Club Benefits
Tom's Guide Verdict
The Kindle Colorsoft 2026 is a fantastic e-reader. I thoroughly enjoyed testing it, browsing through the frankly outrageously large library, which only gets bigger with Kindle Unlimited. Although it's more expensive than the Kobo alternative, it could be a worthy tradeoff for that library.
Pros
- +
Kindle Library is bigger than any rivals
- +
3 months free of Kindle Unlimited (model dependent)
- +
1 month free of Audible
- +
Night mode
- +
IPX8 rated
Cons
- -
Pricey
- -
Interface not as customizable as Kobo
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Is the Kindle Colorsoft 2026 good enough to be one of the best e-readers? Yes, definitely. This is the King of e-readers — and it knows it. With a bright, 7-inch display (1 inch bigger than its nearest rival, the Kobo Clara Color) and up to 8 weeks of battery, the Kindle Colorsoft 2026 is here to stay.
But because it’s the King of e-readers, it’s priced like it. The Kindle Colorsoft 2026 is $90 pricier than the closest Kobo alternative, an increase of 56%, and I’m… not really sure why. Yes, the Kindle library is bigger than Kobo’s, and Kindle Unlimited is better than Kobo’s, but does that justify a price increase of 56%? The initial $250+ cost might put off newcomers.
The Kindle Colorsoft 2026 is a fantastic e-reader, though — just an expensive one. I thoroughly enjoyed my time testing this device. It’s easy to use, lovely to look at, and has bright color for comic books. Want to find out more? Keep reading this Kindle Colorsoft 2026 review.
All images showing e-books have been blurred for copyright. Screen is sharp and detailed in real life.
Kindle Colorsoft 2026 review: Specs
Kindle Colorsoft 2026 review: Price & availability
There are two models of the Kindle Colorsoft 2026: 16GB and 32GB. I tested the 16GB model, which can hold almost 6,000 books (depending on length, images, and the like). The 16GB model is $249 from Amazon U.S. and £239 from Amazon U.K.. The 32GB model is an extra $30/£30, making it $279 in the U.S. and £269 in the U.K..
Kindle also makes the Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition, which is not this product. If you want the Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition, that’s $279 from Amazon U.S. (yes, the same price, annoyingly). The Signature has automatic brightness adjustment and wireless charging.
I recently tested the Kobo Clara Colour, which is $159/£169. Honestly, if you want a great e-reader for as little money as possible, I’d go for the Kobo. Of course, the library isn’t as large — the Kindle Store has a near-incomprehensible 15 million titles, and a much wider self-published selection — but I’ve been able to find every book on my TBR on the Kobo store.
The Kindle Colorsoft Gen 1, 2024, launched at $279/£269, so no price increase there, which I like to see.
Kindle Colorsoft 2026 review: The ups
There are so many things to like about the Kindle Colorsoft 2026, including its speed, screen, and library size.
Processor go Brr!
The Kindle Colorsoft is faster than the Kobo Clara Colour. Not by much — it’s more “blink and you miss it” than countable seconds — but every little helps, right? When I turned both e-readers on at the same time, the Kindle displayed the reading material a touch faster than the Kobo.
Kindle store is a modern-day Library of Alexandria
As much as I loved testing the Kobo — and I think it works much harder than the Kindle — the Kobo store is nowhere near as large as Amazon’s. The Kobo store is still fantastic, don’t get me wrong, with millions of books available for purchase, and a Kobo Unlimited subscription too.
However, it just can’t compete with Kindle’s whopping 15-million-plus titles. This is an incomprehensible number. I couldn’t even imagine 15 million plotlines if I spent the rest of eternity locked in a dark room.
But Kindle has everything, including obscure self-published books penned by Susan who lives down the street. If you’re the kind of reader who absorbs books like they’re going out of fashion, then you might be better off with the Kindle.
With my purchase, I also got 3 months free of Kindle Unlimited and 1 month free of Audible, which is great and something other e-reader brands simply can’t compete with.
Kindle Unlimited is better than Kobo Plus
I’ve tried Kobo Plus and Kindle Unlimited, and what they say is true: Kindle offers a wider range of books, both big-name authors and midlist novels alike. Unlike Kobo’s library, KU isn’t just self-published/thriller type books. You’ve got huge names, like Holly Black, Colleen Hoover, Freida McFadden, and more. Kobo Plus just doesn’t have this range.
