I really wanted to love the Kobo Libra 2 but was shocked to discover Kobo will not permit you to simultaneously keep Libby ebooks from two different library systems. I read 13 books a month, including several ebooks from both San Francisco Public Library and Sonoma County Library. However, when I connect to my SFPL account on the Kobo, my SCL books disappear. And vice versa. I spent hours trying to resolve this issue until someone with Kobo customer service explained this was purposeful, not a software fluke. Why is this possible on the Kindle Paperwhite but not on a device that shares a parent company with Overdrive/Libby? This is absolute insanity. I would love a Rakuten executive explain this logic to me. So unfortunately I am returning the Kobo and going back to ... MoreI really wanted to love the Kobo Libra 2 but was shocked to discover Kobo will not permit you to simultaneously keep Libby ebooks from two different library systems. I read 13 books a month, including several ebooks from both San Francisco Public Library and Sonoma County Library. However, when I connect to my SFPL account on the Kobo, my SCL books disappear. And vice versa. I spent hours trying to resolve this issue until someone with Kobo customer service explained this was purposeful, not a software fluke. Why is this possible on the Kindle Paperwhite but not on a device that shares a parent company with Overdrive/Libby? This is absolute insanity. I would love a Rakuten executive explain this logic to me. So unfortunately I am returning the Kobo and going back to the Kindle even though I hate giving Amazon my money. Kobo, I want to love you! Please do better!

I love the Libra 2. It's very easy to hold. The choice of buttons or screen to change pages is great. And because it's waterproof it gives me great peace of mind. I primarily bought an ereader because I wanted e-ink so I could read late at night without the light keeping me awake. While the backlight is great, I hardly ever use it for this reason, and the battery life thus lasts forever. I love the integration with Overdrive so that I can take out library books - it's really deepened my relationship with my local library in a super-positive way. And it's fantastic to be able to use the Calibre software with this. There are many classic books from Project Gutenberg I want to read without buying the books - there's only so much room in the house - and Calibre makes ... MoreI love the Libra 2. It's very easy to hold. The choice of buttons or screen to change pages is great. And because it's waterproof it gives me great peace of mind. I primarily bought an ereader because I wanted e-ink so I could read late at night without the light keeping me awake. While the backlight is great, I hardly ever use it for this reason, and the battery life thus lasts forever. I love the integration with Overdrive so that I can take out library books - it's really deepened my relationship with my local library in a super-positive way. And it's fantastic to be able to use the Calibre software with this. There are many classic books from Project Gutenberg I want to read without buying the books - there's only so much room in the house - and Calibre makes that very nice. And finally when I want to just buy an e-book that's easy enough. Great product.

Overall: great reading experience, pretty good but sometimes frustrating library integration, and a great variety of features.Physical feeling: Great, no complaints. I love the buttons (which I didn't fully expect). The buttons allow me to more easily read on the go while wearing gloves and read without having to lift my finger from resting. It's a great size and simply feels great to use. Wide bezels don't look the best, but they certainly feel great and make the reading experience more comfortable.Reading experience: Also great. I love how all 4 orientations are possible but you can lock into landscape or portrait. While the screen refresh was jarring at first, I quickly got used to it, and I like the way the screen updates between pages much more than the way ... MoreOverall: great reading experience, pretty good but sometimes frustrating library integration, and a great variety of features.Physical feeling: Great, no complaints. I love the buttons (which I didn't fully expect). The buttons allow me to more easily read on the go while wearing gloves and read without having to lift my finger from resting. It's a great size and simply feels great to use. Wide bezels don't look the best, but they certainly feel great and make the reading experience more comfortable.Reading experience: Also great. I love how all 4 orientations are possible but you can lock into landscape or portrait. While the screen refresh was jarring at first, I quickly got used to it, and I like the way the screen updates between pages much more than the way Kindles do. I love the customization for the font, header and footer, and screensaver. The dark mode is a little bare bones, but it's a great MVP. The automatic natural light is great, and I love the brightness slider on the lefthand side of the screen.Book organization: Bare bones, which is both good and bad. I was a little disappointed to see that the only organization allowed were essentially tag lists. I appreciate the simplicity since it forces me to spend less time organizing my library, but I would also love the ability to do intersections and/or unions (ex: looking for a story that is in my Favorites Collection and in either my Short Length or Medium Length Collections). Again though, I think the Collection feature as it stands now is a great MVP.Library integration: The area with the most need for improvement. The OverDrive integration was the main differentiating factor for me when I was deciding between a Kobo and a Kindle, and I've had a mixed experience so far, presumably due to the fact that I have many library cards. Some of my books download perfectly and it's a wonderful experience. Some, however, don't download at all, and I can't tell why. One did download, but it downloaded as the wrong edition (it doesn't match the edition that's on my Libby app). If I could change one thing to significantly improve my Kobo experience, it would be some sort of additional support for using multiple library cards. Maybe Kobo accounts could link directly to a Libby account and sync that way. Any sort of user portal to shed light on what's happening to be able to debug a little would be great, whether that's on the Kobo website, OverDrive website, or the Kobo device.

