If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more. Please also consider subscribing to WIRED
Do You Need a Digital Note Device?
The Pros and Cons
Our Favorite
reMarkable 2
A Close Runner-Up
Supernote A5 X
A Pricey Upgrade
Boox Tab Ultra
Do you take a lot of notes? Whether you’re in school or working in a job that requires lots of jotting down ideas, you may opt for typing notes on a laptop, but physically writing something down helps you remember and learn more. Putting real pen to paper also just feels good. However, having a digital backup is convenient for on-the-go organization and studying.
There are e-ink tablets, smart pens, and notebooks made to save digital files of your handwritten notes or drawings. You can save files as PDFs, images, and Word Docs, or transcribe them to a text file in Google Docs to make all your notes searchable. Some of these devices can record too, which is great for lectures and interviews. If your notes need an upgrade, we recommend giving these a try. Be sure to check out our Best Dorm Essentials guide, as well as our Best Tablets, Best Laptop Backpacks, and Best Totes guides.
Updated September 2023: We’ve added the ReMarkable 2, Supernote A5 X, and Boox Tab Ultra.
-
Photograph: Moleskine
Do You Need a Digital Note Device?
The Pros and Cons
The short answer is no. These devices are expensive, usually costing several hundred dollars when you can simply buy a notebook and pen for a few bucks. But if you like the physical act of writing over typing but need to have digital copies, they’re worth considering.
Pros:
- Digital notebooks are thin and light but hold hundreds of notes.
- You can transcribe your notes into text files, making them easier to read and manipulate.
- Depending on the device, you can export files as PDFs, Google Docs, Evernote files, and more.
- Instantly digitizes your art too.
Cons:
- Expensive.
- Need to be charged.
- Has a learning curve.
- Most smart pens need to be paired with an accompanying notebook. At CES 2023, we saw the Nuwa Pen that promises smart notes on any paper. We’ll try it as soon as it’s available.
-
Photograph: reMarkable
Our Favorite
reMarkable 2
This is one of the most well-known names in the category and WIRED reviews editor Julian Chokkattu has been using the ReMarkable 2 for more than a year. He says the matte screen feels like paper, writing on it is quick and responsive, and battery life is exemplary. It can last for several weeks on a charge, and you never have to recharge the stylus, which also magnetically sticks to the side of the tablet. There is also a new keyboard attachment if you want to get some typing done (we haven’t tried it yet). The tablet is $299, but you’ll need to pay for a pen, which is an additional $79, or $129 if you want the one with an eraser on the other end.
There are many ways to organize your work into different notebooks or quick sheets, and you can sort them with tags and folders. You also upload PDFs and ebooks to the slate via the company’s app or website, and ReMarkable has a Chrome extension that lets you send any webpage to read on the tablet. You can integrate your notes into Google Drive, Dropbox, or Microsoft OneDrive. However, you may need a Connect subscription ($3 per month) to access syncing and unlimited cloud storage.
When WIRED writer Louryn Strampe reviewed it in 2020, she noted that other features were lacking and that’s still mostly the case. There is no waterproofing, no page-turn buttons, and no backlight. The company has added new capabilities since and the price has come down, but it’s still best for the simple task of jotting notes.
-
Photograph: Supernote
A Close Runner-Up
Supernote A5 X
Supernote’s A5 X also felt similar to putting actual pen to paper, and it’s very responsive. It has a few extra features but isn’t packed with unnecessary things you need to navigate through just to take notes. You can export to Google Drive, Dropbox, or the Supernote cloud via its app or web browser. I recommend reading through the user manual because there are functions and gestures you can learn to make the process easier.
The Kindle app is a bit more clunky than on a Kindle device itself, but once you’re actually in an ebook, it’s a similar experience. The $415 price is for the tablet only, so you’ll have to purchase a pen separately. I tried the Heart of Metal Pen 2 ($75) and the cheapest standard pen ($44). Depending on which you go for, some have ceramic “NeverReplace” nibs, while others have nibs that do need replacing eventually.
-
Photograph: Boox
A Pricey Upgrade
Boox Tab Ultra
Boox makes great e-ink tablets for taking notes. They’re much more expensive, though, and heavier to carry around. Writing with a stylus on the Tab Ultra was similar to the above two picks—it feels natural. You can create multiple notebooks and save them to Google Docs or Dropbox. I also tested the Note Air 2 Plus, but the Tab Ultra is a bit faster, with more storage and a 16-MP camera for scanning physical documents to your device. I also tried the keyboard case, which I really liked using when I needed to take more notes or my hand started to cramp.
There are a bunch of apps available so you can read ebooks, check your emails, or browse your favorite newspaper. If you want all the capabilities of a tablet but prefer writing on e-ink screens, consider this upgrade.
-
Photograph: Kobo
Kobo Elipsa
Kobo makes some of our favorite e-readers and this combines reading with note-taking. The Elipsa is pricey, but it comes with a stylus that allows you to mark up ebooks and compatible PDFs. If you’re an English major who has to read multiple books a semester, this might be a great option for you to easily keep track of notes. Plus you can create numerous notebooks like the other tablets here. Pro tip: You can check out ebooks from your local library for free if you have a library card.
