The pen is mightier than the finger: The best stylus for all your needs

Whether you’re the sort of person who doodles in class, diagrams lectures, or just jots down old-fashioned notes, you’ve probably considered buying a stylus or a tablet that’s already equipped with one. In recent years, styli have become more popular and more varied, meaning they’re not just for art majors anymore. The release of the Apple Pencil also helped push the once ill-fated peripheral back into the spotlight, helping to reinvigorate a market that is now bursting with viable options. To help you make sense of them all, we’ve put together a list of the best stylus pens for every occasion, not to mention the top tablets that come bundled with them. Read on for more details.

Are you looking for a great tablet? Check out our review of the iPad Pro and our picks for the best Android tablets you can buy.

Best styli for artists

No artist is exactly the same, and depending on your medium of choice, you may want a specific kind of stylus. Some artistic styli come with interchangeable tips, so you can vary the quality of stylus input, while others are a one-size fits all option or specifically designed to mimic a certain medium.

Apple Pencil ($99)

The Apple Pencil may have debuted towards the end of 2015, but it has already set the standard for styli. Before jumping to specifics, note that the Pencil only works with the 12.9-inch iPad Pro and the latest 9.7-inch version. The Pencil itself is one of the fastest, and most responsive styli we have used, with essentially no latency (if there is some, we didn’t notice).

Thanks to the pressure-sensitive screen in the iPad Pro, the Pencil can produce incredibly fine lines with variations in gradient as you increase pressure. The side of the tip creates wider strokes, which is great for shading, and the tip can also offer a fine point when you need it. It can be slippery at times, but it generally sits pretty well in the hand.

Unfortunately, the Pencil’s other end only features a charging cap that’s easy to lose, rather than an eraser.

Buy one now from:

Apple Amazon B&H

Adobe Ink & Slide ($22)

If you’re really invested in Adobe apps and the Creative Cloud, Adobe’s Ink & Slide stylus and ruler combo may just be the perfect tools for you. The Ink & Slide connect to any iPad 4 or later, iPad Air, or iPad Mini via Bluetooth LE. It’s also synced up with the Creative Cloud, so every drawing you make or preference you set will be stored in the cloud for you to access on your computer or other devices later. The Ink & Slide also work with Adobe’s Illustrator Line and Photoshop Sketch apps.

The Ink stylus has a fine-tip, pressure-sensitive point and feels like a normal pen in your hand. The Ink uses Pixelpoint technology from Adonit for greater accuracy. A status LED on the stylus even shows you what color you chose, so you don’t make any mistakes. The Slide ruler can be used to make perfectly straight lines, circles, and other shapes. Even though it’s a pricier stylus, the Ink & Slide does come with a USB charger and carrying case, and it’s the ideal stylus for serious creatives who are deeply invested in Adobe’s products already.

Buy one now from:

Amazon

FiftyThree Pencil, digital stylus for iPad ($50)

Pencil is one of the best all-around artistic styli when used in conjunction with the company’s app Paper. Using the preset tools available in the app — available for iOS — you can produce remarkable watercolor paintings, fine line drawings, pen and ink sketches, as well as dynamic comic-book like images with the marker function.

FiftyThree specifically designed Pencil to feel solid and comfortable in your hand. It’s shaped like a carpenter’s pencil and even comes in real walnut wood. Pencil even touts a built-in eraser on the end, so you can just flip it around when you want to erase. You can also use Pencil to smudge lines and create a nice blurred effect.

Although Pencil works best with Paper, it is also fully compatible with popular drawing and painting app Procreate, as well as Noteshelf and Squiggle. It connects to your iPad via Bluetooth, and once you’ve paired it, you’ll never have to do so again. When it runs out of battery, you can just remove the tip and pop the USB into any standard USB port.

Buy one now from:

Amazon

Sensu Artist Brush & Stylus ($40)

Sensu’s Artist Brush and Stylus combo offer the best of both worlds with its real paintbrush tip and built-in stylus tip. The brush tip acts just like a real paintbrush, which makes it perfect for painting, but it certainly won’t work if you want to execute a fine line drawing. Luckily, once you switch over to the rubber stylus tip, you’ll be able to draw more precise lines. However, the Sensu isn’t pressure-sensitive and it may suffer from delayed reaction times now and then.

