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Hello there,
I’ve tried researching what the best stylus is for an iPad Air 2 (specifically to use with the Procreate app) but can’t find any recent posts. Is there any relatively new product out there that works well?
Huge thanks for any help and tips!
Daisy
iPad Air 2 Wi-Fi
Not currently.
The one I usually recommend to everyone with non-Apple Pencil compatible iPads, the maker is out of stock of the stylus.
With the whole CoVid-19 pandemic still going on, it maybe sometime before that stylus comes back in stock.
So, currently, there is no third party smart, Bluetooth stylus that my conscience can honestly recommend to you.
If you want to try and get by with better, NON-Bluetooth, more commonplace capacitive stylii with NO screen pressure sensitivity or built-in palm/hand rejection where you would need to purchase and use a special non-body electrical conducting drawing glove to use on your hand to lay your hand down on the iPad's screen so your palm/side of hand doesn't make any stray marks while writing/drawing on the iPad's screen, I am prepared to make some recommendations.
Not currently.
The one I usually recommend to everyone with non-Apple Pencil compatible iPads, the maker is out of stock of the stylus.
With the whole CoVid-19 pandemic still going on, it maybe sometime before that stylus comes back in stock.
So, currently, there is no third party smart, Bluetooth stylus that my conscience can honestly recommend to you.
If you want to try and get by with better, NON-Bluetooth, more commonplace capacitive stylii with NO screen pressure sensitivity or built-in palm/hand rejection where you would need to purchase and use a special non-body electrical conducting drawing glove to use on your hand to lay your hand down on the iPad's screen so your palm/side of hand doesn't make any stray marks while writing/drawing on the iPad's screen, I am prepared to make some recommendations.
Hey MichelPM!
I wasn’t sure if my voice would be heard, so I greatly appreciate your reply 😊
I know that a lot of “things”, whatever they may be, seem to be unavailable currently. Just to clarify, is the stylus that you generally recommend that is out of stock compatible with the Air 2..? If so, may I ask what the model/brand/make etc is and the best place to purchase it online?
I think the alternative palm/hand non rejection glove sounds a bit much for what I’ll be using it for, but many thanks for this option!
Crossing my fingers the stylus IS compatible with the Air 2 and available again soon....
Stay safe and looking forward to your message
👍🏼
You cannot purchase it anywhere, currently
It is out of stock everywhere I would recommend looking.
It is the Adonit Pixel.
https://www.adonit.net/jot/pixel/
It is compatible with iPads all the way back to the 2012 iPad 4th generation and iPad Mini.
You will not find this, ANYWHERE currently!
I recommend this stylus A LOT here and I check for availability often
If you are using a drawing or writing app with a NON-Bluetooth stylus, then a drawing glove is essential.
They are less than $10 U.S.D. and can be easily found on Amazon.
The drawing glove has another benefit. I allows your hand to move more easily across the iPad's screen.
Do you want to try cheaper Non-Bluetooth stylii you can get now to use with all drawing/writing apps?
I’ll give my own recommendations, anyways.
I recommend a common capacitive stylus with a clear disc tip for better accuracy as you can see exactly where you ate going to mark through the disc.
The best one of these I can recommend is the Adonit Pro 4 as it has a disc that is more durable, glides easily and is resistant to scratching the iPad's screen. You still need to keep the disc free of dirt and dust particles and keep your iPad's screen clean, before using.
Another type of NON-Bluetooth stylii is the so-called fine point, “active”, battery powered capacitive stylus that the battery generates a tiny electrical signal to the fine point tip of these stylus that simulates a finger touch.
There are many of these on Amazon, but all of them are NOT created equal.
This type of stylus tends to create some some line wobble, especially with angled lines, but some of these have better placement accuracy and have less line drawing wobble than others.
Again, the best of these I can recommend is, once again, from Adonit.
It is the Adonit Dash 3.
This is a well made “active”, rechargeable, Lithium-ion battery, fine tip stylus.
Works without any Bluetooth connection and its angular line wobble is less pronounced and will be minimised more by drawing with the stylus at a faster, not slow velocity onscreen.
Has a single ON/OFF button and charging port at the top of the stylus.
Capacitive stylii work with any iPad screen and any iPad app.
