What Stylus Should I Get For My iPad?

I was asked this question recently. Steve Jobs would probably say, "You have ten already", referring to our fingers. But I would humbly disagree. For me, the stylus has been a great addition to my iPad. For selecting a stylus, I would first consider what I wanted to use it for. Do I want my students to create content? Am I looking to annotate documents? Or handwrite large amounts of text? The type of investment you make matters on your purpose. Here are the apps that I have found work best with a stylus on the iPad:

And here are my three suggestions for styluses (styli?), depending on how they might be used. Classroom Creations: AmPen Hybrid Value here is the key. This stylus is very receptive to the iPad screen within Explain Everything or one of the Doodlecast apps. They are very reasonably priced, less than $10 per unit. I outfitted our entire kindergarten wing with these to help the students form letters and numbers during center time.

The tip is made with conductive fiber + rubber, providing a smooth writing and drawing experience. This model also has a stretchy cord band on it. The end of the cord is inserted into the headphone jack so the stylus stays with the iPad. Annotating Documents: Bamboo Stylus and Pen

I used to have this stylus. It has an ink pen on one side and a rubber-tipped stylus on the other. This served me well as a principal when transitioning between digital walkthroughs and signing paperwork. Notability is a great annotation app that integrates well with the Bamboo. Also, the weight of the stylus gave it that real pen feel. I wouldn't recommend for student use, however, as the tip can wear out and it is twice the price as the AmPen. Handwriting, Drawing, and Heavy Use: Jot Script If you use a stylus just about everyday, for taking digital handwritten notes or drawing, then the Jot Script may be worth the $80 price tag. The fine point on the stylus is a first of its kind. It is also battery-powered, providing a signal to connect with your iPad via Bluetooth to eliminate wrist contact. I have read some reviews of the pen not always staying connected, or that Penultimate's drifting feature when writing is not user-friendly. That has not been my experience, but I will investigate more.

It was developed in partnership between Adonit and Evernote. Although it is designed to pair with Penultimate, it works well with other handwriting apps such as Notability. What I like best is I no longer have to upload any documents to Dropbox. When I conduct a walkthrough in a classroom, I simply open up the teacher's notebook in Penultimate, write my observations, and it automatically syncs with Evernote. Sharing with staff afterwards is a snap. What stylus do you prefer? Please share in the comments.