Kobo Aura H2O is IP67-certified for reading by the pool or at the beach

Waterproof smartphones are cool but what about a waterproof ebook reader? If reading by the pool or at the beach is your thing the Kobo Aura H2O is the one to look at. It’s the first ebook reader with IP67 certification meaning it’s dust tight and can last up to half an hour under a meter of water.

The screen is a 6.8″ Carta E Ink HD with 1,430 x 1080 pixel resolution and 265ppi density. For comparison, an Amazon Kindle Paperwhite has a 6″ 212ppi display.
The Kobo screen has built-in illumination too and supports multitouch. Better yet it can read both MOBI and EPUB formats, with a Kindle or a Nook you get one or the other (important if you use third-party book stores).
Kobo has its own eBookstore that boasts 4 million titles, including comics and kids books. You can download books via Wi-Fi and the 4GB of built-in memory can store about 3,000 at a time. If you ever need more (unlikely, but still) you can plug in a microSD card.
There are Kobo apps for desktops, tablets and phones so you can continue reading your book where you left off, the bookmarks will be automatically synced.

Pricewise, the Kobo Aura H2O costs $180 / €180 / £140 in their respective markets. The Kindle Paperwhite currently goes for $139 / €110 / £110 (the Wi-Fi only version).

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