★ A Kindle alternative: The Kindle Scribe ($340) (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is slightly cheaper than the Kobo, but they work basically the same, with easy-to-use notebook options. We prefer Kindle interfaces, but marking books is actually simpler on the Kobo—with the Kindle, you have to use sticky notes instead of writing directly on the page.
-
Photograph: Iskn
For Beginner Artists
Iskn Repaper Graphic Tablet
You can take notes with Repaper as easily as with the other items on this list, but I think artists will enjoy easily digitizing their work, especially those just getting started (it’s cheaper than an iPad). Repaper uses a tablet and magnetized rings to automatically digitize notes as you work on real, physical paper. Any properly sized paper will work—if it’s bigger than the tablet, you won’t get an accurate digital version—as will any writing utensil that fits a Repaper Ring (it comes with a pencil).
The Repaper Studio app shows your work in real time if you want it to. That’s especially handy if you want to draw directly on the tablet with the included stylus and not use paper or if you’re sharing your screen via Zoom for class. If not, you can finish and upload your creation later. You can download sharable time-lapse videos too. It’s not without its faults, and I occasionally found it to be buggy when switching between pens, but overall I was impressed.
-
Photograph: Apple
You May Prefer an iPad
Apple iPad (2021, 9th Gen)
E-ink notebooks are easier on the eyes and feel closer to paper than a glass-screened tablet. But in some cases, you might spend less getting an iPad and an Apple Pencil (and a keyboard if you also want to type sometimes). You can also do more on them thanks to the thousands of apps in the App Store, but still take notes and draw. An iPad is typically more intuitive to use than many of these digital notebooks too. WIRED writer Jaina Grey uses her 11-inch iPad Pro with the GoodNotes and Notability apps for her writing, but there are other models that should work fine.
Read our Best iPads guide to learn about the differences, and check out our Best Tablets guide for other Android offerings.
-
Photograph: Neo Smartpen; Illustration: Medea Giordano
Our Favorite Smart Pen
Neo Smartpen M1+
Skip the tablet and write directly on paper with a smart pen instead. The Neo Smartpen M1+ is the thinnest and lightest of all the pens I tried, which makes it feel a bit more like your standard pen. Importantly, it’s comfortable to hold and use. You should be able to find whatever size and style of notebook you need as well as planners.
The Neo Studio app (available on iPhone and Android) is nice, with an easy-to-navigate notebook system and the ability to search for pages by page number or date. You can change the color of the ink and thickness of the lines right on the page as you go, or you can switch them up later and edit the colors of what you’ve written. This pen doesn’t record audio, but if that’s something you want, Neo sells a separate recorder that pairs with the pen.
★ Alternative: The Neo Smartpen Dimo ($59) is the cheapest and uses replaceable batteries. It isn’t compatible with Google Calendar, iCal, or Outlook like our other picks.
-
Photograph: Moleskine; Illustration: Medea Giordano
A Runner-Up Smart Pen
Moleskine Smart Writing Set
Moleskine has garnered a devoted following for its classic notebooks and journals, but it has also moved into smart territory. The Smart Writing Set gets you a notebook and pen bundle, so this is the best option for most people starting out. Write in the notebook and it’ll appear in the companion app! But you can buy the pen on its own, as well as the smart notebooks and planners in various sizes.
The Moleskine Notes 2.0 app (available on iPhone and Android) was easy to use once I settled into it. An older version of the app is available for download, but the 2.0 version is more streamlined. A pop-up let me know that 2.0 is still a work in progress and I might need to switch back to the older version if my device is having trouble, but my iPhone 11 didn’t have any issues.
Note: I tried the $149 2018 version of the Smart Writing Set, which is no longer available. I haven’t tried the 2022 version. They seem identical, but the price has jumped dramatically to $279. There’s also a 2016 version still selling for $100 on Amazon, but it’s too old.
-
Photograph: Livescribe
This Pen Prioritizes Audio
Livescribe Symphony
The Livescribe Symphony has all the features you’d expect from a smart pen, but it places a heavier emphasis on the ability to record. There are Record, Pause, and Stop labels at the bottom of the notebook pages that you can activate just by pressing with your pen—a feature I really liked. However, the app is a bit clunky, and its transcription tool isn’t as good as the other picks on this list. It’s still available from Walmart, but no longer for sale on Livescribe’s website so it may not have a long life left.
The Symphony doesn’t have a power button. Instead, it turns on when the cap is removed and off when the cap is replaced. This is a nice feature, in theory, to make sure you don’t forget to turn it on before you start writing. However, the cap easily pops off, which means you risk leaving it turned on and draining the battery.
-
Photograph: Target
A Reusable Notebook
Rocketbook Core
I find a lot of joy in brand-new notebooks, but there’s no doubt that they can be wasteful. Rocketbook makes several reusable notebooks, planners, and accessories like flashcards. Take notes with an erasable Pilot Frixion Pen (one should come with whichever item you buy), scan photos to the Rocketbook app, and erase the whole thing with the damp microfiber cloth. The app is designed to keep everything organized and easily send things off to Google Drive, Evernote, OneNote, and a handful of other options.
The paper isn’t as nice to write on as regular paper, but it’s made to withstand a damp cloth. If I took a ton of notes every day, I’d probably want really good paper, but I like that one notebook can last as long as you take care of it. I stuck with the black pen it came with, but some people buy colorful Frixions for more organized notes.
