Wacom Bamboo Stylus
Wacom has entered the stylus market with its Bamboo Stylus for iPad. Its satin-finished black and silver design doesn't seem to fit with the "Bamboo" name, but the stylus is attractive, looks to be well-built, and feels nice in the hand. It comes with a clip, which can be removed if you don't want it for some reason. The tip of the Bamboo Stylus is a soft flexible rubber, and at 6mm wide, it is a bit smaller than other foam- and rubber-tipped stylus pens.Originally offered only in black, in October 2011, Wacom began offering the Bamboo Stylus with colored barrels to match the iPad Smart Covers--white, orange, pink, lime green, and light blue.
The overall length of the Bamboo Stylus is 4-3/4 inches (120mm), and the barrel is approximately 3/8 inches wide (9mm). The pen weight is 20g, which is heavier than the other stylus pens I've reviewed to date, except Brvsh.
I found the Bamboo Stylus very comfortable to hold, and it worked fine for general navigation as well as working in art apps. There is some friction drag from the rubber tip on the screen, but not a lot. At times, I felt like I needed to press harder than I did with other stylus pens I have used. When you do press harder, the hollow rubber tip flexes, pushing against the metal tip guard, and this leads me to believe it could wear out over time.
Using it with the iPad, I found the Bamboo Stylus a bit too short to work comfortably. Often my hand would block the image I was working on, or the heel of my hand would brush the edges of the screen causing interference. I much preferred using the Bamboo Stylus on the smaller screen of my iPod touch, even though Wacom is marketing it to iPad users.
While the Bamboo Stylus looks and feels great and works well enough, I prefer a stylus that is longer and does not drag on the screen as much. And I have to say that I expected more innovation from Wacom. Considering the price, the Wacom Bamboo Stylus is just okay--it doesn't offer anything special for working with larger screens and art applications, but it is acceptable for general use.
Bamboo Stylus Pros:
- Attractive and well-designed.
- Balanced weight.
- Smaller tip compared to most capacitive stylus pens.
- Expensive.
- Too short for iPad and other tablets.
- Tip could wear out over time.
Overall Rating: 7/10
