The iPad is a great device to handle with several aspects of art and productivity. The iPad was built by Apple in such a way that you don’t need a stylus to control it. But on the contrary, there are lot many situations where you could unleash the real power of an iPad with a stylus. Because we are used to write, draw or create something by using some tool. Here comes the need for a stylus. In recent times the styluses has transformed into various forms meaning they not only for artworks anymore. A good stylus should help you make the writing, drawing or painting a lot more fun. A stylus is just a pen or pencil that we often use and it need not do anything special rather than its usual function. The user has to feel comfortable using it on the iPad how you want to. A huge variety of styluses are available in the market with various functionalities. Starting from one which can trick the iPad that you are using your finger or the other one in which you can control the pressure sensitivity on the iPad screen, you have wide options to choose from. The article Best Stylus for iPad gives complete information about the popular Stylus for iPad in the market.
This simple stylus for iPad can become annoying if chose a bad one. Just imagine if your pen or pencil stops writing or drawing in a critical situation when you are in a meeting for so. A perfect stylus should give you seamless uncut flow on the screen. Here we have sorted out the best styluses for iPad in the market based on the functionalities, accuracy, comfort, features and of course the price.
Our Buy | The Best Stylus for iPad
Apple Pencil
Apple Pencil: If you own an iPad Pro then without a second thought go for the Apple Pencil. It will be the best standout stylus for your iPad. The Apple Pencil is a solid piece of technology which could give a flawless flow if you go through a lot of writing and drawing. But the maker Apple themselves have limited its use to the Apple iPad Pro. But on the contrary, as it is made by Apple it offers some unique features that other stylus makers don’t provide. To point out, you can use the sides of the nib to shade a drawing like you would do with a pencil. Also, the screen response rate doubles when the nib of the Apple Pencil comes closer to the screen. The latency of the Apple Pencil is very low compared to any other stylus and the perfect palm rejection make it best in its class. The pressure sensitivity is excellent which you can feel with the iPad Pro. You can make slim streaks effortlessly with this gadget on your hand.
Grab yours from
Apple Pencil fits sleekly on the hand for a perfect writing or drawing. To be noted, Apple Stylus for iPad has the simplest setup compared to the other styluses. Just plug in the lightning connector to your iPad and instantly the wireless connection is established and ready to use. The Apple Pencil for iPad is an essential accessory for every iPad user though it is not affordable for everyone as its prices are set up compared to its peers.
There are only very few cons identified with the device such as the end cap for charging which is easy to lose. Also, the Apple Pencil is only compatible with the iPad Pro as of now.
Runner-up | The Best Stylus for iPad
Sensu Artist Brush and Stylus
The Sensu Artist Brush and Stylus is one of the best stylus for iPad that provides hassle-free writing and drawing. It comes with two tips, one built-in and the other one is real paintbrush tip for drawing. This makes the Sensu Artist Brush and Stylus the best in its class for painting and artwork. It is small, comfortable and capacitive enough to react when it gets closer to the iPad screen. You can easily flip between the two ends of the stylus for the switch of the nib according to your work. So it is the perfect styli for anyone who combines writing and drawing on the go.
The rubber nib makes the writing perfect as it comes little bigger than the nib from other styluses. It also makes sure that you won’t leave any stroke as the nib gets into contact from any angle easily. The pressure sensitivity is the place where the Sensu Artist Brush and Stylus lags and provides delayed response rarely.
Grab yours from
The aluminium body makes it look like a real paintbrush which will make you enjoy using it. The brush hairs are synthetic and are made in Japan. On the positive side, it works with almost all the Operating Systems like iOS, Android and Windows so that you don’t have to go for another one if you own tablets more than one.
It is not a Bluetooth enabled device and thus lags with pressure sensitivity. The stylus works flawlessly with every app on the iPad and the brush hairs are slightly less sensitive on art apps. The point to be highlighted here is that you will have to be highly patient and work with a steady hand to achieve the precise strakes of any stylus. If you are a person who loves to dip yourself in digital painting, then Sensu is the perfect choice for you to get along with your art journey.
Upgrade Choice | The Best Stylus for iPad
Adonit Mark
The Adonit Mark is the affordable stylus with decent performance in its price range. The Adonit Mark is an interesting stylus which will impress you with its looks. The Adonit Mark comes as the anodized-aluminium triangular body which will give you the feel as you are holding a pencil. The body is grippy and gives great comfort as the triangular body is used to us since childhood and also it doesn’t let the stylus roll when in rest. The Adonit Mark flows smoothly over the iPad screen having not too much or too little resistance. The famous cartoonist and designer Rich Stevens reviewed on Adonit Mark saying
For the cost of a pizza, it’s definitely worth doing some drawing with it.
Grab yours from
It is suggested as a must have stylus after the Apple Pencil for the iPad users. It easily mingles with any smartphone, tablet and laptop. It is less recommended for taking notes as the response is a bit less precise. Also, don’t expect very finer lines with the Adonit Mark as it is a cheap alternative for your stylus which will give you a great output for its price.
Other Choices
FiftyThree Pencil | Digital Stylus
The Pencil by FiftyThree is one of the best styli out there in the market when you use it with the company Paper App. The addition of an eraser nib at the back is extraordinary and makes you feel like using a real pencil. Alos the FiftyThree Pencil is made from real walnut wood and so it gives you the real comfort while using. The Pencil Styli for iPad lets you easily smudge lines to give you a perfect effect of a blur. The tip isn’t so fine and precise than our previously reviewed Apple Pencil or an Adonit Mark. The sensitivity is also a bit low than the other styluses. The FiftyThree Pencil is aimed at artists who works on papers as the company has its own Paper App and also the Styli goes better with their application for artworks than the third-party apps.
