Written by review staff
Tablets are multi-purpose tools that touch every aspect of your life. The best tablets exceed expectations to become the ultimate workhorses. They allow you to be incredibly productive and enjoy your favorite games, streaming videos, books, or websites. But not all tablets are created equal.
After testing a range of the most highly rated devices today, we found that for most people, Apple’s 2024 iPad Air (available on Amazon for $738.00) is the best tablet. Available for the first time in two sizes, 11-inch and 13-inch, this tablet features the same powerful M2 chipset used in the previous generation iPad Pro. It may not have the same beautiful Ultra Retina XDR display as this year’s iPad Pro, but content looks great on the iPad Air. Its fast internals mean it’ll handle any task or game you throw at it with no problem. That, combined with its excellent build quality and long support cycle, means it’ll be a tablet you’ll be using for years to come.
If you’re an Android user, the OnePlus Pad is a great choice – its power, quality and premium feature set make this tablet a force to be reckoned with, and when paired with a dedicated keyboard and trackpad case, it’s a great way to boost your productivity.
If your mobile workflow involves processor-intensive tasks, like working in Procreate, Logic, or Final Cut Pro, and you want to get through your to-do list as quickly as possible, we recommend the 7th-generation iPad Pro (2024). Available as an 11-inch or 13-inch tablet, the pure power provided by the M4 chipset, its vivid display, and spacious internal storage options make it one of the best tablets we’ve ever reviewed.
Finally, we recommend the reMarkable 2 to anyone looking for a tablet that can provide the most focused productivity experience possible.
Whether you’re looking to get some serious work done on the go or just want to stream Disney+, this guide has a great tablet waiting for you.
Credit: Review / Séamus Bellamy
Currently offered in two different sizes, the iPad Air is the perfect tablet for most people.
Credit: Review / Mark Saltzman
The 2024 iPad Pro is Apple’s most powerful tablet yet.
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Credit: Review / Matthew S. Smith
The Apple iPad Mini 6th generation is much smaller in size compared to the standard iPad.
Credit: Review / Séamus Bellamy
The OnePlus Pad’s bright and responsive 11.61-inch display makes every app and video on the tablet look like it’s worth a million bucks.
Credit: Review / Séamus Bellamy
The reMarkable 2 is incredibly thin and light, yet sturdy enough to withstand some abuse.
Other Tablets We Tested
How to choose the best tablet for you
Tablets are a great bridge between your phone and your computer. Here are some things to consider when choosing one:
operating system
To some extent it’s a matter of preference, but for most people, iPadOS is the best choice for ease of use, stability, security, and the long-term free operating system and security updates that Apple provides.
Others prefer Windows 11 because of the nearly endless variety of desktop and (though much less) tablet applications that can run on the platform.
Android is popular with users who appreciate the ability to customize their tablet user experience and the ease of transferring files between their Android device and Windows 11 computer. However, Android tablets often have short support cycles and can quickly become outdated.
the purpose
How you plan to use your tablet will play a big factor in deciding which tablet to buy. A tablet that’s used primarily for entertainment purposes will require different features than a tablet used for productivity or education. Our favorite tablets can address all of these requirements to varying degrees.
How we test tablets
Credit: Review / Betsy Goldwasser
test
To test the best tablets, we spend time using them the way you do: We install the apps we use for work and relaxation (if available) on each device, and then use each one for a number of days to see how it performs as your full-time companion.
Are they long-lasting and comfortable to use? How do the speakers perform? Does the build quality and design make you feel like it’s worth the investment?
In addition to documenting our subjective experience with each tablet, we also carefully conducted tests developed by our team:
The ease with which you can type 300 words using each tablet’s on-screen keyboard; The ease with which you can edit DMG or RAW format images in Adobe Lightroom Mobile on each device (if the app is available for download); The accuracy of the stylus on each device (if applicable); The ease with which you can browse the web using each tablet’s built-in browser.
We also put each tablet through a series of benchmark tests: providing the tablet was able to download and run apps, each device in this guide was tested using 3DMark, GFXBench, and, in the case of Android devices, AnTuTu.