For years, I’ve been anti-technology for reading. I’ve always preferred a physical book to an e-book. And I still do. But, now I see the error of my ways. Tablets are just so much easier to use while traveling or on public transportation. I recently began using the Kobo Clara Black and White (B&W) tablet while on vacation and I don’t think I’ll ever go back.

The Kobo Clara was small enough to fit into my Lululemon fanny pack, making it easy to bring with me while on a hike or spending a day wandering in the city. I have only downloaded one book so far, and admittedly haven’t gotten far into the book, but having a tablet that I can download another book in an instant makes reading so much more efficient.

If you’ve been debating whether to buy an e-reader, you should add the Kobo Clara B&W to your list. Here are my thoughts on my first venture into the e-reading sphere.

Price, Availability, Specs

The KoboClara is widely available on Amazon and KoboBooks. The e-reader costs $130, plus you will need to sign up for a monthly subscription to access e-books and to use the tablet.

There are three subscription options available:

I just chose the Kobo Plus Read because I’m not the biggest fan of audiobooks. On top of paying for the subscription, you will need to seperately purchase the book or audiobook. The book I bought was $13.99.

What I liked

A good choice for those on the go

After using the Kobo Clara B&W for just a couple of hours, I fell in love. My favorite part of the e-reader is its lightweight and size. My cousin owns a Kindle, which she likes, but there’s no way the Kindle could fit into a bag the size of my fanny pack. Although you don’t get the same experience as you would reading a physical book, the lighting and feel of the KoboClara mae me forget I was even using a tablet.

The KoboClara automatically adjusts the lighting on the screen so you can read in any sort of environment without straining your eyes. The reader has a late night mode that automatically adjusts the brightness, blue light and color temperature so you don’t keep others awake as you read. In the daylight, you can choose to put your KoboClara in dark mode, so there’s no glare from the sun.

On top of adjusting the brightness, the Kobo Clara B&W makes it extremely easy to pick up where you left off. When the device is powered off, the cover of the book you’re currently reading stays on the screen along with the page you’re on, what percentage of the book you have read so far and approximately how many hours you have left of reading before you finish. Ultimately, the lockscreen displaying my stats has definitely inspired me to read more.

When you power the e-reader back on using the power button on the back of the tablet, you can go under the ‘Books’ section and select your current read then pick up where you left off. No risk of losing a bookmark and forgetting your page like you might do with a physical book.

What I didn’t like

Too many hidden costs

This critique isn’t just with Kobo Clara B&W, but with e-reader as a whole — charging. Although the e-reader averages a couple of weeks worth of battery, I am someone who always forgets to charge my devices. I’m dreading the day I go to turn the e-reader on just to realize I forgot to charge it. A physical book would never have that problem.

My biggest issue with the device is the extra expenses that come with it. As someone who is new to using e-readers, I was under the impression that after paying the monthly subscription I could access any book on the tablet for free. Well, I was wrong. Not only do you have to pay the membership fee, but you also have to pay for the e-book which sometimes costs just as much as buying the actual book.

Should you buy the Kobo Clara B&W?

If you live far from a bookstore, travel, or like to read on the go, the Kobo Clara B&W is worth it. The device itself is easily portable and straightforward to use. Although the extra costs can be a pain, the price is worth the value.

I will still be supporting my local bookstores by buying physical books I aspire to read, even though they will probably just end up being decorations on my bookshelves. But now, instead of bringing five pounds worth of books with me when I go on long vacations, I’ll just pack my Kobo Clara B&W in my fanny pack and hit the road.