Clara BW Kobo Clara BW ergonomics

[Missoni]

New to the forum — hello —

I recently moved from a Kindle PW (gen 3) to a Clara BW after the PW screen developed a bright spot. I purchased the PW after ordering and trying all of the kindles at the time, including an Oasis and a refurbished Voyager, before returning them and keeping the PW. What I learned about my preferences then is that what appears to be small design differences can be a deal breaker in use. Yes the Voyager had the sharpest, clearest screen by a country mile, even to my newbie eyes at the time, but the small raised lip around the edge of the screen I found distracting whilst holding and the Oasis not comfortable to hold for long periods of time.

I enjoyed using the PW and found the rubberised back made it easy to hold. After the screen gave up, I jumped into purchasing the Clara BW, and thanks to the great resources on this forum, downloaded and quickly learned the ins and outs of Calibre, converted my books, added a few plugins and downloaded a new book from the Kobo store without any issues.

The BW screen is a tad sharper but with less contrast than the PW. The warm light makes a big difference to clarity and comfort for me, even during the day and being outside of the big rivers walled garden gives a feeling of being more sovereign. It is a superb e-ink screen. The Kobo dictionary also works better and is a joy to use, not sure I can articulate clearly why I find that the case. Any difference in speed though is not noticeable to me in use.

That said, the PW menu fonts, size, contrast and clarity appear much clearer than the BW under all light settings and even with large print enabled. I miss the clarity of the menu system but not the functionality or incessant recommendations.

The main difference though is holding the two devices. I read using the bare device and store in a felt sleeve when not in use or travelling. The BW is slippery and the narrower bezels make it less ergonomic, I'm talking degrees here, it is still perfectly useable but not ideal. The textured back of the BW is more for aesthetics I think and adds little to grip.

I am thinking of purchasing a Kobo clear case in the hope that it will provide more grip, can anyone confirm?. I have passed on spraying the back with a textured coating and my OCD would probably struggle with sticking a pop-socket on the back. Also considering the Kobo flip case if the clear case does not provide more grip or as a last resort trying a Libra 2 for ergonomics. Any other suggestions would be great.

[foosion]

The Libra 2 is a bit less slippery than the Clara BW, but for me it's the difference between a secure grip and an almost secure grip when I hold the device approximately vertical (or I need to hold with more pressure).

I'm considering getting a clear case. I'm annoyed that the OEM version is much more expensive than generic versions. Many generic version are made for the Clara 2E so the charging hole is a bit off and all generics I've seen have reinforced corners which I dislike. At least the OEM is marketed as anti-slip rather than protective.

[Missoni]

Yes...I noted the feedback on the generic clear cases was not good and over 4 months from the BW's release the generic manufacturers do not appear to have tooled up yet. The Kobo BW case price is painful for what it is! I did not realise the clear case was marketed as 'anti-slip' - thank you.

[JSWolf]

The clear case would be a issue. It would mean I could no longer take my Kobo out and about with me as the screen would not have any protection wile in my bag. Also, IMHO, the clear case is not ergonomic at all.

[Missoni]

I have purchased today; will give it a go and report back...

[foosion]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Also, IMHO, the clear case is not ergonomic at all.

How so?

OP and I believe that making the Clara a bit grippier would make it easier and more comfortable to hold, that is, for us, more ergonomic. Obviously if you're looking for screen protection something else would be appropriate.

I suppose the question, at least for me, is whether the clear case would in fact make the Clara easier to hold without adding noticeable size or weight.

[foosion]

Originally Posted by Missoni

I have purchased today; will give it a go and report back...

Looking forward to your report. Let's hope it lives up to "Slim & Lightweight Design | Anti-Slip"

[Missoni]

Thank you. I also ordered the Moko hand strap from Aliexpress, not an elegant solution, but I'll see which one works best.

[Missoni]

Received the clear case today...it does make the BW much grippier and easier to hold securely. It has a thin lip around the top-side edge, but it is a blunt lip. The clear case is lightweight, with subtle Rakuten Kobo branding down one side and cutouts for the USB port and power button. It works as marketed, albeit at a high price.

[foosion]

Thank you for the review.

What do you mean by a blunt lip?

The edges are somewhat rounded (the Libra 2 has flat sides). Does the case affect that?

[Missoni]

It is 'lipped' where the top of the case side meets the outer edge of the bezel, similar to a clear smart phone case. Or another way of describing the case design, is that the sides of the case are slightly higher than the bezel creating a lip. By blunt I mean it does not dig into the thumb when holding it, but I am still aware of an 'edge' where no such edge exists on the bare unit. It is what is with these type of case designs. I can live with it, but would have preferred a rubberised back plate or a plastic that provided more friction. Modern smart phones also go for the slippery look and feel, the designs make great eye candy for advertisements at the expense of tactile functionality. The Kobo BW's lack of grippiness, is I suspect, more to do with being built to a specific price point. A rubberised back may only have cost an extra dollar or so but would have added 10 or 20 times the cost of same to the retail price.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by foosion

How so?

OP and I believe that making the Clara a bit grippier would make it easier and more comfortable to hold, that is, for us, more ergonomic. Obviously if you're looking for screen protection something else would be appropriate.

I suppose the question, at least for me, is whether the clear case would in fact make the Clara easier to hold without adding noticeable size or weight.

For a Reader, a books style case is more ergonomic then just a rear-mounted open face case. With an open face case, you cannot easily take your Reader with you when you leave home. You have no protection for the screen.

[DNSB]

Not to mention that a book style case such as Kobo's sleepcovers allow you to start reading by opening the cover much as you open a paper book.

[Missoni]

It's just a preference thing I guess. I have tried a sleep case on my Kindle, but I prefer using a felt sleeve when travelling and using the bare unit at home. I get that a sleep-sleeve is more protective, I just exercise more care.