Looking for the best drawing tablet can be a bit complicated.  Especially since in the current tech market, there are tons of different products available to help designers and artists get their work done.

If you do graphic design or architectural sketching, there’s a good chance you’ve already given up the old-fashioned pen and paper method and moved on to more innovative drawing techniques. One of the most popular tech products for artists and designers is the drawing tablet.

Drawing tablets aren’t only great for professionals who use them on a daily basis, but are also good for kids, teenagers and people who enjoy drawing as a hobby.

Bearing this in mind, choosing a drawing tablet according to your skills, needs and budget shouldn’t be too hard. Just remember that there is no reason to be in a rush. Take your time to consider the different options.

To help you get started, we have reviewed a few of the best drawing tablet offers, including innovative budget-friendly models as well as high-end products from trusted brands with decades of experience.

If you continue reading, you will find a detailed buyer’s guide as well as answers to some of the most frequently asked questions! Without further ado, let’s get straight to it!

Best Drawing Tablet Reviews

1. Wacom Intuos Pro Digital Graphic Drawing Tablet

The first model in this roundup of the top drawing tablets on the market is the Intuos Pro, which is manufactured by the reputable Wacom brand.

This company, which has over three decades of success and has been the market leader in drawing tablets since the start, has done an amazing job manufacturing a professional-grade model that features a medium-sized footprint, great pressure sensitivity and a natural tilt that will allow you more flexibility for the pen that you are working with.

Product Highlights

Before we get into a few of this product’s critical features, we want to emphasize that Wacom offers reliable customer service and a 2-year warranty that should cover any design-related defects or possible software issues. As for system requirements, you will need a Windows 10 or a Mac 10.10 or above in order to run this drawing tablet.

Additionally, you can either use the USB port to connect it, or you can do so via Bluetooth. This drawing tablet can also be connected to another regular tablet or your mobile device via Bluetooth LE.

On top of all that, the main thing that you will need to do is to install the featured drawing software. If the drivers you are using are outdated, you can search for the relevant updates through the Wacom website.

This tablet has lots of different features, including 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity. Not only will this allow you to draw the most delicate lines, but you can also make sure that you get all the detailing right, just like you would be able to do on paper.

Thanks to the natural tilt that will suit the included pen, you will be able to focus on your work rather than constantly adjusting the pen in order to get the right angle for comfortable drawing.

The working footprint surface is larger than ever at 13.2 x 8.5 inches in size. This is perfect for both recreational drawers and professional designers, as it is a huge improvement compared to the previous model (8.7 x 5.8 inches) and most of its competitors.

Also, there are a number of accessory features, such as the multi-touch Express Keys and pen side, as well as radial menus that will allow you to customize your workflow. Unfortunately, the nibs included on the battery-free pens are quite easy to wear out since the work surface is kind of rough.

The Good

We have already talked about the great pressure sensitivity that will allow you to create remarkable detailing on your sheet. Also, the fact that the aforementioned accessory buttons allow you to easily customize the drawing tablet according to your style is a great additional feature.

The Bad

We have to note that the rough working surface may not be ideal if you are working with nibs that are not of the highest quality. Why? Because you will then need to get a new set of nibs every month, which is not only an extra expense, but it is also a waste of your time.

PROS

• Great pressure sensitivity
• Customizable workflow
• Easy-to-use

CONS

• Rough work surface
• Nibs wear out quickly

2. Huion Inspiroy Q11K Wireless Graphic Drawing Tablet

While the previous drawing tablet is of remarkable quality, it is on the pricier side, and therefore isn’t accessible to most customers on a tight budget. Luckily for budget-conscious buyers, Huion offers a product that closely resembles the Wacom product at just a fragment of the price.

Product Highlights

The main issue with this product is the fact that it doesn’t provide the reliable warranty policy that the aforementioned product does. Still, for this price, it’s not much of a concern.

When it comes to this Huion drawing tablet’s features, we love the fact that it comes with 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity. This allows for delicate, precise drawing strokes, ranging from hairlines to thick lines that you would use in certain portraits or building sketches.

Probably the most innovative feature of this product is the PF150 pen that not only feels great in the hand with its ergonomic design, but can also offer you hours of continuous performance.

In fact, the whole drawing tablet is designed to reduce your physical effort and give you remarkable comfort while you are drawing for hours at a time (with breaks, of course).

This tablet is highlighted by curvy edges accompanied by round corners and a smooth surface (unlike the Wacom’s rough work surface). Additionally, there is an armrest support that you can use when you are starting to feel worn out.

The Huion drawing tablet can be effectively connected to a computer using just a WiFi connection rather than a USB cable. On top of all that, it comes with an 11-inch drawing surface, which provides more than enough space for different projects.

