Finding a replacement reMarkable stylus can be confusing and expensive – but we can help distill the options down to key factors to make the decision easy. Plus a money saving tip on how to save over $100 on your first reMarkable.
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Why am I qualified to comment on this product?
I’ve been using the reMarkable 2 paper tablet for over two years on a daily basis in my work and personal lives. Additionally, as the founder of EffectivExec – I’ve been testing various reMarkable pens to deliver insights around their performance and value.
What’s important to know about reMarkable EMR stylus?
The remarkable 2 paper tablet uses a technology called EMR to translate hand movement and pressure into written data. In this article, we’ll use the term pencil, pen, and stylus interchangeably but they all mean an EMR compatible input device for your reMarkable 2. The terms Marker and Marker Plus are specific to reMarkable products.
Electromagnetic Resonance (EMR) pens, also known as stylus pens or digital pens, are the input device for the remarkable 2 tablet. The pencils work based on electromagnetic technology, which allows them to interact with the screen or tablet without the need for batteries or a wired connection. The electromagnetic field generated by the remarkable tablet is resonated by the pen back to the tablet.
All EMR pens and styli will work with the remarkable 2 tablet, which means you have many options for deciding what to buy either when you purchase the tablet or when you need a replacement stylus.
What are the options to replace my remarkable 2 stylus?
There are two major decision factors to consider when it comes to a replacement reMarkable 2 pencil – OEM vs off brand and eraser vs no eraser. Both of these factors will price and features, so let’s dig into them in detail.
reMarkable OEM stylus vs off brand pens
If you own or are considering getting a reMarkable 2 tablet, you likely know that their products are both high quality and quite expensive. The Marker and Marker Plus both fall into this classification. The Marker and Marker Plus have a solid, though not overly heavy feel and feature a built in magnet to attach to the outside of the tablet. Both models have replaceable nibs. The major differentiator between these two styli is the eraser.
When I first purchased my reMarkable 2 tablet, I bought the Marker (primarily because of the increased cost of the Marker Plus). This meant that I had to use the on-screen command for erasing. Though I got good at it, it was still never as smooth or fast as just using an eraser on the stylus. The eraser on the reMarkable Marker Plus works extremely well and is of great use if you do a lot of erasing (which could be common if you’re doing handwriting conversion or art). The price difference, as of this article, is $50 between the Marker and Marker Plus. You’ll have to decide if the additional feature (and color difference) is worth the increased price.
Non-OEM alternatives for reMarkable 2 stylus
There are three major manufacturers of non-OEM stylus for the reMarkable tablet – Staedtler, Lamy, and Amazon Kindle. By non-OEM, I mean made by a different company, but still fully compatible with the device. LAMY and Staedtler are both German companies who have traditionally made analog pens and pencils for many years. In all of my testing, I’ve been very impressed with how interchangeable EMR stylus are with the reMarkable device. I would not worry about compatibility with any of the recommended pens.
Best non-reMarkable stylus replacement – Kindle Scribe Premium
The Kindle Scribe Premium Pen is the most similar replacement to the reMarkable Marker Plus, but for half the price (~$60). It has the same replaceable nibs, EMR eraser, and built-in magnet for easy attachment. The writing experience (which really comes down to the nib), is absolutely outstanding. I honestly don’t think there’s a case for buying a brand name Marker Plus anymore as the Scribe Premium does everything for cheaper.
Note: there is a “shortcut” button on the Scribe Premium, but I haven’t figured out a hack on how to use it on the reMarkable. I’ll report back if/when I figure something out.
Other non-reMarkable stylus replacements
There are a number of very budget friendly stylus that are fully compatible with the reMarkable 2 tablet. To get the less expensive price, they all do sacrifice at least one feature (either magnet, eraser, or both) but write perfectly fine. I would recommend any of these as a backup stylus for your reMarkable and would recommend the Staedtler Noris Digital Jumbo as a daily pen.
Premium non-reMarkable EMR Pens
- Staedtler Noris Digital Jumbo (~$40) – has a cool non-rolling triangular shape, is made from an environmentally friendly wood, and features a great eraser. Staedtler has been making premium writing and art instruments since the 1800s (no joke) and this EMR stylus is no joke. The stylus comes with five nibs and a replacement tool. I’ve always got one of these in my bag and I switch off between this and the Marker Plus.
