The Best Synaptics Stylus | Best Picks + Buyers Guide

best synaptics stylus

Touchscreen technology has come a long way from its early days of being unresponsive and slow to navigate with. In fact, nowadays we’re all pretty adept at using a touchscreen, and not just by using our phones or tablets. High-quality touchscreens are implemented into modern monitors and laptops too and this means that it opened up an entire world of extra functionality. But a lot of people out there don’t use these screens as optimally as they could. What if you’re looking for something better? Well, we’ve put together this list of some of the Best Synaptics Stylus.

Position
Best Pick
Budget Pick
Premium Choice
Snapshot
Lenovo Active Pen 2, 4096 Levels of Pressure Sensitivity, Customized Shortcut Buttons, for ThinkPad X1 Tablet Gen 2, Miix 720, 510, 520, Yoga 720, 920, Replacement Tips Included, GX80N07825
Stylus Pen for Touch Screens, Digital Pencil Active Pens Fine Point Stylist Compatible with iPhone iPad Pro and Other Tablets
New Microsoft Surface Slim Pen
Price
$51.50
Price not available
$150.43
Position
Best Pick
Name
Snapshot
Lenovo Active Pen 2, 4096 Levels of Pressure Sensitivity, Customized Shortcut Buttons, for ThinkPad X1 Tablet Gen 2, Miix 720, 510, 520, Yoga 720, 920, Replacement Tips Included, GX80N07825
Price
$51.50
Position
Budget Pick
Snapshot
Stylus Pen for Touch Screens, Digital Pencil Active Pens Fine Point Stylist Compatible with iPhone iPad Pro and Other Tablets
Price
Price not available
Position
Premium Choice
Snapshot
New Microsoft Surface Slim Pen
Price
$150.43

Best Synaptics Stylus Guide

Believe it or not, using your finger on a touchscreen is often not the easiest or best way to handle certain tasks. For instance, if you’re someone who likes to actually write their notes with a pen, you may want to think about using a Synaptics stylus with your device. And if you’re an artist, well you probably already have a stylus and make full use of it. Whether you’re looking for an upgrade or starting your journey with styluses, this list will help you make that decision. So let’s jump right in!

Buteny Stylus Pen

best synaptics stylus

To start off this list we’ve gone for an affordable Active Pen for those that don’t want to spend too much money. With this in mind, we’ve gone for this offering from Buteny for its low price. Looking at this stylus you may see that it has a certain resemblance to the Apple Pencil. This pen just has a black color scheme as opposed to the classic white you see on Apple products. This is an aesthetic that tons of stylus manufacturers tend to emulate. And if you like that kind of style then you’re in luck here.

Functionally speaking, this pen has a few great points and a couple of missing features that some may depend on. Let’s start with the good stuff first though. The battery life on this pen is fantastic, being able to last around 10 hours before needing another charge. It’s charged utilizing the Micro USB port on the end of the stylus. So if you need something that can last for a full day’s worth of work, this is a great choice. It also has universal compatibility, so you don’t need to worry about it not working on certain devices. It also comes with a backup fiber tip that you can use as a regular stylus if your battery runs out while you’re using it. The biggest issue that this pen has, or rather that it doesn’t have, is pressure sensitivity. This means that any serious artists will probably want to look elsewhere. But if you’re using this stylus for writing or easier navigation on your device then this is a great affordable option. But if you are looking for something that’s a little more special, check out our other entries on this list.

Pros:

  • Affordable
  • Great Battery Life
  • Wide Compatibility

Cons:

  • No Pressure Sensitivity
  • Unoriginal Design

Check Availability on Amazon!

Active Capacity Pen

Next up, we’ve got a pen that will still appeal to those that want to save some money. We’ve gone for this stylus from Tesha for its affordability and for a few of its nice extra functions. Aesthetically speaking, this is quite a deviation from our previous option. This pen has a much more rounded sort of appearance. While this doesn’t really have any bearing on how it’ll function, the style is still important. The color scheme here is a really nice glossy silver. Which gives it a professional vibe and means it can be used comfortably at home or at the workplace.

