iPad Best Stylus for Handwriting on iPad Air

[marco113]

Hello !

I am a student who just recieved his iPad Air to use for my school. My school uses Notability to take class notes and after a week or so, I realized I wouldn't be able to write notes with my finger, so i'm asking you guys about which one should I buy !

My criteria are:

-The Stylus MUST be a Fine point stylus

-It must have a good battery life

-Must be compatible with Notability

-Preferrably, no Bluetooth stylus.

EDIT: I will mostly use it for handwriting

So, can you guys suggest me any stylus that fit this criteria ? I was thinking about the TruGlide Apex, but I think you guys can suggest me better.


Thanks !

 

[omni]

all fine tip stylus are bluetooth. Notability doesn't support any smart stylus.

My criteria is that you search this forum for the other 900 posts where everyone asks for a fine tip stylus.

 

[ZZ Bottom]

That looks to be your best option. Considering you mentioning writing as the primary purpose I doubt pressure sensitivity matters much to you. However check out the Wacom Fineline and Wacom Creative 2. Both were just released and look like good options.

 

[No-Me]

Check the ones from http://www.adonit.net

I've got the jot pro and I also have 53's Pencil, both are awesome in their own way. The jot is perfect for writing.

 

[itisme1760]

hi marco, check out the DotPen. I just got it recently and use it to note take. I just filmed a little short video of "swiping" text in. it uses a AAA battery, not sure about battery life yet since I just got it however still working after a few days of usage. it isn't bluetooth but it has a fine tip like you mentioned and works well with the notes app!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXAYcrptjT4

 

[Appleind]

I use the adonit jot script everyday on my iPad Air along with good notes

 

[User11796]

Everything Tablet!

I had the same problem too! I picked mine up from Everything Tablet. It's pretty decent to be fair

 

[itisme1760]

I vouch for the DotPen active stylus. It uses battery and doesn't use bluetooth and has a super fine tip so its quite precise. Pair that with zoomnotes and there you have it a next gen note taking device.

 

[1083296]

It has been mentioned already in this post, Adonit styluses have thin tips and would probably suit your needs for note taking

 

[AntnyMikal]

I have the Bamboo Fineline, I used it once to make sure it works since my wife got it for me for no reason, it worked great with bamboo, good notes, autodesk, procreate etc. I have it on eBay now because I also have a Wacom intuos creative 2.
I do art so the CS2 suits my needs more. They are both awesome stylus for the money compared to others. If I were just taking notes the Fineline would have been great.

 

[mattroman246]

I have the Bamboo Fineline, I used it once to make sure it works since my wife got it for me for no reason, it worked great with bamboo, good notes, autodesk, procreate etc. I have it on eBay now because I also have a Wacom intuos creative 2.
I do art so the CS2 suits my needs more. They are both awesome stylus for the money compared to others. If I were just taking notes the Fineline would have been great.

Wacom Bamboo fineline was a game changer for me, I love it!

 

[mattdub619]

This is directed at all who recommend the Wacom Fineline.

Curious why are there so many negative reviews on Amazon? Most seem to be related to alignment where the tablet actually thinks the pen is 2 to 3 mm lower than it actually is. Is it hard to get the pen in alignment to the tablet? Did you have to do anything special to get it to work?

Also has anyone tried this stylus with the iPad Air 2? Curious if the lag has been reduced due to the extra horsepower in the new iPad.

 

[AntnyMikal]

Best Stylus for Handwriting on iPad Air

This is directed at all who recommend the Wacom Fineline.



Curious why are there so many negative reviews on Amazon? Most seem to be related to alignment where the tablet actually thinks the pen is 2 to 3 mm lower than it actually is. Is it hard to get the pen in alignment to the tablet? Did you have to do anything special to get it to work?



Also has anyone tried this stylus with the iPad Air 2? Curious if the lag has been reduced due to the extra horsepower in the new iPad.

If the stylus isn't officially supported in the app, it can be off center or wiggly at certain speeds. Typically people write or take notes pretty quick, so for me the Fineline was fine at taking notes it pretty much worked and looked my my normal writing on paper. Drawing or doing slow detail lines it would get awkward in some apps and jittery, mainly apps that didn't support it yet.

There is a slight adjustment curve as to where the tip is and where the line appears in app- that varies from app to app. This was only an issue for me in drawing apps, I had zero complaints in note taking/writing apps.

When they first came out they were only supported in the Bamboo app, so other apps were sketchy. Now it's supported in some apps and in other apps I found that if you selected one of the other stylus supported it would work decently as well.

With all that said I returned mine to BB today, ONLY because I have a Creative Stylus 2 which is hands down the best stylus I've used for the iPad ever(20$ more, and was hard to find in stock anywhere when they came out a few ago and still now). In Bamboo, Autodesk SB, and Goodnotes the tip is exactly where it is on the screen, the lag is minimal if noticeable at all in some apps, pressure is just right, feel is great I could go on and on about the pros of the CS2....

The main thing I'd say about any stylus you choose to get is, official in app support by the devs. It will make a world of difference. Also most of them can be used as a regular stylus without the BT.

This is all based on my experiences with the iPad Air 1, iPad mini retina. So I assume it will be the same and even better in the near future as some of the apps upgrade to take advantage of the iPad air 2 extra power especially in art and creation apps.

 

[Strange Famous]

I tested a bunch of different ones, and settled for the iFaraday RXII. Great stylus.

I use it every day for taking notes in class.

Is not fine point though.

 

[mattdub619]

If the stylus isn't officially supported in the app, it can be off center or wiggly at certain speeds. Typically people write or take notes pretty quick, so for me the Fineline was fine at taking notes it pretty much worked and looked my my normal writing on paper. Drawing or doing slow detail lines it would get awkward in some apps and jittery, mainly apps that didn't support it yet.

