Design

Finding the perfect iPad pen feels like a never-ending task. It seems that one pen has something about it I don’t like and end up wishing that two could be combined with their best bits to make the ultimate pen. I have read reviews, watched YouTube video demonstrations and nobody has the definitive winner.

My first proper experience with an iPad pen was the AluPen some 9 months ago. It had a decent nib, was great for writing but it didn’t feel like a pen in my hand. The weight was okay, but the thickness of the barrel didn’t trick me into thinking I was using a pen. So I asked Twitter for their recommendations. The Cosmonaut and the Wacom Bamboo were amongst the highest recommended. I also did my own research and came across the Griffin GC16050 pen for iPad. It was priced at around £8 on Amazon at the time so I ordered it for its excellent price point and the fact it was white which matched my iPad.

It arrived next day and though the nib was on par with the AluPen, the barrel is more pen-like. It’s not very long so again it’s not giving me that ‘real pen’ feel. However, I found it quite accurate when I was note taking and drawing which is ultimately the aim. I started using it in place of the AluPen in Draw Something and found I could fluidly draw comfortably with it. I drew my favourite picture so far in DS using it which I think you’ll agree didn’t do a bad job…

However, being keen to try out as many new writing gizmos as I could, I noticed that the Wacom Bamboo pen for iPad, which was previously priced at around £25 on Amazon, had been reduced to £17 for a limited period. The reviews left by customers on Amazon weren’t as glowing as the ones I’d heard from friends I know who were using them, but at this price point I couldn’t afford to wait and wonder, so quickly placed my order.

When it arrived the next day I felt it was quality from the moment I looked at the box. I pulled it out and I thought I’d found perfection. It looked great, it felt great in my hand, it had that much wanted pen weight to it and the nib was smaller than the others I’d tried. Here’s a photo of the AluPen and Wacom Bamboo side by side.

I used it very quickly on the iPhone screen and believed it would be the pen to end my experiment with all other pens. Then I opened up Draw Something and tried to draw. I wasn’t getting precision, the nib felt extremely soft and almost sloppy. It was very squishy and at times it felt like the nib was coming away from the actual pen. I was so disappointed because everything else was perfect apart from the part that really matters – the bit that touches the screen.

I used it for less than a day, finding myself setting it down and picking up the significantly cheaper Griffin more often which allowed me to draw much more accurately. I put the Wacom back into its box and it’s currently winging its way to its new owner as I type.

My Dad is now the new owner of the AluPen so sadly I can’t show a side by side photo of that and the Griffin, but there’s not too much difference between the nibs.

I was so impressed with the Griffin that I bought one for my brother, for his Draw Something efforts on his iPhone. Speaking of Draw Something, feel free to add purplepizzaeater to your challengers should you want to see rather impressive drawings of Pikachu and Garfield, but mostly badly drawn stick people.

So, for now I am happy with the Griffin iPad pen. My eye will always be wandering for something else due to my curious nature and quest for pen perfection and I wouldn’t be too surprised that if at some point I will give the Jot by Adonit a try, so stay tuned.