Which Wacom tablet is best for beginners? Are you struggling to compare the technical specifications, and you want to know how each tablet feels to use? This product comparison review will answer all the important questions – it's your shortcut to understanding which is the best beginner Wacom tablet for you, based on both functionality and price points.
The best place to start is with one of the five models of ‘pen tablets’ that are available in 2020: the One, Intuos Photo, Intuos, Intuos Pro Pen and Touch, and the Intuos Pro. All five models are great for beginners, this product comparison article will help you choose the best beginner Wacom tablet for you.
Professionals who often use a graphics tablet as part of their everyday work station include: Architects, Graphic Designers, Graphic Artists, Digital Artists, Film Editors, Game Designers, Animation Artists, and Visual Effects Specialists. For many years Wacom brand pen tablets have been the all-round industry standard for creative professions.
Budget is not the only important factor, as there may be a certain feature that will speed up your particular workflow. Even for a beginner tablet, these Wacom tablets are quality products that will last for years to come – so it may be worth spending a little more money on features and comfort if those things are more important to you.
All five models of Wacom pen tablets are designed for beginners, and share certain features. Every Wacom tablet in this comparison article:
Works with both Mac and PC operating systems.
Is designed to be used easily by both right-handed or left-handed users (every tablet has symmetrical placement of buttons and plug ports).
Comes with a battery-free stylus pen with at least two programmable side buttons.
Has a well thought out settings interface, and up-to-date drivers that are easy to install by following instructions on Wacom’s website.
Follow the steps below to choose the beginner Wacom tablet that is best for you:
1. Visual product comparison
2. Product comparison summary chart
3. Criteria for evaluation
4. Detailed product reviews
5. Where to purchase a Wacom tablet: online and in-store
1. Visual product comparison
2. Product comparison summary chart
3. Criteria for evaluation
Size(s):
In what sizes is each model available? S = Small, M = Medium, L = Large.
Price (Range):
Tablet price corresponds to features that are included. You need to decide which features are worth the price for your own workflow and budget (i.e. some features will let you work much faster, so the small cost increase could be offset by your increased productivity). Each price shown is a price range that covers all sizes of that tablet model, and are based on prices from Wacom’s US eStore at the time of publishing.
Features:
One star for each of five important features:
Wireless use via Bluetooth.
Programmable ExpressKeys (buttons for keyboard shortcuts).
Multi-gesture touch surface.
Quality of materials.
Pen features.
Quality + Feel:
How does it feel to use? Overall evaluation for design features, materials used, the writing surface, and pen pressure sensitivity.
Comfort:
When compared to using a traditional computer mouse and/or trackpad, how much more comfortable is the tablet for your hand and arm? How portable is the tablet?
4. Detailed product reviews
One by Wacom (released 2019)
Summary of this Product:
Sizes: S, M
Price Range: $69.95 – $129.95
Features: ★☆☆☆☆
Quality + Feel: ★★★☆☆
Comfort: ★★☆☆
Sizes and Prices:
Small = $69.95. Medium = $129.95.
Features:
One star for each of five important features:
Wireless use via Bluetooth = No.
Programmable ExpressKeys (buttons for keyboard shortcuts) = No.
Multi-gesture touch surface = No.
Quality of materials = High quality and durable, composite plastic materials. Surfaces have a soft-touch matte finish.
Pen features = Pen name: LP190K Pen. Pen stand: No. Extra nibs: Yes, 3 standard. Eraser end: No. Grip material: N/A (smooth plastic). Battery in pen: No (does not need to charge).
Quality + Feel:
One by Wacom is the most recent entry-level pen tablet from Wacom and it is designed for beginners who want to try the most simple product at the lowest price (although it is priced only slightly lower than the 2018 model Wacom Intuos tablet). For a beginner tablet, it feels good to use, with a smooth and soft-touch drawing surface and nicely weighted pen. Important to note, the drawing surface does not have multi-gesture touch capability.
Wacom’s LP190K Pen is a very basic model of pen, and is made cheaply by removing the eraser end programmable button. The pen feels OK to use, but it has no comfortable grip material. It does not come with a pen stand – so there is always a risk of the pen rolling off your desk or being lost unless you have it stored in the elastic loop on one side of the tablet.
