Best S Pen alternatives: Comparison of Wacom EMR stylus

In this review we will look at the different pens that use Wacom EMR and help you decide which to get. I've personally tested all the pens featured in this comparison review.

Few things to note before we start:

• Pen performance can vary depending on the pen tip used, or how pen tip is installed. For actual pen performance, check out my full reviews.
• All Wacom EMR pens support 4096 levels of pressure sensitivity, tilt sensitivity and palm rejection.
• Pens are not powered by battery so no charging is required.
• Pen side button, if available, may or may not be customisable depending on the app used
• Third pen tip replacements are usually interchangable, but not always the case

Pens shown above are (from left to right) and links below are to my full reviews:

• Samsung S Pen
• Staedtler Noris Digital Jumbo
• LAMY AL-star black EMR pen
• Pilot Dr Grip digital pen with Wacom EMR
• Wacom One pen
• Wacom One Standard Pen
• S Pen Creator Edition
• TiMOVO Remarkable 2 pen alternative (AliExpress link)

Samsung S Pen (USD 59)

Samsung S Pen has many variations. The ones that come with the Galaxy tablets are big and comfortable to hold. The ones made for the phones are like toothpicks by comparison.

Pros and cons
+ Included with Samsung devices that support S Pen
+ One side button
+ Soft tip with some resistance on glass
- No eraser
- Pen design makes it difficult to tilt low
- Official pen tip replacement not sold by Samsung, but third party ones are easy to find

Samsung S Pen Creator Edition (USD 89)

This pen was created to fix the problem with original S Pen which was not able to tilt low enough. The pen performance is similar to the original S Pen.

Pros and cons
+ Grip is of good size
+ One side button
+ Can tilt lower than original S Pens that come with the tablets
- No eraser
- Original replacement pen tips are still not available from Samsung after 2 years
- Pen tip is difficult to remove
- Overpriced

I actually like the look of the pen tip compared to the skinny thin ones. But this pen tip is difficult to remove, and there are no official pen tips to buy even after two years. I don't recommend this pen for these two reasons, and it's certainly not worth USD 89.

Staedtler EMR pen

There are now four variations of this pen. They are designed to look like the classic Staedtler pencils. You have the option of black and yellow, or blue.

• Staedtler Noris Digital (USD 29)
• Staedtler Noris Digital Jumbo (USD 38)
• Staedtler Mars Lumograph EMR (USD 24)
• Staedtler Mars Lumograph EMR Jumbo (USD 33)

Pros and cons
+ Beautiful classic design
+ Affordable
+ Staedtler replacement pen tips have soft tips
+ Eraser only available on the Jumbo version
+ Jumbo version is more comfortable to grip
- No side button

LAMY AL Star EMR (USD 48)

This is the classic Lamy Safari fountain pen body. This is for people who prefer a classier looking pen.

Pros and cons
+ Comes with cap with clip
+ Cap can be posted
+ Has side button
+ Bigger triangular grip
+ Nice design
+ LAMY Z107 PC/EL pen tip is similar to original S Pen tip
+ LAMY sells three tip options
- No eraser

Pilot Dr Grip digital pen (USD 45)

This option from Pilot provides the most comfortable grip, and it's the only pen with a retractable design

Pros and cons
+ Retractable design
+ Big soft comfortable silicone grip
+ Nice design that does not look generic like black pens
- No side button
- Grip can attract dust easily

Wacom One Pen (one button) (USD 29)

This pen features a nice simple design.

This pen only has one side button so do not mistake this with the Wacom One Standard Pen that has two side buttons.

Pros and cons
+ Grip is of good size
+ One side button
+ Affordable
- No eraser

Wacom One Standard pen (two buttons) (USD 29)

This is the only Wacom EMR pen I know that has two side buttons. Do not mistake this with the Wacom One Pen (non-Standard) listed above that has only one side button.

Pros and cons
+ Grip is of good size
+ Two side buttons
+ Affordable
- No eraser at the back (but one side button is default eraser)

TiMOVO Remarkable 2 pen alternative (USD 20)

This is a white label product which means this same design can be sold under different brands. Two brands I know are TiMOVO or MOKO. Anyway, the brand is not important since it's a white label product.

Pros and cons
+ Grip is of good size
+ One side button
+ Has eraser
+ Affordable
- Feels a bit cheap, because it is cheap

This pen provides good value for money due to its price point. Biggest selling point is this pen has a side button and eraser.

Amazon Kindle Scribe premium pen (USD 79)

Pens with a side button and eraser are rare. This is another one but unfortunately it's too expensive. I've actually not tested this pen before so I can't say much about the feel and performance.

Pros and cons
+ One side button
+ Has eraser
- Expensive