Still, we have to say that the setup process, including finding the adequate drivers and software, is not user-friendly.

The Good

Our personal favorite feature is the overall design of this drawing tablet. It’s made to be suitable for both beginners and professionals and has an ergonomic design that comes with a large, smooth working surface that you will give a lot of freedom to draw.

The Bad

On the other hand, you may have issues getting around all the driver updates and installation. The main problem seems to be that the customer service is not that reliable, so you can’t really get a quick answer in case of software or hardware issues.

PROS

• Ergonomic drawing tablet design
• Great battery life
• 8,192-pressure sensitivity level

CONS

• Setup not user-friendly
• Customer service is poor

3. Ugee M708 Drawing Tablet

Getting on with our list of the top drawing tablets on the market, we present you with a model that may not be professional-grade, but has good compatibility with different software and a user-friendly design.

Product Highlights

The main difference between this drawing tablet and the previous two tablets is the size of the working surface. While its 20-inch working surface doesn’t measure too far behind the others, it is still not as smooth and comfortable to work on as the Huion drawing tablet.

The pressure sensitivity greatly differs as well. It has 2,048 pressure sensitivity levels, which will allow you to draw thin lines but won’t work that well when it comes to thick brush strokes. Another good thing is that switching between the pen and an eraser can be done with just one click.

Frankly, the main highlight of this product is the 5,080 LPI resolution supported by the 230 RPS report rate. These two features work together to ensure good detailing and drawing quality.

While it lacks WiFi or Bluetooth connectivity, the USB port featured on this tablet is reliable and well made. Don’t forget, there are 8-customizable shortcuts that give you a choice of different line thicknesses, as well as a zoom in/out function.

One of the best things about this drawing tablet is that you can safely use it with Adobe Photoshop, Corel and Autodesk MAY. Yes, it does lack pressure sensitivity and the battery life and pen quality could be improved, but for the price it offers good overall build quality and performance.

The Good

As we have suggested above, this model may not be ideal for professionals who have been in the industry for years and need a tablet with a lot of innovative and smart detailing features.

The Bad

While it does lack the high-performance features of the two previous products we mentioned, that shouldn’t put you off investing in this one if you want something affordable.

PROS

• Affordable for most
• User-friendly
• Great resolution

CONS

• Lacks pressure sensitivity
• Pen quality could be better

4. Huion H420 USB Drawing Tablet

Getting on with our list, here is another Huion model that we consider to be among the best budget-friendly drawing tablets on the market. It has good pressure sensitivity, resolution and a user-friendly interface.

One of the best things about this model is that it has a pen/cursor that works well on the smooth surface, which you can use as both a board and a drawing area.

Product Highlights

Much like the aforementioned product, this one comes with a number of graphic design software options, including AutoCAD, Maya, Corel Painter, Adobe Photoshop, etc. Not only this, but it is also compatible with the latest versions of the Windows and Mac OS operating systems, and can be connected with a USB cable.

Now, it’s quite clear that at 4 x 2.23 inches, the active working area on this product is much smaller than that of the previous Huion product. However, this makes it suitable for beginners and people who just want to play around.

As for the pressure sensitivity level, it is 2,048, which is common for beginner tablets and is accompanied by a report rate of 200 reports per second (RPS). It also provides 4,000 lines per inch of resolution.

This tablet is quite easy to set up and use. While it may not provide optimal performance in terms of drawing, detailing or pressure sensitivity, it’s a good beginner’s tablet for gaining experience.

Not to mention, the featured battery life is quite good, as this product can work for over 10 hours on a single charge.

The Good

The main thing that we like about this drawing tablet is the user-friendly interface, as well as the number of graphic programs that you can have fun with. Additionally, while small, the drawing board is quite smooth and suitable for some delicate work.

The Bad

As we mentioned above, Huion don’t offer the best customer service on the market. This can be a problem if you are facing sensitivity related issues or built-in defects.

PROS

• Affordable
• Easy-to-use
• Smooth working board

CONS

• Low-pressure sensitivity
• Customer service is slow

5. Wacom Bamboo CTL471 Pen Tablet

At the end of our list of the best drawing tablets on the market, we have another Wacom model. Much smaller than the Intuos Pro model we reviewed above, this one offers great performance with a smaller working surface and is ideal for students and those who are just starting out.

Product Highlights

The first thing that we want to mention about this product is its compatibility with different operating systems. It can run on Windows 7, Vista, and Mac OS above 10.5. Now, unlike the Intuos version, this one can’t be connected via Bluetooth, but it still features a sturdy and reliable USB port.

Bearing this in mind, this Wacom drawing tablet is perfect if you are on the go and you need to get a quick sketch done.  Since it’s compatible with popular programs such as Adobe Photoshop, Collar Painter and Maya, you will get to have a lot of fun with it.