Let’s get more into how well this pen actually works when in use. And for the price, you actually get a pretty good deal here all things considered. Let’s start with the battery though as it’s the first disappointing aspect of the pen. It requires an AAAA battery and is not natively rechargeable. This means that you’ll need to make sure you have spare batteries on hand for when the old ones die. And that’s even more of a pain if you tend to use styluses a lot which means you’ll need to swap out the battery more often.

There are also good things here too, like the two programmable buttons near the tip of the pen. That lets you add different functions to increase your efficiency. Though there’s no Bluetooth here so be warned there. Plus it also has pressure sensitivity, up to 2048 levels to be exact. So while it may not be the most accurate pen around in this regard, you still get a degree of control over the depth of your drawings. This is another great synaptic stylus that’s affordable and lets you have way more control over your touchscreen.

Pros:

  • Affordable
  • Programmable Buttons
  • Pressure Sensitivity

Cons:

  • No Rechargeable Battery
  • No Bluetooth Connection

Check Availability on Amazon!

Adonit Dash 3

The next synaptic stylus that we have on the list is a step up in many ways but also has its own limitations too. We’ve gone for this pen from Adonit for its simple design and ease of use. This is another pen that sports that sort of professional look that allows it to fit in at home or the workplace. Little additions like the clip and the small logo near the top of the pen give it a great look. And the glossy solver colour scheme works together to make this a really nice looking stylus. But it also comes in black if that’s something you prefer.

Not only is this a pretty great-looking stylus, but it also works pretty well too. Though as mentioned previously it does miss out on a few important features that will turn some people away. But let’s start with the good stuff that we’ve got here. Once again we’ve got a rechargeable battery that can last for around 14 hours. Which is really great for someone who uses their stylus for long amounts of time. It also has a neat battery indicator on the side of the pen that will let you know how much battery is left.

Unfortunately, this model does not have pressure sensitivity. Which may be a big problem for any artists out there. This pen also doesn’t have Bluetooth connectivity. So while it is compatible with a wide range of Apple and Android devices, there may be some that the pen will not work with. For those who want a high quality stylus to write with, you can’t go wrong with this option. But any artists out there may want to check out the other options on this list.

Pros:

  • Great Battery Life
  • Rechargeable Battery
  • Wide Compatibility

Cons:

  • No Pressure Sensitivity
  • No Bluetooth Connection

Check Availability on Amazon!

Lenovo Active Pen 2

Next up on our list we’ve gone for a synaptic stylus that offers a high quality experience. We’ve chosen this stylus from Lenovo for its great design and functionality. Out of all of the options that we’ve covered on this list so far, this pen perhaps looks the simplest. Which isn’t a bad thing at all. It goes in line with other Lenovo products that focus on simplicity first and foremost. This pen has a dark grey body that tends to blend in really well with a professional setup. It’s also noticeably less rounded too, not that it makes a massive difference.

The functionality here is really where things start to get interesting. Even though the stylus may look very simple, it can still do quite a lot. First up let’s talk about the battery and unfortunately there isn’t a rechargeable battery here. This stylus requires an AAAA battery, which again is a bit of a shame when you eventually have to replace it. But there’s also a ton of other stuff here that’s great. Pressure sensitivity is here with 4096 levels of pressure and it works great. It allows artists to have a ton of control over their drawings.

There are also two programmable buttons that you can map different functions onto. This is great for people who are in need of quick access to undo/redo buttons or zoom in/out. The most limiting factor for this stylus though is that it is designed primarily for Lenovo systems. So its compatibility may be severely limited with other devices. Make sure to do your research on this pen before going all-in with the purchase. That being said, this is a great stylus if you can make use of it.

Pros:

  • Pressure Sensitivity
  • Programmable Buttons
  • Great Aesthetics

Cons:

  • Expensive
  • Limited Compatibility

Check Availability on Amazon!

