Wacom Cintiq 24 Touch

It ranks #1 (S tier) on our consolidated drawing tablets board, drawn from 4 independent outlets.

The Wacom Cintiq 24 Touch is for artists who work at a desk and want the best pen display on our board. It is the only S tier product in drawing tablets, with a 23.6-inch 4K IPS panel, a 120 Hz refresh rate, a responsive pressure-sensitive pen and touch control, and reviewers raised no specific complaints against it. If you need something portable or cheaper, buy the XP-Pen Artist 12 3rd, the A tier budget pick, or the Huion Kamvas Pro 13, the A tier portable pick.

The screen is 23.6 inches across the diagonal at 4K resolution, so the whole unit is the size of a large desktop monitor. Plan for it to take most of a desk and sit on a stand, and treat it as a fixed workstation rather than something you carry. The size is the point: it gives room for the canvas and the software panels at the same time.

Yes. The Wacom Cintiq 24 Touch is a pen display, not a standalone tablet. It connects to a Windows PC or a Mac and shows that computer's screen, and the art software runs on the computer. Check that your computer has a video output able to drive a 4K panel and install the Wacom driver before first use.

Reviewers list the touch functionality as a strength, calling it versatile. Touch lets you pan, zoom and rotate the canvas with your fingers while the pen does the drawing. If you find your palm triggers touch while you draw, the driver lets you turn touch off or adjust palm rejection, so it is not a reason to pass on the Wacom Cintiq 24 Touch.

Wipe the screen with a dry or lightly damp microfibre cloth and never use solvent cleaners on it. Replace the pen nib when it feels rough or worn, since a worn nib can scratch the surface over time. Keep the pen in its stand when not in use and avoid leaning heavy objects on the panel.