Kobo Sage eReader review

We test out the Kobo Sage eReader to see if it's worth the money.

What is the Kobo Sage?

Introducing Kobo Sage, Kobo's most accomplished eReader ever. Designed to inspire you with every read, Kobo Sage delivers every feature Kobo offers in one sleek package, plus Bluetooth® wireless technology so you can listen to Kobo Audiobooks.

Sleek and lightweight, Kobo Sage feels perfect in your hands in landscape or portrait mode. Page-turn buttons keep the story moving with one hand. Ergonomically designed and fully waterproof, Kobo Sage is with you from the conference table to the bath tub.

The luxurious 8" HD flush E Ink Carta 1200 touchscreen delivers superior performance and depth of contrast, with zero glare.

Take your Kobo Sage experience even further with elegant, custom designed accessories, including the Kobo Sage SleepCover and new PowerCover. And with Kobo Stylus compatibility, you can dive further into your favourite read by capturing your ideas on-the-go and saving them to other devices with Dropbox Support.

Enjoy the peace of mind that comes with having every feature at your fingertips, and knowing you'll have our best, most immersive reading experience.

How easy is the Kobo Sage to use?

Firstly I must commend the fast delivery of this product, which also arrived fully charged so literally all I needed to do was pick a book to read! I had been set up with a tester account including a few volumes so chose to read Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club as it had actually been on my reading list for a while. A quick set up menu pops up when you first log on, letting you know certain controls such as how to turn the page, make font bigger/smaller, how to adjust the brightness etc. I’ve never used an eReader before but I found it very intuitive and easy to use. I found the brightness level particularly useful for a long drive to Yorkshire (I’m lucky enough to be able to read in the car as a passenger!) meaning as it got dark I could continue to read easily. It also made reading before bed much more comfortable, rather than getting pain in my wrist from trying to hold down pages or holding up a heavy paperback.

I was also sent a Kobo Libra 2 with a SleepCover, which is essentially a slightly smaller version of the Kobo Sage. I personally preferred the larger size of the Kobo Sage, it just felt nicer to me to hold. I’ll definitely be looking out for a SleepCover for the Sage, as you could position it in many different ways to prop up the eReader – perhaps if you were using it as a reference so you could have it on your desk. The material feels good quality and like it would protect the eReader well when popped into a handbag or luggage.

Although my eReader came set up with an account, I did also test out creating my own account, which was really simple. You basically just have to pop in your email address and you’re done. From your Kobo account you can purchase books and audiobooks for your eReader as well as add books to your wishlist, which I found particularly useful as I have a long list of “want-to-reads” and I like that it is now in one place.

As well as reading books, you can listen to audiobooks with Kobo – another great feature, however I don’t own Bluetooth earbuds so this is not something I tested out myself.

Kobo are also waterproof, (for up to 60 minutes in up to 2 metres of water. - I didn’t risk testing this either, but it is handy to know for reading in the bath!

Another thing to note is the battery lasts for ages, I got through the whole book before it told me it needed to be charged up, and charging doesn’t take long either.

Watch the Kobo Sage in action

What are the downsides of the Kobo Sage?

The only thing I did notice was the power button was a bit fiddly, it seemed to take a few goes to work sometimes, but I honestly really enjoyed using the Kobo. As I said I’ve not used an eReader before, I’m a big advocate of reading books in real life, but honestly now that I’ve used one myself I can see the draw and I’ll certainly be using it again. Another drawback could be cost.

Is Kobo Sage worth the money?

The Kobo sage retails for £249.99, so perhaps not something you’d buy for yourself unless you knew you’d get loads of use from it. And I personally probably wouldn’t have paid that if I was purchasing for myself as it’s quite a lot to spend on myself. The Kobo libra 2 is at a more affordable price point at £166.19. Both are on a par with similar eReaders of their type, and honestly taking into account the usability and features (you can also purchase a stylus to use with the Sage) I think it is worth the money.

Would you recommend the Kobo Sage?

I’d definitely recommend the Kobo Sage and Kobo Libra 2, in fact I already have recommended it to friends and I plan to buy one for my mum for Christmas as she’s also a keen reader like me.

On a side note I’d also definitely recommend The Thursday Murder Club, I found it a great read!

Shop the Kobo Sage and Kobo Libra 2

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