The Jot Flip stylus/pen combo gets the pen right

The latest addition to Adonit’s family of disc styluses for iOS devices, the Jot Flip seeks to fill the 2-in-1—stylus combined with pen—niche treasured by those still chained to paper and pen. And while the problems I’ve had with the Jot line in the past are still present in the Flip, it largely succeeds in conquering the 2-in-1 challenges.

The biggest problem I’ve had with 2-in-1 models is the quality of the pen. While it’s certainly nice to have a writing implement on the other end of a stylus, on most of the models I’ve tested, the pen is a rather cheap-feeling ballpoint—not exactly what you want to use on an important document. The Flip eschews this trend, and wonderfully so. Its pen tip is silky-smooth on almost any surface, and it’s a pleasure to work with. Adonit also wins style points for the way the company has incorporated the ballpoint: Just twist the end opposite the stylus, and the pen rises out like a snake called by a charmer. Once you’re finished, wind it back down, and the Flip looks like any other Jot.

 

One note: If you do a lot of writing with the pen, the Jot Flip’s tip may require more-frequent cleaning than your average ballpoint. I found that ink would occasionally crust up around the tip, making it difficult to write unless I wiped it clean with a tissue.

The Flip’s body is also an upgrade from that of the regular Jot and Jot Pro. Polished, silver-finish steel and a decent rubber grip give this stylus a more-balanced weight for both writing and drawing. A clipped, screw-on cap allows you to protect the disc end of the Jot when you’re not using the stylus; this cap can also screw onto the pen end while you’re using a touchscreen surface.

 

Thanks to that weight and balance, the Flip writes better on a touchscreen than either the Jot, the Jot Pro, or the Jot Mini. Unfortunately, problems I’ve had with the Jot line in the past—the lack of a spring tip for navigation, and the plastic disc’s poor resistance on touchscreens—remain and prevent me from rating the Flip as highly as I’d otherwise like to.

If Adonit could make a few adjustments to the Jot line’s stylus tip, the Jot Flip might become my favorite multifunction stylus. For now, it’s a solid option for those who want to write on their touchscreen and on paper, though it doesn’t match the best touchscreen styluses.

Updated at 8:50 a.m. PT to correct an error on material: The Jot Flip is made of steel, not aluminum.