9 Best Portable Drawing Tablets for Artists and Graphic Designers In 2023

Traditional drawing tablets are great but have one main shortcoming when it comes to portability. A fully portable drawing tablet will allow you to draw in the comfort of your office or outdoors.

It comes with both a screen and a computer and must not be connected to a computer to use. You will install your drawing software directly on it.

I have used both a fully portable tablet and a graphic tablet that has an inbuilt screen but no computer and have found out that of the 2, fully portable tablets will give the best user experience and convenience for artists. 

Of all the standalone tablets available, Apple iPad Pro 12.9 inch stood out as the best one that you can buy. 

9 Best Portable Drawing Tablets for Artists and Graphic Designers

1. Apple iPad Pro 12.9 Portable Drawing Tablet No computer needed – Best overall
2. Microsoft Surface Pro 8 – standalone drawing tablet alternative
3. GAOMON PD1161 – portable drawing tablet with screen
4. XP-Pen Artist 15.6 Pro – Best Large Screen Portable Drawing Tablet
5. Samsung Galaxy Tab 6 Lite – Best Budget Portable drawing tablet
6. Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra – Best Large Screen
7. Simbans Picasso Tab – Best drawing tablet under 300$
8. Wacom Mobile Studio Pro 13 – Portable Drawing Tablet Wacom
9. Huawei Mediapad M5 Lite Best Android Drawing Tablet Alternative

What is the best portable drawing tablet?

Apple iPad Pro 12.9 Portable Drawing tablet No computer needed

The Apple iPad Pro 12.9 is the best portable drawing tablet ever made as yet. The screen is large at 12.9 inches and what is unique is its liquid retina display technology only found in iPads.

The view is colorful, crisp, and clear with a high 2732 x 2048 Pixels resolution. Another factor that sets it apart is the powerful M1 chip processor and huge 16 GB RAM that is even faster than most laptops.

Whether you multitask or run powerful processes such as Photoshop, your iPad will easily execute without lagging.

For digital artists, the storage space is important because it is not only where you will save your files, but part of the space will host your software. Anywhere from 256 GB is enough. The iPad Pro comes with 128 GB up to 2 TB options which are more than enough for digital art and graphic design.

Unfortunately, the iPad is a premium tablet and will be a little pricey if you are on a budget. Additionally, you will have to buy the Apple Pencil separately as it does not come with it.

Microsoft Surface Pro 8 standalone drawing tablet alternative

If you prefer the Windows operating system, then the Surface Pro 8 is the tablet for you. One feature that makes the Surface Pro 8 experience even better is the 2-in-1 feature that enables it to function as a laptop once you attach the Microsoft keyboard.

Apart from running a Windows operating system, the tablet comes with different budget levels and configuration options.

The processing speeds are fast and you can choose from two CPU options, the Intel Core i5 or the Intel Core i7. This is faster than most old laptops.

Similarly, RAM also comes differently in the models, ranging from 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB for a more quality and efficient experience. This is more than you will need.

Lastly, the models are differentiated in terms of internal storage ranging from 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB to 1TB to enable you to save files and documents.

Teaming the touchscreen screen with the Microsoft Surface Slim Pen 2 brings about a natural and authentic experience when drawing.

Like most premium pens, the stylus has 8192 levels of pen pressure sensitivity that produce accurate and precise strokes for a quality canvas-like session.

One setback on the Surface Slim Pen 2 is that the pen is not battery-free but once you charge it, you will be able to use the pen for up to 15 hrs without a plugin to power it.

Visuals on the other hand are clear and well-detailed with color production vibrant and crisp due to the 2880 by 1920 pixels of screen resolution.

Additionally, the 13-inch PixelSense Flow Display screen boasts 267 PPI with of response rate and is made more detectable by embedding a 10 multi-touch display.

GAOMON PD1161 Portable drawing tablet with screen

This is a lovely size to slide into your backup and move around with, especially when you consider it only weighs 866g. When it comes to digitizer tablets, the GAOMON PD1161 is a great option. 

The drawing is supported by the AP50 stylus that comes with the market-best pen pressure sensitivity of 8192. By this, you achieve authentic, precise, and precise stroke production for a natural experience.

The screen on the hand ensures you a quality display with 1920 by 1080 pixels screen resolution with an additional 72% NTSC color gamut producing quality color production.