Microsoft Surface Slim Pen

For our final option on this list, we’ve got a stylus that is geared towards those that want the best of the best. We’ve gone for this synaptic stylus from Microsoft for its unique design and great functionality. And straight away you can probably see that there’s quite a lot different with this pen. Starting with the shape, which is less rounded in comparison to our other options on this list. It’s essentially a flatter shape which allows you to get a better grip on it. Of course, if you’re used to round styluses then you might need to get acclimated to this. The shape, along with the black color scheme, makes this stylus look very professional.

Let’s get into what you can expect to have when you use this stylus now. The pen combines a lot of the positive aspects of our previous options on the list. Starting with the rechargeable battery which lasts roughly 15 hours. Which is fantastic if you’re someone who uses their stylus a ton. And the fact that you don’t need to replace the battery is another huge plus. This stylus also has 4096 levels of pressure sensitivity, which isn’t the highest amount of sensitivity that you can get but it’s still great. It also comes with a neat eraser function on the end of the pen. Great for someone who constantly makes little mistakes that they waste a lot of time trying to undo.

When it comes to compatibility though there might be a few issues. Since this is designed for the Surface Pro system you may run into issues on other devices. Overall this is a fantastic stylus and offers a ton of utility for artists and note-takers alike.

Pros:

  • Pressure Sensitivity
  • Built-in Eraser
  • Great Aesthetics

Cons:

  • Expensive
  • Limited Compatibility

Check Availability on Amazon!

Buying Guide

If you’ve come this far down the list and you still aren’t sure which synaptics stylus is the one for you, don’t worry! In this section of the guide, we’ll be giving you some extra information to help you out with your purchase.

The Benefit of Synaptic Styluses

So when it comes to buying a stylus there are two different kinds to choose from. The cheaper and widely produced disc stylus or a synaptic stylus. And they both offer a wildly different experience from each other. Disc styluses are the most common kind you’ll see out and about. And even though they’re cheap and fairly easy to get your hands on, they still have their uses. They’re fairly accurate, or at least as accurate as you could get with a non-digital stylus. Plus they don’t have to rely on any kind of battery since they don’t need one. If you’re someone who doesn’t get a ton of use out of their stylus then this is a genuine option for you.

But for those that want a more accurate experience, a synaptic stylus is the way to go. They’re also referred to as Active Pens and while they can be pretty expensive sometimes, the benefits are undeniable. Synaptic styluses are far more accurate than disc styluses since they sync up with your device. Allowing the stylus to not just imitate the actions of a finger. It allows the user to have almost 1:1 control over their touchscreen. Of course, the exact experience will depend on what sort of synaptic stylus you get your hands on. And whether or not it supports functions like pressure sensitivity will alter what you can really do with it. The best way to ensure that you’re getting a high quality and functional synaptic stylus are to check if the brand of the device you’re using produces any. And if they do, it’s best to stick with them. But if they don’t then you can shop around and see what third party brands have to offer.

Get something that fits in with what you do

There isn’t really much point in buying a fancy and expensive stylus if you aren’t going to be using it all that much. Or if you won’t really make use of more complex features like pressure sensitivity then there isn’t much point in spending the extra money for it. If you simply want a stylus that can provide easier navigation without making your screen dirty get a cheap disc stylus. If you’re thinking about doing some sketching but aren’t a serious artist then you can get away with a cheaper Active Pen. And if you are a more experienced artist then you should get a stylus that does have pressure sensitivity. Fancy features are cool but they’re pretty useless if you don’t need them at all. Plus you can save yourself some money in the process.

Tips:

  • Before you buy a stylus for your device, double-check that its brand doesn’t already make styluses. Buying from the same brand can ensure that the stylus is compatible with the device you’re using it on.
  • If you’re an artist and you buy an Active Pen, make sure it has good battery life. You don’t want to be halfway through some art and have the pen die on you without warning.
  • Pressure sensitivity comes in different values depending on the stylus. You can get as low as 2,048 levels of sensitivity to 8,192 levels in select styluses.
  • Pay attention to reviews online! Someone’s experience can potentially aid you in your purchase or make you aware of any potential issues.

Verdict – The Best Synaptics Stylus

That’s our list for The Best Synaptic Stylus. If it has helped you out at all, please don’t hesitate to let us know about it in the comments below. Thanks for reading!