Styluses for Big and Little Hands

As an OT, I like tool options.  Like different qualities of pencils and pens, styluses provide some of those same types of choices on the iPad. We all have our favorites tools, but it is nice to see what else is out there. So, here are just a few new chunky styluses (at least to me) available at a reasonable price (under 10.00  USD):

Kensington GummyGrip Stylus for Kids ( 9.06 to 11.92 pending color from Amazon)

This stylus has a tripod shaft and measures 4″ in length with a diameter of about 5/8″. It has a comfortable feel with some weight so you can feel it in your hand. Available in different colors, I chose a gray stylus,  which seemed to allow it to be appropriate for more mature users (and happened to be cheaper on Amazon). The tip is as accurate as many other mid range priced stylus but is not solid. I would give this 4 stars on a scale of 5 – would be a 5 if it had a solid tip (rubber tips work well but wear out or can be damaged by students who like to pull or push hard with use).

BoxWave Touchscreen KinderStylus (7.50 and up from Amazon)

BoxWave Stylus has a round shaft and is sized like a marker. It is slightly weighted with a soft tip that is as accurate as other mid priced (5.-10. range) styluses. With a round shaft, it does not provide additional grasping support or structure and is too large to add a grip.

My Favorites Styluses

The Cosmonaut stylus is one of my favorite styluses for those needing a chunky stylus due to the weight and the hard, firm tip. Although more expensive (25.00 Cosmonaut on Amazon), the firm tip makes it less pliable and less likely to be damaged, ultimately reducing the cost of replenishing styluses due to tip wear or breakage.

Dano AppCrayon Stylus has a great tripod grasp, light weight but has a soft tip. It is easy to grip and use for young students. Also a bit pricey (Dano AppCrayon about
24.00 on Amazon) , but found on the DanoApp Website for 9.99.

The Pencil Grip Ergo Stylus, developed by The Pencil Grip folks provides The Grip on a chunky, weighted stylus. Appropriate for young and old this provides the support for developing grasps or for more mature individuals that might be experiencing difficulty with grasping due to arthritis, pain or numbness causing difficulty holding a small writing tool. Reasonably priced ( The Pencil Grip Ergo Stylus 18.95 on Amazon ) with a comfortable, this ergo stylus is appropriate for young and old.

HHI Chunky Stylus Pen  made by HandHeldItems has a large shaft and definitely has weight for those individuals who need more feedback when writing. It has a soft tip but is extremely affordable at 2.99 + 2.85  shipping on Amazon. Buy several and the shipping may make it more affordable. Many teachers and fellow therapists have liked the weight of this stylus. It makes losing or issuing styluses that you might not see again not so painful. This has been one of my favorite chunky stylus finds! It also comes in a smaller size that allows the use of standard grippers on the shaft.

And here is really on the cheap…
Buy a 14 Stylus Bundle  (9.99 if Amazon Prime) of styluses – for cheap to adapt.

Then add The Pencil Grip ( yes this works for iPad and Android) and you have a cheap stylus with grip! Buy 6 grips for 6.42 (with Amazon Prime) – certainly you may have some on hand.

Slide it on and – Walla!

Cost will be less than 2.00/stylus with The Grip. One caveat, the quality of cheap styluses may or many not be comparable to some of the other recommended styluses, which may cause some frustration for the user.

Certainly there are other styluses for more refined drawing and writing or with other types of adaptations for students with more significant needs that are covered here.

What stylus do you recommend?

Carol