Kobo's Libra Colour ereader is already 19% off in this bonkers pre-order deal

(Image credit: Rakuten Kobo)

Japanese-Canadian ereader maker Kobo announced three new reading devices on April 10, with all three up for pre-order immediately. Two of these are colour ereaders and, even at full price, offer excellent value – particularly the Kobo Libra Colour.

For the launch price of AU$359.95, you get a 7-inch screen that makes colours appear a bit more saturated as compared to some of its competition, plus there's stylus support too. Importantly, it's the most affordable colour ereader in its size class available in Australia – scoring a full five stars in our Kobo Libra Colour review on account of its performance and value for money – despite needing to purchase the Kobo Stylus 2 separately.

However, Australian book retailer Booktopia is shaving a decent chunk of change off the pre-order price of not just the Libra Colour, but of the other two 6-inch devices that were announced alongside it – the Clara Colour and Clara BW.

All three are already listed with a 10% discount on Booktopia's online store, but add the code SENIORSSA10 at checkout and you'll save an additional 8.9% on the price of the ereaders. That means, the Libra Colour is down to just AU$291.60, which is cheaper than the AU$315.95 retail price of its predecessor, the Kobo Libra 2.

You can also add the Kobo Stylus 2 to your cart and the same code will discount the full package, getting you both for AU$399.56 – that's a steal, considering the 8-inch Kobo Sage retails for AU$449.95 without the stylus.

Note that pre-orders end April 30.

Kobo Libra Colour | AU$359.95 AU$291.60 at Booktopia (save AU$68.35 with code)

The Libra Colour offers excellent bang for buck considering you get not just a colour display but also writing features. Sure, you need to buy the stylus separately, but that's the case with the Kobo Sage too. There's even better value here if you pre-order the device from Booktopia, where it's already discounted by 10%, but the use of the checkout code SENIORSSA10 shaves off another 10%, albeit on the discounted price. So your total saving is 18.9%. Available in both the Black and White chassis colourways.

Add the Kobo Stylus 2 (AU$119.95) to your cart and the bundle drops to AU$399.95 with the same code.

At full price, the Kobo Libra Colour is only AU$44 more than the current RRP of the Libra 2, that launched in 2021 and has been our pick of the best ereader since then. However, the Libra 2 is marked as being out of stock on the Kobo Store, while Booktopia doesn't seem to be listing it any longer.

So if you'd like a 7-inch Kobo ereader, the Libra Colour is it, and you get more for your money now. Honestly, at a little over AU$290, it's remarkably easy to recommend as you can save on ebook purchases by using OverDrive to borrow from a public library – most Australian public libraries now support this platform.

And if you do want to take full advantage of its features, we'd strongly recommend picking up the Kobo Stylus 2 from Booktopia with the same checkout code to save on its retail price of AU$119.95.

If you want a more portable ereader without the writing capabilities, then you can pre-order the Kobo Clara Colour for just AU$210.60 with the same checkout code of SENIORSSA10, which will also discount the Kobo Clara BW down to just AU$193.50. Both are 6-inch ereaders, with the former getting you a colour display, while the latter uses a new monochrome screen tech – called E Ink Carta 1300 – that gets you a faster display with better contrast than before.

Kobo Clara Colour | AU$259.95 AU$210.60 at Booktopia (save AU$49.35 with code)

While not quite the 20% discount we'd have liked to see, the checkout code SENIORSSA10 will take 10% off the displayed discounted price on Booktopia's online storefront. For AU$210.60, it's the cheapest colour ereader on the Aussie market. It's waterproof, lightweight and the perfect size for travelling with your entire library. There's 16GB of storage as well as Bluetooth connectivity. OverDrive support is also baked in.

Kobo Clara BW | AU$239.95 AU$193.50 at Booktopia (save AU$46.45 with code)

As before, the checkout code SENIORSSA10 saves you a total of 18.9% on the launch price of the monochrome Kobo Clara BW. What makes this 6-inch ereader stand out is its screen – as mentioned, it's using the latest E Ink tech called Carta 1300, which is a brighter, sharper screen with more contrast than the Carta 1200 displays we've been seeing on monochrome ereaders for a few years now. IPX8 waterproofing, Bluetooth connectivity and OverDrive support are all here as well.

All three ereaders have been built with up to 80% recycled materials, 10% of which was ocean-bound plastic. Moreover, the packaging is 100% recycled, with soy ink used to do all the printing on the boxes.

Importantly, at these prices, these three Kobo ereaders are hard to beat in terms of long-term value if you take advantage of the OverDrive support to borrow ebooks and digital magazines from a public library.

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While she's happiest with a camera in her hand, Sharmishta's main priority is being TechRadar's APAC Managing Editor, looking after the day-to-day functioning of the Australian, New Zealand and Singapore editions of the site, steering everything from news and reviews to ecommerce content like deals and coupon codes. While she loves reviewing cameras and lenses when she can, she's also an avid reader and has become quite the expert on ereaders and E Ink writing tablets, having appeared on Singaporean radio to talk about these underrated devices. Other than her duties at TechRadar, she's also the Managing Editor of the Australian edition of Digital Camera World, and writes for Tom's Guide and T3.