It's a great product, except that there are several glaring design and usability problems that have somehow been carried over across multiple Kobo models.The worst is probably the rendering of unaltered epub files. Kobo has its own version of the format that is somehow slightly different, you see, so Kobo epubs are rendered with a different engine from normal epubs.Which would be okay if the two matched up!But they do not... Compare the text on the two pages attached. The unaltered epub has text SEVERAL TIMES larger than the kobo epub.This is pretty consistent across books, it's been an issue at least since my first Kobo in 2015 and it's *bizarre* that it still does this.Calibre fixes it in conversion.But this absolutely glaring mismatch in default font ... MoreIt's a great product, except that there are several glaring design and usability problems that have somehow been carried over across multiple Kobo models.The worst is probably the rendering of unaltered epub files. Kobo has its own version of the format that is somehow slightly different, you see, so Kobo epubs are rendered with a different engine from normal epubs.Which would be okay if the two matched up!But they do not... Compare the text on the two pages attached. The unaltered epub has text SEVERAL TIMES larger than the kobo epub.This is pretty consistent across books, it's been an issue at least since my first Kobo in 2015 and it's *bizarre* that it still does this.Calibre fixes it in conversion.But this absolutely glaring mismatch in default font settings means it's maddening to ever try to use epubs (even free ones off the Kobo site!) if you also ever read kobo epubs. You need to remember to convert every time.Weird! Why does the device not just convert them itself?Another longstanding design problem is the brightness control, which seems to be on a linear scale. That means that 2% is TWICE as bright as 1% (which is already a bit too bright for my night-time reading preferences), 3% is 50% again as bright, but 91% is 1.1% brighter than 90%.I literally cannot conceive of a situation where I would care even slightly about the difference between 90% and 91%. The difference between 1% and 2% is the difference between slightly too bright and WAY too bright (although not quite as glaring on the Libra as it was on the H2O). About a millimetre further and I'm on 5%, shocking in the dark!Another REALLY important design flaw has persisted through at least four or five different Kobo models: the brightness control is not available on every page. If you're on the home page or even if you've accidentally selected a word in a book, the brightness controls don't work.This is dire, because it's vital to be able to change the brightness without looking at the screen! If the screen-light is off and you're in pitch blackness, you're screwed until you can find another light source.If the screen-light is BRIGHT and you're in the dark, it's AWFUL.This could (and should) be fixed by ensuring that the interface for changing brightness works on every screen, not just in the main reader-view.This would have literally no down-sides from an end-user perspective.Another design flaw is relatively recently introduced, but it's shared with the Elipsa: the switch to toggle Dark Mode is only available in Settings, and on the second page of them on Libra. There should be a switch attached to the brightness setting slider; there's plenty of space for one. Dark Mode is a massively welcome and overdue addition though; it finally allows me to make my screen dim enough to read comfortably in the dark.

