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Best Drawing Tablets 2022 – Buyer’s Guide and Reviews

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Before there were the tablets that we all know and love, we had drawing tablets.

Today, they are still the top choice for artists looking to digitize their work. Drawing tablets have also been featured as one of the best items to purchase when starting up a commission-based drawing business online.

It’s a very specific product for a very specific task.  So the question is…

How do you go about choosing the right one for you?

That’s where we come in.  Our researchers have found the ten best drawing tablets online, along with a full buyers guide so you know what to look for.

ModelActive AreaResolutionFeaturesPressure SensitivityShop
1. Turcom Graphic Drawing Pen Tablet
8" x 5"4000 LPILightweight Build2048 levels Check Price
2. Huion H420 USB Drawing Tablet Kit4" x 2.23"4000 LPIMinimal Bezel2048 Levels Check Price
3. Ugee 1910B Interactive Drawing Monitor19"1440 x 900Full-Size Screen2048 levels Check Price
4. Acepen AP1060 Graphic Drawing Tablet10" x 6"5080 LPIPassive Stylus2048 levels Check Price
5. Huion Inspiroy G10T Pen and Touch Wireless Drawing Tablet10" x 6.25"5080 LPIStrong Design8192 levels Check Price
6. Parblo Coast10 Graphic Tablet Monitor8.54" x 5.34"1280 x 800Best Glove Ever2048 levels Check Price
7. XP-Pen Star06 Wireless Graphics Drawing Tablet10" x 6"5080 LPISensitive Stylus8192 levels Check Price
8. GAOMON PD1560 Drawing Monitor13.5" x 7.5"1920 x 1080Ultra Quality Work8192 levels Check Price
9. Wacom Cintiq Pro 13 Tablet11.75" x 6.75"1920 x 1080Most Accurate Stylus8192 levels Check Price
10. GAOMON M106K Digital Graphics Tablet10" x 6.25"5080 LPIMost Function Keys2048 levels Check Price

1.  Turcom Graphic Drawing Pen Tablet – Best Beginners Tablet

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Turcom comes in first with the top value and performance balance on our list. Drawing tablets aren’t new, but they’re still a new concept to a lot of users.

The best drawing tablet for beginners comes with a bunch of features and fantastic quality at an exceptional introductory price.

This drawing tablet comes in first place for having a great resolution. When you get into response rates, most models on the market have an excellent standard, and Turcom is no exception. What’s fantastic about this product, besides the affordable and attractive price point, is the ability to contour to Windows 7, Vista, 10, and for all of Windows 10’s updates. When drawing tablets first came out, there was a widespread issue with continued support. A lot of companies fell flat, but Turcom’s fantastic product and attention to detail left them on top.

Every product has its flaws, and Turcom is no exception to the rule. When you dig deeper, you’re not going to find a lot of issues with the tablet itself, but when it comes to a few other, lighter features, you run into an issue or two.

For one, the pen has a bit of a design flaw. It’s a bit bulky to hold (not in the standard way that is normal with these pens), and has been reported to not be completely responsive at certain times. It may take powering on and powering down the unit to fix it. Turcom has a great warranty program, but when it’s just the pen, they’ve sometimes told customers to simply purchase another pen, since there’s nothing wrong with the tablet itself.

That earns them a bit of a negative score with us. With every other form of customer service, they hit the nail on the head, so it’s sad to see where they’re lacking.

Overall, this drawing tablet is excellent for children looking to learn how to use one, as well as high school students who need them for graphic design classes.

Pros
  • Extremely lightweight and durable, making it great for travel
  • With a 2048 resolution, you get great quality for a low cost
  • Comes with four stylus nibs (tips)
Cons
  • Customer service lacks when you run into an issue with the stylus
  • Stylus has been known to be non-responsive at times
  • Slightly higher sensitivity than normal

2.  Huion H420 USB Drawing Tablet Kit – Best High Performance Pen

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Amazon picks its Choice products for a reason. For their favorite graphics tablet, they’ve picked Huion for a plethora of reasons, and we’d have to agree with just about all of them.

