The Friendly SwedeStylus Pen for Touchscreen — 3-Pack 5.5" High Precision Stylus Pen with Replaceable Thin Tips, Elastic Lanyards & Screen Cleaning Cloth - Silver

For about three years, I have tried to find the right stylus for the work I do on my iPad. The inexpensive styli were usually a waste of time; and though the expensive ones were better, they just didn't seem to be worth the money in the end. After growing frustrated with my Maglus, my Wacom Bamboo, and my Targus, I began searching again. After a great deal of reading, I ordered an expensive Sensu stylus and a Maglus Mini, and then I came across the 5.5" Thin-tipped stylus by the Friendly Swede. The price was so low, I thought it had to be junky; but I couldn't believe all the good reviews it received; so I had to give it try.My first statement is this: finding the right stylus is a very subjective thing. There is no one-size-fits-all. A stylus that works for one may be a dog for someone else. So this review is from the perspective that the FS stylus works for me, and in a big way.The second thing to say is that my primary use for a stylus is hand-written notes--meetings, outlines, personal study, reflections, etc. My favorite app is Notes Plus, and I write a great deal in it every day. Please note: I do not buy or use a stylus for drawing or painting, so please bear that in mind as you read.Pros:1. The first thing that struck me was the content of the purchase. I have paid as much as 40.00 for a stylus that had no extra tip (though you could purchase another). And I've paid 15.00 for a stylus that had no replaceable tip--when the tip's shot, you buy another stylus. The Friendly Swede (FS after this) package had three thin-tipped styli, with three extra replaceable tips, two15" elastic lanyards, and a cleaning cloth. All this for 7.99. Extra tips are available for a reasonable price.2. I have long, slender fingers and hands. Holding the Maglus' fashionable shape (great tip, precision-machined body) wore my hand out after writing with it for a while. It's a beautiful stylus, and I know most owners love it; but it was just not a good fit for my hand, especially at 36.00. But the FS is great for taking notes. The thin tip has just the right firmness for me and lets me write quickly or at normal speed with good control. It hardly ever misses a stroke. I tried a similar "thin-tipped" stylus by another company and the tip was just too soft--too mashy. Wasn't good for the pressure I put on a stylus when I'm trying to take notes quickly in a meeting. For a rubber tipped stylus, the FS glides very smoothly across my iPad screen and works beautifully with Notes Plus. I was actually surprised at how smoothly it moved across the screen, with just enough "drag" to make it a controlled inking experience.3. The 5.5" barrel length is perfect for my hand--good balance, good weight for long periods of writing. The Sensu and Wacom Bamboo were a bit too short and always felt a bit uncomfortable, especially when trying to write in a hurry. No such problem with the FS.Cons:I have only two very slight issues with this stylus; and if they are not changed, it would not affect my enthusiasm for and use of it.1. Because of the size and shape of my hands and the length of time I spend writing, I find the barrel just a tiny bit big in circumference. However, after I write for 10-15 minutes, I don't notice it. It doesn't wear out my hand like the Maglus did.2. I purchased both the three silver and the three black packages. They actually look like the advertised pictures, which is not like the styli of some other companies. They are bright, beautiful, and glossy; however, my hands get damp very shortly after I start writing, which makes those beautiful shiny barrels feel a tad slick. But as in the matter of its circumference, after writing for a few minutes, I don't notice it.Neither of these issues keep me from really enjoying using the FS stylus.Finally, I have to mention the company itself. The day after I purchased my first package of 7.99 styli, I was surprised to receive an email from the Friendly Swede, asking me how I liked the stylus, if I was pleased with the purchase, and if I had any criticisms that would help make the stylus better. I thought, "For an 7.99 purchase? Really?" On a whim, I replied with my thoughts. I received an almost immediate reply that turned into several interesting and helpful emails from Kendall and Maureen--really good customer support. Their attitudes, congenial correspondence, and helpful discussions gave me the impression that the Friendly Swede really is "friendly" and wants to interact with its customers. Dealing with them has been a pleasure that has turned into repeat purchases already.I put away my Maglus, Bamboo, and Targus, sent back my Sensu and Maglus Mini, and am quite satisfied to write for hours with my FS stylus. It's really a good stylus, a good price, and a good company.