It comes in an aluminum finish and looks just like a normal paintbrush. The brush bristles are actually made of synthetic brush hair that was developed in Japan. The stylus tip is made of rubber. Luckily, it works on most Android, Windows, and iOS tablets, so you won’t be limited in your choice of tablet.

Buy one now from:

Amazon

Studio Neat Cosmonaut ($25)

The Cosmonaut stylus may look huge a bulky, but it’s actually the ultimate stylus for white board and marker artists. This stylus won’t give you the thinnest line you’ve ever seen, but it will give you a nice, solid line. The Cosmonaut is easy to grip and it certainly isn’t delicate, so it can take a knocking in your bag without suffering any ill effects.

It’s a short, squat, round rubber stylus with no other defining features. It really looks like a fat, black crayon. The Cosmonaut seems like the perfect stylus for those of you who like to diagram lectures and take notes in a visual style. It works with both Android, iOS, and presumably Windows tablets. The Cosmonauts’ creators say it should also work on any touchscreen.

Buy one now from:

Studio Neat

Adonit Mark ($8)

Adonit has been offering affordable, but well-built styli for quite a while and the Mark is no different. At $8, it lets anyone with a smartphone, tablet, or laptop have access to a solid, all-purpose stylus. The best thing about the Mark is how the stylus feels in the hand — it’s made of anodized aluminum and is smooth, but has a good grip. It’s also has a triangular shape, so it doesn’t roll, which also feels natural.

It’s a decent, cheap alternative for drawing, but we wouldn’t recommend it for note-taking as it’s not precise, being that it is tipped with a mesh. Even when drawing, don’t expect to get accurate strokes while you’re working on the finer details.

Buy one now from: 

Amazon B&H

Nomad Flex ($30)

If you’re looking for a paintbrush instead of just a stylus, then the Nomad Flex may be the tool you need for your iPad. The brush is made of aluminum and has synthetic bristles, which make it feel more akin to a real paintbrush. The Flex will work perfectly with apps such as Paper or Procreate, but in an app like Penultimate, a traditional stylus would be more appropriate. Nomad’s offering includes a plastic carrying case inside the box, too, so you can safeguard the brush from unwanted abuse.

How does it compare to the Sensu brush? Well, the bristles on the Sensu are a bit stiffer than the ones on the Flex — the bristles on the former are also more round. The Flex is going to feel thinner and lighter than the Sensu, and the Flex’s bristles will feel mushier by comparison. Another great thing about the Flex is that it is compatible with iPads, as well as Android tablets and Microsoft’s Surface lineup. The brush also comes in a variety of colors, including charcoal, pink, silver, blue, and red.

Buy one now from:

Amazon  Nomadbrush

DT Giveaway: AT&T + DIRECTV Now Prize Pack

To binge or not to binge. That is the question.

DIRECTV Now just celebrated its one-year anniversary on November 30th. To celebrate, Digital Trends partnered with the streaming service and its parent company, AT&T, to bring you one amazing prize package.

One lucky winner will receive a ZTE Axon M smartphone, an AT&T PrimeTime tablet, a Roku Streaming Stick and 90-day DIRECTV Now subscription code. Outside of those new OLED kitchen sinks, this pretty much covers every screen that you could experience DIRECTV Now on. For binging, AT&T allows unlimited streaming of DIRECTV Now to all of its mobile subscribers.

If you like being able to watch your favorite TV programming anywhere, anytime, and on any device, you’re going to want to sign up for this giveaway.

AT&T + DIRECTV Now Every Screen Giveaway

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Defying supply issues, Nvidia Titan V sports 12GB of HBM2

Amidst rumors that AMD may be leveraging GDDR6 memory for its next-generation of graphics cards due to high bandwidth memory two (HBM2) supply issues, Nvidia has announced that it utilizes as much as 12GB on each of its new Nvidia Titan V graphics cards. The new card pairs that up with the same Volta graphics processor as its professional counterpart and has a price tag as high as $3,000.