Here is just one example of a special, lycra material based, non-body electrical conducting drawing/writing glove.
Something like this found on Amazon.
Many more makers of these types of gloves found on Amazon and in different hand sizes, and colors as well!
Best of Luck to You!
The Adonit Pixel is, currently, NOT available anywhere!
The Adonit Pixel works with iPads all the way back to the 2012, 1st gen iPad Mini and iPad 4th generation!
Has ON/OFF/app shortcut buttons.
Has a nice fine, textured pen tip AND a nice rubber grip.
Magnetically charges, has an auto 15 minute shutdown feature ( to preserve battery life ), charges in a hour, or so.
Has both a small USB charger that that plugs into any USB charging block OR you can purchase an optional charging dock.
I find it only lasts for anywhere between 9-12 hours, but Adonit claims up to 16 hours of continuous use on a single charge cycle.
Made of very high quality aluminum materials.
The Adonit Pixel ONLY works with over a dozen of the major/popular drawing/sketching/painting apps (the Pixel works with, but currently no longer “officially” supported with Procreate, but it still works and works pretty well in Procreate ), and over a half dozen of the popular note taking apps, a half dozen writing apps and about a half dozen PDF style/compatible apps.
You WILL have to perform some pairing and setup parameters in each of the Adonit Pixel compatible apps.
You just DO NOT simply turn on Bluetooth on an iDevice and turn on the Adonit stylus and start writing.
The Adonit Pixel stylus is NOT an Apple Pencil in this regard/respect.
You have to initially Bluetooth pair the Adonit Pixel, setup the hand/palm position and in many apps, set up the stylus screen pressure sensitivity for each and every compatible app!
Once you have, initially, done all of this, all Adonit Pixel compatible apps will remember these settings for future use!
Some Adonit Pixel users claimed their stylus doesn’t work, but it does work well IF you properly know how to set up the Adonit Pixel!
Here’s my “up to date”, comprehensive, but still incomplete, list of Adonit Pixel compatible apps for the iPad/iPad Pro.
MOST apps listed support both screen pressure sensing and palm rejection, unless otherwise noted
Compatible Adonit Pixel apps for drawing
Animation Desk
Amaziograph
Adobe Photoshop Sketch ( palm rejection ONLY, with NO screen pressure sensing/line width variations with older iPad Pro models. Palm and screen pressure sensing/variable line width drawing and writing with all other non-Apple Pencil compatible iPad models.
A great app with a lot of free brushes without having to pay monthly to subscribe )
ArtRage
Art Studio Pro ( fully supports the Adonit Pixel and is just as great as Procreate on the iPad )
AutoDesk SketchBook
Colored Pencil
Comic Draw
Concepts
Interactive SketchBook
Medibang Paint
Procreate
(Adonit Pixel has been supported as an “unsupported stylus”, for some time now, but all Adonit Pixel stylus features still work as they should in Procreate, palm rejection IS improved using special, non-body electrical conducting, lycra-based material drawing glove ) It looks like Procreate recently reintroduced official support for Adonit Bluetooth stylii under Procreate’s stylus settings.
Tayasui Sketches/Sketches Pro ( Full support for the Adonit Pixel )
Tayasui Sketches School ( FREE! )
( this new, free version works with this stylus, but without any palm rejection or pressure sensing, so you need to use a special, non-body electrical conducting drawing glove with the Sketches School version to lay your hand/palm down on the iPad’s screen while writing or drawing )
Vectornator
ZenBrush/Zen Brush 2
Compatible Adonit Pixel apps for Notes and Notes with drawing types of apps.
GoodNotes
Notability ( palm rejection noticeably improved using special, non-body electrical conducting, lycra-based material
drawing glove )
Note Shelf
Notes Plus ( the current version has, temporarily, removed support for all third party, smart Bluetooth stylii ).
Notes Writer ( palm rejection improved using special, non-electrical conducting, lycra-based material drawing glove )
QuickNotes X Pro ( palm rejection ONLY. No pressure sensing for light/dark or thin/thick lines )
uPad
Zoom Notes
PDF Pen
Best of Luck to You!
Best stylus for iPad Air 2 (to use with Procreate)?
