Kindle Paperwhite vs Kobo Clara BW: Which E-Reader for Long Trips?
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Kindle Paperwhite vs Kobo Clara BW is a choice between a bigger screen and the Amazon store, or a smaller, lighter reader that opens up library books and EPUB files. The Kindle Paperwhite lists a 7 inch screen and up to 12 weeks of battery. The Kobo Clara BW lists a 6 inch screen, up to 53 days of battery and 15 file formats read natively. We read both maker pages and both Amazon pages on 5 October 2026.
Quick answer
Checked on 5 October 2026. Choose the Kindle Paperwhite if you buy books from Amazon, use Audible, or want the bigger 7 inch screen. Choose the Kobo Clara BW if you borrow library books, load your own EPUB files, or want a smaller reader that is easier to pack. Both list a waterproof rating of IPX8, a warm front light and a USB-C port.
Both, with a buy button each
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 16GB (2024)
Lists a 7 inch glare-free screen, 300 ppi and up to 12 weeks of battery. Read more
Kobo Clara BW
Lists a 6 inch screen, 16 GB, IPX8 and 15 file formats read natively. Read more
How we compared them
The NomadsToolsLab team read the Kobo Clara BW product page and the Kindle Paperwhite listing end to end on 5 October 2026, and checked both Amazon pages with a US address. What surprised us was how much of the decision sits outside the device. The screens and batteries are close on paper. The real gap is where your books come from.
Danielle Murphy, writing for Today (17 April 2025), found that the Kindle got through a week-long trip with heavy daily reading on one charge, that it responded faster, and that the Kobo is the more compact one and borrows library books directly through Libby, where the Kindle needs a phone app first. She picked the Kindle on battery and Kindle Unlimited. Maneetpaul Singh, in his comparison video (27 March 2025, embedded below), says there is no wrong answer: the Kindle wins on screen size, the biggest book store and Goodreads, while the Kobo wins on library borrowing, EPUB side-loading and a power button that is out of the way. He also says Kindle library borrowing works only in the US. Every number in the table comes from the makers' own pages and listings.
Our conclusion: pick the store first and the device second. If your books come from Amazon, the Kindle is the easy choice. If they come from a library or your own files, the Kobo fits better.
Kindle Paperwhite vs Kobo Clara BW at a glance
| Pick | Screen | Battery (maker claim) | Storage | Water | Shop |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen: 7 in, 300 ppi | Battery (maker claim): Up to 12 weeks | Storage: 16 GB | Water: IPX8 | Get yours on Amazon |
| Screen: 6 in, 1448 x 1072 | Battery (maker claim): Up to 53 days | Storage: 16 GB | Water: IPX8, 60 min in 2 m | Get yours on Amazon |
The battery claims are not like for like. Kobo states its figure for 30 minutes of reading a day with the front light at 10% and wireless off. Read each maker's fine print before you compare the numbers.
1. Kindle Paperwhite: the bigger screen
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 16GB (2024)
The Kindle Paperwhite 16 GB (2024 model) is sold by Amazon. Its listing says the 7 inch display has a higher contrast ratio and 25% faster page turns than the previous generation, that one charge over USB-C lasts up to 12 weeks, and that the light adjusts from white to amber. It lists a waterproof rating of IPX8, access to over 15 million titles in the Kindle Store and Audible over Bluetooth. A Kindle Unlimited subscription is optional.
Product photo: Amazon Kindle Paperwhite by Jacek Halicki, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. It shows an earlier Paperwhite generation, not the 2024 model reviewed here.
In his video, Singh calls the flush screen the nicer one to hold and says he dislikes the power button on the bottom edge. He prefers the Kobo's screen feel but still likes the larger Kindle display.
2. Kobo Clara BW: the smaller, more open reader
Kobo Clara BW
The Kobo Clara BW lists a 6 inch glare-free E Ink Carta 1300 HD touchscreen at 1448 x 1072 with a dark mode, 16 GB for about 12,000 books, and ComfortLight PRO with adjustable brightness and colour temperature. Kobo says it is waterproof to IPX8, up to 60 minutes in 2 metres of water. It weighs 174 g and measures 112 x 160 x 9.2 mm. Bluetooth is for audiobooks, which need headphones.
Kobo says it reads 15 file formats natively, including EPUB, EPUB3, PDF and MOBI, and that you can borrow eBooks from your local library. Kobo Plus and audiobooks are available only in select countries. Product photo: Kobo.
Library books, EPUB files and audiobooks
Chenzo, founder of NomadsToolsLab
Sometimes you have to sit for a very long time on a train or a plane, and then it is just lovely to listen to a book or download a podcast.
Both readers play audiobooks over Bluetooth: the Kindle through Audible, the Kobo through its own audiobooks with headphones. Singh says Kobo does not make you pay to remove ads from the screensaver, while Amazon does. Check the current terms before you buy. For a reading list to load before a trip, see our travel books to download, and for the journey itself comfort gear for long flights, buses and trains.
Choosing between color e-readers instead? Our Kindle Paperwhite vs Colorsoft and Kobo Libra Colour vs Clara Colour comparisons cover the Kindle and Kobo models that add color.
Which one to pick
The Amazon reader: the Kindle Paperwhite, if your library is already on Kindle or you use Audible. The library reader: the Kobo Clara BW, if you borrow books and want them on the device. The tinkerer with files: the Kobo, because it opens EPUB and 14 other formats natively. The one with a tight pack: the Kobo is smaller, and the Today tester called it more compact. The long-haul reader who forgets the charger: the Kindle lists the longer battery, though the two claims use different test conditions. A power bank covers either: see Anker vs UGREEN power bank.
- Kindle Paperwhite 16 GB (2024): 7 inch, 300 ppi, up to 12 weeks, IPX8, Audible over Bluetooth.
- Kobo Clara BW: 6 inch, 1448 x 1072, up to 53 days, IPX8, 174 g, 15 formats read natively.
- Kobo borrows library books on the device. Today says it uses Libby. The Kindle needs a phone app, and Singh says its library borrowing works only in the US.
- Kobo Plus and audiobooks are available only in select countries, per Kobo.
- The two battery claims use different test conditions, so do not compare them as a score.
Choosing between two Kindles instead? See our Kindle vs Paperwhite comparison, and if you are weighing an Android e-ink tablet against a Kindle, our Boox vs Kindle comparison.
Watch: Kindle Paperwhite vs Kobo Clara BW
Video by Maneetpaul Singh on YouTube.
Where to go next
Packing for a long trip? Read how to pack for a year of nomadic travel and train and bus travel in Europe.
FAQ
Can the Kobo Clara BW borrow library books?
Kobo says you can borrow eBooks from your local library on it. Today reports the Kobo uses Libby on the device. Which libraries you can use depends on your country and your library.
Can a Kindle Paperwhite open EPUB files?
Singh says the Kindle has no native EPUB support and that Send to Kindle converts EPUB files to Amazon's own format. The Kobo lists EPUB among its 15 native formats.
Which lasts longer, Kindle Paperwhite or Kobo Clara BW?
Amazon lists up to 12 weeks and Kobo lists up to 53 days. Kobo bases its figure on 30 minutes a day with the light at 10% and wireless off. A Today tester got through a week-long trip on one Kindle charge.
Are the Kindle Paperwhite and Kobo Clara BW waterproof?
Both list IPX8. Kobo says up to 60 minutes in 2 metres of water. Read each maker's care notes before you take one near water.
Can I listen to audiobooks on them?
Yes, over Bluetooth. The Kindle listing names Audible. The Kobo needs Bluetooth headphones, and Kobo says audiobooks and Kobo Plus are available only in select countries.
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