Although AMD put up a solid fight with its RX Vega range of graphics cards this year, they were nowhere near as successful at taking on the competition as its Ryzen CPUs were. That’s perhaps why we’ve seen mostly refreshes and tweaked versions of Nvidia’s successful 10-series Pascal cards in 2017. The Titan V however, is absolutely a next-generation graphics card.

Alongside the 12GB of HBM2 memory the Titan V utilizes the GV100 graphics core — the same one found in the $10,000 Tesla V100 enterprise card. Although it sports a lower boosted clock speed than the Titan XP (1,455Mhz vs. 1,582Mhz) its huge memory bus-width of 3,072-bit means it has a near 20-percent improvement in memory bandwidth (653GBps vs. 547GBps). Its single precision floating point power is noticeably higher, too, at 13.8 TFLOPS vs. 12.1 TFLOPS.

Although technically considered part of the Geforce 20-series range, the Titan V is very much a business-focused graphics card. It has much more in common with the Tesla V100 that it shares a core with, than with high-end consumer graphics cards.

Alongside the $3,000 price point which puts it out of range of even some of the deepest of consumer pockets, this card sports the same 21.1 billion transistor count as that data center graphics processor (GPU). It’s also built on the same 12nm process and has the same number of CUDA and Tensor cores: 5,120 and 640 respectively, as per Anandtech.

Although comparable, this card is far cheaper, and it’s incredibly capable, especially when it comes to computational tasks like powering artificial intelligence. Indeed Nvidia promises free access to its Nvidia GPU cloud with every purchase. The big difference is that this card works in a standard PC, so is much more versatile than some of its data center counterparts.

Considering this card is aimed at the professional market and Nvidia doesn’t typically open its new graphics generations with its most powerful entry, this card probably isn’t a great indication of what we can expect from Volta as a whole. Regardless, it’s still an impressive piece of equipment and continues to remind us that as powerful as is what came before, there will always be something new on the horizon to push the boundaries of what’s possible.

The Titan V is available now, priced at $3,000.

Editors’ Recommendations

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Windows 10 eSIM support lets laptop owners stay connected via their mobile plans

Moving beyond Wi-Fi and Ethernet connections, Microsoft wants to see future builds of Windows 10 keep more Windows PCs online no matter where they go. A new initiative for Windows 10 “eSIM” support could see users use their mobile data plan in order to get their laptop online without the need to create a Wi-Fi hotspot or use any form of in-store activation.

This initiative should come as no surprise considering the recent announcement of Qualcomm-powered laptops with LTE support. These notebooks are more connected, rather than more powerful, sporting long battery life and cellular connectivity, making them part of a new range of “Always Connected” PCs. Microsoft’s proposed Windows 10 tweaks would make that even more viable.

As it stands notebooks with physical SIM cards with in-store activation can provide similar functionality, but they are specialist devices rather than the norm. With Microsoft’s planned changes, laptops would be able to leverage an embedded SIM (EUIIC or eSIM) with a profile downloaded from the cloud allowing for remote activation.

Details of this new feature were revealed at the WinHEC Fall 2017 Workshop which took place at the end of last month and ZDNet has a few slides from that show. They showcase the changes that the “next release of Windows 10” will have, making it possible to bring these notebooks online without the traditional physical sim card installation.

Full support of the feature may require cooperation from specific mobile carriers, so may be somewhat dependent on available packages in users’ geographic regions but if the feature becomes popular, there shouldn’t be much cause for not making it viable for all.

It’s possible this feature gains more traction in enterprise settings first, where the increased security of a cellular data connection is an attractive alternative to Wi-Fi, especially when there are comparable speeds. A lower power-usage than Wi-Fi is also an attractive side of it though, which may be what Microsoft uses to market it to consumers, as well as the fact that it allows laptops to remain “Always Connected,” without quite so many steps as existing solutions.

The “Redstone 4” build of Windows 10 where this feature is expected to appear, is slated to debut in April, so it will come a little after the launch of some of the Qualcomm-powered compatible notebooks. Although some of those notebooks will ship out without the hardware capabilities for eSIM support at launch, others may, with the Windows OS adding the software compatibility for them a little later. Windows Insiders, however, will likely gain access to the feature a little sooner.