Featuring a warranty of 6 months, you can rest assured that any software issues or built-in defects will allow you to send this product off for a droidbx08-20nt.

With 1,024 pressure sensitivity levels and a resolution of 2,540 lines per inch, it has a significantly lower performance than the aforementioned products, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not a great beginner’s tablet.

The Good

The compact, portable size still allows enough working space for medium-sized sketches. Additionally, the fact that it is compatible with most newer operating systems and can run all the important graphic design programs makes it suitable if you want to learn the basics with this drawing tablet.

The Bad

This tablet certainly isn’t the best choice in terms of smooth performance. Also, if you’re looking to draw big sketches, the 5.8 x 3.6-inch area will not allow you much freedom. Also, while compact, it is nowhere near as sturdy as some of the other products on the market.

PROS

• Compatible with most operating systems
• Fine resolution
• Great for beginners

CONS

• Could be sturdier
• Has lags

Drawing Tablet Buyer’s Guide

Much like when buying any other product, there are more than a few things that you will want to consider before making the final decision. We suggest that you consider these key features to get an idea of what your model should include!

Key Feature #1: Pressure Sensitivity

The first critical feature in choosing the perfect drawing tablet has to be the sensitivity that the board offers.

Not only will that determine how detailed you can get with your work, but it will also allow you to make more fluid movements and change between thin and thick lines in the same segment.

The higher the pressure sensitivity, the better the final result will be. Thus, while most medium-quality tablets offer pressure sensitivity levels between 2,048 and 4,096, we suggest that you go for models that have 8,192 pressure sensitivity levels for the best results.

Key Feature #2: Stylus

The stylus pen determines both the quality of your work and the amount of drawing that you will be able to get done before it needs to be recharged.

Our personal favorites are the stylus pens that are offered with the Wacom Intuos Pro and the Huion Q11K, which has a reliable and flexible pen with natural tilt support.

Key Feature #3: Resolution

Much like with any high-tech device, the resolution of a drawing tablet will affect the quality of your work. If you want to get plenty of detail on the screen, you will want to look for a model that offers a resolution of 4,000 lines per inch or above.

Key Feature #4: Scrollers

The scrollers can be in the form of a pen that you can use for both drawing and scrolling to the desired area. Sometimes the scrollers come in the form of express keys that are used for zooming in or out, as well as changing between thick/thin lines and brushes.

Key Feature #5: Wireless or Corded

At the end of our list of the most important features for choosing the ideal drawing tablet is the choice of either a wireless or a corded drawing tablet.

While corded tablets might be more reliable in terms of the fact that you will not have to depend on WiFi or Bluetooth connection, the wireless type is more innovative and better if you are on the go.

Also, wireless drawing tablets are easy to connect with other devices, such as Android and iOS phones and tablets.

Drawing Tablet FAQs

If you’re searching for some of the most frequently asked questions and drawing tablet FAQs before choosing the best drawing tablet for your design projects, check out these common topics: 

Question 1: What can drawing tablets do?

Drawing tablets are high-tech devices that allow you to create detailed sketches and architectural plans, as well as color drawings that will then be presented on a big computer screen.

Investing in a proper drawing tablet will not only allow you to explore your creativity, but also practice your skills and maybe become a professional in the near future!

Question 2: Do all drawing tablets need a computer?

For most models you will need to have a Windows or Mac OS computer. This is due to the fact that the graphic design programs don’t work that well on phones or other tablets. Still, you will not have to invest in a USB cable as long as you have a wireless drawing tablet.

Question 3: Can an iPad be used as a drawing tablet?

No, unless it is connected to a compatible drawing board, it can’t. The reason for that is it lacks the pressure sensitivity that is needed for the digital and graphic design that is done on a tablet.

Question 4: What is the best drawing tablet app?

This all depends on the model that you are using, as well as your experience and goals. In our opinion, getting a hold of AutoCAD, Maya, Corel Painter, or a premium version of Adobe Photoshop is a great way to start your adventure.

Question 5: Do I need to take a course to use a graphics tablet?

This depends on whether you have some previous experience with drawing boards and stylus pens.

While you may be able to figure everything out just by reading the user’s guide, we do suggest that you consider a Udemy course or other relevant course if you are a beginner and have just invested in a high-quality drawing tablet.

Conclusion

We sincerely hope that our article has helped you get more familiar with the concept of drawing tablets and understand the critical features of a good one.

Our favorite is definitely the Huion Inspirion Q11K tablet, as not only does it offer great value considering the affordable price, but it also offers a large working surface, a high-quality stylus pen and superb battery life. Frankly, there is not much more that you can ask for out of a proper drawing tablet!