Stylii sharing with Guilia Forsythe – May 2014
I have a real stylus thing. This is a natural consequence of my iPad thing (and in particular, my drawing-on-iPad-thing). In any case, I love a great stylus, and at this point, I’ve tried SEVERAL.
It was a great joy to connect with Guilia Forsythe in May and geek out about the promise and pitfalls of various stylii (all but the pink one on the left and the e-smoker on the right are mine (not sure if I should be proud of this or not).
Anyway, since May, I have moved on to a new favourite. And I thought I would share my opinions and reviews of some of the stylii I’ve tried to date…
- Logix Stylus Aluminum Pro: current fave. Sturdy tip, fun colours, nice barrel. I like that it retracts, and that it comes with extra tips. Great for drawing, games, general use. I love this one. $30.
- Bamboo Stylus Pocket: previous fave for months. Again, sturdy, long-lasting tip, with a lid to protect it, nice grip, and it has a groovy little plastic dealio on the lid you stick in the earphone hole of your device so you don’t lose it. What ended up bumming me out was the whole “telescopic” mechanism broke, I couldn’t fix it, so it became useless. Would consider buying again because I was so impressed the first time. $35.
- Pencil, by Fifty Three: this one is great because it integrates with the Best. App. Ever. (Paper, by Fifty Three). It’s also beautiful, unique, and nice to hold. However, sadly, the tip is just too soft and wimpy compared to others I’ve tried, and they are expensive and a hassle (mail) to replace. So, sadly, I’ve stopped using this one. $75!
- Adonit Jotscript (Evernote): I had high hopes for this one, because it has a hard tip (I’m thinking, smooth contact, no tip wearing out, ever, and it seemed to be designed for writing and other fine-detail work). Also, it was $80. It should have been awesome, but I didn’t care for it. I found it too “clicky” on the iPad surface, and I was also constantly aware of the GAP between the tip and what I was drawing/writing. Sold it to a colleague who loved it.
- Adonit Jot Pro (disc tip): this one (and these types) are ok because they offer a smooth connection between the iPad surface and the stylus. But, I didn’t love it. And when I lost it, I didn’t bother to replace. ~$30
- Stylus with (short) brush tip: I can’t remember the brand, but it was purchased at Circuit City. I liked the (short) brush tip because it offered a nice smooth connection between the iPad surface and the stylus. The barrel was a bit thin for my liking, and I think I lost it.
- Rocketfish: First stylus, and so i’m a bit nostalgic for these. They are relatively cheap, but rubbery (read: not smooth), and I wouldn’t buy them again. $15
So, in sum, I’d recommend #1 and 2. Guilia swears by the Pogo Sketch, which is definitely affordable ($15), and she does amazing work with it. I’ll give that one a go if I ever see it. Note to Victoria, B.C. people: London Drugs has a surprisingly great selection – best I’ve found!