I have been waiting for a while to try and find an eBook reader that did not lock me to a single vendor ecosystem. Although the Kobo allows you to buy books from WH Smith (Kobo), it also allows me to borrow books from the library (need a PC connected to do this) as well as being able to read PDF...

Owned it for a week now and am really impressed with it. Pick your font and font size lie back and read it in the bath. Not only that but you can borrow library books on it, so you can read for free.

I received my Kobo H2O as a gift and I loved it at first! Unfortunately, the screen recently froze and then my ereader stopped working completely. It won't turn on, it won't charge, it won't respond when plugged into my computer, and it won't reset.

If you do a lot of your reading poolside, on a boat, in the bath, or in the desert, the Kobo Aura H2O's IP67 rating for water and dust resistance...

Water and dust resistant (rated IP67; Well built; Capable of reading a wide array of file formats; Expandable storage

Backlight can make text look murky; Heavy for its size; Port cover seems fragile; Expensive for what it delivers

It’s not a giant leap forward for e-readers, and doesn’t deviate very much from Kobo’s previous efforts either, but a few tweaks and changes make this second generation Aura H2O a serious contender. Kobo’s admittedly excellent Aura One is still the better e-reader if you don’t plan on taking it with you on the move - that larger screen almost perfectly matches the dimensions of a real paperback book. Amazon does have a bigger library of books, and if you previously owned a Kindle you’ll have to leave all your old ebooks behind when making the switch to Kobo’s book store. The Kindle Oasis remains the epitome of luxury, too. For tech-savvy travellers, though, this is easily the better buy. If you’re after some summer salvation, make sure to snap one of these up before school finishes in July, and your kids try to turn holidays into hell. Buy the Kobo Aura H20 (20170 here from Kobo

It’s a waterproof wonder; Undercuts the Kindle competition; Brilliant backlight won't keep you up at night;

Kobo’s book catalogue still lags behind Amazon;

It’s a waterproof wonder; Undercuts the Kindle competition; Brilliant backlight won’t keep you up at night;

Kobo’s book catalogue still lags behind Amazon;

Amazing! Far exceeds expectations. If I cannot read a real print book, this is my second choice. The only failing is that it isn't capable of colour, for cover viewing, comics, anime, Ganga, etc.

Like tablets, e-readers have seen minimal innovation in the past few years. Amazon seems to have settled on its Kindle lineup and there isn't much in the way of competition. Aside from Kobo, that is, which has been churning out some rather decent e-readers of late.

Big; sharp screen; Water resistant; Pocket integration and EPUB support

Sluggish performance; Battery life not as good as the competition; Expensive for what you get

I've got a struggle y'all. I've been using the new Kobo Aura H2O off and on for the last few weeks, switching between reading on it with reading on my overpriced but super damn slick Amazon Kindle Oasis . The two aren't entirely comparable: The Oasis costs $290 and the Kobo goes for $180.

It's waterproof and inexpensive

At this point there's really no reason to own anything but a Kindle

I'm quite happy with the purchase, good quality and usability, nothing fancy but satisfied my needs. I would recommend it, especially if you plan to use it on the beach.