Do you take a lot of notes? Whether it’s daily to-do lists, notes for class, or just jotting down the various thoughts in our brains, it’s nice to have somewhere to write everything down. Sure, you could just open your Notes app, but physically writing something down helps you remember and learn more. It also feels nice to stop typing for a minute and write out the thoughts in your mind. If you worry about losing those notes if they aren’t digitized, then good news: We’ve got the best digital notebooks and more for you.
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. If you’re looking for true paper options, don’t miss our Paper Planners guide, and if you’re looking for more home office upgrades, catch our guides to the Best Work-From-Home Gear, Best Computer Monitors, and Best Mechanical Keyboards.
If you’re considering buying one of these, now is the time to do it. Supernote has already made a statement on Reddit that it plans to raise prices at the end of April due to the tariffs, and ReMarkable has also announced a price increase in May. We’ll likely see similar action from other picks in this guide. There have been some increases already, with Kobo Libra up $10 since earlier this year. Don’t miss your chance to get one of these before prices hike.
Updated April 2025: We’ve moved the Kindle Scribe (2nd Gen) up in this guide and included details about tariff pricing affecting Supernote and ReMarkable products (and possibly other picks in this guide). We’ve also removed the out-of-stock Boox Note Air3 C as a pick.
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Do You Need a Digital Note-Taking Device?
The short answer is no. These devices are expensive, usually costing several hundred dollars when a simple notebook and pen costs 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.
- Have a learning curve.
- Most smart pens need to be paired with an accompanying notebook. The upcoming Nuwa Pen promises smart notes on any paper. We’ll try it as soon as it’s available. As of this writing, it’s projected to start shipping in January 2025.
Photograph: Nena Farrell reMarkable 2 This is one of the most well-known names in the category. The ReMarkable 2’s matte screen feels like paper, writing on it is quick and responsive, and battery life is exemplary. WIRED reviewer Julian Chokkattu has been using his ReMarkable for more than a year and found it can last for several weeks on a charge. You never have to recharge the stylus, which also magnetically sticks to the side of the tablet. There is also a keyboard attachment ($199) if you want to get some typing done, which is really satisfying to type on and doubles as a notebook cover when the keyboard isn’t in use. The keyboard is on the small side, but it’s easy to get the hang of. The tablet is $399 and includes the base Marker, ReMarkable’s pen, or for an extra $50 you can get the Marker Plus, which has 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, and a desktop app that lets you upload PDFs, like a blank Dungeons & Dragons character sheet to fill in on your next game night. 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. ★ Price is rising soon: ReMarkable has announced that price increases will occur for its devices in May due to tariffs.
Best Overall
Photograph: Nena Farrell Supernote A5 X2 Manta The Supernote A5 X2 Manta (7/10, WIRED Review) is the second generation of Supernote’s A5 digital notebook, and it’s a great option with new upgrades like a dual slider bar, upgraded RAM, and FeelWrite 2 film covering the screen to give it a feeling similar to paper. You can also expand the storage with a microSD chip, and there’s a modular design under the hood so that you can easily upgrade the motherboard or put in a new battery. The software is easy to use and has a design similar to ReMarkable’s. There’s also a cloud website and app you can use to send PDFs to the digital notebook to edit. You can also integrate it with apps like Google Drive and Dropbox. You can also add on the app Atelier to get a digital sketchbook option (though it’s only in shades of grayscale), and you can choose a document type that will convert your handwriting into a typed document. But where Supernote really shines is that it has, in my opinion, the best pens in the game. Right now it has a special clear LAMY Safari Vista EMR ($89) pen that looks so realistic I keep grabbing it to write in my paper planner, and it feels great to write with. The Heart of Metal ($75) pen is also a fantastic pen, with a little more weight to it thanks to the metal body. If you’re a bit of a pen and stationery nerd (and don’t need a keyboard attachment, which Supernote doesn’t offer), then you’ll get your heart’s fill with Supernote’s pen lineup paired with its great digital notebook. ★ Price is rising soon: Supernote has announced via Reddit that price increases will occur for its devices in May due to tariffs.
Runner-Up