Choose a medium size tablet if you work across dual monitors or if you work on a large screen.
Wacom recommends this tablet as the best beginner tablet for children – but for adults and professionals, the lack of programmable ExpressKeys might be a dealbreaker.
Comfort:
When compared to using a traditional computer mouse and/or trackpad, the One tablet is moderately more comfortable for your hand and arm. However, most of the tablet surface is active drawing area and therefore the One by Wacom lacks a wrist resting area. Since your unsupported hand will move off the edge of the tablet while drawing, you may experience some issues when attempting to draw smoothly across the active area (this issue is common to all of all the non-Pro Wacom tablet models). The One by Wacom tablet is very portable because it is thin and light, with the small size weighing just 0.5 pounds (250 g).
Wacom Intuos Photo (released 2015)
Summary of this Product:
Size: S
Price: $69.95
Features: ★★☆☆☆
Quality + Feel: ★☆☆☆☆
Comfort: ★★☆☆☆
Size and Price:
Small = $69.95. Medium = Older versions may be available at refurbished prices.
Features:
One star for each of five important features:
Wireless use via Bluetooth = No (Wireless Accessory Kit and Battery sold separately).
Programmable ExpressKeys (buttons for keyboard shortcuts) = Yes, 4.
Multi-gesture touch surface = Yes.
Quality of materials = Medium quality and moderately durable, plastic materials. Surfaces have a hard-touch textured matte finish.
Pen features = Pen name: Intuos Pen. Pen stand: No. Extra nibs: Yes, 3 standard. Eraser end: No. Grip material: N/A (rough plastic). Battery in pen: No (does not need to charge).
Quality + Feel:
The Intuos Photo tablet feels the most cheap of all the tablets in this comparison. The drawing surface feels like roughly textured plastic, and the surface makes a scraping noise to draw on. Some reviews have mentioned that the plastic back of their tablet has cracked with use over time.
Wacom’s Intuos Pen is a very basic model of pen, and is made cheaply by removing the eraser end programmable button. The Intuos Pen feels cheap to use because of its rough plastic with no additional grip material. It does not come with a pen stand – so there is always a risk of the pen rolling off your desk or being lost unless you have it stored in the elastic loop on one side of the tablet.
Because this tablet is now only sold in the small size, it may not give you enough detailed on-screen control if you work across dual monitors or if you work on a large screen.
Comfort:
When compared to using a traditional computer mouse and/or trackpad, the Intuos Photo tablet is moderately more comfortable for your hand and arm. However, most of the tablet surface is active drawing area and therefore the Intuos Photo lacks a wrist resting area. Since your unsupported hand will move off the edge of the tablet while drawing, you may experience some issues when attempting to draw smoothly across the active area (this issue is common to all of all the non-Pro Wacom tablet models). The Intuos Photo tablet is very portable because it is thin and light, weighing just 0.6 pounds (290 g).
Wacom Intuos (released 2018)
Best low budget option
Summary of this Product:
Sizes: S, M
Price Range: $79.95 – $199.95
Features: ★★★☆☆
Quality + Feel: ★★★★☆
Comfort: ★★☆☆☆
Sizes and Prices:
Small = $79.95 with no bluetooth. Small = $99.95. Medium = $199.95.
Features:
One star for each of five important features:
Wireless use via Bluetooth = Yes, except for the cheaper small size with no bluetooth (which will need to be plugged in to your computer to be used).
Programmable ExpressKeys (buttons for keyboard shortcuts) = Yes, 4.
Multi-gesture touch surface = No.
Quality of materials = High quality and durable, composite plastic materials. Surfaces have a soft-touch matte finish.
Pen features = Pen name: Wacom Pen 4K. Pen stand: No. Extra nibs: Yes, 3 standard. Eraser end: No. Grip material: N/A (smooth plastic). Battery in pen: No (does not need to charge).
