Whether you’re a designer, doodler, painter, or someone who just needs totake notesonyour favorite Android tablet, a stylus can help you do it all. As you may expect, there are a plethora of stylus pens on the market. But not every stylus is made equal. Some are good fordrawing and designing, whereas others are only suitable for note-taking and basic doodling.
So, to help, we’ve handpicked the best stylus pens for Android tablets. And our recommendations include a diverse selection to account for different needs and use cases.
Penoval USI 2.0 Chromebook Stylus
For tablets, Chromebooks, and anything else with a USI digitizer, the Penoval gets almost universally top marks from amaetur and professional artists alike. It feels every bit as premium as well-known pens from Samsung and Apple, and delivers consistent pressure sensitivity and tilt recognition with compatible devices. After just 50 minutes of charging, it can draw for 90 straight hours.
Adonit Mini 4 Stylus
Need a universal stylus that can work across touchscreen devices? The Adonit Mini 4 is a good option. It’s a disc-type stylus that will keep the touchscreen safe while offering superior accuracy. Plus, its split barrel design is perfect for keeping the stylus tip safe when you aren’t using it. You will also be happy to know that it doesn’t need a battery, and you can pick from four exciting colors.
Samsung Galaxy S Pen Creator Edition
If you own a Samsung tablet and aren’t satisfied with the supplied S Pen, the company offers its Galaxy S Pen Creator Edition. As the name suggests, it’s aimed at creative professionals and comes with additional tilt sensitivity and a thicker shape for improved grip. There is no battery, so you won’t worry about charging it, and it can attach magnetically to your tablet. Among other features, the S Pen is IPX4-rated for water resistance and comes with two replacement nibs.
Lenovo Digital Pen 3
No other active stylus supports as wide a range of technologies as the Lenovo Digital Pen, with works with the WGP, MPP2.0, AIT, USI, AES2.0, and AES1.0 standards. Individual tablets using those protocols may not support third-party pens, but if yours does (and especially if you own more than one active pen-supporting device), few are built to such high standards.
Adonit Dash 4
Adonit Dash 4 is a solid stylus that works with Android and iOS devices. You can use it to take notes and draw. It also has a built-in battery that can be charged using a supplied magnetic USB-C charging stand. Charging takes around an hour, which gives you 15 hours of usage. It’s also lightweight and features a metal clip to secure it in your pocket. Unfortunately, palm rejection support is limited to new iPad models.
Lenovo USI Pen 2
Lenovo is one of the rare Android manufacturers to consistently build active pen technology into its slates. And, because it’s designed around USI 2.0 technology, it works with a bunch of other tablets and Chromebooks, too. The tip is a hair finer than most, the tilt detection especially precise, and the body a little shorter to allow for precision strokes.
Staedtler Noris Jumbo 180J 22
EMR stylus technology rights are owned by famed digital drawing company Wacom, so you can trust this premium option from renowned pencil designer Staedtler is one of the best. Samsung happens to be one of the brands that licenses EMR stylus use, and that’s no coincidence. If you’re not a fan of the skinny S Pen, this is the perfect replacement.
Mixoo Capacitive
The Mixoo Capacitive’s no-nonsense technology means it’ll work on basically any touchscreen, which is perfect for the many Android tablets without pen digitizers. It comes with two replacement disc tips and one replacement fiber nib, and its all-metal construction creates a solid feel in the hand, despite its low price.
Maxeye Made for Amazon Stylus Pen
Although marketed primarily forAmazon’s Fire Max 11and Fire HD 10 (2023) tablets, this Maxeye stylus is fully compatible with all USI 2.0 devices, including the Pixel Tablet. It supports tilt functionality, has 4096 levels of pressure sensitivity, and uses an AAAA battery for power, like the Penoval USI 2.0 Lite. But you will only get about six months of battery life. You can use it to draw, sketch, take notes, mark up PDFs, and more, as you need.
AmberVec 2-in-1 Universal Stylus
As the name suggests, the AmberVec 2-in-1 Universal Stylus gives you the functionality of two styluses in one by incorporating a disc-style stylus tip on one end and a silicone tip on the other. It also comes in a five-pack, with each stylus having a different color, making it a good value. Being a passive stylus, it has no battery, but you also miss out on features like palm rejection and various pressure sensitivity levels.
Digiroot Kids Stylus
Regular stylus pens aren’t always ideal for kids, particularly younger ones. So, if you want something for your child, the Digiroot Kids Stylus is a good option. Available in a three-pack, it has a rubber tip for durability and is universally compatible. So whether you have a Fire HD 7 or a budget Samsung Galaxy Tab, it will work without trouble. As you’re able to expect, it’s not very precise, but it works well enough for your child to have fun.
Meko 2-pack 2-in-1 Stylus
Like all capacitive styluses (styli?), this one from Meko works with any modern touchscreen, whether it has a digitizer or not. It’s good for casual drawing, occasional document signing, or other minor use cases, although its lack of any advanced features or active technology make it less than ideal for people who love to draw. Nonetheless, it’s cheap, durable, and effective, and comes in a pack of two.
Getting the best stylus for your Android tablet
Stylus shopping for Android tablets can be tricky as different tablets use different standards. While universal capacitive stylus pens will work with each tablet, they are limited in functionality because they’re essentially finger replacements. They can offer precise input, but that’s about it. But active styluses and pens made specifically for a tablet can deliver better functionality and generally have more features.
So, if you have a tablet with USI 2.0 support, such as the Google Pixel Tablet, you’re best served by our best overall pick: the Penoval USI 2.0. Countless artists worldwide use it instead of their tablets' OEM option because it’s so nice to draw with. The Lenovo USI 2 feels about as high-end with a slightly lower center of gravity, and it’s a little cheaper, too.
Samsung Galaxy S Pen vs S Pen Creator Edition: Battle of the styli
One of these is a great S Pen, the other is an overpriced piece of plastic
If you bought a Samsung Galaxy tablet for its S Pen support and want something a little different, the Samsung S Pen Creator Edition is worth a look if you’re willing to spend. Alternatively, the EMR-compatible Staedtler Noris Jumbo is fatter than most other active pens, which can minimize hand fatigue and cramping in dedicated artists, as these tablets don’t support the USI standard. It’s also the company’s most advanced S Pen.
We also need to mention the Lenovo Digital Pen 3. It’s a rare active stylus with support for multiple protocols, and works with a majority of the technologies in play. Take note, though, that some tablets only let you use their brand of stylus, like WGP-supporting Xiaomi, which only works with Xiaomi pens. You’ll want to double-check that yours does allow aftermarket styluses. If it does, Lenovo’s is great.
Foreveryday Android tablets, with no active digitizer, Adonit offers the excellent Mini 4. It has a disc-style tip and doesn’t need any charging or battery. It’s also easy to carry, thanks to the laser-cut clip at the top. However, if you want something even more affordable, the Mixoo is also universally compatible and gives you a different tip option on either end.
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