I’ve been looking forward to trying the HAND Stylus since first seeing one on KickStarter where it was funded for more than 12 times the amount originally asked for. In a market where so many styluses look almost exactly the same, the HAND Stylus offers some great features that will probably make it an instant favorite among those of us who have been looking for the holy grail of styluses. Let’s try it out.
Note: Images can be clicked to view a larger size.
The first thing you will notice about the HAND Stylus is that it resembles a drafting pen or pencil like those offered by Rotring. Available in 11 anodized aluminum colors that include both matte and gloss finishes, this stylus will probably receive some envious glances when someone sees you using it with your iPad, Android or other capacitive screened device.
The knurled shaft looks cool but also offers improved grip. The removable pocket clip gives you a handy way to keep the stylus right where you want it while it’s not being used, including stuck to the outside of your smart cover (the clip is steel and the cover is magnetized…).
But the two best features of this stylus relate to the actual stylus tip itself. The most obvious feature is that the tip is retractable like a ballpoint pen. Click the end cap and the tip retracts. Click again and it extends. I love this feature because I don’t like having to unsnap or unscrew a cap to access a stylus tip with some of my styluses. And I really don’t like carrying around a stylus that has no tip protection at all…
Although the HAND Stylus tip is similar to most other rubber tipped styluses like the Targus stylus show above, it is obviously smaller.
The tip is only 4mm in diameter, where the Targus is twice that. What difference does that make? Quite a lot when you’re trying to see what you’re drawing or writing as you’re doing the drawing and writing… The Targus and similarly sized styluses always seem to get in my way while I’m trying to sketch. With the HAND Stylus, it’s easier to see what I’m doing so I can write smaller text and draw more detailed sketches.
The tip is smooth and squishy/hollow like the Targus tip. I have noticed that I have to use just a bit more pressure with this stylus than others I’ve used, but after getting used to that, I haven’t had any troubles using it with my iPad in several different note taking and drawing applications. It glides across the screen without sticking, skipping or scratching. I should note that I do not use a screen protector on my iPad, so I can’t comment on how well the HAND Stylus may or may not work with one.
In addition to having a smaller diameter tip and a retractable tip, the top also rotates slightly every time you click the end cap. This helps to insure that all parts of the tip get equal wear.
Speaking of wear…. The tip is replaceable, which is a feature that extends the life of the stylus. A set of 6 replacement tips will cost $4.95.
I have really enjoyed using the HAND Stylus for the last few weeks. I love the look and feel and the fact that I can retract the tip to protect it when it’s not being used. Of all the rubber tipped styluses on the market that I’ve tried so far, the HAND Stylus is my current favorite. What is your favorite stylus?
Product Information
| Price: | $29.95 |
| Manufacturer: | HAND Stylus |
| Pros: |
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As I’m not familiar with the other stylus, would you be able to tell me how long this one is?
Thanks!
JD
@Jean-Denis with the stylus tip extended, it is 5.25 inches long.
Julie, thanks for this review.
I’ve held off on buying a stylus because there was always some compromise made. This seems to tick all the boxes – retracting & rotating stylus, not as thick, price of main unit and replacement stylii.
Will definitely be getting one.
We think the Holy Grail of stylus won’t appear until the tablets response to pressure…or someone figures out how to send pressure info to the tablet from the stylus.
@RainyDayInterns. I’m waiting for my JaJa stylus: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jonatherton/jaja-worlds-first-pressure-sensitive-stylus-for-ip
Were it $20 instead of $30, and on Amazon Prime instead of the manufacturer’s own website, I’d have ordered one. As is, meh.
@Julie…
Yup…that would a great step forward. Next on the Grail quest would, of course, be a brush version with flex sensors 🙂
Thanks for the quick reply!
@ Julie… JaJa is cool… but “Collusion” goes one-step-beyond tech-wise 🙂
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/search?utf8=&term=collusion
@anson I’m not personally sold on Collusion mainly because I don’t really care that much about the collaborative features and I don’t want to attach a receiver to my iPad. It kind of reminds me of the APEN: http://apenusa.com/productdetail.php?product_id=5
While I can’t wait to get my hands on this stylus, I will say that the holy grail for true stylus input has little to do with the stylus, and all to do with screen latency (how long the tablet takes to respond to a pressure event on the screen.) This is extremely important for fast writing applications, and will require a tablet with near 1ms latency instead of the 100ms ones on the market today.
I’ve been using a BAMBOO Stylus which works fine with my iPad, although I thought the tip was a little too fat and really wanted a Stylus with a thinner tip. I was excited to hear about this product because it has a tip that’s 2 mm thinner. However, upon using the HAND Stylus, I found that it’s very difficult to get the Stylus to work. In fact it takes multiple strokes to draw on the screen, regardless of the amount of pressure I use.
@Steve I found that I needed to press harder than a normal stylus.
hello,
how can i purchase the replacement tips for Hand Stylus type pen?
thanks
@troy http://handstylus.com/store.html
This is a horrible product. I was incredibly excited to use the product as I am tired of styluses that resemble a toddler crayon! But this product doesn’t work at all with a screen protector (the rubber tip actually left a trail across my screen). I feel they could have done a much better job on their web page of indicating which protectors are a no go. Could have saved me a lot of time and frustration. When I suggested that to the rep via email, she basically told me off, and said that her opinion was that screen protectors are unnecessary, creating “bubbles and fog” against a beautiful screen. Glad I paid for her opinion. The rude, arrogant staff was a huge turn off, and they clearly don’t understand their target market- most of us utilizing a stylus do so on the go, which greatly increases your chances of an accidental drop or bump, therefore the majority of us use protectors. Usually for much more than just to protect the screen from scratches. This company needs to wake up and realize customer service is almost as important as the product you’re trying to sell.
You might try the MartinFields screen protectors. I used them from Julie’s suggestion on the iPaqs. Since those were plastic stylus input pdas the plastic was slicker and, in my opinion stronger. I bought one for my HTC Android tablet with a (hard), stylus and have never scratched the screen.
I tried the Hand Stylus on my iPad. My iPad has a screen protector and the Hand Stylus worked horribly. The Bamboo works on my iPad with the screen protector.
I am a UK resident but there are no UK outlets to obtain one,medication that i am on means i shake a lot (which doesn’t help when you are trying to text) does anyone know how i can get one? Thanks 🙏 …..Dave 🤓