Grab yours from
The Pencil has some inbuilt features to specially work with the Paper app. You take the FiftyThree Stylus towards the circle at the left corner of the toolbox and in few seconds the pencil is paired and set to go. Now it becomes clever enough to reject the palm impressions and finger contacts. The added advantage of the FiftyThree Pencil holders is that it unlocks all the in-app purchases of the Paper app. The Pencil can also pair with any other app like Noteshelf, Sketchbook Mobile and Procreate to have more fun.
Adobe Ink and Slide
The Adobe Ink and Slide is the perfect stylus for you if you have the license for the Adobe applications and Creative Cloud. Because Adobe Ink and Slide with the Adobe apps makes the best pair for your artwork. The Adobe stylus easily pairs via Bluetooth with any iPad 4 or later, iPad Air, or iPad Mini. Needless to say, your drawings and preferences are synced with Creative Cloud so that you can continue your work on some other device later. The Adobe Ink & Slide gels smoothly with the Adobe’s Illustrator Line and Photoshop Sketch apps.
Grab yours from
The Adobe’s stylus has a precise fine tip for sleek strokes. The pressure sensitivity is great as it houses Pixelpoint technology from Adonit for superior accuracy. Also, it feels like a pen in hand. A status led is present on the stylus tells you to choose the colour so that mistakes can be minimised. The slide ruler can be used to make straight lines, circles or shapes. The Adobe Ink and Slide comes with a USB charger and a carrying case. It is the perfect fit for you if you want to make serious artworks and have invested in Adobe applications.
Ten One Pogo Connect
The Ten One Design, by Pogo Connect is the favourite stylus for many iPad users. The Bluetooth enabled stylus uses the pressure sensitivity differently. In a standard stylus, you will select the line thickness or it depends on the tip you select. But with the Ten one Pogo Connect, the thickness depends on the pressure you apply on the tip of the stylus. The harder you press the tip the darker the stroke will be. This will make you feel that you are using a natural pen. It flows naturally to your own handwriting so that the comfort level is high compared to other styluses.
Grab yours from
The silver body houses Bluetooth enabled sensors powered by an AAA battery. There is a blue LED near the tip for you to know the device status. The other useful feature of the Ten One Pogo Connect is that you can change the tips of the stylus. Have a thinner one for the writing purposes and the brush for the drawing and artworks. But you will have to spend extra bucks for these tips as your device won’t take these in its box. Also if you own iPad Air 1 or iPad Air 2 sadly the device is not compatible with your iPad and the company is in developing one for your iPad which we may expect soon.
Studio Neat Cosmonaut
The Studio Neat Cosmonaut is a fat bulky stylus which will not give you the slimmest streak for your drawing but provides you with a firm solid line. The stylus is bigger than any other stylus and becomes the perfect choice for kids and people who suffer holding slim stylus. This stylus is exclusively for the people who are frequent with board illustrations. Looks like a black crayon and will give you a solid grip in your hand as it comes as an aluminium body with rubber upholstery.
Grab yours from
“All the other styluses try to look like pens. This one is instantly recognizable in a pile.”
says Rich Stevens. The nib precision is great but this big tool often blocks your view over the work. The Cosmonaut is Perfect for lectures and visual style note taking. It is not so complicated as it doesn’t have any special features. The notable feature is that it works with any touchscreen device with any operating system says its developer. This could be the best stylus for iPad if you have kids at your home.
Wacom’s Intuos Creative 2
The Wacom is a company which is famous for its contribution towards digital arts with its wide range of drawing tablets and styluses. It has a major role in the transition to digital artworks from pen and paper. The aluminium body fits firmly in hand and gives great comfort for long duration sessions. The tip is made from hardened plastic which will adapt well to your way of writing. This advanced stylus uses Bluetooth 4.0 and has two programmable buttons in its body with which you can configure any application. Common uses are Undo and Redo which is be of great help if you are a quick bee and need not raise your hand off the screen to tap buttons.
Grab yours from
The Wacom’s Intuos Creative Stylus 2 has pressure sensitive responses of 2048 various levels, the company claims when used with such apps. Also, it gives good palm rejection. It comes with a rechargeable battery which can be recharged using a USB socket under the rubber cap. The box contains a USB power lead which comes in a sturdy plastic case the only problem with the Intuos Creative is that it produces shakey lines when drawn slowly.
Nomad Flex
The Nomad Flex is more than a stylus, yes it is a paintbrush to paint your iPad screen. Comes in an aluminium body it makes you feel that you are holding a real paintbrush. The synthetic bristles are very sensitive that you feel like painting on a paper and would provide excellent results with applications such as Paper and Procreate. The built-in app like Penultimate will be a perfect fit for the stylus. The Nomad’s flex comes in a plastic case so that you won’t harm your stylus when you are travelling.
Grab yours from
Comparing it with Sensu, the former has sturdy bristles while the Nomad has thinner hairs which are mushy. The Sensu’s brush is more round than the Flex stylus. The interesting ability of the Nomad’s Flex is that it goes well with all iPads, Android tablets and Microsoft Surface Tablets. Also, you can choose your paintbrush from a wide variety of choices like charcoal, pink, silver, blue, and red. For paintbrush lovers this could be the best stylus for iPad.