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Windows 10 eSIM support lets laptop owners stay connected via their mobile plans

Moving beyond Wi-Fi and Ethernet connections, Microsoft wants to see future builds of Windows 10 keep more Windows PCs online no matter where they go. A new initiative for Windows 10 “eSIM” support could see users use their mobile data plan in order to get their laptop online without the need to create a Wi-Fi hotspot or use any form of in-store activation.

This initiative should come as no surprise considering the recent announcement of Qualcomm-powered laptops with LTE support. These notebooks are more connected, rather than more powerful, sporting long battery life and cellular connectivity, making them part of a new range of “Always Connected” PCs. Microsoft’s proposed Windows 10 tweaks would make that even more viable.

As it stands notebooks with physical SIM cards with in-store activation can provide similar functionality, but they are specialist devices rather than the norm. With Microsoft’s planned changes, laptops would be able to leverage an embedded SIM (EUIIC or eSIM) with a profile downloaded from the cloud allowing for remote activation.

Details of this new feature were revealed at the WinHEC Fall 2017 Workshop which took place at the end of last month and ZDNet has a few slides from that show. They showcase the changes that the “next release of Windows 10” will have, making it possible to bring these notebooks online without the traditional physical sim card installation.

Full support of the feature may require cooperation from specific mobile carriers, so may be somewhat dependent on available packages in users’ geographic regions but if the feature becomes popular, there shouldn’t be much cause for not making it viable for all.

It’s possible this feature gains more traction in enterprise settings first, where the increased security of a cellular data connection is an attractive alternative to Wi-Fi, especially when there are comparable speeds. A lower power-usage than Wi-Fi is also an attractive side of it though, which may be what Microsoft uses to market it to consumers, as well as the fact that it allows laptops to remain “Always Connected,” without quite so many steps as existing solutions.

The “Redstone 4” build of Windows 10 where this feature is expected to appear, is slated to debut in April, so it will come a little after the launch of some of the Qualcomm-powered compatible notebooks. Although some of those notebooks will ship out without the hardware capabilities for eSIM support at launch, others may, with the Windows OS adding the software compatibility for them a little later. Windows Insiders, however, will likely gain access to the feature a little sooner.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Windows Mixed Reality news: Here’s everything you need to know
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• These helpful Windows 10 keyboard shortcuts will update your OG Windows skills
• Super-efficient Windows laptops powered by Qualcomm phone chips are here
• Where was I? Timeline puts your Windows desktop right back the way you left it

Sprint offers customers $100 for the holidays, but not in cash — in PokéCoins

These days, it seems that virtual currency is more enticing than the real thing. Between the meteoric rise of Bitcoin and Sprint’s decision to reward folks with PokéCoins instead of, you know, real coins, we may soon be crying out for the days of cold hard cash. But until then, we’ll have to satisfy ourselves with $100 worth of in-game money.

On Friday, Sprint announced that its holiday plans include giving folks a bonus for signing up for Sprint Unlimited. The company is planning on giving folks $100, but you can’t take that to the bank. Rather, you’ll have to spend it in Pokémon Go. Intended to celebrate the recent release of 50 more Pokémon from the Hoenn region, the $100 sum can be exchanged for 3,600 Poké Balls, 480 Max Revives, 145 Premium Raid Passes, or 96 Incubators. Or if you’re really savvy, you can mix and match to your heart’s content. Really, you can buy anything up to 14,500 PokéCoins, which is what $100 is equal to in this fantastical gaming world.

Of course, outside of Pokémon incentives, Sprint is attempting to push its actual offerings, too. People who choose to give themselves the gift of a new network provider can get four lines of unlimited data, talk, and text for $25 per month, as well as a fifth line for free. So if you have a serious Pokémon Go gamer in your midst, you may want to consider this offer. The unlimited data plan also comes with Hulu and a six-month trial of Tidal, which has been known to offer some exclusives to Sprint customers.

How did Sprint manage to score a deal with Pokémon Go? Last year, the carrier became the exclusive U.S. wireless partner of the game, and turned a number of stores into PokéStops and Gyms. And if you want to get another $100 in PokéCoins from the company, you’ll need to activate a new line of service at your local store, and then remember to ask a sales representative for your gift. From there, you should receive a text message with redemption instructions.