I purchased my Kobo Libra 2 online through the Kobo website. It arrived in perfect condition. I chose the white color, because of personal color preference, and because if I ever read outside on a hot day, it will be a few degrees cooler to the touch compared to a black colored model; this is because white reflects light while black absorbs light, and light becomes heat when absorbed. The Libra 2 is made of plastic with a matte texture all over, with the back part having a woven texture for your hand to grip. It has page turn buttons. The buttons have uneven resistance depending on what part of the button you try to press; I hope they improve that in future models, but it's really not a big problem because the button press resistance is still sufficient. It has an ... MoreI purchased my Kobo Libra 2 online through the Kobo website. It arrived in perfect condition. I chose the white color, because of personal color preference, and because if I ever read outside on a hot day, it will be a few degrees cooler to the touch compared to a black colored model; this is because white reflects light while black absorbs light, and light becomes heat when absorbed. The Libra 2 is made of plastic with a matte texture all over, with the back part having a woven texture for your hand to grip. It has page turn buttons. The buttons have uneven resistance depending on what part of the button you try to press; I hope they improve that in future models, but it's really not a big problem because the button press resistance is still sufficient. It has an e-ink screen, which is absolutely essential for serious e-reading. People who read of iPad or other LCD screen devices are really missing out. E-ink can be read indoors and outdoors, and does not cause eye strain like LCD screens do. The frontlight is excellent. However, if you look really hard, you may be able to find that part of the front lighting is uneven, but this isn't really a problem because, to put things in perspective, even a very uneven frontlight will still be more even than sunlight or indoor lights would light a normal book in most situations. I appreciate that the frontlight color can be changed to blue-ish white or white or orange to create whatever lighting is most comfortable for me at the given time. The Libra 2 screen is 7 inches, which is bigger than the usual 6 inches you see on most e-reader screens. I really appreciate this large screen size. The Libra 2 software has many features that I found surprisingly useful, such as reading statistics, Pocket, and Overdrive. The Libra 2 integrates a service called Pocket, which allows you to save articles for later when you are browsing the web on your phone or PC, and Pocket then re-formats the web articles and removes ads so the article looks like an e-book so you can enjoy the web articles on the e-reader. Pocket has had an incredible impact on me, because instead of keeping hundreds of tabs open on my phone or PC with articles I want to read, I can just press the pocket button on my web browser to save each article, and since e-readers are so good for reading, I actually read these articles now, whereas before I knew about Pocket I was just keeping tabs open and never actually reading them. Another useful feature is Overdrive, which is integrated seamlessly into Kobo. Overdrive allows me to borrow e-books from my local library. All you need is a library card, and if you don't already have a library card, most libraries allow you to easily sign up for a library card online. Other e-readers allow you to use ebooks borrowed from Overdrive, but Kobo integrates Overdrive to make the process very easy and fast. The option to borrow books through Overdrive (or reserve the book if it's already being borrowed by someone else) is integrated right into the Kobo storefront, and there is an Overdrive tab showing recommended books from the library you have selected.

