Best tablets for note-taking 2026: Expert tested and reviewed

The art of handwriting may be vanishing in an increasingly digital world in which we rely on laptops, smartphones, and tablets daily. This doesn't mean that you can't still enjoy the feel of pen and paper. Tablets designed for or including note-taking features can bring back some of the feel of handwriting. If you prefer to write rather than type, they are your best option for creative tasks as well as productivity. Note-taking tablets provide more than just compatibility with a stylus. They can give you the option to annotate documents, create diagrams, autosave your work, sync it across platforms and devices, and collaborate with others, making them valuable tools for study and work. Get more in-depth ZDNET tech coverage: Add us as a preferred Google source on Chrome and Chromium browsers. Deals are selected by the CNET Group commerce team, and may be unrelated to this article. What is the best note-taking tablet you can buy right now? After hands-on testing, the iPad Air is our pick for the overall best note-taking tablet. It is lightweight and compatible with the Apple Pencil Pro, making it ideal for all of your writing needs. We've tested tablets across all the major…