So happy holidays, friends. While you can’t exactly stuff someone’s stocking with $100 in PokéCoins, you may still be able to spread holiday cheer.

Editors’ Recommendations

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Scientists say screens hurt our ability to comprehend the information we read

Do you ever find yourself reading through a scientific article and feeling like your brain is imploding as you try to wrap your head around some of its heavy-duty concepts? It may be the fact that you spend too much time staring at screens!

According to a new piece of research coming out of Pennsylvania State University, adult readers who spend a lot of time using electronic devices turn out to be less adept at understanding scientific texts. Compared to folks who read on paper (which, we believe, is a kind of high-res display made out of wood pulp), people who look at screens for hours each day — whether it’s reading articles, texting, or playing games — find that they pick up only short fragments of information, as opposed to incorporating the information in a more thorough manner.

“Scientific reading is different from casual reading, and it requires the reader to put the science concepts together in a way different from putting stories and plots together,” Ping Li, professor of psychology and linguistics at Penn State, told Digital Trends.

The researchers based their conclusions on studies involving hundreds of participants, recruited via Amazon Mechanical Turk. Participants were asked to read eight different scientific articles, covering topics including electrical circuits, permutation, GPS, Mars, and supertankers. After reading each article, the participants were then quizzed on 10 multiple choice questions about the article, as well as being asked to sort key terms from the articles into groups. These questions were designed to test both facts and relations between the scientific concepts. The participants additionally provided background information about themselves, such as how often they were engaged in using electronic devices per day for reading and non-reading activities, such as gaming. Their comprehension scores on the questions were then predicted by factors such as the difficulty of the text and their reading habits, using correlation and multiple regression analyses.

But Li isn’t as depressed about schools’ ever-growing focus on using tools like iPads as you might expect. “I’m a big advocate of digital learning using cyber-enabled technologies, so this particular work does not imply that we should not read science on e-devices,” he said. “We could combat some of the negative effects of e-devices by making smart use of them. One example, from our own research, is that 3D-visualization tools provide an excellent platform for understanding scientific concepts.”

Next up, he says he would like the team to drill down on how reading on different electronic devices affects readers. “My hypothesis is that Kindle will yield more similar results as a print book, as compared with reading on an iPhone or iPad,” he told us.

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Deal: Get a Gear 360 and Gear VR for just $199

Available only on Friday, December 8.

Samsung’s Galaxy S8 and Note 8 are two of the best phones released in 2017, and while the devices are solid enough on their own, one of the big draws for buying Samsung over other brands is that you get access to the company’s ‘galaxy’ of compatible accessories.

The Gear 360 and Gear VR received hardware updates this year, and as part of its ongoing “12 days of joy” promotion, Samsung is letting buyers snag both accessories for just $199.

To get the deal, head to Samsung’s site and you’ll see that you can now buy the Gear 360 for $199 compared to its regular price of $229. When you add the 360 to your cart, you’ll be able to get the Gear VR for free – a value on its own of $129. The Gear VR comes with an included controller, and you can use it to view any photos or videos that you capture with the Gear 360 in addition to any other virtual reality content that’s available for it.

This deal is only available for today, December 8, so make sure you act fast if you want to get in on it before it’s gone.

See at Samsung

Amazon discounting six Prime Exclusive Phones until late December

Get up to $50 off the Moto X4, LG G6+, and others.

If you’re an Amazon Prime subscriber and shopping around for an unlocked Android handset, it’s hard to do much better than Amazon’s Prime Exclusive Phones. The lineup of devices offered as part of this program has become rather attractive throughout 2017, and Amazon’s now announced heavy discounts on some of the top phones offered through it.

Most of the phones will be discounted on December 10, but starting today, December 8, you can pick up the Nokia 6 for just $149 thanks to a discount of $30.

Starting December 10 at 12:01 AM and going until December 23, you’ll be able to get the following deals:

• Moto G5 Plus w/ 64GB storage for $199 ($40 off)
• Moto X4 for $279 ($50 off)
• LG X Charge for $119 ($30 off)
• LG Q6 for $179 ($50 off)

Lastly, on December 17 until December 23, you’ll be able to purchase the LG G6+ for just $449 with a discount of $50.

