10 Best Drawing Tablets in 2022 (Wacom, XP-Pen, and More)

Casual artists or those drawing as a hobby may want to start with a beginner or easy-to-use tablet with fewer features than pricier professional ones. Plus, you're drawing for entertainment and wouldn't want to end up stressed with compatibility and connectivity issues.

Your goal should be to find the most basic specifications and capabilities that will also allow you to add more oomph to your masterpieces. We'll talk about features more later, so keep reading to find which ones you really need to start out.

If you're a graphics design student and want to expand your expertise or you're already a professional artist in need of an upgrade, some tablets cater to intermediate and advanced users. 

They often come fully-loaded with features such as Bluetooth, wireless connectivity, tilt recognition, ergonomic drawing space, battery-less stylus pens, and more. These devices offer a seamless experience in turning your idea into digital art. 

If you don't want to hand over a $500 Wacom graphics tablet to your child just yet, there are doodling pads available which lets kids draw, erase and repeat. They work like the classic Etch-A-Sketch where you sketch in black, pull a knob and erase. Today, there are more colors available, and the LCD screen makes it safe for young users. 

Cheaper tablets, although great for beginners or those drawing for stress-release, pose some challenges just because they don't have all the specs compared to high-end ones.

You might need a battery for the stylus, to upgrade your computer to the proper operating system, download the software driver or purchase additional plugs and ports to get the item fully functional. Once done, you should be able to get into actual drawing. 

If you've had a simpler tablet in the past and tried out a Wacom Cintiq 16, you would know just how much difference there is between the two models. 

From the resolution, the feel and response of the pen on the active screen, and other nifty features you didn't know existed or needed, you wouldn't be surprised that such devices come with a hefty price tag.

Drawing tablets are continuously being upgraded to offer users the best experience possible in hopes of becoming as great as the classic pen and paper. 

A non-display graphics tablet uses a USB cable and hooks up to a computer and works like a mousepad. As you draw on the surface of the tablet, the lines appear on the computer screen. It will take some learning and getting used to the response time from pen to tablet and tablet to screen.

The main advantages of these graphic tablets are their price, which is significantly less than those with built-in displays, and durability, with some excellent models lasting for many years. 

If you don't want to keep looking back and forth from computer screen and tablet, then one with a built-in screen is recommended. This type of graphics device is great for beginners and works much like how you would draw with pencil and paper but you get digital art as a result.

As mentioned earlier, display tablets are more expensive and typically start at a few hundred dollars for the more basic ones and could go up to over $1,000 if you want all the works included. 

When talking about a drawing tablet, there are two size specifications indicated: one for the overall size of the device and the other for the space allotted for you to doodle on.

Bigger active screens or areas mean more space for larger drawings without the need to zoom in and out of your work. Product listings often have the active screen size clearly stated in the description because this is often misunderstood with the physical dimensions of the device, which is always bigger. 

Different types of stylus are those that require a battery, those that can be recharged and those that are battery-free.

The first is usually bulkier because it needs to accommodate the battery and could suddenly die midway; hence it's advised to keep backup batteries on hand. The slimmer versions are styluses that could be plugged into a power source to be recharged. 

Lastly, the latest innovation on tablet pens is those that use electromagnetic resonance wherein power is automatically and continuously transferred from the tablet to the stylus for a more efficient experience.

When choosing a stylus, the fit and grip should be the top priority because this will directly affect the drawing process. A comfortable stylus ultimately means better designs. 

We should look at the aesthetics and material of the device as well and go for those that are durable and good-looking. While most graphics tablets come in plastic, the more expensive ones use better quality plastics and often add more metal into the design to help boost the durability of the product. 

The drawing surface texture is another crucial factor to observe while keeping in mind that the active screen area should be as smooth as possible. Wacom, for example, uses glass in its Cintiq line, which means the pen glides over the surface like an agile figure skater. 

Give the compatibility section of a tablet's description a careful look-over to ensure that your existing computer or laptop can cater to the tablet's specification requirements. From the operating system to external ports, doing due diligence will save you the stress and hassle of two devices that don't fit like a puzzle.

If you're one who dislikes such techie stuff, a Bluetooth-capable display tablet that only needs a computer when transferring files might be the best option. 

The resolution, or the number of distinct and specific pen touches on the working area per one inch in all directions, dramatically affects the quality of your drawing. Higher resolution means creating better output with greater detail and definition. A tablet's resolution is typically measured in LPI (lines per inch) or pixels.

It's important to note that a device with higher resolution capabilities would be heavier on the pocketbook. 

Another vital feature to consider when choosing a drawing tablet is the RPS or report/response rate per second. Basically, the RPS gauges how many times the device notifies or "reports" the stylus's position and movement to the computer or laptop.

A higher RPS means your pen and screen are more in sync, so when you drag the stylus across the active screen of a display tablet, you get a line in real-time (and a smoother one at that). The catch with a higher RPS is that it may take longer for the tablet to send the info to a computer or laptop when plugged in.

Pressure sensitivity is about how the stylus and screen interact and is one essential capability, especially if you are using the tablet for professional purposes. According to experts, 8,192 is the perfect pressure sensitivity level to go for.

What this means is that when you press harder on the screen, you get thicker, bolder lines, and vice versa. Lower-end models would give you the same stroke regardless of pressure. As a rule of thumb, select a tablet with 1,024 pressure levels for beginners and a minimum of 2,048 range for advanced users.