One of the things that I love most about my 12.9″ iPad Pro isn’t the iPad itself, but instead the fact that it works so well with the Apple Pencil – one of my all-time favorite accessories for an iOS device. I love using the Apple Pencil to take handwritten notes and to annotate documents. And now that the 9.7″ iPad Pro is available, even more people will be using an Apple Pencil. One of the few drawbacks of the Apple Pencil is that, unlike many other pens and styluses, the Apple Pencil lacks a clip. Thus, there isn’t an easy way to carry it around. A few months ago I reviewed the Fisher Chrome Clip which you can add to the Pencil (even though it wasn’t designed for that); it looks good, and it works well. I still enjoy using that clip and I continue to recommend it to others.
RadTech recently sent me a free review unit of a product that it invented called the PencilClipz, a plastic device that gives you two types of clips for an Apple Pencil. First, it has a clip that you can use to attach a Pencil to a shirt pocket (or a pocket in a briefcase or purse). Second, it has a protrusion on the side that easily snaps in to the Lightning port on an iPad so that you can attach an Apple Pencil to the side of an iPad.
RadTech says that the device itself is “made from tough and unbreakable Polycarbonate.” It certainly seems sturdy to me. It is easy to slip it on or off of the Apple Pencil, but it is tight enough that it won’t budge up or down unless you really force it. The product only weighs 3 grams, so it doesn’t add any noticeable weight to the Apple Pencil. And because it is made of plastic, you don’t have to worry about it scratching the Apple Pencil or anything else that it might come in contact with.
The pencil clip part of the PencilClipz works well, securely clipping to a pocket.
The side part of the PencilClipz also does it job, snapping into a Lightning port. It is very secure. Even if I rigorously shake my 12.9″ iPad Pro, the PencilClipz stays attached until I pull it off. Unless you somehow hit the side of your iPad Pro as you are carrying it, I cannot imagine the Apple Pencil coming off.
Like any clip that you might attach to an Apple Pencil, another advantage is that it prevents the Apple Pencil from rolling around on a table.
While I consider the PencilClipz to be very clever, there are three reasons that it is not for me. The first is simply that I find it unnecessary to attach my Pencil to my iPad. Whether I am wearing a dress shirt with a suit or something less formal on a Casual Friday, I virtually always wear a shirt with a pocket. Thus, I only need a way to clip my Pencil in my shirt pocket, and the Fisher Chrome Clip works great for that purpose. Depending upon your preferences and your wardrobe, you may see much more of an advantage to attaching a Pencil to the side of an iPad Pro, in which case you’ll be much more interested in this product.
Second, I’m not a big fan of how it looks. They gray color doesn’t match the Pencil at all. And even if this device were as white as snow, I still think it looks somewhat awkward, especially because of the appendage that is necessary to fit into a Lightning port. Perhaps the appearance would not bother me if it were more useful to me, but as noted above, the ability to attach to a Lightning port is interesting but not necessary for me. I far prefer the look of the Fisher Chrome Clip, which matches the chrome band at the top of the Apple Pencil and doesn’t look out of place on a stylus.
[UPDATE: John Grzeskowiak of RadTech followed up to tell me the reason for the color of this product. Many of the company’s customers are photographers and videographers, for whom it is often handy to have an object that is 15%-18% gray. That way, they don’t have to also carry a gray card to do white balancing. For that historical reason, the company continues to make many items that are 15% to 18% gray, including this one. It is interesting to know that historical justification, although I must admit that I’m not really thinking about white balance and photography when I am using an Apple Pencil. Nevertheless, if you are curious, that is the reason for the color on this and other products by RadTech.]
Third, sometimes I find that the PencilClipz gets in the way when I am using my Apple Pencil. RadTech considers it an advantage that (depending upon how you grip your Pencil) you can usually feel the PencilClipz. RadTech says on its website: “PencilClipz also provides additional stability in your hand to enhance finely detailed drawing.” I think that is a valid claim, but I myself have never seen the need to make the Pencil even more stable in my hand. Moreover, for me, that advantage is outweighed by the way that it feels against my hand. For example, the Lightning port connector often pokes my index finger or my thumb.
Even though the PencilClipz is not right for me, I really do appreciate what RadTech has done. I hope that RadTech and other companies continue to think of creative ways to improve the Apple Pencil. If attaching a Pencil to an iPad Pro would be useful for you, than you should check out this device. And if you don’t mind the appearance and you like the idea of keeping the Apple Pencil more secure in your hand, this product may be perfect for you. Fortunately, this device is only $8, so if you think that this product might be right for you, it won’t cost you much at all to try it out.