Hi all,
My girlfriend and I set out on a quest to find the perfect stylus. Did we succeed? Kind of, but not really
We got the AluPen, Boxwave, and Acase. We did not go for the Pogo Sketch because we were immediately turned off by the spongy tip that a lot of people had complained about.
Below is a review of the pens, broken down by criteria. Remember, this is all just my opinion.
Favorite Note App: Notes Plus
Writing Ability - (1) Boxwave, (2) Acase, (3) AluPen
The ability to write accurately, easily, and smoothly was a key criteria for a good stylus. The clear winner of this category is the Boxwave stylus. The accuracy at placing the marking where you want it is best with the Acase because its tip is the thinnest, however you must press harder with the Acase pen for it to make the marking. Significantly harder than the Boxwave or the AluPen. However, the Boxwave tip is a good compromise between the tip size of the Acase and the AluPen (largest tip). It gives it great accuracy, and writing registers very nicely. I found with the Acase that I'd often miss dotting my "i"s or crossing my "t"s because it did not accurately register my writing. The AluPen also did a great job at registering with very little force down on the tip, however it has a bit of "drag" to it that does not make writing very smooth if you do not write directly on the tip. If you write near the side of the tip on the AluPen, it kind of sticks a bit and does not lead to very smooth handwriting. I decided to rank the AluPen last because the tip is so thick that it's hard to get accurate writing at times. It feels more like you're writing with a child's sized crayon than a pen.
Weight - (1) AluPen, (2) Boxwave, (3) Acase
The weight of the AluPen is by far the best. It has a heavy, but not overly heavy, feel to it. It makes it feel more like a real writing instrument, than that you're holding a cheap piece of plastic and magically writing with it. Next in line is the Boxwave, it feels significantly lighter, but it is just a bit heavier than the Acase. However, maybe someone else feels that the lightest is the clear winner of this section. If you feel that way, Acase is for you. I like a little bit of weight in my writing utensil.
Thickness - (1) Boxwave / Acase, (2) AluPen
The Acase is clearly the thinnest, but when holding it in your hand it is not significantly different from the Boxwave, or at least does not feel that way. Holding them, they feel about the same thickness. The AluPen is massive compared to the other two pens. Again, it feels like you're holding a child's oversize crayon. It is a bit awkward to hold due to its thickness.
Length - (1) Acase, (2) AluPen, (3) Boxwave
The length of the pens actually makes a big difference to me. What we write with are typically pens and pencils that extend beyond the "crease" between your thumb and pointer finger and sort of hangs outside it. It allows the writing tool to sort of sit in your hand and not get in the way. If it sits in the "crease," it feels a bit awkward. None of these pens exactly end in this crease or sit in it, but the Boxwave is noticeably shorter and feels a bit awkward. The Acase feels perfect to me in terms of length with a normal pen. The AluPen comes close to that perfect feeling, but it's just a bit shorter.
Style - (1) Acase / Boxwave, (3) AluPen
Let's face it, the Acase and the Boxwave are very close to the same exact style. They have the "clip" and they are pretty close to the same thickness. The AluPen's hexagonal style with edges makes it a bit awkward to hold, pick up, and situate in your hand. Every way of holding it is not always the right way. You have to pick it up, then shuffle it in your hand a little bit to get your fingers to not sit on the edges which feels weird.
Accessories - (1) Acase, (2) Boxwave, (3) AluPen
I love, love, love that the Acase and Boxwave pens have little tips that you can put in the audio port to hold them with the iPad and let them dangle. It really helps not lose them. What made me rank the Acase above the Boxwave is the "clamp" to allow you to unclip it from the string, which the Boxwave does not have (pictured below). The AluPen comes with nothing to clip it anywhere, and no way to connect it to your iPad in any way. This kind of leaves me in a predicament where to put it. I've traditionally been putting it in my pocket, but it's kind of thick and heavy. I'd much prefer an accessory to connect it to something.
Final Verdict - (1) Boxwave, (2) Acase, (3) AluPen
In the end, I would recommend the Boxwave over the other pens. It is accurate, does not require a lot of push to "register" on the iPad, and still feels good in your hand. I would have picked the Acase in a heartbeat if it registered touches as nicely as the Boxwave or AluPen does. The AluPen just feels a bit awkward, bulky, and "drags" a bit when trying to right on the edge of it. Again, this is all just my opinion, but hopefully it helps everyone. Did we find the perfect pen? Not really... the perfect pen to me would have been the weight of the AluPen, the length of the Acase, the tip size of the Acase, but the accuracy of registering "touches" of the Boxwave
- George
My girlfriend and I set out on a quest to find the perfect stylus. Did we succeed? Kind of, but not really
We got the AluPen, Boxwave, and Acase. We did not go for the Pogo Sketch because we were immediately turned off by the spongy tip that a lot of people had complained about.Below is a review of the pens, broken down by criteria. Remember, this is all just my opinion.