Kindle Unlimited is $11.99 for literally unlimited books, magazines, and audio, whereas Kobo Plus is $7.99/$9.99 (for books and audio).
Night mode for those tired eyes
Just like the Kobo Clara Colour, the Kindle Colorsoft 2026 has a warm filter. Although any electronic light source can interrupt sleep, research has shown that front-lit e-ink screens with warm filters interfere less than blue light devices (like phones).
You can access the display settings easily by scrolling down on the left margin, much like the Kobo Clara Colour.
Although I don’t have any scientific, quantitative data detailing my improved sleep quality, I can report that my sleep was no more interrupted than normal after reading before bed. I read before bed every single night, e-reader or paper, and didn’t notice any difference.
Direct sunlight? No problem
As the Kindle Colorsoft uses a front-lit e-ink screen, which means the screen is lit from the front rather than the back, it is visible even in direct sunlight. As you can see from the photos throughout this review, the screen looks vibrant under strong sun.
This performance is identical to the Kobo Clara Colour, both of which offer natural, e-ink screens with fantastic visibility.
IPX8 rating for bathtub adventures
Like the Kobo Clara Colour, the Kindle Colorsoft 2026 is IPX8 rated. In real terms, this means it will survive if you accidentally leave it on the hood of your car before going through the car wash. Or something less ridiculous, like accidental dips in the bathtub.
Kindle Colorsoft 2026 review: The downs
Although there’s lots to love about the Kindle Colorsoft 2026, it’s not perfect. It isn't as customizable rivals, and it's much pricier, too.
Not as customizable as Kobo
One of my favorite aspects of the Kobo Clara Colour is that you can change the screen layout. You can also do this on the Kindle, but it’s more restrictive. On the Kindle, you can change orientation and font size, margins, and text alignment, but on Kobo, you can customize the actual layout of the menus.
On Kobo, you can change the ‘home’ button (the area of the screen you tap to bring up the main menu) depending on your preferences. By default, it’s set to: center tap brings up the menu, and then you turn the page forward or back by tapping the edge of the screen. I set mine so I have to click on the bottom of the screen to bring up the menu and 75% of the screen turns to the next page. I think this feels more natural because I’m left-handed and naturally tap to turn the page on the left side of the screen (don’t ask).
On Kindle, you can’t actually do this at all. You’re stuck with tapping on the top of the screen to bring up the menu, and 50% of the screen turns the page in its corresponding direction.
If there is a way to adjust this on Kindle, it’s not in the ‘Settings’ tab or in any of the device options menus, which is a con in and of itself.
Much more expensive than Kobo
Now, this is the biggest con there is. In our current, seemingly endless cost of living crisis, you need to save every penny you can get — or at least, I do.
The Kindle Colorsoft 2026 starts from $249, which is $90 more expensive than the Kobo Clara Colour. I don’t think the benefits justify the price increase.
The Kindle grants you access to Amazon’s huge library, which is a pro, and… that’s it? The other great features (front light, IPX8 rating, color, e-ink screen, long battery life, night mode) are all present on the Kobo. I totally recommend the Kindle, don’t get me wrong, but if you’re serious about saving every dollar you can, then I’d go for the Kobo.
Kindle Colorsoft 2026 review: Verdict
I really enjoyed testing the Kindle Colorsoft 2026. It’s got everything you’d want in an e-reader: a frontlit e-ink screen visible even in direct sunlight, and has night mode for those tired eyes. The battery life matches the Kobo Clara Colour — “up to” 8 weeks, but mine’s at 37% as we speak because I’m always using it — and the IPX8 rating means it’ll survive a dunk in the tub.
The only thing holding it back is the price. $249 is $90 more than Kobo’s competitor, which is an increase of 56%. Sure, the Kindle has a larger screen, but it’s not noticeably brighter. You can make the text on the Kobo as large as you want. The only main thing is the Kindle has a larger library, but whether or not this is a dealbreaker is something only you can decide.
At the end of the day, the new Kindle Colorsoft 2026 is a great e-reader, and I don’t think you’ll be disappointed by it at all. I thoroughly enjoyed reading on this device.
