Kobo Clara BW vs Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Kids (16GB)
Kobo Clara BW (#2, best value) vs Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Kids (16GB) (#5, best premium): in our E-Readers for Kids scoring the Kobo Clara BW totals 7.6/10 and the Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Kids (16GB) 6.3/10. At $159.99 versus $269.99, the Kobo Clara BW costs $110 less.
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TopsFive comparison scores
Side by side
| Kobo Clara BW | Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Kids (16GB) | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $159.99 | $269.99 |
| Display | 6" glare-free E Ink Carta 1300 HD, 300 ppi | 7" Colorsoft E Ink, 300 ppi B&W / 150 ppi color |
| Storage | 16GB | 16GB |
| Battery Life | Up to 6 weeks | Up to 8 weeks |
| Water Resistance | IPX8 waterproof | IPX8 waterproof |
| Weight | 174g | 215g |
| Includes | USB-C cable (no cover included) | Kid-friendly cover, 12 months Amazon Kids+, 2-year warranty |
How they differ in real use
Built from our e readers for kids scoring, each product's published specifications, and verified owner feedback — not hands-on testing.
Both the Kobo Clara BW and the Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Kids (16GB) made our Top 5 E-Readers for Kids, at #2 (best value) and #5 (best premium). Skips the ongoing subscription entirely—built-in OverDrive/Libby support borrows real library ebooks for free, making it the strongest long-term value for families with an active library card, even without a dedicated kids' interface. The only device here combining color illustrations with Amazon's full Kids+ parental control suite, at a premium over every other option; families who don't need color pages get equivalent text reading from the cheaper Paperwhite Kids.
We score e-readers for kids on Parental Controls (30%), Durability (25%), Content & Library Access (20%), Battery Life (15%) and Value (10%). On that basis the Kobo Clara BW totals 7.6 out of 10 and the Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Kids (16GB) 6.3. The widest gap is Content & Library Access, where the Kobo Clara BW scores 10 against 5.8 for the Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Kids (16GB) — book library breadth and lending options. Parental Controls also separates them: 7.2 for the Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Kids (16GB) versus 5 for the Kobo Clara BW.
On paper, the specifications that actually differ: Display — 6" glare-free E Ink Carta 1300 HD, 300 ppi on the Kobo Clara BW versus 7" Colorsoft E Ink, 300 ppi B&W / 150 ppi color on the Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Kids (16GB); Battery Life — Up to 6 weeks on the Kobo Clara BW versus Up to 8 weeks on the Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Kids (16GB); Weight — 174g on the Kobo Clara BW versus 215g on the Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Kids (16GB); Includes — USB-C cable (no cover included) on the Kobo Clara BW versus Kid-friendly cover, 12 months Amazon Kids+, 2-year warranty on the Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Kids (16GB). They match on Storage and Water Resistance.
Pricing as of July 15, 2026: $159.99 for the Kobo Clara BW and $269.99 for the Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Kids (16GB), a $110 difference in the Kobo Clara BW's favor. Owners praise the Kobo Clara BW for built-in OverDrive/Libby support borrows real library ebooks for free, no subscription needed and crisp E Ink Carta 1300 HD display with dark mode option; the most common complaint is no dedicated kids mode, parental controls, or content filtering—parents must manage what's downloaded manually. Owners praise the Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Kids (16GB) for first color Kindle designed specifically for kids, with color book covers and illustrations and full Amazon Kids+ parental control suite: time limits, reading goals, content filters, Parent Dashboard; the most common complaint is most expensive Kindle on this list at $269.99.
Kobo Clara BW
- Built-in OverDrive/Libby support borrows real library ebooks for free, no subscription needed
- Crisp E Ink Carta 1300 HD display with dark mode option
- Fully waterproof (IPX8) for up to 60 minutes
- Open ePub support reads library books and school-assigned titles without conversion
- No dedicated kids mode, parental controls, or content filtering—parents must manage what's downloaded manually
- 6" screen is smaller than the Paperwhite Kids' 7"
Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Kids (16GB)
- First color Kindle designed specifically for kids, with color book covers and illustrations
- Full Amazon Kids+ parental control suite: time limits, reading goals, content filters, Parent Dashboard
- Waterproof design with kid-friendly cover and 2-year worry-free warranty
- Up to 8 weeks of battery life
- Most expensive Kindle on this list at $269.99
- Color E Ink contrast is softer than black-and-white Kindles, so black text isn't as crisp as the Paperwhite Kids
Which should you buy?
The Kobo Clara BW is the better fit for families with a public library card who want free books and parents who don't want an ongoing content subscription — it is the higher-scoring pick here, chiefly for Content & Library Access and Value. The Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Kids (16GB) is the better fit for families wanting color illustrations plus full Kids+ parental controls and kids transitioning from picture books to early readers, and the stronger choice if Parental Controls matters more to you than the overall score. Since the Kobo Clara BW is both the higher scorer and $110 cheaper, the Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Kids (16GB) only makes sense for families wanting color illustrations plus full Kids+ parental controls. The Kobo Clara BW is a poor fit for parents wanting built-in content filtering or screen-time controls; the Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Kids (16GB) is a poor fit for budget-focused buyers.
Choose the Kobo Clara BW if
- Families with a public library card who want free books
- Parents who don't want an ongoing content subscription
- Kids who already have school or library ebook accounts
Skip it if
- Parents wanting built-in content filtering or screen-time controls
- Younger kids who need a dedicated kids' interface
Choose the Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Kids (16GB) if
- Families wanting color illustrations plus full Kids+ parental controls
- Kids transitioning from picture books to early readers
- Households already invested in the Kindle Kids+ ecosystem
Skip it if
- Budget-focused buyers
- Readers who only read black-and-white novels (the Paperwhite Kids is cheaper and just as good for text)
Common questions
Is the Kobo Clara BW better than the Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Kids (16GB)?
In our E-Readers for Kids ranking the Kobo Clara BW scores higher overall, 7.6 to 6.3, with the biggest advantage in Content & Library Access. The Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Kids (16GB) is stronger on Parental Controls, so it is the better pick if that matters most to you.
How much more does the Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Kids (16GB) cost than the Kobo Clara BW?
$110 more as of July 15, 2026: $269.99 for the Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Kids (16GB) against $159.99 for the Kobo Clara BW. Prices move, so the merchant page shows the current figure.
What is the main difference between the Kobo Clara BW and the Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Kids (16GB)?
The headline spec difference is Display: 6" glare-free E Ink Carta 1300 HD, 300 ppi on the Kobo Clara BW versus 7" Colorsoft E Ink, 300 ppi B&W / 150 ppi color on the Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Kids (16GB). In use, the gap that matters most is Content & Library Access (10 vs 5.8 in our scoring): book library breadth and lending options.