Quality is further maintained by the IPS Full HD screen technology which also helps make the screen better and stronger.

A combination of a 266 PPI response rate and a 10mm reading height allows fast pen detection for seamless screen-to-pen interaction.

Another feature worth mentioning is the 8 programmable buttons that help you maintain your shortcut habits. Unfortunately, this tablet is not fully portable and you have to connect to your laptop to use it.

XP-Pen Artist 15.6 Pro Best Portable Drawing Tablet with a screen

• 15.6-Inch active area
• 1920×1080 Pixels Resolution
• Full Laminated Screen
• 8192 levels pen pressure
• Tilt Recognition
• Battery free stylus
• Compatible with Windows 10/8/7, Mac OS X version 10.10
• Including lots of accessories

The XP-Pen Artist 15.6 Pro is another digitizer tablet and although the size may sound bigger than the others on the list, it is quite portable.

It weighs 1500 grams with a panel size of 17.5 by 11 by 0.4 inches, and a diagonal screen size of 15.6 inches. It is a great balance between a large working area with a minimal portable expense.

When it comes to the pen, the battery-free PA2 stylus makes drawing natural and just like drawing with a pen on a canvas.

The stylus boasts 8192 levels of pen pressure sensitivity to make your experience authentic and the stroke production precise and accurate.

Moreover, the pen detection to the screen is made faster by the quality pen resolution levels of 5080 levels thus eliminating lags for a seamless experience.

The screen on the other hand produces quality visuals brought about by quality 1920 by 1080 pixels screen resolution. A full Laminated screen technology then comes in handy to bring about the colors richly and crisply.

Additionally, the screen is covered by an anti-glare coating, reducing reflection for a transparent and clear screen.

Shortcuts are then enhanced by 8 customizable express keys making it easy to navigate and maintain your shortcut habits for an efficient experience.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 6 Lite Best Budget standalone drawing tablet

Samsung is a reputable company when it comes to the production of quality electronics and the Samsung Galaxy Tab 6 Lite is a great example of this.

The tablet boasts a diagonal screen size of 10.4 inches and a panel size of 0.28 by 6.07 by 9.63 inches. This is a lovely size, as you are offered a large working area and small enough for portability and mobility.

Working on the tablet is seamless and fast due to the powerful Exynos 9611 Octa-Core processor. When it comes to RAM and internal storage, the sizes are a little disappointing since you get 4GB for RAM and 64GB for internal storage.

However, you can get a better internal storage packed model that offers 128GB for more space for your files and documents.

The S pen stylus is the pen of choice for the tablet offering 4096 levels of pen pressure sensitivity.

A classy and ergonomic build brings about that premium feel and is comfortable to allow you to use the pen for a long period with limited fatigue.

The screen on the hand offers quality 2000 by 1200 pixels worth of screen resolution making your visuals and strokes well displayed.

A factor that makes the tablet fit for the best portable tablet is the weight the tablet poses of 400g. You simply pack it in your backup without having a hard time brought about by weight and bulkiness.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra Best Android tablet with a Large Screen

Of all the tablets in this list, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is the only tablet that can challenge the Apple iPad Pro’s efficiency. 

• Screen: 14.6 inches
• Resolution: 2960×1848 Pixels 
• Processor:  Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
• RAM: 8 and 16 GB
• Storage: 128/256/512 GB
• Battery life: 8 hours

The Samsung Galaxy S8 comes in 3 different versions. You can either go for the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 or the S8 plus, both 12.4 inches in screen size. The third option is in my opinion the best android tablet you can buy today. 

Samsung Galaxy S8 Ultra comes with a massive landscape 14.1 inches screen size. It has one of the best displays on any Android tablet and will easily rival the Apple iPad Pro 12.9 inches.

The Super AMOLED Screen comes in high resolution at 2960 x 1848 pixel resolution and 16:10 aspect ratio. It is the largest OLED screen in the industry today.

What is a Super AMOLED Screen?

A Super AMOLED screen is a type of technology from Samsung’s created OLED (organic light-emitting diode) display that is used on tablet and smartphone screens. 

A Super AMOLED screen is thinner and more sensitive compared to an OLED screen. This is achieved by the use of integrated touch eliminating the need for having a separate layer.