I bought this product because the screen on my Libra H2O broke and I couldn't use it anymore. The decision to buy the Libra 2 was solely based on it being the newer model of the H2O which I loved so I can't help but compare them.On most categories the Libra 2 wins without much issue. It's faster at turning on, opening books, opening your library, going through your collections, writing (ie. when you're taking notes, browsing for a book, naming a collection, etc.) just overall much faster than the H2O at anything and everything. The battery life is pretty much the same as the H2O. I was expecting a little more but the amount of books I can read of a full charge hasn't changed so I'm a little sad about that but it's not a big issue.The one thing about the Libra 2 ... MoreI bought this product because the screen on my Libra H2O broke and I couldn't use it anymore. The decision to buy the Libra 2 was solely based on it being the newer model of the H2O which I loved so I can't help but compare them.On most categories the Libra 2 wins without much issue. It's faster at turning on, opening books, opening your library, going through your collections, writing (ie. when you're taking notes, browsing for a book, naming a collection, etc.) just overall much faster than the H2O at anything and everything. The battery life is pretty much the same as the H2O. I was expecting a little more but the amount of books I can read of a full charge hasn't changed so I'm a little sad about that but it's not a big issue.The one thing about the Libra 2 which disappointed me was the slight change in the handle design. I've included a picture of the Libra H2O and Libra 2 handles side by side and labelled so it's clear which is which. The old handle was much more comfortable to use because it was more slanted to fit your hand shape. The thickness itself of the handle side hasn't changed in the Libra 2 as far as I can tell. But it’s not slanted and it makes it harder to hold for long periods of time. That coupled with the Libra 2 being slightly heavier than the H2O make the Libra 2 lose points in my opinion. The slight weight increase wouldn't be an issue if the handle had stayed slanted, but as it stands I'm constantly having to switch hands because my wrists hurt. Everything else about this ereader I love, but the most ergonomic feature of the design being removed in an effort to make it look more slick was a terrible decision, and I hope this is revised in future designs.

The Libra 2 is the best affordable e-reader currently on the market when considering battery life and features. It's a great size, perfect for holding with one hand when sitting down or laying in bed. The Overdrive library allows me to borrow books for free from my public library, I can easily find new books on the Kobo store, and I have also sideloaded my own ePUB files without problems. The book sideloading capability makes the Libra 2 a much better option than the Amazon Kindle series. I only wish that I could sideload audiobooks as well. I appreciate the USB-C charging port over the old micro-USB standard in my Kobo Clara HD, and my unit charges quickly. Battery life is superb. In one instance, I didn't use or plug in my e-reader for over 2 months, and when I ... MoreThe Libra 2 is the best affordable e-reader currently on the market when considering battery life and features. It's a great size, perfect for holding with one hand when sitting down or laying in bed. The Overdrive library allows me to borrow books for free from my public library, I can easily find new books on the Kobo store, and I have also sideloaded my own ePUB files without problems. The book sideloading capability makes the Libra 2 a much better option than the Amazon Kindle series. I only wish that I could sideload audiobooks as well. I appreciate the USB-C charging port over the old micro-USB standard in my Kobo Clara HD, and my unit charges quickly. Battery life is superb. In one instance, I didn't use or plug in my e-reader for over 2 months, and when I opened the Sleep Cover it still had over 30% battery left! I have not tested the unit in water but I am pleased that waterproofing is a standard feature. The actual display is beautifully crisp for reading books and displays images in grayscale well. Backlight distribution is perfect, no inconsistencies there. Color temperature adjustment works great too. I also like the integrated Pocket service where I can read articles from various news sources on my e-reader. The user interface is friendly and I absolutely love the integrated dictionary feature and the ability to highlight important text. The SleepCover is perfect for this unit too, and feels great to the touch. I highly recommend this product.

Kindle Paperwhite owner for 6 years. I got the Kobo for the Pocket integration and the Overdrive integration. I used to send New Yorker articles to the Kindle, and it is so slow and hard to remove them once you're finished, that your library has a bunch of junk in it over time. Even subscribing to the New Yorker on Amazon wasn't what I hoped. Too much junk in between the articles I actually wanted to read, and too annoying to delete an issue I finished. The pocket integration with Kobo is excellent and free. The book reading experience is a surprising delight. Library is beautiful and book page turn is quick. Text looks sharper with a whiter background to me. The click of the buttons is satisfying. I like displaying the actual Kobo pages left in a chapter or book, ... MoreKindle Paperwhite owner for 6 years. I got the Kobo for the Pocket integration and the Overdrive integration. I used to send New Yorker articles to the Kindle, and it is so slow and hard to remove them once you're finished, that your library has a bunch of junk in it over time. Even subscribing to the New Yorker on Amazon wasn't what I hoped. Too much junk in between the articles I actually wanted to read, and too annoying to delete an issue I finished. The pocket integration with Kobo is excellent and free. The book reading experience is a surprising delight. Library is beautiful and book page turn is quick. Text looks sharper with a whiter background to me. The click of the buttons is satisfying. I like displaying the actual Kobo pages left in a chapter or book, rather than the strange "location" number on Kindle books that doesn't relate to reality (like location 1019 out of 102023). Sometimes removing the headers works well too. Dark mode is nice sometimes. Also appreciate the narrower margins on the Kobo. Overdrive integration is great, but I find the best way to get books is searching for specific book. The pre-built lists aren't what I want. I want a pre-built list of the most popular books that are available; not just a list of newest arrivals. Overall I'm thrilled with this device. I recommend the basic cover with it. The grey on white looks nice to me. After visiting the Bodelian library and learning that books cost the equivalent of a sports car then, and were so valuable they were chained to the shelf, that I can now browse my library and read on this beautiful device, is wonderful. I look forward to going to bed early now or traveling on a plane.

