What are the must-have accessories for a new tablet user?

Question

Just got a new iPad Air for my birthday and I'm honestly lost on what else I actually need to buy. I did some digging and saw everyone talking about those paper-feel screen protectors for drawing but then a bunch of reviews say they ruin the screen clarity and eat through pen tips... so thats a bit scary. I also keep seeing $20 generic styluses but I'm worried the lag will be terrible for sketching.

Heres what I'm looking for:

Budget is like $100 max for all accessories

Using it for procreate and binge watching Netflix

Needs to be portable since I travel for work

What should I prioritize first so I dont blow my budget on stuff I wont use?

EE88Lab · Accepted Answer

Caught this thread a bit late but honestly, dont waste your money on those $20 styluses if you're serious about Procreate. In my experience, the biggest technical hurdle for new artists is the lack of pressure sensitivity on cheap pens. Basically, those generic ones are just digital fingers; they dont register how hard you're pressing. This makes blending and line weight a nightmare in Procreate. Since your budget is $100, Id look for a used Apple Pencil 2nd Generation MU8F2AM/A or maybe the Adonit Note+ Pressure Sensitive Stylus. The Adonit is one of the few third-party pens that actually has 2048 levels of pressure sensitivity, which is vital for art. For the Netflix side of things, skip those matte paper protectors. They scatter light and make the screen look grainy, which ruins the experience when you're watching movies. Tbh, a standard amFilm Tempered Glass Screen Protector for iPad Air is much better. It keeps the colors punchy and the screen sharp, plus it doesnt wear down your pen tips nearly as fast. To stay portable, go with a slim ESR Magnetic Folio Case for iPad Air. It protects the screen during travel and folds into a sturdy stand for watching stuff in bed or on a plane. If you shop around, you can grab a decent stylus, the glass, and the case for right around $95 total. It’s a way more balanced setup than blowing it all on a fancy film that makes your screen look blurry.

rvmiphkeyp · Answer

I totally get the excitement! When I first got my setup, I was obsessed with technical specs like 240Hz polling rates and pressure sensitivity levels. I actually started with an expensive matte film because I thought the friction coefficient would help my art, but basically it totally killed the nit brightness of the display and made everything look grainy! It was such a bummer for watching movies. I quickly learned that simplicity is way better for travel. I prioritize these now:

A simple folio case with two viewing angles

A basic active stylus that doesnt cost a fortune

A compact cleaning cloth I found out the hard way that you dont need high-end brands to get sub-ms latency performance. My current setup stays way under your budget and handles everything from sketching to streaming perfectly! Just stick to the basics first...