Xencelabs scoops drawing tablet of the year in the Creative Bloq Awards 2022

The Xencelabs Pen Tablet Medium Bundle was already one of the best drawing tablets of the year and then Xencelabs went and released a special edition Nebula White model. This tablet features a 16:9 active drawing area and is a nice 8mm thin; it sits neatly beneath a 13-inch Apple MacBook. The bundle comes with everything you need to get creative, but it's the smart Quick Key Remote that impresses – the separate device features an OLED display and nine-buttons with physical wheel dial for configuring the tablet to your needs and for each software you use. Brilliant. 

Read our Xencelabs Pen Tablet Medium Bundle SE review.

While it is designed for Samsung's tablets the S Pen Pro can be used on most Android devices, making this the Apple Pencil of Androids, for example it offers an Apple-like 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity. The S Pen Pro is a little thicker than previous stylus from Samsung but this makes it a better pen for digital art as you can grip it nicely. It boasts 16 days of battery life and has a fun 'find my pen' mode and app, for those of us who quickly lose our nice things.

Read our guide to the best stylus for Android.

The impressive XP-Pen Artist 12 (2nd Gen) features the brands new X3 Smart chip and features the same balance of leading edge tech and budget-friendly design choices, for example the display is Full HD but not 4K but it does feature 127% sRGB and full lamination for a toothy drawing surface. Considering this pen display has an MSRP of $219 / £229 it's a well-deserved winner of the best budget category.

Read our Wacom vs XP-Pen feature.

The second award win for the Xencelabs Pen Tablet Medium Bundle SE, this time our judges voted this the best luxury drawing tablet. The exceptional build quality and design finish impresses, but it's that OLED remote and two excellent styluses, featuring 8,192 levels of pen pressure and 60 degrees tilt function. If you want a fantastic drawing tablet, with everything you need, this Xencelabs package is a classy bundle.

Read our Xencelabs Pen Tablet Medium Bundle review.

The only drawing tablet on our list is the One by Wacom, which points to a lack of new releases from the giant of tablets – but is easily one of the best released in the last 12 months. One by Wacom is the brand's answer to the rising number of budget tablets appearing, but created with Wacom's attention to quality. Offering a battery-free pen with 2048 pressure levels this is a sturdy and well-proportioned tablet for home and travel use (it supports Mac, Windows, Chrome OS and Android). Best of all in the budget category, the One by Wacom comes bundled with great software, including Clip Studio Paint.

The only winning Apple device in our drawing tablets category naturally wins the best luxury pen display award. The Apple iPad Air (5th Gen, 2022) is a small tablet with the power of a MacBook Pro and can run any leading digital art software. The Apple M1 chip can handle most tasks and the recent updates to the iPadOS ensure this model impresses as much as the larger and more expensive iPad Pro. But for art on the go, Apple's smaller and lighter iPad Air is a powerful and adaptable little tablet.

Read our Apple iPad Air (5th Gen, 2022) review.

Mixing affordability, durability and ease of use, the XP-Pen Deco Fun is this year's winner of the best tablet for kids award. Coming in four colours – Carmine Red, Apple Green, Space Blue and Classic Black – and featuring the same excellent tech as the more costly XP-Pen tablets, including a stylus with 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity. The three sizes range from extra small (4.8 x 3-inches) to large (10 x 6.270-inches), making it ideal for smaller hands.

Read our guide to the best drawing tablets for kids.