AmazonBasics Stylus for Touchscreen Devices Including Kindle Fire HD 8.9-Inch, Kindle Fire HD 7-Inch, Kindle Fire, Apple iPad 2, the New iPad, Motorola Xoom, Samsung Galaxy Tab, BlackBerry PlayBook

So I was looking to grade papers using my iPad 2, and in doing so, decided I would need a stylus that works with the capacative screen. I spent a lot of time researching the competition and here’s what I came up with.

DAGi Capacitive Stylus For Apple iPad & iPad 2 & iPhone 4 & iPod Touch
Length: about 4.7 inches
Pros: See-thru tip lets you see exactly where you are writing. Weight close to what I was looking for.
Cons: Needs exact angle on the screen, so it gets tiring after some use, as you can’t change the angle.

Ten One Design Pogo Sketch Stylus for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch (Silver)
Length: 4.8 inches
Pros: Multiple color choices. Good length, responsive.
Cons: Foam tip seems like it could wear out too quickly. Too light.

Just Mobile AluPen Stylus, Black
Length: 4.7 inches
Pros: Multiple color choices. Responsive rubber tip. Durable aluminum shaft.
Cons: Really thick and heavy, like those crayons toddlers use.

SGP Stylus Pen Kuel H10 Series [Black]
Length: 3 extendable to just over 4 inches
Pros: Smaller yet responsive silicone tip. Three color choices. This was my second choice. Includes cap, and the shaft telescopes to make it longer.
Cons: Not too many, except perhaps a little too heavy.

Bamboo Stylus for iPad (CS100K)
Length: 4.7 inches
Pros: Build quality seemed really nice, perhaps a little too light.
Cons: I liked this stylus, but it was just too expensive compared to the others.

Griffin Technology Stylus for iPad, iPod touch, iPhone and other touchscreens
Length: about 4.3 inches
Pros: Comfortable.
Cons: Tip seemed too big for writing. Perhaps as a general navigation stylus.

Kensington Virtuoso Stylus for Tablet Computer – Black, iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S Compatible (K39358US)
Length: 4.3 inches
Pros: Available with a ball point pen for more money.
Cons: Nothing really stood out. Looked like the tip might wear out.

Targus Stylus for Apple iPad 16GB, 32GB, 64GB WiFi + 3G, iPad 2, iPhone, iPod, Tablet AMM01US (Black)
Length: 5.2 inches
Pros: Well balanced but heavier with pen option. Available with a ball point pen for more money, for even more you can add a laser pointer. Inexpensive with no “options”
Cons: Imprecise. Hard to form letters, as tip was not rounded enough.

And finally, the one I bought.
AmazonBasics Stylus for Touchscreen Devices Including Kindle Fire, Kindle Touch, Apple iPad 2, Motorola Xoom, Samsung Galaxy Tab, BlackBerry PlayBook (Black)
Length: 4.1 inches
Pros: Was exactly the weight I was looking for. Tip seems durable and it feels well balanced. I will post updates as I use it more. Price was good, and I have always had good experiences with AmazonBasics gear in the past.
Cons: Amazon put an ad for this product on a page for a competing product within Amazon. Kinda sneaky, but I am happy I saw it.

I did look at other styli, but didn’t really have too much to say about the others. Perhaps I should have looked at the Hard Candy Cases iPad Stylus but it seemed too expensive and kinda awkward.

As you can see weight was one of the most important factors in my decision. Too light, and it skips… too heavy and your hand gets tired. I also wanted something at least 4 inches for my rather large hands. The Amazon Basics Stylus seems to have hit the spot.