Huion has included several extra accessories with their drawing tablet – a wool liner bag (for storage), anti-fouling gloves and cleaning kit.

You get all of this, and more, at an exceptional price.  We also couldn’t be more ecstatic with the pen attached which has garnered many positive reviews.

While certain graphics design programs, like Adobe Photoshop, tend to reign supreme, Huion made their drawing tablet compatible with a bunch of different platforms for versatility. It’s great to be compatible with industry giants, but Huion makes their mark by adhering to other popular platforms as well. You don’t need to install an external drive, and you can even utilize the three hotkey buttons to make your projects go by a little bit quicker.

This tablet doesn’t fire on all cylinders. It’s a great purchase, but it’s more designed for those heading into the world of drawing tablets than seasoned veterans. Age also has a decent factor in this.

The active area is a bit smaller than we’d like to see. This is a flat tablet — not an on-screen tablet — which allows for a bit more of an active area with less bezel (since there’s less buttons), but it just doesn’t hit the mark on space. While it’s good that the active area takes up nearly all of the tablet, the design leaves a lot to be desired. When you follow our tips and align your drawing tablet with your device (PC, laptop, etc.), you want it to feel like it belongs there so you can see your creations come to life on the screen. The height of the tablet when laid horizontal, is only taller than the pen by a microscopic difference. That just doesn’t feel right.

If this tablet is for an introductory user or for a child/young teenager, it’s the perfect model to build their appreciation for how digital art is captured, and gives them the opportunity to be a tiny bit rough on the device. When they get up into the higher-tiered drawing tablets (which we’ll get into in just a moment), they’ll already have a good feel for the device.

Pros
  • Hotkeys/buttons are responsive and make the entire design usable and fun
  • Portable size for travel or car use
  • Responsive pen with a comfortable design
Cons
  • While the “USB, Plug-and-play” advertisement is catchy, some users end up needing drivers
  • No opportunity for a wireless feature; must be plugged in, no Bluetooth
  • Some of the items included in the kit are low-quality and pointless
Drawing Tip #1: Don’t look at the pen, look at your screen (for flat tablet models). You don’t look at the mouse when you’re moving it around the computer screen; apply the same practice to your drawing tablet.

 3.  Ugee 1910B Interactive Drawing Monitor – Best For Professional Use

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This massive drawing tablet is called a monitor for its 19″ LCD screen, and on-screen imagery capture.

In other words, you don’t have to solely rely on your PC monitor or laptop screen—you can see everything you’re doing up-close and personal in amazing resolution.

The is the first drawing tablet (really – it’s a monitor) on this list that would be considered professional grade.  The price reflects this, so be prepared to throw in the big bucks if this is the type of tool you need.

This model comes with two pens—we’ve all been known to lose a stylus, only to wait after ordering one off of Amazon for its arrival, so this is absolutely time-saving should you misplace your stylus. Apart from that, this enormous screen comes with a stand to keep it steady, and a bundle of cords to charge both pens. You can continuously use your drawing tablet for hours on end without issue. This model comes complete with support for Windows 7 and up, as well as Apple iOS systems.

It’s hard to look at this beautiful drawing tablet and think about any negatives, but a shine on the outside doesn’t mean there’s no rust under the hood. No matter what you go to purchase, there are going to be a few kinks to work out.

When you fire up the writing tablet, it can take a moment or two for it to start up. Since the OS it’s running isn’t overly-complicated, it’s a bit of a bummer. While the advertised adjustable stand promises to swivel and move easily, that’s far from the truth. You can get it to the right angle, but it’s going to take five minutes of work. Just try not to move it in the meantime when it’s not in use. The buttons along the bottom-right corner feel hollow when you press them inward, along with the bezel around the screen feeling a bit lightweight and cheap.

With such a great quality on the resolution, you can imagine that Ugee would cut corners on some design elements, but it’s a real shame to see it impact the bezel quality and some of the lesser features.

