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ReMarkable Tablet review: Can this tablet replace all your handwritten notes?
Notetaking is personal. Whether you’re jotting down meeting highlights, brainstorming creative ideas, or keeping track of your daily tasks, how you capture information shapes how you organize your thoughts. As someone who likes to capture everything — sometimes obsessively — I used to rely on multiple notebooks to keep my notes organized. Each notebook had a purpose: one for work, one for creative projects, another for thoughts about books and movies I was consuming, and so on. The ReMarkable tablet transformed my system — and made space in my bag — by combining the satisfaction of writing by hand with the limitless possibilities of digital organization.
Digital note-taking offers flexibility and convenience that traditional handwritten notes can’t match. With seemingly unlimited space, you’ll never run out of room to capture ideas, lists, or sketches. The ability to quickly adjust, resize, or move text on a page allows you to edit and reorganize your notes without starting over. Sharing is also much easier—gone are the days of typing up your notes after a call, with tablets you can simply export a PDF, auto-convert to typed text, or send quick screenshots.
ReMarkable
I never thought I'd replace my notebooks with a tablet — until I got the ReMarkable 2. It's got a bit of a learning curve if you're newer to tablets, but it's easy to use and not bogged down by a million apps like other tablets may be. It's a simple way to digitize your notes that's proven an invaluable addition to my work and personal life.
- Long battery life
- Paper-like writing experience
- Easy setup
- Versatile features
- Color capabilities
- Limited app integrations
- No backlight
- Large
What is the ReMarkable Tablet?
The ReMarkable is a digital tablet designed with one primary goal: transforming the way we take notes. It’s perfect for anyone who loves writing by hand but needs the flexibility of digital tools. Consider it an endless notebook where you can resize text, move notes around, and keep everything in one place instead of a pile of categorized notebooks for different areas of your life.
For me, the reMarkable tablet has been a game-changer. I’ve used it for everything from daily to-do lists to sketching yoga flows for my classes to annotating books, and it’s great to have by my side during work meetings and tasks. It’s also my go-to for signing documents like leases or tax forms—instead of scanning or using online tools, I can sign and export directly via the ReMarkable app.
✅ Exceptional battery life
The ReMarkable tablet has an outstanding battery life, even lasting for days with consistent use. So many of our devices require daily charging, but not this tablet. In addition to the obvious perk of not having to remember to plug it in every night, you can use the tablet all day or leave it at the office and know it’ll still be usable the next morning.
✅ Paper-like writing experience
Writing on the ReMarkable tablet feels almost identical to using a pencil on paper, seriously. The slight friction between the stylus and screen creates a natural and satisfying sensation you can even hear. The stylus and screen aren’t slippery, which results in accurate handwriting and less screen-shifting than I’ve experienced on other devices.
✅ Easy setup and versatile features
Setting up the reMarkable tablet is a breeze, and its folder system makes organizing your notes simple and intuitive. You can easily create new pages, add more to an existing notebook, and access everything without rifling through papers or notebooks like you used to. The large storage capacity supports a variety of uses, from importing PDFs and eBooks to housing an extensive collection of notes. Pre-loaded templates like lined paper, grids, and checklists make it easy to get started.
✅ Color capabilities
While my version of the ReMarkable tablet (I bought mine in 2021) can only export notes in color, the newest model displays color directly on the screen. In my case, I can switch which color pens or highlighters I want to use, but they all appear as shades of gray until I export my notes. But the newest model, the ReMarkable Paper Pro, has a color-screen that changes the game. It makes your notes more colorful and organized.
❌ Limited app integrations
The lack of app integrations is a double-edged sword. While it’s intentional to maintain a distraction-free experience, there’s also an additional step compared to taking your notes in a location that can be accessed from various places. Luckily the ReMarkable does integrate with Google Drive, Dropbox, Microsoft OneDrive, PowerPoint, and Word as PDFs. The flip side of the limitation is that you won’t be distracted by apps like social media or even your messages while you work.
❌ No backlight
The absence of a backlight makes the ReMarkable easier on the eyes, especially during long notetaking or reading sessions. It also contributes to the paper-like feel of writing and reading. However, the tablet can’t be used as easily without the backlight in low-light or nighttime use.
❌ Size
The tablet is thin and lightweight, making it portable compared to bulkier devices like an iPad or laptop. But I’d still consider it on the large end. It’s bigger than a Kindle, for reference, and closer to an 8x11-inch notebook. While that means more space for notes, you might need to factor in the size of your purse or work bag. Despite the screen size, it’s slim and lightweight!
Should you buy the ReMarkable Tablet?
If you’re looking for a distraction-free, all-in-one solution for note taking, organizing, and reading, yes! It’s especially great for those who want the satisfaction of writing by hand without sacrificing the convenience of digital tools. You can reorganize and resize your notes, add in graphics, and export to share with others or keep for yourself. The ReMarkable Paper Pro has all the benefits of other tablets, without the distractions they come with.
The ReMarkable Tablet won't, however, be a good replacement for a more conventional tablet like an iPad. It's not meant for the same function an iPad would provide, like surfing the Internet, watching videos, texting, or playing games. It's great for reading, writing, and notetaking, but don't expect more than that from this tablet.
ReMarkable
Get the reMarkable 2 or the reMarkable Paper Pro on sale this Black Friday! Get $70 off when you buy with a Book or Type Folio and your choice of Marker.
If you're looking for any shopping advice, drop us a line at shopping.editors@aol.com and our Shopping Editors will be in touch!
