo&#8217;s optional Stylus 2, letting you annotate ebooks, jot down handwritten notes, use built-in notebook templates, and even convert your handwriting into typed text. Due to its size, I wouldn&#8217;t recommend it as a dedicated digital notebook over something bigger like the Kobo Elipsa 2E or Kindle Scribe, but it&#8217;s far more practical for quick notes than using your phone. It also works with Instapaper, making it easy to save web articles for offline reading.</p> <h5 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/4/24158251/kobo-libra-clara-colour-e-reader-review">Read our Kobo Libra Colour review.</a></h5> <p class="wp-block-paragraph"></p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph"></p>