Still, this drawing tablet is great for those looking to jump to the next level and make some stellar designs to share with the world.

Pros
  • Fantastic resolution and responsiveness; great for graphics artists
  • Large screen size for a drawing tablet
  • Two rechargeable pens—never wait-out the recharge time again
Cons
  • High price point; not for beginners
  • Accessory stand doesn’t function properly
  • Customer service claims to be easy to reach, but after testing, it’s been disproven

4.  Acepen AP1060 Graphic Drawing Tablet – Best Hotkey-Enhanced Tablet

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Acepen, a relatively unknown brand in the graphics tablet market, brings us an excellent rendition of a flat drawing tablet.  In the AP1060, we have a solid drawing tablet that deserves its 4th place on our list.

We’d recommend this model as the perfect bridge between the ideal gift for a child, as well as anyone looking to get their feet wet in digital marketing.

This model tells it like it is with no gimmicks hidden in the sales page. You get a 10″ x 6″ active area, which is perfect to get some serious work done. Eight customized button makes it easy to handle zooming in and out, or undoing a previous pen stroke. Two truly unique features about this tablet is that, despite the controls being designed for right-handed people, flipping this tablet 180-degrees will auto-rotate it into left-handed mode; that’s something most brands don’t think of. The second stellar trait about this tablet is the battery-free stylus, so you won’t get caught with a dead pen anymore.

There are a few little tidbits to watch out for with this tablet, things that you should heavily consider before deciding whether or not it’s the right fit for you. First of all, this is not an on-screen tablet, which some users have misunderstood based on the sales page photos. Secondly, it’s time to weigh a few features.

For this drawing tablet, you’re not able to mess with your pressure sensitivity or opacity settings. This can be an issue if you’re looking to do in-depth design. While the soft pressure lines are good for quality, you can’t control them, which can make your drawings very one-dimensional. Half the time, the pen isn’t fully response. Not using a battery-operated pen is great, but from time to time, it’s been known to lose responsiveness. You may have to save your progress (with your finger) and restart your drawing tablet, which can be inconvenient to creative flow.

While the customizable features are shaky, the compatibility with numerous systems, from Windows 7 all the way up to 10’s latest updates, make this tablet excellent for introductory users. You get a great feet for having hotkeys, which are in most professional-grade models.

Pros
  • 8 hotkeys make this tablet versatile
  • No battery required for your stylus
  • Excellent price point
Cons
  • Pen has been known to be non-response from time to time
  • Can’t change opacity in settings
  • Has to be shut down to fix responsiveness on occasion
Drawing Tip #2: Remember to keep good posture when you’re drawing. You’ll be spending hours near the computer when you really get into a project, and we’re all guilty of slouching too much at the screen. 

5.  Huion Inspiroy G10T Pen and Touch Wireless Drawing Tablet – Most Physically Durable Tablet

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Huion is one of the leaders in a varying tier of graphics tablets, all the way from beginner models to professional-grade.  The fact that this is the second model from the brand on this list, proves how successful the brand has been in this market.

With their Inspiroy tablet, you get full use of an ultra-durable frame.

This model comes complete with six programmable buttons, giving you the right feel for how a high-grade, professional drawing tablet should feel. For a median cost, this tablet gives you an entire screen with no bezel (save for the hotkey configuration panel) to work with, so you won’t bump into the corners and scrape across non-tablet areas. One key feature is that this tablet is virtually indestructible; an aluminum chassis is extremely durable, especially when it’s this tightly-wound over the circuitry.

It would be great if this tablet could have absolutely everything, but we know that no product can ever hit 100% of the marks. (If that were the case, there’d be no other products on the market; they’d die out).  That being said, there are a few flaws you’ll want to consider before clicking checkout.

