Read next: The best mice to buy The best graphics tablets you can buy in 2023 1. Huion H420X: The best budget graphics tablet

XPPen has made some design and user-experience concessions with the Deco to keep the cost low; but, overall, customers have been impressed with its quality considering its price point. It’s just as sensitive as many of our other favorites on this list, offering 8,192 pressure sensitivity levels – although some users have experienced difficulty with the software drivers being a little clunky. Why it made the cut: It’s expensive, but the Surface Pro 8 can effectively replace a laptop while providing excellent drawing capabilities. Why it made the cut: The Wacom Intuos Pro Digital Graphic Drawing Tablet provides creative control and all of the necessary tools for experts. First of all, you should think about whether you want a screen on your tablet or just a drawing area.

But it won’t be a deal-breaker for everyone. You’ll know whether this is a big deal for you or not! Is it a Standalone Tablet? There’s no definitive answer to which kind of drawing tablet is better, since each artist will have different needs. So, it’s important to understand the difference between each tablet type. Images refresh twice as fast as on many other tablets thanks to the iPad Pro’s 120Hz refresh rate, meaning you have at your fingertips super-fast, super-responsive drawing potential. Add to this the impressive pressure sensitivity of the Apple Pencil 2, which must be bought separately, and the iPad Pro becomes a serious contender. The only thing missing is a tactile screen finish for that real pen-to-paper feel – but you can remedy this by investing in a paper-textured screen protector. Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Also styluses that uses EMR or Electro Magnetic Resonance technology do not require charging as they get their charge from the display. These are in effect battery-free styluses. Others might come with a rechargeable battery inside that requires charging via a supplied pen charging cable. However, the battery life is usually pretty good on a full charge.Here is a first graphic drawing tablet on our list from XP-PEN, the XP-PEN Artist22E Pro. The 21.5-inch pen display uses a Full HD panel with 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution. It is capable of 72% NTSC colour gamut with wide 178°. The included stylus comes with 8192 pressure level for accuracy, precision and smoother lines and lives in a multifunction pen holder with room for spare nibs when not in use. Like the Huion Kamvas Pro 24, it has two rows of express shortcut keys, 8 on either sides for a total of 16 programmable functions. It does not however come with a touch bar. As you can see, the way a drawing tablet works is pretty simple and doesn't require any special skills. The Intuos Pro is compatible with all the main drawing apps, like Photoshop, Maya, and Painter. It’s powerful enough to run these apps without delays. The battery life is great, so you can draw and create all day if you like! The Microsoft Surface Pro 8 is made for multitasking. The 13-inch touchscreen tablet has a plethora of features, ranging from Dolby Vision to automatic color and brightness sensors to the Iris X graphics, which provide more than enough tools and power to seamlessly switch between sketching and taking notes without skipping a beat. With powerful specs and Windows 11 as its operating system, this is the only device on this list that could truly function as a laptop replacement. Why it made the cut: Huion is known for making good tablets, and this one is an inexpensive offering that provides the necessary features.

Some factors to look out for are pen sensitivity and response time. The faster the response time, the less lag you’ll experience as you draw. That can take some getting used to as you draw on one surface but look at another. But these tablets are also very inexpensive, durable, and super responsive. So, it’s a low-cost way to get started with digital drawing. No matter what tablet you have, you’ll need to connect it to a PC when you’re done to edit and/or share your work. A USB-C to USB-C wired connection will allow you to connect your tablet to a computer without an adapter, providing a faster, more secure connection.Some high-end tablets use HDMI, rather than USB, to provide a superior video image. Some people prefer the cordless convenience of WiFi, but it introduces extra limitations, including the need for a strong network connection. Adjustable stand Most tablets also incorporate a range of hotkeys, which you can program for specific functions in your favourite software. As long as you can remember what each one does, these can make it faster and more natural to switch between different presets or different tools. Some even include a dial you can use to adjust intensity settings or line weights.Overall, the Wacom Intuos is a great, affordable tablet for beginners. At this low price, it’s ideal for learning to draw digitally and provides everything you need to get started.