Color has reached the e-reader market, making it possible to view book covers, illustrations, graphic novels and color EPUBs without using a traditional tablet. However, the technology still has limitations: colors are generally accurate but muted, and Kobo and Kindle displays reach up to 100 nits compared with up to 500 nits on an iPad.
The Kobo Libra Colour is the strongest overall choice in the selection. Its seven-inch display offers a useful balance between portability and space for graphic novels, while page-turn buttons, an internal gyroscope and writing support make it particularly flexible. The screen can rotate between portrait and landscape orientation, and the device includes 32GB of storage and waterproofing.
The Libra Colour also stands out for its integration with OverDrive, or Libby. After signing in with a library card, borrowed e-books appear in the device’s OverDrive section. Pocket integration is another advantage for users who read saved articles. Its drawbacks include occasional ghosting, imperfect palm rejection, a less extensive online bookstore and battery life that could be better. Its price rose to $259.99, but it remains less expensive than Amazon’s color e-readers.
For shoppers seeking a lower-cost option, the Kobo Clara Colour is the pick. Priced at $179.99, it has a six-inch display, a matte glare-free finish, waterproofing and an ad-free home screen. Its compact design is comfortable for extended reading, and its performance is described as comparable to the Kindle Paperwhite.
The Clara Colour also recalculates page counts when the font size changes, providing a more accurate indication of reading progress. Like the Libra, it offers seamless OverDrive integration and generally accurate, though subdued, colors. Its smaller screen is less suitable for graphic novels, and battery life is a notable weakness: although it is rated for up to 42 days, reported use can average around two weeks.
The Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition is the leading choice for users already committed to Amazon’s ecosystem. The 2026 Colorsoft models introduce a slimmer design, magnetic Pogo pins and edge-to-edge color, while the Signature Edition adds compatibility with the new Page Turn Cover and an aluminum casing.
Amazon’s color Kindle remains expensive, starting at $289.99 and reaching $319.99 for the Signature Edition. Its colors are also described as dim and muted, even with the vibrancy settings increased, and its low color resolution makes it less convincing for comics and heavily illustrated books. It is nevertheless the best fit for readers who specifically want a Kindle with a color display.
The Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is aimed at journalers, students and annotators who want an e-ink tablet with writing capabilities. It combines color reading with note-taking, Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive integration, and a distraction-free interface without ads or internet browsing.
The Scribe Colorsoft includes a magnetic Kindle Premium Pen and supports multiple pen styles. Its color resolution is 150 ppi, compared with 300 ppi for black-and-white content, and its front light reaches up to 100 nits. Testing found it fast, with little ghosting during normal use, although faint traces can still appear when erasing writing or drawings. Battery life can reach eight weeks, depending on how frequently the writing functions are used.
The selection does not include ReMarkable tablets. Although the ReMarkable Paper Pro and Paper Move were considered capable digital notebooks, their e-book features and access to library content were judged less convenient than the Libby integrations available on Kindle and Kobo devices.
The evaluation focused on the same criteria used for standard e-readers, with additional attention to color quality. Screen size was especially important because of graphic-novel use, while displays were compared with both physical books and iPad versions to assess accuracy, brightness and warmth. Features such as adjustable lighting, page-turn buttons and price were also considered.
Sources: Mashable.