For such a great resolution, you’d think that the product would stay responsive for ages. Sadly, many users have reported that the responsiveness of the stylus on the tablet skips a bit. This tablet gives you excellent resolution and results—when it works. There are times when the wireless feature can be a bit dodgy, and you’ll have to connect it to USB. This problem usually corrects itself by rebooting the tablet, but that’s a major inconvenience when you’re in the middle of a project.

All in all, the median price point gives you higher resolution features, but comes with a few snags in the programming along the way. Your drawings will come out beautiful every time, so long as you don’t run into any connectivity issues.

Pros
  • Extremely durable chassis
  • High resolution/LPI
  • Virtually no bezel, which makes for a better time drawing
Cons
  • Connectivity issues from time to time
  • No way to turn off the pen, battery dies quickly
  • The zoom function has been known to encounter issues; driver updates will fix this

6.  Parblo Coast10 Graphic Tablet Monitor – Best Tablet/Glove Combo

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Parblo has been outputting higher-end drawing tablets for a number of years, and their process has always left consumers with a great on-screen tablet that lands smack dab in the middle of the average median budget for a drawing tablet.

Diving right into the positive features, this drawing tablet comes as a package deal.

One of the disappointments of most lesser-priced kits, are the lack of quality in the gloves. This kit delivers a phenomenal pen; durable, accurate beyond compare, and a glove that actually does what it’s supposed to do. While the feeling of the tablet is lightweight in your hands, you’d be surprised how durable the chassis on this model is.

Those are a lot of good features; features that other brands seem to fall flat on, while focusing on the more technical side of things. Parblo fell flat on a few things when it came to the user’s side of things.

If you wanted to use this with your Mac, we’ve got bad news—it’s seemingly impossible to do so. Even the drivers on Parblo’s site don’t seem to do the trick, and customer service is nowhere to be found. Leaving this plugged into your PC overnight can cause issues with the screen burning out way before the warranty. If this is for a child or teenager, you’ll have to disclose how important this is to them right from the start. Add the fact that this screen has terrible glare, and you’re balancing a few things.

If you’re not a Mac user, and you know how to take care of your drawing tablet, this would be a perfect product for you.

It’s price lands right in the middle of the average budget, and it’s on-screen, which is preferable for most graphic artists. This on-screen drawing tablet is great for Windows users.

Pros
  • Durable and perfect pen for capturing excellent drawings
  • Lightweight yet durable build
  • The best gloves included with any drawing tablet on our list
Cons
  • Mac users will run into an issue with locating a driver; it’s not included in the CD
  • You will run into problems with the screen; don’t leave it plugged into your PC overnight
  • You have to be selective of your seating; this screen tends to have a glare
Drawing Tip #3: Use different tips (referred to as “nibs”) to get different effects on your drawings. Each one comes with a few different nibs to help you get a feel for the proper drawing technique.

 7.  XP-Pen Star06 Wireless Graphics Drawing Tablet – Best Full Tablet Kit

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XP-Pen is the underdog of the wireless graphics drawing tablet world. With enhanced features and function at a lower-end cost, there’s a lot to be said for this slate-smooth tablet.

While some may disregard it as an issue, we chose to put XP-Pen up on the list because it’s a bit more sensitive to the touch than the other tablets on our list.

Everyone has different preferences, and while most people enjoy even-toned pressure sensitivity and opacity, everyone has their different styles. For the sensitivity, we mark is as a pro in this case. You get a bunch of nibs that only fit this specific stylus, leaving you with over eight options to choose from, and the battery only takes two hours to charge for a whopping sixteen hours of use.

When you go through a laundry list of excellent things like that, you’re quick to see the good things, and not scratch past the surface. We went ahead and tested it out, and some of the results were a bit less favorable than the manufacturers make it appear.

While the drawing feature is sensitive, the scroll wheel is overreactive, and those are not one in the same. It can be frustrating when you bounce all around your art project when all you want to do is hold it steady. Some of the main negativities about this model come down to the wireless capabilities falling flat, and proving to be less capable than we’d like. The connection flickers from time to time.

