The Best Thing I Bought This Year: The Remarkable Paper Pro

The Remarkable Paper Pro and Type Folio keyboard lawsuit is simply a amazingly awesome combo.

About a twelvemonth ago, we said you astir apt don’t need nan Remarkable Paper Pro. The e-ink instrumentality is adjacent parts outrageous and luxurious; it’s not perfect for consuming books, and nan surface tin sometimes consciousness painfully slow. Then there’s nan starting price, which is, rather frankly, ludicrous astatine $629 (up from $579 acknowledgment to US-induced tariffs). Add successful nan $229 Type Folio, and beatified hell.

Based connected that description, astir sane group would enactment far, acold away, and possibly walk their money on, I don’t know, Apple’s latest MacBook Air. We’ve seen Apple’s laptop driblet down to arsenic debased arsenic $738, making it nan much affordable action against nan mixed value of nan Remarkable Paper Pro and Type Folio keyboard case.

And yet, I not only bought nan Paper Pro, but it’s nan instrumentality I find myself reaching for astir often erstwhile I want to GTD, for illustration constitute this blog. Not because it’s nan champion tablet — it’s not — but because it’s a stubbornly single-purpose device. That’s a bully thing!

While utilizing it, I’m insulated from a world that’s perpetually demanding my attention. There is nary Slack app. I can’t doomscroll. There are precisely zero notifications. And alternatively of hitting maine pinch AI and algorithms, it conscionable sits there, quietly, inviting existent quality thought and curation.

That’s nan trick. The Paper Pro allows maine to attraction connected what I’m doing, which feels for illustration a mini miracle. It creates a constrictive lane, and that’s wherever I enactment — nary distracting detours aliases YouTube rabbit holes. In operation pinch nan Type Folio, nan acquisition is an absolute delight. Yes, nan accessory is damn pricey astatine $229, but it’s worthy each penny. It attaches to nan tablet easily; it’s bladed and light; and it doubles arsenic protection.

I’m not that well-versed successful keyboards — I usage Apple’s Magic Keyboard arsenic my regular driver — but nan Type Folio is good. It’s not nan astir freely keyboard around, but it’s very comfortable. The keys person a satisfying clickiness and characteristic a bully soft-touch finish. Some of nan keys are backlit, too, allowing maine to type good into nan night. I still find it a small tricky to fold and unfold, but it’s unchangeable capable to usage connected my thigh erstwhile I request to.

Meanwhile, penning straight connected nan 11.8-inch Canvas Color show pinch nan upgraded Marker Plus stylus (which adds different $129 purchased separately, aliases different $50 when bought pinch nan Paper Pro) offers a awesome paper-like consciousness acknowledgment to nan tablet’s textured glass. I tin scribble connected a blank page aliases PDF, and location are immoderate built-in productivity templates available, allowing maine to usage nan Paper Pro arsenic a regular planner. Every statement I constitute and type is synced crossed Remarkable’s mobile and desktop apps, though it requires a $2.99 per period subscription.

Admittedly, I don’t usage nan Paper Pro to its fullest potential. I don’t often return advantage of nan colour show and nan pen mostly stays magnetically attached to nan broadside of nan tablet, though I’m trying to constitute pinch it more. There are different tablets that are cheaper and connection much capabilities. For me, though, nan distraction-free attack and Type Folio are worthy nan value of admission. If you’re looking for a measurement to return a break from apps and notifications — beyond bricking your phone — nan Paper Pro and Type Folio is an fantabulous setup.

Photography by Brandon Russell / The Verge