If you want the best digital pens for teachers, you are in the right place. Specifically, this guide aims to introduce smart pens, capable of recording writing digitally, that will be of better use to teachers in the classroom and beyond.
Digital pens are a great way to merge the physical form of note-taking with the digital benefits of saving. That means that you can write what you need, but you won't just have it on that piece of paper. Instead, these pens will allow you to have a digital copy, ideal as a backup, but also an easy way to share those notes.
However, not all pens are created equal, so you'll need to think about what features you need and how much you want to spend. Some models will record what you write on any paper, others require specific paper, books, or even a tablet. Some come with buttons to give you shortcut controls, while others even let you record voice memos to accompany your written notes.
Many digital pens now transcribe your handwriting into digital text, a very useful tool indeed. But since accuracy and quality vary between brands, it's worth using this guide to find the best model to suit your needs.
The best digital pens for teachers
The company Livescribe leads the way in digital pens and this model, the Symphony, offers the best of years of development that has managed to become more affordable than ever. Even though this is not the company's high-end model, you really get a lot for your money. That includes the ability to type using the ergonomic design so it fits comfortably and naturally in your hand.
Thanks to a decent 10-hour battery life and 90-day standby time, live writing-to-text conversion on a connected smartphone, and super-fast charging via USB, this is a really easy-to-use model. It requires special paper to work, so you'll want to keep that ongoing cost in your purchasing considerations.
This is a very well made pen that uses premium materials and seems compact enough to take anywhere without looking like a digital pen.
For maximum convenience, the Neo Smartpen N2 is one of the best options out there right now. It's the perfect weight so you can write comfortably as if you were using a standard pen, only it also includes plenty of smart features. This requires a special notebook and notepads to work, but the results are worth it.
With the push of a button it powers on and records, charges via micro-USB for added ease, and will last a full five hours before you need to fully charge it again. Setup is very simple and should only take you about 30 seconds to be up and running again. Thanks to the premium metal materials, this looks like a solid option made to last.
For those who want to capture drawings as well as writing, this is a fantastic option as it is designed for the task. You need a specific pen and notepad combination for this to work; however, the results are worth the extra kit. Unlike other options, this pad allows you to place any paper on it and it will still detect your doodles for digital conversion – ideal for artists.
Not only is it a very comfortable pen to use but it is also one of the most accurate in terms of detection and digital reproduction. The stylus is inert, so you only need to charge the pad, which lasts a good eight hours before needing a recharge via micro-USB. This pairs with a smartphone, after a simple one-minute setup, and allows you to save and share your art with ease. View and edit your work in the app for a perfect digital finish.
As the name suggests, Livescribe Echo is all about the audio that accompanies your digital writing. As such, it's a little bulkier than others, with its built-in storage for audio recordings, but it's still comfortable enough for typing quite naturally. Helpfully, this will link your audio recording to the section you're writing, making it perfect for class notes where you need to add more to what you've written alone.
Battery life is decent, charging is easy, and setup is simple. Being Livescribe, you have many features in the app, including the ability to convert your handwriting to digital text, which makes backing up and sharing a breeze.
This is a bulkier model than many, so keep that in mind if comfort is your priority. But if audio recording is a must, this is one of the best options out there.
Being Moleskin, the quality of this setup is higher, but that means you need to invest a little more upfront and on an ongoing basis. It comes with the Pen+ and Ncoded Paper Tablet, which is a stylish notebook that helps with detection and even includes icons that act as buttons for digital controls.
The pen is quite light and comfortable to use, with a triangular design that fits well in the hand. The pad is equally top quality with an excellent paper finish, and the combination of those two produces a very precise recording. The same applies to transcription where the app converts your handwriting to text with ease.
This even allows you to record audio, making it a great option for lectures or classes where extra notes, in a hurry, are a real option. The fact that everything appears live in the connected smartphone app is just a really cool feature that helps justify the higher-than-most price tag.