All of these handsets will come with advertisements on the lock screen as part of Amazon’s Prime Exclusive program, but for prices this low, it’s kind of impossible to complain about that.

See at Amazon

Google Wifi vs. Orbi vs. Eero vs. Amplifi: Which mesh system should you buy?

There are some great mesh systems to choose from; which is the right one for you?

Most people don’t put enough thought into their wireless router. The way your house is laid out and how its built matter, as do things like spreading the signal across multiple floors or if you have to plug things in at one end but need good Wi-Fi at the other. Of course, we all want our Wi-Fi to be fast and are quick to fuss when it’s not, even if it’s our own fault.

This is where Wireless Mesh networking comes into play. While there are cases where one central wireless access point that sends out a powerful signal in all directions is perfect, there are also plenty of cases where a mesh system is better. Here are some tips to help you decide if you’re not yet sure which way to go:

Router vs. Mesh Networking: What’s best for your home Wi-Fi network?

If you’re going to go with a mesh system, you’re then faced with the question of which you should buy. None of them are cheap and most of us don’t want to perform a few multiple-hundred dollar experiments. We’re going to look at four popular models and give you some information so you can make the right choice.

Google Wifi

Google has a vested interest in everyone being on the internet, and they’ve made a great wireless mesh system to help make it happen no matter where in your house you happen to be sitting. Google Wifi is fast, easy to setup, and even easier to get into the settings thanks to their smartphone app.

Pros

• It looks good — this matters because ideally, you’ll have the satellites out in the open where everyone can see them.
  • Constant updates
  • Setup is so easy it’s almost automatic

Cons

• Few advanced features
• Requires a Google account and a smartphone to set up and use
• If you lose a connection to the internet, settings and options are very limited

If you use Google products, you’ll probably love Google Wifi. Everything about the product will be familiar, from the way it looks to the way the app works.

Setup is simple. Power up one of the units and connect it to your modem, then download the app (there’s a card enclosed in the box that points you in the right direction). You’ll get a notification that starts the process with a single tap, then walks you through setting up the other two and gives performance tips.

Each unit covers about 1,200 square feet with a strong signal and moving through your house switches you from one to the next seamlessly. The app has some features like being able to prioritize one device over the others for a set amount of time (perfect for streaming HD video) or parental controls but lacks advanced networking features like dedicated port forwarding. The biggest drawback is what happens if you lose your internet connection — you have very limited access to the settings as they are hosted on your online Google account.

Perhaps the biggest draw of Google Wifi is the prompt updates. They’re seamless and a proper update schedule means your network is more secure even if they aren’t always filled with new features. Check it out at Best Buy for $299.

See at Best Buy

Orbi

Netgear’s Orbi isn’t really a mesh wireless system, but it acts the same way and extends your network by using satellite units. Those sattellites just aren’t connected to each other, only the base. It is a tri-band system that will give you fast newtork speeds everywhere in your house, which is what really matters.

Pros

• No account required
• No speed loss from mesh forwarding
• The base and satellitle are pre-programmed to work together

Cons

• It’s big
• It’s expensive if you need a second sattellite
• Setup can be confusing because there are so many options

First things first — if you need advanced settings on your Wi-Fi network and want a mesh(-like) system, Orbi is the one you want to buy no questions asked. Using your web browser to log into the router brings you to the familiar Netgear setup and admin page that you’re probably already familiar with, including options that no other consumer mesh product offers like advanced QoS and forwarding.

With that out of the way, the Orbi system has one other thing going for it that might make a difference — no speed loss because of bi-directional communication. Orbi uses a dedicated band for communication between the units, while some other consumer mesh products use the same band your network data does, which causes a 50% loss in throughput for each “hop.” This isn’t noticeable for most of us as it’s still faster than data can be processed after the loss, but it could make a difference when transferring large files or streaming data insde your network.

There are also two things that aren’t great — the sheer size of each unit (easily 3 times bigger than the others on this list) and the price. A two-pack costs about $300, and if you need another satellite for a large home, it will cost about $150.

See at Amazon

eero

eero was one of the first consumer-grade mesh wireless systems, and it’s even better with the 2017 revision for most people. Like the Orbi, it’s a true tri-band mesh system with a dedicated band for communication between devices, but the units themselves are small and look good.