This drawing tablet would be the best choice for those in between a beginner and an adept version who want to get a feel for how flat tablets work with a wireless configuration, while also getting used to the hot keys. Students and children will love this tablet.

Pros
  • Excellent price point for such a high resolution
  • Sensitive stylus (pro depending on how you look at it, it’s for specific taste)
  • Batch of replacement pen nibs/drawing glove is a dream
Cons
  • Scroll wheel is overreactive.
  • Wireless connection fails from time to time.
  • Lower resolution (in finished product appearance)

8.  GAOMON PD1560 Drawing Monitor – Most Versatile Tablet for Multiple Formats

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GAOMON’s been around for quite some time, and they’ve always been known to go big and flashy.  They didn’t spare any expenses when they went for the fixings on this drawing tablet. 

If you’re buying for a professional artist, this is a great choice for the resolution and responsiveness.

Let’s start with the good things…

When you get into the pros of this model, the hookup to your laptop screen, PC, or your television screen are all easy. This allows you to showcase your work without passing your new tablet around to a bunch of sweaty palms. While you’re paying on the higher end of the standard budget, you get what you pay for—end results on this tablet come out extremely clear and non-pixelated, which lower resolution monitor models tend to get sniped for. Whether you’re using Photoshop, Zbrush, Blender, or any other platform out there, this tablet will work with you.

One of the main reasons that this didn’t make it higher on the list is the professional grade level. It’s not for everyone, because fantastic designs depend partially on the artists’ capabilities. For the expensive price and resolution quality, we dropped it down here, among a few other things…

They came so close. The pen on this model feels like it was designed for a Nintendo DS; it’s very lightweight, and while it’s responsive, you don’t get used to the pressurization you have to apply on the screen. It’s a bit of a bummer. When you leave this tablet alone on its own, it tends to freeze up and become non-responsive, requiring a reboot to get things working again. You can use it with any platform, but the drivers in the device itself are a hassle to get connected to your PC. They made the physical connection process simple, but the drivers are really, really lacking.

All in all, this is a fantastic drawing tablet if you’re going for high quality. Having a drawing monitor like this gives you more room than a standard tablet, so when you’re going for epics or landscapes, you have plenty of room to work with.

Pros
  • Comes with bundled cords so hooking up to your laptop/PC is a breeze
  • Fantastic resolution and end product
  • Works well with just about every single software on the market
Cons
  • Pen is lightweight to a fault
  • Drivers are faulty; it takes scouting to find the correct drivers online
  • Leave it idle, and it becomes non-responsive (sometimes)
Drawing Tip #4: Learn to utilize hotkeys. Whether you’re switching between functionality or opacity, you’ll want to do it quickly and save as much time as possible. Put the time where it deserves to go—into your project.

9.  Wacom Cintiq Pro 13 Tablet – Most Responsive Tablet

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This is where it gets into the big leagues…

Wacom has always been the giant when it comes to drawing tablets, but they’ve fallen out of sorts in recent years. They’ve been focusing on the more expensive models, while implementing quality over quantity.

First and foremost, Wacom never runs into issues with connectivity to wireless, driver issues, or anything of the sort. They’ve been the cornerstone of reliability in an otherwise difficult market. Apart from the unmistakable quality of HD, this model is compatible with just about everything under the sun in terms of programs, operating systems, and the notorious plug-and-play feature that only Wacom has gotten right. This is the ultimate tablet for serious illustrators and freelance graphic design artists.

Even at this tier and this price, you’re still going to run into issues. The point is, these ones are much more manageable than that of inexpensive models.

This tablet ends up being the best choice for illustrators, hands down, but there are a few snags.

Firstly, the price is arguable. While most won’t spend this amount on a drawing tablet, you have to consider the cornerstone brand you’re going with, and the features that come with an on-screen tablet. That being said, many say they can get the same quality elsewhere. Wacom’s been notorious for one terrible thing: not submitting updates to their older models. When these drivers become obsolete, and you end up with a new PC or laptop, who’s to say what will happen.

