reMarkable 2 Review for Professional Use

A few months ago I bought the E-Ink reMarkable 2 tablet and made a YouTube video with my first impressions, which were very positive.

In this post, we’re going to continue from that video, as it’s been a few months since I’ve had it, and I think I’ve used it enough to give my opinion.

This article is not sponsored. All the content is based on my daily use and what I want is to share my honest opinion. 

That being said, I do have an affiliate link that includes a €40 discount code on the purchase of a reMarkable 2: 

€40 DISCOUNT on the purchase of the remarkable 2

1 - reMarkable 2 The E-Ink Tablet

First of all, let me explain what the reMarkable 2 tablet is – it’s an e-ink tablet. This means it’s a tablet that displays in grayscale – in other words, its only colors are white, black, and gray. 

It’s similar to what we’re more used to, like an e-reader such as the Kindle, except in this case you can write on it. 

1.1 - Remarkable 2 vs iPad

Honestly, these two devices can’t really be compared. In my opinion, each device functions in a totally different way. If you want a multimedia device for playing music, browsing the internet, using Facebook, etc., I recommend getting an iPad. 

But if you’re looking for a device focused on just one thing but that does it perfectly, I recommend the reMarkable. Ultimately, the reMarkable is pen and paper taken to the digital world on steroids – free from distractions.

And these steroids are the features that make the difference and the reason why, once you try it, you can’t go back. 

2 - My Experience with the reMarkable 2

At this point, I’m going to talk about the features, but I’m not going to just list and mention them like on the brand’s website. I’ll share my real-life experiences and personal opinions. 

Always keep in mind that most of my use has been for taking notes during meetings.

A - Using the reMarkable 2

I have to say that I use it a lot. I use the tablet practically every day, mainly at work, which is where it’s most useful for taking notes during meetings or planning future meetings. 

I also use it, but less, for planning my YouTube channel or some things at home. 

The only thing I miss is the ability to add checkboxes and have them automatically detected – that would be amazing. 

B - Battery 

For me personally, the battery lasts all week. Usually, I charge it over the weekend, and it typically gets to Friday with about 20% left.

I tend to use it 3-4 hours of screen time per day, with 2 of those hours spent writing/drawing almost non-stop.

So as far as I’m concerned, the battery is impressive because I use it heavily for many hours.

C - Page Templates

When I say design, I mean the background. By default, when we start up the reMarkable, we have a blank page, but we can change this by applying a template, and there are a ton of templates available.

For example, the one I use most is the classic lined paper. But there are also grids, schedule templates, planners, and if that’s not enough you can create your own or download the ones you like best.

D - Writing on the reMarkable 2

As I said in the initial impressions video, I don’t have the official pen because it’s ridiculously priced. I have a compatible one called Staedtler noris digital jumbo, which works with the tablet and works perfectly – I recommend it 100%.

I haven’t tried the official one so I can’t comment on it.

About the writing experience, it’s really good, and that was the first thing I noticed when I tried it for the first time – the writing sensation is exactly the same as on paper, it’s a joy.

Speaking of the nib, after about a month I noticed it wasn’t like the first day, meaning you start to notice the tip tilting a bit. But I used it for another two months like that and the screen doesn’t have a single scratch, so I don’t think it was a problem. 

Link to nibs on Amazon.

E - reMarkable 2 Case

Like with the pen, the case I have isn’t the official one, and in this case I won’t even link it because although it works, I’m not very happy with it.

The position for storing the pen when you’re not using the notebook is very uncomfortable since it’s on the back. This forces you to rest the tablet on the pen, put it face down, or stand it up (ensuring nothing else squashes it).

Also, the case’s corners have broken off – they fell off somehow even though I haven’t dropped the tablet, all four have come off, so it must be a design issue.

It works in a pinch, but honestly, the compatible case left me very disappointed. I’ll probably get the official case once this one finishes breaking.

Note: Here’s a link to an alternative case I hope to buy soon.

F - Online Integrations

A very important point within the reMarkable ecosystem is all the extra features you get by having a subscription.

For those who don’t know, the tablet itself serves as a notebook on steroids, where you can jot down information or use it to read PDFs and a bit more. But you unlock its full potential when you subscribe to their paid plans.

As you can see, it’s not cheap, €6 a month, since the €4 version only allows you online backups – not bad, but in my opinion very expensive.

The €6 Connect version includes features like screen sharing from the reMarkable to your PC, integrations with different cloud storage systems, or converting handwritten notes on the reMarkable into a digital document as if it were typed on the computer.

And finally, the feature I like best: the ability to send articles from your browser to the reMarkable. There’s an extension that with one click sends the article to the tablet so you can read it calmly or whenever you have time. There is a small issue – it doesn’t send images, but I hope they fix that in a future release. 

We’ll see later if the Connect plan is worth it.

G - Customer Support

And last but not least is the support – I had to contact them one day to ask some things about the Connect plan and honestly, they replied super fast and were super helpful. I probably wouldn’t be writing this post if it weren’t for them.

Their customer service was 10 out of 10.

2.1 - Reading PDFs on the reMarkable 2

One of my favorite features is how it handles PDFs. Not just reading them but writing on them and adding notes. 

Of course, PDFs work like they do with other PDF readers on the computer, you can add links in the menu or footer.

It works perfectly, not much more to say.

Reading Manga on the reMarkable 2

While I’m not a big fan of reading manga, I asked a friend to send me one (in PDF) and it works and looks great – really, it’s fantastic.

2.2 - Features I Miss

Unfortunately, there are features the tablet lacks. I think with the price and what the Connect subscription costs, they should be included. 

A - Checkbox

As I mentioned before, the main thing I miss is an option to add checkboxes and have them automatically detected, then generate a summary or something similar. I know it’s not easy to implement, but when you have tasks, it’s super helpful to see what’s left to do. 

B - Diagrams

The ability to add diagrams – nothing complex, just boxes and relationships like what you find in draw.io – would be amazing.

Of course, that’s from a programmer’s perspective, outside of work I understand it’s not a priority. But for me, it would be super useful.

C - Notion

Now that it’s integrated with multiple file systems, it’s missing integration with what I consider the best organizational app out there. 

3 - Is the reMarkable 2 Worth It?

In my opinion, it’s worth it if you’re looking for a device that helps you stay focused on what you’re doing, that does "one" thing and does it perfectly. Yes, it’s a bit pricey at €300, and from time to time there are discounts, but if you can afford it and you already use pen and paper regularly, you’ll get a lot out of it.

There are alternatives on the market like the Nova Air C, which has color and Android so you can install Facebook, Instagram, etc. Personally, if I wanted a device with apps, I’d choose the iPad before the Nova Air, but that’s a matter of taste. What I like most about the reMarkable is that it doesn’t let you get distracted by those things.

Here you can find a €40 DISCOUNT on the purchase of the remarkable 2

3.1 - Is the reMarkable 2 Connect Subscription Worth It?

It’s going to depend on how you use it. I see two clear cases where it’s definitely worth it: 

If you’re a teacher and your students send you files in PDF, you can send them back corrected and with notes directly from the tablet, since it has a send option.

If you keep all your documents in external storage and need integrations.

From my point of view and for how I use it, the price of the Connect subscription seems very high to me. €6 a month is crazy – I could understand €1 or €2 but more than that, no way. Even €2 seems expensive to me, honestly. For me, everything offered by the Connect plan is nice to have, but not essential. 

In summary, the reMarkable 2 is worth it, but the Connect subscription is not.