XP-Pen Deco Pro review

Is a drawing tablet a third of the price of an equivalent Wacom only as third as good?

XP-PEN Deco Pro review
(Image: © Mike Griggs)

Our Verdict

The XP-Pen Deco Pro is a great tablet that is an absolute bargain at its price point (especially when compared to offerings from Wacom). However, the lower price means that sacrifices are made. Inconsistent drivers can make the Deco Pro an unsatisfying experience. For someone who does not feel they need a tablet full time, the Deco Pro will fit the bill. For those artists who depend on a drawing tablet, definitely try the Deco Pro. Still, there could be more reliable, but expensive options elsewhere.

For

  • Excellent value
  • USB-C plug and play with reversible buttons
  • Surprisingly useful scroll wheel

Against

  • Sensitive mouse pad
  • Pen taper not for everyone
  • Software not well integrated (especially on Mac)

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Drawing tablets, like the XP-Pen Deco Pro, are many graphics designers second purchase after their computer. A tablet is an essential part of the ‘toolkit’ for a wide range of creative applications from graphic design to 3D sculpting.

For many artists, there has only been one reliable name in tablets, Wacom (see our round up of the best drawing tablets for more). However, over the past few years, companies like XP-Pen have introduced a wide range of products. As an artist who has never used any tablet other than a Wacom, I recently test-drove a Deco Pro medium, one of XP-Pen’s latest designs to see if a ‘cheap’ tablet was actually good value. Here's what I found.

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The Verdict
7

out of 10

XP-Pen Deco Pro review

The XP-Pen Deco Pro is a great tablet that is an absolute bargain at its price point (especially when compared to offerings from Wacom). However, the lower price means that sacrifices are made. Inconsistent drivers can make the Deco Pro an unsatisfying experience. For someone who does not feel they need a tablet full time, the Deco Pro will fit the bill. For those artists who depend on a drawing tablet, definitely try the Deco Pro. Still, there could be more reliable, but expensive options elsewhere.

Mike Griggs

Mike Griggs is a veteran digital content creator and technical writer. For nearly 30 years, Mike has been creating digital artwork, animations and VR elements for multi-national companies and world-class museums. Mike has been a writer for 3D World Magazine and Creative Bloq for over 10 years, where he has shared his passion for demystifying the process of digital content creation.