Wacom products come with their own strife, but the quality is unmatched, and the surety of going with the most trusted name in drawing tablets leaves the most narrow margin of error for anyone on our list here.

Pros
  • This is the most precise stylus on the market; it’s what Wacom’s famous for
  • Fantastic HD resolution.
  • Compatibility goes beyond compare
Cons
  • Highest price point on our list
  • Wacom has been shaky with updates, this is expected to follow suit
  • Heavy build (not because it’s the most durable)

10.  GAOMON M106K Digital Graphics Tablet – Best Balance of Value and Power

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GAOMON’s going to continue making stellar products with lower price points, and they showcase that right here with the M106K model.

The positive features of this tablet will have you wondering how they implemented them for such a low price—this one’s a shaky model, so follow this review all the way through.

The stylus precision locks onto what you want, and doesn’t let go, all stretched out across a pretty amazing resolution. This model comes with a specific feature that we haven’t seen on most others—the most programmable hotkeys on the market, making this tablet versatile for those that are well-versed in art and quick to go through their projects, for those who want to move fast.

The pros are great, but when you get into the cons, it comes down to a battle of wills. This product doesn’t have the most durable frame, and it shows in a few of the negative attributes.

The responsiveness is good, but that’s not really going to cut it when the sensitivity on the reaction is shaky at best. Some users report getting blobs when they wanted lines, and vice versa, which makes the software questionable. Speaking of software, this model doesn’t come compatible with some of the biggest names in digital art capture programs, which is a big issue if you already have a membership with that platform. Lastly, your connectivity could drop at a moment’s notice, especially if you move the device from one side of your lap to the other.

There’s a reason this one made the lowest point on our list.  Personally, we would recommend this model to those looking to buy this for themselves to get started with tablets.

It has enough high-quality features that you get a taste for what the top tier models have, and since no machine is perfect, it prepares you for some of the issues with most models, all while still capturing excellent imagery in high resolution.

Pros
  • Fantastic resolution for such a low price
  • The most hotkeys of any model on our list
  • Precise stylus
Cons
  • Sensitivity is all over the place
  • Connectivity issues with wireless connection
  • Not compatible with a long list of programs
Drawing Tip #5: Align your tablet and your display (whether it’s a laptop in the center of the desk, or what have you); this will allow you to feel proper placement, as if you were drawing on the screen itself. If you sit at a desk, pull the drawer out and use the built-in stand that comes with most models to prop it up just right.

Drawing Tablets – Comprehensive Buyers Guide

We’ve found the very best products for you, but we can’t tell you which one is the best for your lifestyle and your art style. What we can do, is let you know what you should be looking for in a drawing tablet to ensure you get the most out of your purchase.

There are quite a few specifications we need to address so that you’re fully prepared, knowledgeable, and ready to dive in to the best product that fits your specific needs.

Active Area

This is the area where your stylus actually reacts. You have a bezel (the plastic edge of the device between the casing and the screen), and that offsets how much of an active area you actually get.

Depending on the interface, you don’t need an overly large active area, but it should be big enough to fit to your specific art style without running out of room. If you have a lot of harsh brush strokes, you’ll want a large enough active area to accommodate.

When you’re shopping around, most of these drawing tablets are going to have an advertised screen size. Pay close attention before purchasing. Be sure to see the term “active area.” Or at the very least, read the entire product description to see if they specify the exact dimensions of usable space. The last thing you want is to make this purchase (especially for a birthday or Christmas gift), and end up disappointed with a sizably smaller drawing tablet than you anticipated.

Resolution

With this drawing tablet, are you getting your feet wet, or have you used them before?

If you’re looking to craft extremely high-resolution pieces that have intensely sharp graphics, you’ll want to go for a higher LPI.  LPI stands for lines per inch; think of it as HD versus 4K. You know clear quality when you see it, and that’s what a higher LPI will do for your drawings.