I've discovered I really enjoy Autodesk Sketchbook Pro on my Samsung Tab 3 and, as you can imagine, a good stylus is extremely useful if not necessary in this case. I've tried the following and will summarize my personal take on them below:1. Amazon Basics Stylus- The name says it all. Basic. It's built well enough and is satisfactory as a general use stylus but doesn't do much for me for Sketchbook or similar drawing apps. For $6-8 this stylus was probably a more practical choice two years ago before better ones became cheaper. I'd call this average at this point but also a good starting point to compare to others.2. amPen Hybrid Stylus- I really like this one. It's the newer direction manufacturers have gone lately which has a fabric wrapped over the rubber tip. This stylus is average size and length. Nearly identical to the Amazon Basics in this respect, same length and girth of the barrel. The tip is wonderful and again almost identical in size to the Amazon Basics one so I think we can say they are both the standard size these days. The fabric wrapped around the tip works very well and is definitely superior to the Amazon Basics. This is my favorite general use stylus by far. The tip seems sturdier and slightly smaller compared to a similar one offered by the Friendly Swede but I'll speak more on that later. This one works quite well for Sketchbook but the fatter tip is the only slight negative in that instance. At about $8, this is a no-brainer over the Amazon Basics version. Five stars for feel and superior tip. Not a bargain compared to Friendly Swede but is comparably priced to the Amazon version that it surpasses.3. The Friendly Swede 7.3" Micro Knit Hybrid Fiber Tip 3 pack- What sets this apart is it's length and price. The fiber tip is better than the Amazon Basics rubber only tip but seems slightly more flimsy than the amPen. Another slight disadvantage this has compared to the Amazon Basics and the amPen, is the metal it's made of is very slick. The Amazon Basics has a very subtle roughness that gives superior grip and the amPen is a bit odd as it has a coating that is smooth and provides a good grip at the same time. The length can overcome this somewhat but may possibly be too long for some users, myself included. BUT...A three pack of these with the fiber tip and the length considered for only about $8, when I bought them, makes this probably one of the best deals for a household that could use multiple styli. These are well built despite their bargain. The length is a put-off for me but some users may appreciate it and for drawing apps it falls short because, again, the length is too much in this instance and the shorter, superior tipped amPen wins out here. I'd still grant the five stars for the better tip, though slightly larger and weaker than the amPen, and the bargain is tough to ignore.4. The Friendly Swede 5.5" Thin Tip 3 pack- Very standard size except it is slightly longer than the Amazon Basics or amPen. The absolute best quality of this stylus is its length. The 5.5" is the perfect length in my opinion. I really appreciate the thinner tip for drawing apps but this one is pretty flimsy compared the the Bamboo Pocket Expandable stylus, which I'll talk about later. Despite the superior length and thinner tip, I still prefer the amPen for drawing and general use. This version suffers also from the same slick feel as its longer cousin. That being said, it's the perfect length and the thinner tip is nice for drawing but is quickly spoiled by the flimsy tip. It is also a bargain at three for $11 and comes with three replacement tips which slightly makes up for the somewhat flimsy tip. A well made, good stylus but just not quite great. Five stars for length, bargain, and thinner tip even if it is a tad wimpy in my opinion.5. Zebra Stylus Twist Pen- I'll make this quick. It has a great length, close to the 5.5" Friendly Swede, but it is a bit too skinny and the rubber end it very very wimpy. Think of a week old balloon you blew up for a birthday party and that's about how sturdy it is. The pen, which was a draw for me, is pretty gray and not even up to par with other Zebra pens I own. This product was nothing but a compromise. A mediocre pen with a mediocre stylus end. Three stars because it has good length and both functions. Still a BIG pass if your main goal is a stylus which was mine. Try not to buy this out of loyalty to Zebra pens. You'll be disappointed.6. Bamboo Expandable Pocket Stylus- My overall favorite. Has a thin tip and is sturdier than the Friendly Swede. For drawing, the tip plus the large grip works very well. It's expandable and, at its full length, is about as long as the Amazon Basics or amPen. It also has a cool attachment that plugs into the headphone port and nests to the tip of the stylus so it's easy to remove. Others offer this too but are permanently attached to the top end of the stylus and I like the way Bamboo does it better. It also gives some colored rings so you can personalize it somewhat. It's neat and thoughtful, but obviously does nothing for function. This is the best made stylus of the lot. Just had that indescribable feel of quality. Also comes with a replacement tip and, for a thin tip stylus, it has a nice heft to it. Compared to other rubber tipped styli, it's easily better made. I love this for compactness, strong and thin tip is great for drawing, and thicker grip helps this too despite being average length. Five stars for less than $9. I'll note that I still like the amPen the best for general tablet use and navigation but this one feels just right for drawing in my opinion.In summary, the Amazon Basics is solid but old news with better ones close to its price point. The Friendly Swede offers the best bargain and variety of length and is made well enough. Just skip the Zebra Twist Pen altogether. The amPen is pretty awesome. It has good grip, great tip, and is very capable for drawing. If you don't care about drawing, I'd probably recommend the amPen for those who use a stylus often. I personally only use a stylus for drawing so my personal favorite is the Bamboo Expandable Stylus for reasons mentioned above. It and the amPen cost around $8-9 and are the two highest quality offerings here.

(Sorry about the headline--I couldn't resist. It's only as good as Google Translate.)I am very impressed with this stylus! I prefer to use a stylus for navigating and typing on my iPad, and I grew tired of paying $10 and up for "styli" only to have the tips tear or wear out after a few months. The Friendly Swede gives you three for less than the price of many single styli. That in itself makes them a bargain. But they're also of obviously high quality steel-and-aluminum construction, look great, and feel good in your hand (not too heavy, not too light, not too thick, and not too thin). I love the 5.5-inch length, which is longer than other styli I've used. Perhaps best of all, they also come with three replacement tips, and you can buy a dozen more for only $6. And, of course, they also work really well on my iPad.So, I highly recommend this stylus.