Best Graphics Tablet | 2024

Pros:

• Lightweight and comfortable to use
• Brilliant drawing feel
• Bundle comes with handy accessories

Cons:

• No stand included
  
  

Something of an upstart in the graphics tablet world, Xencelabs was founded in 2019 by a collective of digital drawing enthusiasts who wanted to make the best tablets around, at affordable prices. The Xencelabs Pen Tablet is a brilliant option — available in Small and Medium sizes, it is designed with superb ergonomics that make it truly intuitive to use. 

The tablet is comfortable to draw on for long periods, with a curved front edge that provides a natural resting point for the hand, and the drawing surface itself is made with just the right amount of “bite” — a common graphics tablet term that denotes the level of resistance the surface provides to the stylus, recreating the feel of paper. If your budget stretches, it’s worth opting for the Xencelabs Pen Tablet Medium Bundle, which packs in handy accessories like the Quick Keys OLED remote, which has its own display. 

Pros:

• Excellent value
• Range of size options
• Customisable ExpressKeys

Cons:

• More expensive than Xencelabs option
  
  

The Wacom Intuos Pro tablets are perfect for photographers and those working with programs like Photoshop or InDesign. The Intuos Pro is designed to work with Wacom’s Pen Pro 2, and it has an impressive 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity – so you can be extremely precise with how much pressure you want to exert. This means it’s possible (and even easy) to make minuscule adjustments and get your images looking exactly the way you want them.

The tablet features customisable ExpressKeys, which you can configure to control the functions you use most, and a Touch Ring for intuitive control – though of course you can always navigate via the screen itself. It’s sleek and portable, built with black anodised aluminium and fibreglass composite resin, and it packs a lot of technology into a body that’s only 8mm thick! Impressive stuff to be sure. The Intuos Pro model is available in small, medium and large sizes. 

Pros:

• Ultra-affordable
• Multi-function dial and ExpressKeys
• Decent drawing area size

Cons:

• Less robust build quality than other models
  
  

If you’re on an ultra-tight budget, the XP-Pen DECO 03 is definitely worth considering. It’s a graphics tablet that comes at a sub-£100 price, but still delivers all the features you need for photo editing and digital art. It comes with a stylus that boasts 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity — the current industry standard — and is also comfortable to hold for long periods.

The working area measures 24 by 14cm, which is a good amount of space for a tablet at this price. It’s ultra-thin and easy to pack up and take with you; while the plastic build quality isn’t quite as robust as some of the more expensive models, it’ll be fine as long as you’re reasonably careful. The tablet also incorporates six express keys, meaning you can set up a fluid workflow with your preferred functions tied to specific keys, and there’s also a multi-function dial. 

Pros:

• Affordable and easy to use
• Eight customisable shortcut keys
• Compatible with most software applications

Cons:

• A little more expensive than XP-Pen DECO 03
  
  

Another great option for beginners, Adesso’s Cybertablet K12 is a simple, straightforward graphics tablet that provides a great drawing experience for a fairly minimal cash outlay. It stacks up well against the XP-Pen DECO 03 — while it’s a little more expensive, it also boasts two more shortcut keys and comes bundled with ArtRage Lite, a free drawing program that includes pencils, felt pens, and oil paints, and is great for cutting your teeth if you’re not quite ready to shell out for Adobe Illustrator.

If you’re looking for an even more budget-friendly option, Adesso also offers the Cybertablet K10 and K8, which offer smaller drawing areas and fewer shortcut keys, but come with tempting price discounts. The K8 also lacks the scroll wheel that is featured on the two larger models. 

Pros:

• Brilliant display quality
• Large working surface
• Customisable ExpressKeys

Cons:

• Cheaper rivals available
  
  

The Cintiq range of pen displays comprises Wacom’s top-class tablets, designed for professional illustrators and those who need the ultimate in image fidelity, or to work with complex systems such as 3D imaging. The Wacom Cintiq Pro 24 Creative Pen Display, for instance, renders images beautifully on its 4K screen that displays 99% of the RGB colour gamut. 

As you’d expect, these models offer all the tactile responsiveness of other tablets in the Wacom series, with the same levels of pressure sensitivity when paired with the Pen Pro 2. ExpressKeys can also be customised, and one-touch shortcuts can be programmed to speed up your workflow. You won’t go far wrong with an excellent tablet like the Cintiq Pro 24.

Pros:

• Undercuts Wacom on price
• Excellent drawing experience
• Big display area

Cons:

• Display isn’t 4K
• Weights a full 10kg
  
  

If you like the look of the Wacom Cintiq Pro 24 but find it to be a little beyond your budget, consider instead the XP-Pen Artist 24 Pro, which is a good deal more affordable. It’s designed to deliver a premium drawing experience and it does, with a state-of-the-art stylus and a big, beautiful 2K QHD display with excellent colour accuracy. There are two dial wheels with 20 shortcut keys on the tablet for workflow customisation, as well as a USB hub that allows you to connect external devices like a mouse and keyboard.

Be warned — this is a big and heavy tablet, clocking in at 10kg (the Wacom Cintiq 24 Pro weighs 7kg). It’s not the sort of thing you’re going to be carrying around with you for editing on the go, but will probably find a natural home in your office or studio. To that end it comes with its own stand, and is also compatible with VESA mounts.