Pros

• Can use an unlimited amount of beacons
• Each beacon looks great
• Easy and secure setup

Cons

• Beacons have no Ethernet ports
• Requires a smartphone to set up
• Limited settings

The eero system is my personal favorite, even though I’m embedded in the Google ecosystem. I’m not recommending it over any of the others, though, because what I liked was the polish of the app and the hardware compared to the competition while using the 2016 model. Things have come a long way for all manufacturers since.

With that out of the way, there is a lot to like about eero. It delivers a fast network even at an extreme distance due to it’s dedicated communication band and ability to use as many beacons as you need, and it still looks great with a wonderful smartphone app. Though we do need to mention (once again) that the potential speed loss of not having a tri-band system isn’t something you’re ever likely to notice. But the great app is.

Set up is also a breeze, and almost as easy as Google Wifi’s method. Install the app (and you have to use an app) and it walks you through the entire process using friendly, easy to understand language. If you aren’t familiar with networking terms you’ll appreciate the friendly touch, and if you are, you’ll appreciate how well the company breaks it down for those that aren’t.

An eero system is a little more expensive though, with a three-pack (one base and two beacons) costing about $350. And like Google Wifi, there aren’t enough settings to satisfy extreme users. One other thing — the beacons don’t have any Ethernet ports so if you were planning to run a cable to your entertainment stand or game console, you’ll need to run it back the base where there is one spare. Pricing starts around $349.

See at Amazon

Amplifi HD

The Amplifi HD looks different from the other products on this list and installs a little differently — each satellite plugs directly into a wall outlet rather than use a cord and plug. This makes is easier to find a place for them or harder, depending on where you need them. It delivers good, strong whole-house Wi-Fi like the other products on this list.

Pros

• Five Gigabit Ethernet ports on the base like a traditional router
• Smartphone app or account not required
• More advanced settings than eero or Google Wifi

Cons

• Satellites are large and require mounting on a wall outlet
• Satellites have no Ethernet ports
• Satellites aren’t as attractive as the competition (but are interesting to some)

The Amplifi HD boasts a 20,000-square-foot coverage area from a single base and two satellites. Our testing leads us to believe it, as a usable signal extended further down the street than we thought possible. That’s enough reason for some of us to buy it — you might also be able to have great Wi-Fi in your workshop or any outbuilding (or share Wi-Fi with your neighbor). Part of this is because of the unique satellite configuration. Rather than a smallish puck designed to sit on a table somewhere, each is a tall, two-piece wand that needs to be plugged directly into an outlet.

There’s also a coolness factor missing from the others on our list with Amplifi’s touchscreen display on the base that can monitor network speeds or show the time (it can also be shut off). This can be quite handy if the base is set somewhere like a desk in a home office and can double as a clock, besides having access to some user settings. Speaking of settings, you’ll find more advanced ones on the Amplifi HD than you will on Google Wifi or eero, but not as many as the Orbi. It’s a good balance for the average home user with something like a dedicated media server.

One thing to consider here is that the Amplifi HD isn’t exactly childproof. The satellites will be plugged in where a curious little one can reach them and look interesting enough to make sure they notice them. The are two-piece units held together by a strong magnet so they won’t be harmed if someone grabs the antenna and tugs on it, but electricity and toddlers don’t mix. If you don’t have little ones crawling or walking around you might like the look, though. Pricing starts around $311.

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Our verdict

It depends a lot on what you’re looking for. If you want the most plug-and-play model, Google Wifi is one of those gems that anyone can install. It’s also the cheapest option, though a Google account is required and internet access almost a must (and absolutely required for setup). Eero is what you’ll need if you need extra beacons, but while they look great there don’t have any Ethernet ports for your TV or Xbox. Orbi is great for someone running a server or has other needs for advanced QoS and forwarding options, but is big, bulky and expensive. Finally, Amplifi covers your house, yard and maybe even your neighbor but isn’t perfect for homes with small children.

Each has plenty going for it, as well as some drawbacks. Most things are that way. Hopefully this helps you make the right decision and you’ll just be able to enjoy the great Wi-Fi all over your house.