Update: 1/27/12 – The stylus is holding up well with a medium amount of use. I’ve found that cleaning the tip every once in a while has helped with responsiveness. Some people have asked how I was able to make an accurate comparison, some with anger… to that I say this: I’ve had small touch devices and big hands for a long time now, and have taken the opportunity to try these things as I have encountered them. This includes a combination of buying, borrowing, trying in stores/trade shows, and online research (especially regarding length). That being said, this is just an opinion, not something to get worked up about. Please keep that in mind when making your purchase decision, as well as when leaving comments. Thanks and happy tableting

Update: 2/5/13 – Stylus still OK, but I don’t use it as much anymore, since I got an external keyboard and my habits have changed somewhat. I removed the little lanyard on the end, as it occasionally got in the way. There are a lot of new styluses that have come out since my review as well as two new iPads. I purchased an iPad 3 for my wife and of course got her a stylus, plus a pretty cool Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover Black for iPad 2 and iPad (3rd/4th generation) (920-004013) which she loves. Might get one for myself but I have large hands (thus why I looked for a stylus some time ago).

This is the third stylus I have used and it is my favorite. I have done all of my testing on two different revisions of the Apple iPod Touch.

The first stylus I tried is a (relatively) expensive stylus from Ten-One Design which features a foam plastic tip. The entire stylus is fragile. The foam tip slides nicely across a glass screen, but does not register as reliably as I would like.

The second stylus I tried is a ridiculously cheap model that you can find at Amazon.com 3 Pack of Universal Touch Screen Stylus Pen (Red + Black + Silver). This stylus features a hollow rubber tip. Somewhat shoddy, but the rubber tip registers very well. It does not slide very well, it feels too grabby. This stylus is a very good value, and a good choice if you tend to misplace small bits.

The AmazonBasics Stylus does everything right. It is wide enough to be comfortable, like a small pen. It is sturdy and pleasant looking. It features a largish, hollow rubber tip. This stylus registers very well, and slides easily on glass. As you can see, it does not feature a pocket clip and that is the only drawback that I can perceive. In any case, that is one less bit to break off and look shoddy. Like the Ten-One stylus, hey.

I have been waiting for a while to buy the Wacom stylus for my ipad. It received great reviews but it’s been out of stock for a while. When I finally saw that it was available on Amazon I was ready to purchase it until I saw an ad for the AmazonBasic Stylus for a fraction of the cost of Wacom. I am so happy with this product… The length of the stylus is good, much like using a pen. (although it would be perfect for me if it was 1/2 in longer. The weight of the stylus is excellent, a perfect balance in my hand. And most of all, it works like a dream on my ipad. It works well for my husband as well, who has much larger hands than me. We use it mostly to take notes on UPad app. and to makes edits on pdf files. I would recommend you trying this stylus out especially if the Wacom price tag is a little to high for you.

I’ve had my iPad (first version) for close to a year now, and love almost everything about it. There are, however, two frustrations:

Although I don’t have particularly large fingers, I often find that I’m pressing *just* in the wrong place when there are multiple selection points placed very close to each other. The second frustrating aspect is how quickly the gorgeous display gets mucked up with fingerprints.

I tried a screen protector a while back, and ended up removing it. Not only did the screen lose some of its sensitivity, but when the screen protector got smudged, it was far harder to clean than the screen itself.

Enter the AmazonBasics stylus. I’ve had it barely 10 minutes and already I love the thing.

The sensitivity is just about perfect, as it doesn’t require any more or less pressure than it would using a finger.

Since the diameter of the tip is considerably smaller than the width of my finger, it’s a LOT easier to “hit the mark” when selecting small options on the screen.

It’s very light, although it’s not so thin that it feels like it’ll snap in two in your fingers.

And needless to say, it doesn’t leave marks on the screen!

One thing that I was concerned about was what to do with it when I was done. I keep my iPad in a really nice protective case. (The Acase Leather Flip Book Jacket/Folio). Despite the fact that there’s no “pen holder” in the case, it turns out that there is *just* enough room when the case is closed so that the stylus fits snugly between the spine of the case and the iPad. Even with the stylus sticking out of the top, it’s a tight enough fit that it’s very difficult to pull out… it’s NOT going to fall out as long as the case is snapped shut.

