Another Kobo user, I have the Clara HD. I like having an eInk device for ease on the eyes, it has a good backlight with a natural light setting for warmer usage at night which is nice.
I suspect most basic ebook readers would be similar. I just wanted something feature-light that was purely for reading.
I did specifically want to avoid Amazon. Basically every other retailer uses the same ebook format: Epub, either DRM free or with Adobe Digital Editions DRM. This means most ereaders can use books from most retailers. The exception is Amazon - they use their own proprietary format with its own DRM to lock you into the Kindle ecosystem. Kindles can now read non-Amazon ebooks but non-Kindles can't read Amazon ones due to this. I find that particularly scummy and want nothing to do with supporting it, especially when most books I buy through Kobo or other sites are completely DRM free by comparison.
(There are ways to get Amazon books you own onto other devices in a pinch if you do some searching. Questionable legality, even if you own the book, which is crazy to me, but it's not impossible. Amazon has been updating their DRM against it, but it's still doable.)
I have a Kindle. Combined with Anna's archive and emailing myself an epub, it's brilliant. Reading on your phone can increase eye strain and lead to poorer sleep. Look into an e-ink e-reader, you won't regret it.
I’m exactly on the same page! There was a book in Portuguese that I couldn’t find to purchase as ebook, but found on Anna’s archive! And the feel of the è-ink display scratches that itch for a paper-like reading experience.
I'm a hardcore reader, and I use a Kobo Forma daily. I can't say enough good things about it.
Can purchase and download books from any shop, and they'll work in the Kobo, can add stuff like NickelMenu, Dropbox integration...
People complain about the power button on the Forma and rightfully so, as it's crappy. However, the quality build of the device is excellent. Got it almost since launch, take it absolutely everywhere with me (backpacks, bags, to the beach, swimming pool, camping...) and it shows 0 damage, not even a scratch.
I mainly read novels but it also scratches the itch for mangas and comics, as it also reads .cbz format (among others).
NOT GOOD FOR PDFs. They get displayed weirdly, hard to read, are slow to change pages...
Battery is great, better than the Sage's.
If you like reading, get a dedicated device because I swear you won't regret it.
I use an Android Tablet (Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e). Most of my reading is through the Libby app and Google Play Books.
An Android tablet is overall a more versatile device. I can also use it to browse the web and watch Netflix (especially while traveling). The downside is it's on the larger side (10 inch). Would love to get a smaller 7 or 8 inch tablet, but the specs for those are usually really low end. Like not even a 1080p screen.