Quality + Feel:
The new generation model of Intuos tablets feel great to use. Wacom has corrected two issues with the previous generation Intuos tablets (now named Intuos Photo): now the Wacom Pen 4K has a little more weight so it feels better to draw with, and the material surfaces of both the pen and the tablet have been improved and are now more smooth and soft-touch. Important to note, the drawing surface does not have multi-gesture touch capability, but it does feel more sturdy and higher quality than the Intuos Photo.
The Wacom Pen 4K features better pressure sensitivity than the old Intuos Pen, and it features a removable back end with a nib changing tool, and 3 spare nibs inside the pen. One downside is that it does not come with a pen stand – so there is always a risk of the pen rolling off your desk or being lost unless you have it stored in the elastic loop on one side of the tablet. However, the buttons on the 2018 Intuos model have been centrally grouped so that you can rest your pen horizontally across the buttons at the top of the tablet. Choose a medium size tablet if you work across dual monitors or if you work on a large screen.
Comfort:
When compared to using a traditional computer mouse and/or trackpad, the Intuos tablet is moderately more comfortable for your hand and arm. However, most of the tablet surface is active drawing area and therefore the Wacom Intuos lacks a wrist resting area. Since your unsupported hand will move off the edge of the tablet while drawing, you may experience some issues when attempting to draw smoothly across the active area (this issue is common to all of all the non-Pro Wacom tablet models). The Intuos tablet is very portable because it is thin and light, weighing just 0.5 pounds (250 g).
Wacom Intuos Pro - Pen and Touch (released 2017)
Best value
Summary of this Product:
Sizes: S, M, L
Price Range: $199.95 – $374.95 (available from Wacom as refurbished only)
Features: ★★★★★
Quality + Feel: ★★★★☆
Comfort: ★★★★☆
Sizes and Prices:
Small = $199.95. Medium = $264.95. Large = $374.95.
Features:
One star for each of five important features:
Wireless use via Bluetooth = Yes.
Programmable ExpressKeys (buttons for keyboard shortcuts) = Yes. The small size tablet has 6, and the medium and large size tablets have 8 each.
Multi-gesture touch surface = Yes.
Quality of materials = High quality and durable, composite plastic materials. Surfaces have a soft-touch matte finish.
Pen features = Pen name: Grip Pen. Pen stand: Yes. Extra nibs: Yes, 10 assorted. Eraser end: Yes. Grip material: Latex-free silicone rubber. Battery in pen: No (does not need to charge).
Quality + Feel:
The Intuos Pro Pen and Touch feels great to use, with a nicely weighted pen and an almost velvet-like surface below your hand and wrist. The drawing surface feels sturdy and solid, and is quiet to draw on. It comes with a range of alternate pen nibs, such as a felt blend tip.
One of the biggest advantages of the Intuos Pro Pen and Touch tablet model is that it comes with Wacom’s Grip Pen that has a pen stand – which is a great way to speed up your workflow if you intend to use your new tablet as a replacement for a traditional mouse. I cannot stress how much this helps me to work fast, being able to grab the pen from beside my monitor without having to stop and look for it – or risk having the pen roll off my desk, like the tablets with no pen stand.
For years I have used the Intuos Pro Pen and Touch small size for graphic design work across dual monitors (meaning that the live drawing area of the tablet is split in half, one half for each monitor), but I’ve found the small size tablet’s working area to be large enough to work across two screens.
Comfort:
When compared to using a traditional computer mouse and/or trackpad, the Intuos Pro Pen and Touch tablet is much more comfortable for your hand and arm. The tablet has a generous wrist resting area so that your hand does not fall off the edge of the tablet while drawing: with your hand supported properly in this way, you are able to draw smoothly across the whole active area of the tablet’s surface because you have greater control of how the pen moves (which avoids that specific frustration of all the non-Pro Wacom tablet models).
The Intuos Pro Pen and Touch small and medium sizes are reasonably portable, but this is also the heaviest model in this tablet comparison, with the small size weighing 2.2 pounds (990 g). It is also the thickest (tallest) Wacom tablet in this comparison, at 0.5 inches (12 mm), so if your budget has some flexibility then I suggest to go for the thinner and lighter next generation model: the Intuos Pro tablet that was released in 2019.
