I’m not ashamed to admit the Kobo Remote is the best gadget I’ve bought this year

Does anyone really need a remote for a device you’re already either holding or using at arm’s length? E-readers have saved us from the risk of paper cuts and the burden of physically turning pages, but Kobo is making it even easier by releasing a wireless page-turning remote. The Kobo Remote might be indulgent and basic, but it’s all about maximizing convenience, and at the end of the night when I’m looking to unwind with a good book, that’s exactly what I want.

Wireless remotes for e-readers aren’t a new idea, but none of them just directly connect to Kindles and Kobos, despite recent versions of those e-readers now supporting Bluetooth. You either need to jump through hoops to modify the software on your e-reader to make it connect to specific third-party remotes, or settle for a remotely operated accessory that attaches to an e-reader and physically taps the screen to turn the page.

Clip-on page turners have always felt too cumbersome and complicated to me. I’m probably not alone, because shortly after it launched last November, the $30 Kobo Remote quickly sold out and remained out of stock for several months. It wasn’t until late January that I was finally able to buy one, and while I think Kobo could have squeezed in a little more functionality, both my wife and I have readily embraced the remote.

At just shy of 4 inches long and about the size of a pack of Juicy Fruit, the Kobo Remote is a lot smaller than I was expecting. It feels even smaller in my large hands, but at the same time big enough to comfortably hold and operate, and to not get lost in the bedsheets if dropped. The remote includes an optional wrist lanyard, which on more than one occasion has prevented it from going missing when I’ve fallen asleep reading.

There’s no rechargeable battery, but Kobo says the included AAA should last for months. The remote will only connect to Kobo devices that support Bluetooth for audiobooks, but the pairing process is as painless as connecting headphones. Once paired, the remote automatically reconnects when your Kobo wakes, requiring just a second or two before it’s ready to go. If you want to connect it to a different e-reader, a button on the front edge of the remote manually activates pairing mode.

The remote has two clicky buttons. The larger one goes to the next page, and the smaller one flips back. They’re  easy to differentiate by touch — in addition to the size difference, one button is concave, while the other is convex — but you can’t customize their functionality. It would be nice to be able to press and hold either button to increase or decrease screen brightness, or make font size adjustments. And my wife, a voracious consumer of audiobooks, was disappointed to find she couldn’t use the remote’s buttons to adjust the volume or pause playback — they only skip forward or back 30 seconds at a time.

Is the Kobo Remote a must-have accessory for every Kobo user? Probably not, but we’ve already found several scenarios where it’s been a welcome upgrade. My wife, who uses her Kobo mounted to a bedside stand, can now read books while staying completely cocooned under the covers. I prefer reading while laying on my side and can now prop my Kobo up on my nightstand and flip pages without having to awkwardly reach over. 

The remote has also made reading on the treadmill easier. And for Kobo e-readers lacking buttons, it can facilitate page turns while wearing gloves during a chilly morning commute, or save your screen from greasy fingerprints while snacking. It’s an accessory that’s all about comfort, ease, and convenience, and these days I’ll take about as much of all of those as I can get.

Photography by Andrew Liszewski / The Verge