There is a slight adjustment curve as to where the tip is and where the line appears in app- that varies from app to app. This was only an issue for me in drawing apps, I had zero complaints in note taking/writing apps.

When they first came out they were only supported in the Bamboo app, so other apps were sketchy. Now it's supported in some apps and in other apps I found that if you selected one of the other stylus supported it would work decently as well.

With all that said I returned mine to BB today, ONLY because I have a Creative Stylus 2 which is hands down the best stylus I've used for the iPad ever(20$ more, and was hard to find in stock anywhere when they came out a few ago and still now). In Bamboo, Autodesk SB, and Goodnotes the tip is exactly where it is on the screen, the lag is minimal if noticeable at all in some apps, pressure is just right, feel is great I could go on and on about the pros of the CS2....

The main thing I'd say about any stylus you choose to get is, official in app support by the devs. It will make a world of difference. Also most of them can be used as a regular stylus without the BT.

This is all based on my experiences with the iPad Air 1, iPad mini retina. So I assume it will be the same and even better in the near future as some of the apps upgrade to take advantage of the iPad air 2 extra power especially in art and creation apps.

Thanks for the good info. Will definitely look at the Creative Stylus 2.

 

[mrex]

Best Stylus for Handwriting on iPad Air

Just a mention for air2 owners: community.wacom.com/en/inspiration/blog/2014/november/bamboo-stylus-fineline-and-intuos-creative-stylus-2-compatibility

 

[case2001]

Best Stylus for Handwriting on iPad Air

If the stylus isn't officially supported in the app, it can be off center or wiggly at certain speeds. Typically people write or take notes pretty quick, so for me the Fineline was fine at taking notes it pretty much worked and looked my my normal writing on paper. Drawing or doing slow detail lines it would get awkward in some apps and jittery, mainly apps that didn't support it yet.

There is a slight adjustment curve as to where the tip is and where the line appears in app- that varies from app to app. This was only an issue for me in drawing apps, I had zero complaints in note taking/writing apps.

When they first came out they were only supported in the Bamboo app, so other apps were sketchy. Now it's supported in some apps and in other apps I found that if you selected one of the other stylus supported it would work decently as well.

With all that said I returned mine to BB today, ONLY because I have a Creative Stylus 2 which is hands down the best stylus I've used for the iPad ever(20$ more, and was hard to find in stock anywhere when they came out a few ago and still now). In Bamboo, Autodesk SB, and Goodnotes the tip is exactly where it is on the screen, the lag is minimal if noticeable at all in some apps, pressure is just right, feel is great I could go on and on about the pros of the CS2....

The main thing I'd say about any stylus you choose to get is, official in app support by the devs. It will make a world of difference. Also most of them can be used as a regular stylus without the BT.

This is all based on my experiences with the iPad Air 1, iPad mini retina. So I assume it will be the same and even better in the near future as some of the apps upgrade to take advantage of the iPad air 2 extra power especially in art and creation apps.

Sorry I know this is an old thread but what type of notes do you take? Is it purely text or text and formulas/diagrams like math science? I use the jot script with pixel point and Goodnotes which has been fantastic for notes.

Thanks

 

[powerdt]

I finally received my iPen from Cregle last week. I think it's the best stylus I've ever used. However, it's only support few apps now such as Zoomnotes and ibisPaint.

Here is an interesting performance comparison among many popular styluses. One thing I don't know is it's '2X faster'. Does anyone know what those dotted line mean?
http://youtu.be/toxRF2n7N9Q

 

[Nausicaa]

Hate to say it since you already have the iPad, but I've been using stylii on iOS devices since the Pogo on my old iPhone 3G. I've tried most variations of capacitive and active stylii and all of them leave me wanting, especially for note taking. The fact of the matter is the capacitive iPad display is not adequate for stylus use. Every stylus I've ever used lacks the speed and accuracy to record quick, hand written notes. Apps that allow you to write BIG and then shrink text into lines as you go are difficult and finicky to work with on the spot. The stylii can be passable, if frustrating, for art, but for notes you'd be better off just writing on paper and taking a picture, honestly.

It's why I hope Apple wises up and adds better tech for this to the iPad, because I think it is sad there are so many apps and so many people trying to do these things and the experience is just really bad. It also angers me a little since I've spent way too much money over the years on what claim to be better and better solutions, but it all comes down to the fact that the capacitive screen is designed and optimized for fingers, not pens.

I've remember seeing the iPen 2 a while back, and it looks like it could be the "best", but I've been burned too often at this point. No matter how good it looks in videos, I'm confident the feel will still be off.

Just fair warning for anyone buying one of these sylii with their sexy ads, designs, and packaging, only to be crushed by disappointment.

 

[case2001]

Have you tried GoodNotes or NoteShelf? I held the same opinion as you up until 3-4 months ago. I felt the same about Microsoft and OneNote. However since using these apps I have changed my mind. I always thought the problem was the stylus and the interruption of my typical work flow with paper and pen. But I realized after using these apps the issue was the interface being too complicated for quick jotting of personal notes and information.
With GoodNotes or NoteShelf I hit the home button tap the app. My smart stylus connects automatically and I am ready to write. Just like paper! The best part is with both apps the note goes to the cloud and I can read it on my Mac or iPhone as well. No more where is that moleskin/notebook. For my personal notes the accuracy of the dumb stylus is ok but I didn't like the feel. The great thing about the Adonit smart stylus is the palm rejection and it's shortcut buttons. If I write something in error hit the undo button on the stylus and its erased instantly. My notes are so much cleaner and easier to write.
But without the simplicity of the user interface of both the IPad and GoodNotes and NoteShelf I would still be using paper.