If you’re looking to get this as a gift, take a quick moment to assess how in-depth these drawings are going to be. If your loved one is heading to a school for graphic design, and you’re looking to get them the ultimate drawing tablet for their needs, you’ll want to lean towards the higher end of the LPI scale.

Stylus

This one usually confuses those who are looking at drawing tablets for the first time. A stylus is a stylus, right? When it comes to drawing tablets, there’s a few things you need to know regarding styluses. You get to choose between two types; battery operated, and EMR (electromagnetic resonance), and they have a few distinct differences about them. It comes down to preference, but both are designed to feel comfortable, like an extension of your hand and abilities.

With a battery operated stylus, they’re thicker (to accommodate the batteries inside of the body), but also come with a finer point to them. These operate through pen-to-tablet transmissions.

EMR technology revolves around low energy levels hidden within the pen’s circuit, and these react to the surface of the tablet. These are the most common types of styluses that you’ll see.

Pressure Sensitivity

Drawing tablets are specific purchases as a whole, but the real specificity comes down to the sensitivity. Depending on your drawing style, you may want an ultra-responsive design to properly flesh out the ideas in your head. However, if you’ve used these in the past, you may want a tablet that has a bit more stability to it—a sturdier stylus to the screen to capture the proper brush stroke, because over-responsive designs just aren’t your thing.

The pressure sensitivity is also a huge deal when it comes to the quality of work you’re going to put out. This is a hardware issue; not a software thing. You can’t simply use a slider and figure out which sensitivity level you want. It all depends on the capability of the drawing tablet. Pressure levels start out at 256, and work their way up to about 3,000. The higher the number, the most sensitive your drawing tablet will be. Most drawing tablets come standard with a 1024 level, which is optimal for graphic design and scenery, but not the best for character development.

You can fiddle around with certain aspects, however. You can’t determine how specific the hardware is going to be, but you can decide the opacity and width of your pressure sensitive brush strokes. While it’s not total control, it gives you some wiggle room. You’re creative, after all—mess around with the settings to find your perfect normal level.

Added Features

These aren’t going to be make or break the deal, but they’re important little things to know. These additional features can be some of the most useful bits of your drawing tablet. If you’re looking to get serious with these, as time goes on, you’ll appreciate more of the little working parts that really enhance your drawing experience, and your user experience.

Hotkeys

Programmable buttons or keys are some of the best time-saving features of any device. It’s why gamers look for hotkey-ready keyboards for their PC, and it’s why serious artists look for them in their drawing tablets.

Scrollers

You want to hop from the top of your page to the bottom of your page—that’s doable when you have a scroll wheel, or more commonly referred to as a scroller. Once again, these little tidbits only make up the decision for those looking to professionally pursue graphic design, or if you know someone that’s going into art school or a graphic design program at college.

Why Are There No iPads on the List?

While iPad and iPad pro models are great, they’re not solely designed for graphics and drawings.

An iPad pro has been designed to meet multiple demands, but a drawing tablet, or more commonly referred to as a graphics tablet, has a sole purpose. You’re not going to go searching on YouTube or Netflix with your graphics tablet; it’s the best design for a single purpose, so you won’t see any iPad, iPad Pro, or Kindle Fire products on this list.

Those are decent for doing some cartoon illustrations at best, and we only want to showcase the very best products for you that were designed for one task, and carry the results with flying colors.

Are On-Screen Models Better?

It really comes down to preference. There’s certainly a cost difference, but it truly comes down to preference.

An on-screen drawing tablet can have the same LPI and resolution as a flat model, it depends on what you prefer. For some, it can be a bit disorienting to draw on the tablet while looking at their laptop or PC screen. For others, there’s just no other way (usually those who have used drawing tablets soon after their first release, way back when).

Over to You

When you get into the little features, you have to weigh what you want, what you need, and what you just can’t live without. No matter what your budget is, you’re going to get a model with a few kinks—it’s the nature of the beast when we buy consumer technology like this. Assess what’s best, and let our list take care of the rest.

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