The Kobo Libra 2 is the most popular Kobo ereader of all time, and that’s partially due to the fact that Kobo discontinued it 2 years without releasing a direct replacement. Plus it had one of the best screens ever.
Now used ones often sell for more than they sold for when brand new, but for those that live in Canada, the Kobo Libra 2 is still available to purchase in refurbished condition directly from Kobo, and there’s currently a good deal on it.
Right now Kobo is selling the Certified Refurbished Kobo Libra 2 for $199 CAD and it comes with a free sleepcover to boot. They currently only have the black Libra 2 in stock, along with red and black cases, but that’s a good deal for anyone that wants a Libra model with a black and white screen.
It’s surprising to see they still have any available at all after nearly 2 years. If they were in stock from Kobo’s US store they’d probably sell out in one day.
Kobo inexplicably discontinued the Kobo Libra 2 after they released the Kobo Libra Colour in 2024. At the same time they released a 6″ color model and a 6″ black and white model, but they did not release a black and white Libra model for some reason (I still think Kobo is being incentivized by E Ink to push color E Ink screens into the mainstream).
Some people like color E Ink screens, but a lot of people don’t, especially those that are used to the high-contrast, super clear quality of BW screens. Color E Ink has improved over the years, but there are still a number of disadvantages with color E Ink screens compared to black and white E Ink screens.
Some people are still holding out hope for a Libra BW in the near future, but so far there aren’t any signs of that happening. Kobo has had 2 years to release a new BW Libra model, and it looks like they have no intention of doing that, so the Libra 2 is the best option at this point, even if it is refurbished instead of “new”.
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