The only thing that the stylus cannot do is re-size photos –or any other action that requires the use of two fingers at the same time. But in all honesty, I don’t see that being a product “fault,” as it’s not really something that it ought to be able to do.

- Jonathan Sabin

There is a feature not shown on this page. Apparently it was added as an after thought, but it makes the stylus much handier…instead of the “nubby” looking piece at the end of the “string”, they have replaced it with a plastic “plug” that fits into the earphone socket on the KFire, so your stylus stays attached to the Fire. When done with it, I simply plug it into the audio output, and tuck the stylus into the inside spine of my Fire cover, thus it reduces the chance of misplacing or losing it.
As for the stylus itself, I’d recommend it. It works fine.

I noticed most other reviewers were interested in stylus-es (styli?) for their use in touching screens to save nails or avoid fingerprints. My own needs include taking handwritten notes and making basic sketches. (But not to the extent that I feel I can justify the three-times-more expense of the Jot Pro, even for the fine point.) I’ve compared a number of these and would say this one is a nearly identical match for my favorite, one from Griffin that is so similar in look and feel that I suspect they may have the same manufacturer.

The Amazon stylus requires a very light touch so is good both for pointing/typing and drawing/writing tasks. It felt balanced in my hand and was responsive from any angle. Those not used to working with one will find it shorter than an average pen, which may take some getting used to. I’m not sure about the purpose of the string/tassle but if Amazon wants to add something like this, I’d rather it be a cord with a 3.5mm headphone jack so I could keep it attached to my iPad or Kindle.

With the recent announcement of the Kindle Fire it’s not surprising that Amazon is moving into the stylus business. While I agree with another reviewer that eventually these will be as common as the ball point pen, for now the Amazon stylus is a good product at a decent price.

I’ve been using the Acase since I got my iPad 2. Each stylus is going to be better suited to different people and for each of those groups both get 5 stars. So here are the differences:

1) Amazon is 1/4″ longer, they are the same diameter
2) Acase is noticeably heavier which may be the reason it feels thicker when it isn’t
3) Amazon has a longer tip so it has a spongier feel. I can’t say that the rubber tip is thinner but that’s what it feels like. If you have worn through an earlier stylus from pressing or swiping, this might solve the problem as there is a longer air pocket.
4) Acase has a pocket clip, Amazon does not. I find the clip gets in the way sometimes.

I like the heavier feel of the Acase but a lot of people are going to like the very light feel of the Amazon. I play games where quickness is very important. The Amazon is definitely better for that. I am going to end up using both.

I never really needed a stylus for my iPad 1, since the screen was pretty big, and even my fumble-fingers could operate the virtual keyboard. With my Kindle Fire, however, it’s a different story. I can use the keyboard, but I make too many mistakes while typing. When someone on Kindle Boards recommended the AmazonBasics Stylus, I decided to give it a try.

After using it for a while, I like the stylus. I don’t really need it for most apps, but for typing emails or anything that requires typing on the virtual keyboard, it’s invaluable. It’s even more helpful for clicking links in the Kindle Fire’s web browser. Also – and this is a big plus – the stylus tip glides over the screen very smoothly, making it a valuable tool in drawing apps.

The stylus also works well on my iPad 1.

I like the size and heft of the stylus. It’s about 4½ inches long by slightly less than 1/3 inch in diameter. The weight is about a half ounce (I’m estimating). The stylus pad is rounded and is very soft. The other end has a replaceable lanyard about 2½ inches long.

I agree with other reviewers that the stylus should have a pocket clip on the end, but this wasn’t a deal-breaker for me. The benefits outweigh the minor deficiencies.

And thank you, Amazon, for the frustration-free packaging.
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UPDATE April 3, 2013: I see that the stylus now features a pocket clip, and the price is much less than it cost when I purchased it in 2011. That makes this a much more useful stylus at a very attractive price.