If you are a tattoo artist, creative connoisseur, or an art intern looking to buy one of the best tablets for tattoo artists, this guide will help you make a good choice.
We’ve narrowed down the best tablets for out there to the top 7. You’d find on our list, tablets that work great with Procreate, too.
Now, these are our picks for the best tablets for creating good tattoo designs.
Round Up of the Best Tablets for Tattoo Artists
| 1 | Apple iPad Pro 12.9 (2021) (Best Option) | Check Price on Amazon |
| 2 | Apple iPad Air (2022) | Check Price on Amazon |
| 3 | Apple iPad Mini 6 (2021) | Check Price on Amazon |
| 4 | Huion Kamvas Pro 16 | Check Price on Amazon |
| 5 | Apple iPad Pro 12.9 (2020) | Check Price on Amazon |
| 6 | Apple iPad Air (2020) | Check Price on Amazon |
| 7 | Wacom Cintiq 16 | Check Price on Amazon |
1. Apple iPad Pro 12.9 (2021) (Best Option)
SPECIFICATIONS
Display: 12.9-inch Liquid Retina XDR Mini LED display, 2048 x 2732 pixels
Chipset: Apple M1 | OS: iPadOS 14.5.1 | RAM: 8GB/16GB | Storage: 128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB/2TB | Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, hotspot | Size: 11.05 x 8.46 x 0.25 in (280.6 x 214.9 x 6.4 mm)
Weight: 1.50 pounds (682g) | Rear Camera: 12MP, 10MP | Front Camera: 12MP
Battery: 40.88 Wh
REASONS TO BUY
+ Incredible performance
+ Slim build
+ Excellent audio
+ Durable
+ Outstanding display
+ All-day battery life
+ USB4 and Thunderbolt 3 support
REASONS TO AVOID
– High-priced
For some, the best tablet is the fastest with beefy internals — pricing be damned! Apple’s 2021 iPad Pro (12.9-inch) caters to this category of users. The 2021 Apple iPad Pro 12.9-inch is the best tablet for tattoo artists.
The iPad Pro’s performance is chart-topping thanks to Apple’s impressive M1 chip tucked inside the tablet.
This outstanding tablet pairs the M1processor with 128GB of storage and 8GB of RAM. Other storage/RAM options include, 256GB/8GB, 512GB/8GB RAM, 1TB/16GB, and 2TB/16GB.
It also has a USB-C port with USB4 and Thunderbolt 3, something you really do miss on most tablets out there.
Oh, and for the record the iPad Pro’s integrated speakers are class-leading. Apple promises audio excellence – and delivers.
So far, so good? Yes, but the good news doesn’t end there. Apple nailed it again with the iPad Pro’s battery life. You are ultimately getting a tablet from Apple that can last all day and long enough to get some real work done without visiting a wall plug.
Is the iPad Pro 2021 a replacement for a MacBook or laptop? No, not really.
Sure, the 2021 Apple iPad Pro won’t be for everyone, but if you’re looking for a top-end tablet that can offer the best experience, you may have found a new contender for your next tablet. So, if money is no object, the Apple iPad Pro is a worthy splurge.
2. Apple iPad Air (2022)
SPECIFICATIONS
Display: 10.9-inch Liquid Retina IPS LCD display, 1640 x 2360 pixels | Chipset: Apple M1| OS: iPadOS 15.4 | RAM: 8GB | Storage: 64GB/256GB | Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, hotspot | Size: 9.75 x 7.03 x 0.24 in (247.6 x 178.5 x 6.1 mm) | Weight: 1.02 pounds (462 g) | Rear Camera: 12MP | Front Camera: 12MP | Battery: 28.6 Wh
REASONS TO BUY
+ Speedy M1 processor
+ Vibrant display
+ Long battery life
+ Light
+ Works with Apple Pencil
+ 5G connectivity
REASONS TO AVOID
– Limited storage
Built on Apple’s super-fast M1 processor and featuring 8GB of RAM, along with 10.9-inch Liquid Retina IPS LCD display, the iPad Air 2022 has specs that rival other iPads and tablets available at the moment.
Performance is on par with what the 2021 iPad Pro 12.9-inch boasts. The sheer amount of power makes the 2022 iPad Air an appealing upgrade.
Available internal storage includes 64GB and 256GB only. If that’s your main concern, you should probably lean toward the 2021 iPad Pro 12.9-inch which comes in 128GB, 256 GB, 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB.
What’s more, using the Apple Pencil 2 on the 2022 iPad Air is a pure joy.
An A+ for the iPad’s Centre Stage feature.
As far as sound goes, what comes out of the tablet speakers is actually decent.
There’s very little to complain about with the 2022 iPad Air, except for perhaps the restrictive storage. The tablet is a little stingy on storage offerings.
We are always happy to see a headphone jack on phones, tablets, and laptops — there’s simply no excuse to leave it off the spec sheet. Sadly, there is no headphone jack on the Air 2022.
The Air 2022 offers excellent performance at a price point that’s a lot more affordable than most high-end tablets. That’s a win in our book.