- LANY AL-Star (~$55)- LANY is another classic German writing utensil company that has come into the digital era of handwriting. The AL-Star is an aluminum bodied stylus, that’s based on the same design as many of their classic analog (ink) pens. The guts of this stylus come from WACOM (the folks that invented EMR technology). Additionally, the stylus features a clip top (which isn’t found on any other EMR pens that I’ve run across).
- Amazon Kindle Scribe Premium (~$60) – Amazon has their own writing tablet (the Kindle Scribe, which we’ll be testing soon) and this stylus was developed specially for that device. Thankfully, the stylus uses the same EMR technology as all the other pens we’ve discussed and is fully compatible with the reMarkable 2 paper tablet. The stylus also features a compatible eraser at a fraction of the cost of the Marker Plus, as well as a built-in magnet to attach to the outside of your reMarkable tablet. Some folks don’t like the light weight of the Scribe Premium or the pressure needed to engage the eraser – but at the current price, it might be worth a try.
- VPEN ($35) – the VPEN is a recent entrant to the EMR stylus scene and it does not disappoint. Styled and featured similar to the reMarkable Marker Plus, the VPEN includes magnetic attachment, built-in eraser, and a sleek outer finish. An added bonus of this EMR stylus is that it’s design allows it to fit in well to the COBAK reMarkable Cover (or other covers with space for magnetic pens. At the current price, it is a very attractive alternative to the Marker Plus. Read our detailed review here.
Budget non-reMarkable EMR Pens
- Staedtler Noris Digital Classic (~$30) – This EMR stylus has the look and feel of a classic art or drafting pencil. It’s one of the lightest EMR styli on the market (coming in at less than 8g). The Digital Classic has a small body but the same writing experience as the slightly more expensive Digital Jumbo (they both use the same nibs). There isn’t a magnet on this stylus, so you’ll have to secure it to your reMarkable in another way.
- Amazon Kindle Scribe Basic (~$30) – The toned down version of the Scribe Pen Premium is quite similar to the standard reMarkable Marker. It uses EMR technology and replaceable nibs to provide a no frills writing experience on both the Kindle Scribe as well as the reMarkable 2 tablet. It’s quite light and lacks the gravity that other pens provide. That said, it will keep you writing on your reMarkable tablet and won’t hit your wallet too hard.
Do you need to replace your reMarkable stylus?
There are really only two reasons to need a replacement reMarkable stylus – if you damage your current stylus or you want to upgrade to a stylus with an eraser. Potentially the third reason would be to have a backup (which I do carry as I use my reMarkable tablet all day long).
So, if you are having issues with your current EMR stylus or you aren’t getting consistent results on your reMarkable – first examine your stylus for damage. I’ve had issues when I dropped my Marker and noticed chipping around the tip which was leading to the nib moving around. Also, check out this article that will help diagnose reMarkable 2 Marker problems.
If your stylus is in good physical shape, your next move should be to replace your nib. We wrote this article to walk you through the process on the original Marker.
Finally, if your reMarkable is still acting strange, try resetting the device or looking for updates.
How to save $100 when you buy a reMarkable 2 tablet
The reMarkable 2 tablet isn’t cheap – but in my opinion, it’s so worth it as a productivity and focus tool. To reduce the cost of obtaining this valuable tool, buy the tablet separately directly from reMarkable and then add an aftermarket stylus (recommend the Scribe Premium or the Staedtler Noris Digital Jumbo). You can also get an aftermarket case for much less than the reMarkable original one (our recommendations are here).
FAQs on EMR styli for reMarkable 2
No! While you absolutely need a stylus to use the reMarkable tablet, it does not have to be made by reMarkable to work. It just have to leverage EMR technology to work.
The main difference (besides the color) is that the Marker Plus has a built in eraser. Both styli have replaceable EMR nibs, magnetic attachments, and premium materials.
No, not at all. EMR pens use emitted power from the tablet to power the transmission back with location and pressure information. Learn more about how EMR works in this article.
They are all the same! Specific manufacturers use different terms to describe their product, but as long as they are EMR, they will work with the reMarkable 2
