After testing over a dozen digital notebooks, Ive realized that the stylus is the real MVP in the e-ink tablet equation

Date:
Sat, 16 May 2026 03:00:17 +0000

Description:
Even the best digital notebook is nothing without a good stylus and the ViWoods C1 ceramic pen is an excellent case in point.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Im a massive fan of digital notebooks (aka epaper or E Ink tablets) Ive used over a dozen in the last
few years and, as a habitual list maker and note taker, I find them extremely useful. My favorite e-notebook purely from a writing experience is the Amazon Kindle Scribe (2024 edition) and, while I loved it when it first launched, the Kobo Elipsa 2E is now my least favorite as newer options just
do it better.

Ive come to realize that a lot of that preference boils down to one
surprising element: the stylus. Or rather, the stylus' little nib and how it feels when you get down to the act of (figuratively) putting pen to paper.
The Kindle Premium Pen I use with the 2024 Scribe feels a lot softer and, thus, smoother than the hard plastic tip of the Kobo Stylus 2. Onyx Boox
styli are also generally acceptable, though the prolific device maker has stumbled a little with its most recent InkSense Plus Stylus as the relatively thicker nib adds more friction than I personally prefer. Latest Videos From You may like The best drawing tablet 2025 I cannot stop doodling on the reMarkable Paper Pure The best ereader for 2026

And thats the clincher: stylus preference is very personal while some
writers prefer a smooth, flowing experience, others might want that extra friction or scratchiness. Im firmly in the former camp and the absolute best stylus thats given me that experience is the ViWoods C1 stylus. Viwoods C1 Ceramic Stylus at Amazon for 89.99 Other than a Supernote pen, the C1 is the only other ceramic-tipped stylus I've tried and the amount of precision and control it offers is far more than anything I've experienced with the several bundled pens I've previously used. The ViWoods C1 ceramic-tipped stylus is in a class of its own (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar) Rather disappointingly, the C1 doesnt come bundled with any of the ViWoods tablets you need to purchase it separately. While its not cheap ( costing $99 / 89.99 / AU$140 ), I think its well worth the extra splurge if youre after a writing experience that combines smoothness and friction perfectly.

Using EMR (electromagnetic resonance) technology to pair the stylus to a tablet, the C1 also works with other competing epaper devices like Supernote and the now-discontinued reMarkable 2 (but not the newer reMarkable Paper series), on some of Samsung s S-series Galaxy Tabs, as well as dedicated drawing slates from the likes of XPPen. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

EMR pens like the C1 offer other advantages too, including superior pressure sensitivity and accurate positioning for precise line making, as well as faster response speed so theres no lag between pen placement and the marks actually appearing on screen. (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar) The power in a pen Ever noticed that your handwriting can change depending on which pen youre using? Thats because some pens feel more natural than others, which then translates to more pleasing handwriting. Again, this is largely dependent on the pen's nib and it's exactly the same for digital writing as well. While I rather like my handwriting, it's nicer neater when using the ViWoods C1.

For that, I give credit to the C1s needle-like ceramic tip thats pinpoint perfect and translates into better control over the marks being made on the screen. That control is increased because theres zero input lag, which means its just like using a pen on paper. What to read next Onyx Boox Note Air5 C review: a solid color epaper tablet, but it doesn't feel 'new' I took the
iPad Air and Kindle Scribe Colorsoft drawing in the park and there's only
one I want to use in direct sunlight Huion Kamvas Pro 24 Gen 3 review: a brilliant, whopping great drawing slate

Thats thanks to a speedy response time of 960Hz (or 960 RPS), which is the frequency at which a tablet records the stylus position and pressure. In the C1s case, its sending data practically every millisecond! For context, a standard stylus typically has a response speed of 200 to 300 RPS.

This speed also makes me feel like Im not exerting any pressure while writing
even the lightest touch makes the marks flow without generating any fatigue in my hand, and thats an important consideration for me as I suffer from RSI in my fingers. In comparison, most other styli (including the Kindle Premium Pen I like so much and ViWoods own Stylus W2) feel like theyre sticking to
the screen and require a touch more effort to move.

Like I said, the C1 feels effortless. (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar) The ceramic tip also makes the C1 a lot more long-lasting than other standard styli. Its the only digital pen Ive come across that doesnt ship with extra replacement tips ViWoods says the included one should last a lifetime, so there arent any ongoing costs here either. To offer some comparison, using the reMarkable Marker Plus for six months wore the tip down significantly (see the image on top of the page), while I replaced the Kindle Premium Pens tip after a year of near-daily use.

After learning about a colleagues experience with titanium replacement tips that resulted in damaging the tablets screen, I was worried the same would happen when using a ceramic pen after all, the C1 nib is also a pinpoint piece of hard material. However, after six months of testing on the ViWoods AiPaper and the reMarkable 2 , Ive seen no scratches.

Ergonomically, the ViWoods C1 is well designed, with just the right amount of heft and a non-slip grip. Like other EMR pens, it has a customizable shortcut button that can be set to highlighting, erasing or lassoing text, depending
on which one you use the most. If I was nitpicking, Id say that the eraser on the top of the C1 is a little rattly but, personally, I didnt find it distracting and barely even registered it when I was concentrating on the
task at hand. (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar) Take note theres a caveat As someone who reviews e-ink devices regularly, I have a rather
large collection of epaper tablets and I tried the ViWoods C1 on seven of them, namely the 2024 Kindle Scribe, two Kobo note takers, a reMarkable and 3 Boox tablets. Unfortunately the C1 only worked on one of those devices (the reMarkable 2), although Ive seen plenty of online reports that suggest it should at least be compatible with the Kindle Scribe.

Even if it did work for writing on other tablets, the pens full functionality might not be unleashed due to software incompatibility between the tablet and the stylus. For example, erasing with the pen on the ViWoods AiPaper was a
lot more effective than when I performed the same task on the reMarkable 2. Intelligent lasso also worked only on the ViWoods device and not on the reMarkable. This can make it hard to recommend purchasing a second stylus, even one as good as the C1.

Every brand that sells a large-screen epaper writing tablet bundles it with its own stylus, offering you full functionality at no extra cost. Nearly all of them have no discernible lag (its only when you use something like the C1 that you realize theres something faster) and they write quite well, so not everyone will need an additional stylus. However, if you write or draw every day, finding the best stylus for your needs is definitely worth the extra
cost if you're willing to consider the caveats. Today's best Viwoods C1 Ceramic Stylus deals 119.99 89.99 View We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



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