3. Apple iPad Mini 6 (2021)
SPECIFICATIONS
Display: 8.3-inch Liquid Retina IPS LCD display, 1488 x 2266 pixels
Chipset: Apple A15 Bionic | OS: iPadOS 15 | RAM: 4GB
Storage: 64GB/256GB | Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, hotspot
Size: 7.69 x 5.31 x 0.25 in (195.4 x 134.8 x 6.3 mm) | Weight: 0.65 pounds (293 g)
Rear Camera: 12MP | Front Camera: 12MP | Battery: 19.3 Wh
REASONS TO BUY
+ Outstanding display
+ Good design
+ Speedy performance
+ Very portable
+ Apple Pencil 2 compatible
+ Long battery life
REASONS TO AVOID
– No headphone jack
If you are on the hunt for a tablet for tattoo artists that serves up power, speed and portability in a gorgeous, slim chassis, then go for Apple’s iPad mini 6.
With the iPad mini 6, Apple has crafted a display that can hold its own against the iPad Pro, and Samsung’s best tablets in basically every metric.
The iPad mini 6 pairs Apple’s speedy A15 Bionic processor and featuring 4GB of RAM, along with an 8.3-inch Liquid Retina IPS LCD screen, it has specs that rival other flagships. The A15 Bionic processor that powers the 2021 iPad mini can handle everything you throw at it.
Now to storage. The 2021 iPad mini does not offer a ton of storage. Available internal storage includes 64GB and 256GB only. If that’s your main concern, you should probably lean toward the 2021 iPad Pro 12.9-inch which comes in 128GB, 256 GB, 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB.
The stereo speakers on both short edges of the iPad mini 6 pump out clear sound.
Elsewhere, you can write, draw, annotate PDFs, and take notes with the Apple Pencil (2nd generation). The Apple Pencil 2 attaches magnetically to the iPad mini 6.
Apple packed in a reasonable 19.3 watt-hours of battery capacity into the mini 6’s chassis. The battery actually lives up to the all-day claim on the box.
However, there are some trade-offs. You won’t find a headphone jack on the 2021 iPad mini, and it has no multiuser support, too.
Finally, if you have the funds, the iPad mini 6 is one of the tablets you should consider buying for creating tattoo designs.
Worthy of Note
Here are more tablets for tattoo artists worth considering.
4. Huion Kamvas Pro 16
SPECIFICATIONS
Display: 15.6-inch, IPS, (Full HD) 1920 x 1080 pixels | Tilt Recognition: ±60°
Colour Gamut: 120% sRGB | OS: Windows, macOS | Pen: Battery-free digital pen
Pen Pressure Levels: 8192 | Ports: USB -C | Size: 17.24 x 9.89 x 0.45 inches (437.8 x 251.2 x 11.5 mm) | Weight: 2.98 pounds (1.35 kg)
REASONS TO BUY
+ Very fast
+ Excellent display quality
+ Not Pricey
+ Ideal for drawing
REASONS TO AVOID
– Customizable keys too close to power button
5. Apple iPad Pro 12.9 (2020)
SPECIFICATIONS
Display: 12.9-inch IPS display, 2048 x 2732 pixels | Chipset: Apple A12Z Bionic chip
OS: iPadOS 13.4 | RAM: 6GB | Storage: 128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, hotspot
Size: 11.04 x 8.46 x 0.23 inches (280.6 x 214.9 x 5.9 mm)
Weight: 1.41 pounds (641g) | Rear Camera: 12MP, 10MP
Front Camera: 7MP | Battery: 9720 mAh
REASONS TO BUY
+ Outstanding display
+ Excellent battery life
+ Fast operating system
+ Face ID works effortlessly
+ Excellent pen integration
+ First-rate audio
REASONS TO AVOID
– No headphone jack
6. Apple iPad Air (2020)
REASONS TO BUY
+ Speedy performance
+ Good OS
+ Excellent display
REASONS TO AVOID
– Finger print scanner isn’t the best
SPECIFICATIONS
Display: 10.9-inch Liquid Retina IPS LCD display, 1640 x 2360 pixels
Chipset: Apple A14 Bionic chip | OS: iPadOS 14.1
Storage: 64GB/256GB | Connectivity: Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, hotspot
Size: 9.75 x 7.03 x 0.24 inches (247.6 x 178.5 x 6.1 mm) | Weight: 1.0 pounds(458 g)
Rear Camera: 12MP | Front Camera: 7MP | Battery: 28.6Wh
7. Wacom Cintiq 16
SPECIFICATIONS
Display: 15.6-inch, (Full HD) 1920 x 1080 pixels | Tilt Recognition: ±60°
Colour Gamut: 72% NTSC (CIE1931) typical | Pen: Wacom Pro Pen 2
Pen Pressure Levels: 8192 | Ports: HDMI, USB 2.0 | Size: 16.6 x 11.2 x 1.0 inches (422 x 285 x 24.5 mm) | Weight: 4.2 pounds (1.9 kg)
REASONS TO BUY
+ Easy to use
+ Fast
+ Affordable
+ Responsive
+ Excellent stylus integration
REASONS TO AVOID
– No multi-touch (finger) support
– Display won’t awards
| 1 | Apple iPad Pro 12.9 (2021) (Best Option) | Check Price on Amazon |
| 2 | Apple iPad Air (2022) | Check Price on Amazon |
| 3 | Apple iPad Mini 6 (2021) | Check Price on Amazon |
| 4 | Huion Kamvas Pro 16 | Check Price on Amazon |
| 5 | Apple iPad Pro 12.9 (2020) | Check Price on Amazon |
| 6 | Apple iPad Air (2020) | Check Price on Amazon |
| 7 | Wacom Cintiq 16 | Check Price on Amazon |