Favorite Note App: Notes Plus
Writing Ability - (1) Boxwave, (2) Acase, (3) AluPen
The ability to write accurately, easily, and smoothly was a key criteria for a good stylus. The clear winner of this category is the Boxwave stylus. The accuracy at placing the marking where you want it is best with the Acase because its tip is the thinnest, however you must press harder with the Acase pen for it to make the marking. Significantly harder than the Boxwave or the AluPen. However, the Boxwave tip is a good compromise between the tip size of the Acase and the AluPen (largest tip). It gives it great accuracy, and writing registers very nicely. I found with the Acase that I'd often miss dotting my "i"s or crossing my "t"s because it did not accurately register my writing. The AluPen also did a great job at registering with very little force down on the tip, however it has a bit of "drag" to it that does not make writing very smooth if you do not write directly on the tip. If you write near the side of the tip on the AluPen, it kind of sticks a bit and does not lead to very smooth handwriting. I decided to rank the AluPen last because the tip is so thick that it's hard to get accurate writing at times. It feels more like you're writing with a child's sized crayon than a pen.
Weight - (1) AluPen, (2) Boxwave, (3) Acase
The weight of the AluPen is by far the best. It has a heavy, but not overly heavy, feel to it. It makes it feel more like a real writing instrument, than that you're holding a cheap piece of plastic and magically writing with it. Next in line is the Boxwave, it feels significantly lighter, but it is just a bit heavier than the Acase. However, maybe someone else feels that the lightest is the clear winner of this section. If you feel that way, Acase is for you. I like a little bit of weight in my writing utensil.
Thickness - (1) Boxwave / Acase, (2) AluPen
The Acase is clearly the thinnest, but when holding it in your hand it is not significantly different from the Boxwave, or at least does not feel that way. Holding them, they feel about the same thickness. The AluPen is massive compared to the other two pens. Again, it feels like you're holding a child's oversize crayon. It is a bit awkward to hold due to its thickness.
Length - (1) Acase, (2) AluPen, (3) Boxwave
The length of the pens actually makes a big difference to me. What we write with are typically pens and pencils that extend beyond the "crease" between your thumb and pointer finger and sort of hangs outside it. It allows the writing tool to sort of sit in your hand and not get in the way. If it sits in the "crease," it feels a bit awkward. None of these pens exactly end in this crease or sit in it, but the Boxwave is noticeably shorter and feels a bit awkward. The Acase feels perfect to me in terms of length with a normal pen. The AluPen comes close to that perfect feeling, but it's just a bit shorter.
Style - (1) Acase / Boxwave, (3) AluPen
Let's face it, the Acase and the Boxwave are very close to the same exact style. They have the "clip" and they are pretty close to the same thickness. The AluPen's hexagonal style with edges makes it a bit awkward to hold, pick up, and situate in your hand. Every way of holding it is not always the right way. You have to pick it up, then shuffle it in your hand a little bit to get your fingers to not sit on the edges which feels weird.
Accessories - (1) Acase, (2) Boxwave, (3) AluPen
I love, love, love that the Acase and Boxwave pens have little tips that you can put in the audio port to hold them with the iPad and let them dangle. It really helps not lose them. What made me rank the Acase above the Boxwave is the "clamp" to allow you to unclip it from the string, which the Boxwave does not have (pictured below). The AluPen comes with nothing to clip it anywhere, and no way to connect it to your iPad in any way. This kind of leaves me in a predicament where to put it. I've traditionally been putting it in my pocket, but it's kind of thick and heavy. I'd much prefer an accessory to connect it to something.
Final Verdict - (1) Boxwave, (2) Acase, (3) AluPen
In the end, I would recommend the Boxwave over the other pens. It is accurate, does not require a lot of push to "register" on the iPad, and still feels good in your hand. I would have picked the Acase in a heartbeat if it registered touches as nicely as the Boxwave or AluPen does. The AluPen just feels a bit awkward, bulky, and "drags" a bit when trying to right on the edge of it. Again, this is all just my opinion, but hopefully it helps everyone. Did we find the perfect pen? Not really... the perfect pen to me would have been the weight of the AluPen, the length of the Acase, the tip size of the Acase, but the accuracy of registering "touches" of the Boxwave
- George
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