Best Art Tablets for Professional Digital Artists

According to Popular Mechanics, the latest art tablets closely mimic the feeling of creating artwork on paper. At the same time, they can interface with graphics software and computers to offer high-tech tools to increase productivity and even creativity. Most of them also offer intuitive interfaces that make them suitable for budding artists and pros alike.

Selecting an art tablet depends upon preferences, budgets, and requirements. We take a look at some top examples to gain an understanding of what’s available on the market today. Since different artists have diverse expectations, consider the pros and cons of popular models.

Money Magazine rated the Pro 24 the best overall value, even though it’s fairly pricey. For $2,000, this art pad should satisfy professional artists with its large surface and good performance. It includes several reprogrammable shortcut buttons and 4K screen resolution.

Really, the price might serve as the main obstacle to choosing this product. The company produces a range of well-reviewed art pads in different price ranges.

The Huoin art pad serves as a more affordable alternative to the Wacom discussed above. It also has a large drawing pad. Artists will appreciate the built-in stand that can prop it up on a desk. The Kamvas Pro 24 retails for about $900.

For about $1,000, the iPad Pro 12.9 can serve as a decent art pad, plus it offers all of the other features one expects from an Apple tablet. Besides working as a drawing pad, the iPad Pro even has cameras and can shoot at 4K resolution. It even offers four speakers, so artists can play music or their favorite podcast while they create.

In particular, Apple users will probably find that this tablet offers great value. On the downside, the tablet doesn’t include a compatible pen or pencil. An Apple Pencil costs $99, though some third-party manufacturers sell their versions for about $30.

In order to choose the best art pad, consider these features:

As with almost all electronics, manufacturers of art pads offer limited warranties for their products. These let the original owner obtain repairs or a replacement in the case of defects or workmanship for the term of the warranty, usually one year. Limited warranties don’t cover damages from accidents, and they don’t cover anything after the term ends.

Retailers and manufacturers usually offer to extend this warranty with the purchase of an extended warranty. The extension will cover the device longer and for more kinds of claims. As an example, an AppleCare+ warranty for an $899 iPad Pro costs $129 for two years of coverage. This protection plan limits the owner to two incidents per year and charges a $49 deductible for each claim.

In contrast, an Upsie iPad Pro warranty costs $127.99 for two years of coverage and only charges a $25 deductible. Upsie also offers a three-year plan for $213.99. Upsie coverage includes protection from:

Professional artists may have a hard time choosing between the best art tablets for their needs. On the other hand, it’s easy to decide to protect a high-quality art device with Upsie.