This type of screen is more colorful, features more contrast, and has a wider viewing angle compared to old LCD screens. Additionally, Super AMOLED screens allow long battery life on tablets by conserving more energy by only lighting up the pixels in use.

The overall body and build of the tablet are nice and premium featuring slim uniform bezels around the massive screen. The screen is intended to be used in a landscape orientation so you will notice the small indent on the longer side bezel to fit the tablet 2 4K cameras.

Whether you need a tablet for drawing or even gaming, the Galaxy S8 Ultra packs enough power and performance to easily handle any task you throw at it.

Just like many premium Samsung Tablets, it comes with the standard S Pen that sticks on top of the tablet to pause in between workflow. 

The battery life runs up to 8 hours which is ok for whole-day use, but slightly shorter than the iPad Pro at 10 hours. Overall this is a large premium tablet that you can use for many professional and power-intensive functions.

Conclusion

Artists have different preferences when it comes to the size of their drawing tablets. While some may go for larger-sized tablets for a larger working area, others go for small-sized tablets for easier portability and mobility.

The best portable drawing tablet/iPad for drawing is the iPad Pro 12.9 2022, however, it is complicated to use and pricey. The best alternative you can opt for is the Samsung Galaxy S8 Ultra which runs on Android.

If you however are on a budget the Simbans Picasso or Samsung Galaxy S6 Lite is your best pick.

For Windows users, the  Microsoft Surface Pro 8 is the best pick. It can easily be used as both a laptop and a tablet once connected to a keyboard.

Additionally, you can design on the go, in public transport, or in the park for the iPad is Standalone and independent from a computer.

However, the price of the gadget might be a problem for most and if you are in search of a budget-friendly tablet you can go for the GAOMON PD1161 plus for slightly under 100$.

However, it is not fully standalone and you must connect to a computer.

It is however not a substitute for the iPad Pro 12.9 2022, since it is a monitor tablet, meaning it is fully independent of a computer.

If you are looking for a standalone substitute, the Microsoft Surface 8 is a great option and the budget for the premium model is close if not the same as the iPad Pro 12.9.

You can also go for the lesser-featured Microsoft Surface 8 if you need to save some money for a quality tablet. 

What is a Portable Drawing Tablet?

A portable drawing tablet is a drawing device that you can easily carry around from place to place as you do your work. 

If you usually also carry your laptop or computer, you can buy a graphic tablet that must be connected to a computer to use. 

However if you want a fully independent tablet that does not have to be connected to a computer to use, then make sure you buy a standalone tablet.

What do artists look for in a Portable Tablet for Drawing?

First artists will look at the size. A large screen size is more comfortable to use and will offer a good user experience. However, if your tablet is too big, it will highly limit its portability.

A screen size between 11 and 16 inches is perfect for both portability and comfort when using.

When still on the screen, you need to check the screen’s resolution. This will influence how clear your image will look on screen. You  need a Full HD or Ultra HD screen resolution.

If you also carry your computer when moving around, you can choose a standalone or graphic tablet. However, if you want to only carry your tablet, you need to choose a tablet that does not need a computer connected to use.

A graphic tablet will use your computer’s processor to determine its resolution and processing power. However, if you opt for a standalone tablet, you need to choose one with a good processor and RAM above 4 GB.

Finally you need to consider your budget. Although you can find cheap drawing tablets for as low as 100$, most premium level drawing tablets are not cheap and may require you to dig deeper in your pocket for them.

9 Best Portable Drawing Tablets for Artists and Graphic Designers

1. 9 Best Portable Drawing Tablets for Artists and Graphic Designers
2. Apple iPad Pro 12.9 Portable Drawing Tablet No computer needed – Best overall
3. Microsoft Surface Pro 8 – standalone drawing tablet alternative
4. GAOMON PD1161 – portable drawing tablet with screen
5. XP-Pen Artist 15.6 Pro – Best Large Screen Portable Drawing Tablet
6. Samsung Galaxy Tab 6 Lite – Best Budget Portable drawing tablet
7. Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra – Best Large Screen
8. Simbans Picasso Tab – Best drawing tablet under 300$
9. Wacom Mobile Studio Pro 13 – Portable Drawing Tablet Wacom
10. Huawei Mediapad M5 Lite Best Android Drawing Tablet Alternative