I have been using e-readers since the original Kindle, but this was my first from Kobo. The difference is remarkable. On Kindle the interface always seemed to somehow be in my way; I was always getting distracted by something. I don't know why, but on the Kobo I don't notice the interface unless I am trying to do something specific with it. I just read without distractions.I prefer to have the page turn buttons, and most recently had been using the Kindle Oasis. I have a sleeve I keep it in when not in use, but prefer not to have a case or a cover attached to the unit. The metal back is nice on the Oasis, but it has almost no grip whatsoever. Others have said that the plastic back on the Libra feels cheap, and maybe it does a little, but it also makes the unit ... MoreI have been using e-readers since the original Kindle, but this was my first from Kobo. The difference is remarkable. On Kindle the interface always seemed to somehow be in my way; I was always getting distracted by something. I don't know why, but on the Kobo I don't notice the interface unless I am trying to do something specific with it. I just read without distractions.I prefer to have the page turn buttons, and most recently had been using the Kindle Oasis. I have a sleeve I keep it in when not in use, but prefer not to have a case or a cover attached to the unit. The metal back is nice on the Oasis, but it has almost no grip whatsoever. Others have said that the plastic back on the Libra feels cheap, and maybe it does a little, but it also makes the unit easier to hold with one hand. Combined with the slight upturn on the edge near the buttons I never feel like I'm in danger of dropping it.Overall, I'm very happy I made the switch.

If you are hesitant, take the leap!!

I have been a rusted on physical book reader as long as I care to remember. I was given a gift-card and decided to take the plunge and try out the Kobo Libra 2. It's only been a few weeks, but I'm really starting to enjoy it (my hesitancy is purely based on the physical over the digital).- It's light to hold and comfortable, given me multiple ways to adjust based on how I'm sitting, lying etc.- Screen is outstanding as you would expect. So easy to adjust the text size, brightness font etc to my liking.- Battery life is fine so far. Not finding it impacting my regular usage, i.e. getting plenty of read time and not feeling pushed to have to charge frequently- Excellent ecosystem. The world is my oyster.- Bought with Kobo cover. Fantastic addition, doesn't get in ... MoreI have been a rusted on physical book reader as long as I care to remember. I was given a gift-card and decided to take the plunge and try out the Kobo Libra 2. It's only been a few weeks, but I'm really starting to enjoy it (my hesitancy is purely based on the physical over the digital).- It's light to hold and comfortable, given me multiple ways to adjust based on how I'm sitting, lying etc.- Screen is outstanding as you would expect. So easy to adjust the text size, brightness font etc to my liking.- Battery life is fine so far. Not finding it impacting my regular usage, i.e. getting plenty of read time and not feeling pushed to have to charge frequently- Excellent ecosystem. The world is my oyster.- Bought with Kobo cover. Fantastic addition, doesn't get in the wayI don't think I'll ever stop buying physical books, but I'll be more selective in what I buy. I have relaly changed my perception on e-readers, happy I have given it a chance, and it's delivering above and beyond so far. Highly recommend the Kobo Libra 2.