Wacom Intuos Pro (released 2019)
Best comfort and features
Summary of this Product:
Sizes: S, M, L
Price Range: $249.95 – $499.95
Features: ★★★★★
Quality + Feel: ★★★★★
Comfort: ★★★★★
Sizes and Prices:
Small = $249.95. Medium = $379.95. Large = $499.95.
Features:
One star for each of five important features:
Wireless use via Bluetooth = Yes.
Programmable ExpressKeys (buttons for keyboard shortcuts) = Yes. The small size tablet has 6, and the medium and large size tablets have 8 each.
Multi-gesture touch surface = Yes.
Quality of materials = High quality and durable, composite plastic materials with metal details (e.g. in the weighted pen stand). Medium and large size tablets have the ability to be customized with differently textured drawing surfaces, which can be ordered separately.
Pen features = Pen name: Pro Pen 2. Pen stand: Yes. Extra nibs: Yes, 10 assorted. Eraser end: Yes. Grip material: Latex-free silicone rubber. Battery in pen: No (does not need to charge).
Quality + Feel:
The new generation model of Intuos Pro tablets feel great to use, with a nicely weighted pen and a soft-touch surface below your hand and wrist. The drawing surface feels sturdy and solid, and is quiet to draw on. In fact, a new innovation from Wacom for this model is the ability to customize the medium and large size tablets with differently textured drawing surfaces, which can be ordered separately (please note this feature is not available for the small size).
Wacom’s Pro Pen 2 is the latest generation pen with an incredibly wide range of pressure sensitivity, and it comes with a 10 alternate pen nibs for all art styles. The pen stand included with the Intuos Pro 2019 model is weighted with a metal base that cleverly conceals a little tool to easily switch out your pen nibs. Another innovation with the pen stand is that it holds the pen vertically and horizontally – which is a great way to speed up your workflow if you intend to use your new tablet as a replacement for a traditional mouse. I cannot stress how much this helps me to work fast, being able to grab the pen from beside my monitor without having to stop and look for it – or risk having the pen roll off my desk, like the tablets with no pen stand.
Choose a tablet size that matches your workflow. For example, if you work across dual monitors then the live drawing area of the tablet will typically be split in half, one half for each monitor). If you work on one or two large screens, then you will have greater detail control on a medium or large size Intuos Pro.
Comfort:
When compared to using a traditional computer mouse and/or trackpad, the Intuos Pro tablet is much more comfortable for your hand and arm. The tablet has a generous wrist resting area so that your hand does not fall off the edge of the tablet while drawing: with your hand supported properly in this way, you are able to draw smoothly across the whole active area of the tablet’s surface because you have greater control of how the pen moves (which avoids that specific frustration of all the non-Pro Wacom tablet models).
The Intuos Pro small and medium sizes are reasonably portable, with the small size weighing less than half compared to the small size of the previous generation (the Intuos Pro Pen and Touch). The 2019 model small size Intuos Pro weighs just 0.9 pounds (450 g). It is also 30% thinner than the previous generation, at 0.3 inches (8 mm). Wacom’s 2019 Intuos Pro tablet is our pick for best comfort and features because it is thin, light, comfortable, sturdy, durable, and it will give you lasting value for years to come by improving your workflow.
5. Where to purchase a Wacom tablet: online and in-store
Buy online, directly from Wacom:
The most trusted way to purchase a Wacom tablet is to buy it directly from Wacom via their online store called the ‘Wacom eStore’. Wacom offers free shipping on US orders over $50. For residents of the United States, here is a link to the USA eStore: https://us-store.wacom.com/
For residents of other countries, Wacom has provided a list of links to other regional eStores, so that you know you are viewing the correct product pricing and language options for your region. Find the list of regional Wacom eStores at this page: https://www.wacom.com/en-us/websites
Typically, Wacom tablets are stocked at large electronic retailers, such as Best Buy or H.H.Gregg.
For residents of all countries, Wacom has an online tool that helps you to locate the physical stores near you that are official retailers for Wacom products. To use the tool to find an official retailer near you, visit this page: https://www.wacom.com/en-us/dealer-search
