A little History...

I love the smell of a brand new book 📖. I wanted to increase the amount of books I read per year, which ranged from zero to half a book, prior to making the wise decision to purchase my very first ebook reader! Books are heavy and just the process of finding the current page being read, even with a bookmark, is a bit too distracting for me. Trust me I have tried!

My First Ebook Reader…

This is my one and only thus far, so I have nothing to compare it too.

My Current Situation...

I never thought in a million years I’d be one of the advocates for an E-Book reader. I used to look on those with an ebook reader with  what I know realize a very silly disdain.  Now I know much much better. Now I’ve had my Kobo Libra H2O for four (4) years! It works fabulously.

In 2020, I read 1 book.

In 2021, I read 7 books.

In 2022, I read 19 books.

This year 2023, my aim is to read 24 books. I’ve read 4 books thus far. Yes, I’m way behind schedule mainly because of how many things I’ve been up to this year; including trying to get two (2) of my registered businesses off the ground.

Why I love it?

+ No Ads ❌- Unlike the Kindle which has ads in sleep mode, I wanted an ebook reader which NOT would be advertising to me whilst in sleep mode! Furthermore, I did not want to pay for the option available without ads! Totally ridiculous! This is one of my top reasons for choosing the Kobo Libra H2O.

+ Waterproof 💦- I currently have a 4 year old and I was worried about getting my e-book reader potentially wet, because you know, these things happen with kids. I am happy I got the Kobo Libra H2O so my mind can be at easy in and around water and with my kid! The Kobo Libra H2O can be submerged in water for approximately 1 hour.

+ Pages turn buttons - I loved the idea of physical page turn buttons.  Albeit, unlike a real book, the experience of a physical page turn button help prevent accidentally turning the page having the screen as the only option to change the page.

+ Night Reading 🌌- reading at night when the lights are off was one of the major reasons I needed an e-book reader. My little one would not close his eyes if there was a crack of light to be seen. At night, I can comfortably read between 1-3% brightness on my Kobo e-reader. During the day, I can comfortably read between 0-100% brightness if you’re indoors versus outdoors.

+ Battery Life🔋- in a world where devices need to be charged almost daily, I am happy to say I charge my Kobo Libra once every two weeks currently. For someone who uses their e-reader on a daily basis for hours on end this will obviously alter the charging time.

+ Screen size 📺 - My Kobo Libra H2O is a lovely 7” display. This may sound huge for a device you can use with one hand but it really is perfect for reading. The screen size doesn’t feel cramped like a phone or the smaller Amazon kindle e-readers. It can also fit in a small handbag and for my healthcare professionals, it can fit in one of you scrub pockets!

+ Cost 💰 - The Kobo Libra is an expensive device. I bought mine at Walmart for $169 USD at the time, since Amazon did not sell them at that time! However, compared to the Kindle Oasis which retails at $249 USD, the counterpart for the Kobo Libra H2O specification wise and built wise, the Kobo Libra H2O is significantly cheaper!

+ Landscape mode - This mode is amazing especially when laying in bed reading. The physical grip has enough space along with the page turn buttons to be held comfortably in landscape mode making it a wonderful reading experience.

+ Colours - the Kobo- ebook reader comes in two colours White and Black. I bought the White version and I love it!

What can be improved?

+ Micro USB Charging Port - In the age of USB C, the Kobo Libra H2O has a micro-USB charging port. This is not a deal breaker but it does make life easier to have a device that has a universal type charging capability.

+ No Audiobook ability - I am an advocate for audiobook since I started listening to them one year ago. I currently listen to audiobooks on my tablet or laptop because the Kobo Libra H2O does not have this capability. Again, not a deal breaker but it would be nice to track the number of books I’ve read on my e-reader versus the Goodreads app. 

P.S. Of note, the above two points were addressed in the Kobo Libra H2O 2.

Now for forth and buy in confidence.

Until next time,

Josanne

*Disclaimer: This blog post contains affiliate links. That means that I am awarded a small commission for purchases made through them, **at no cost** to you.