reMarkable Paper Pro Move Review: The Gold Standard

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Need-to-knows

• Superb writing experience
• Highly premium design
• Cross-app functionality for editing documents and accessing work remotely
• Ultra-portable

I’ve been writing about tech for about four years now, and in that time I’ve never tried a device from reMarkable despite being very intrigued. Thankfully, that has now changed (as you might have guessed).

If you don’t know already, reMarkable specialises in making e-ink tablets (like a Kindle) that try to recreate the feel of writing on paper. Already you might have concluded that this is a pretty niche market. And it is, but one that is still worth addressing; note-taking on conventional tablets is imprecise and unsatisfying thanks to the slippy glass.

The reMarkable Paper Pro Move is a mini version of the much larger reMarkable Paper Pro. As such, it’s positioned as a portable notetaker that can replace your pocket-sized diary for good. And as I will now explain, this is all very relevant for some choices I’m making in my own life.

How I reviewed the reMarkable Paper Pro Move (some context)

I’ve been watching the recent trends around ‘adding friction back into your life’ from a distance, sometimes with intrigue, sometimes with an eye-roll. You know what I’m referring to right? The people starting to use wired headphones again, eschewing Google Maps for actual paper maps or our very own Mark Ellis who is in the midst of modding an iPod to free himself from the Spotify algorithm.

For the most part, I’ve been resisting this for one cynical reason or another. That was until the last few months where I found myself needing to remember important upcoming dates whilst simultaneously never being able to get on with the calendar app on my phone. So I bought a real life calendar and instantly found it far more useful.

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I’ve enjoyed it so much that I’ve now committed to using a real-life paper diary too in the hopes of improving my organisation even further. And that is the context in which the Remarkable Paper Pro Move found its way onto my desk (and in my backpack). For the last month or so, I’ve been using it like a diary and general notepad to see if this thing can make an impression just like that new (or old) calendar did. So, did it? Let’s see…

At a glance

A premium design

I don’t think you actually need to use a reMarkable device to know you’d be getting top quality from them in terms of design and build. The marketing alone sets the tone. But when you unbox the Paper Pro Move, you instantly realise that this is something that is both built to last and make you want to use it for a long time.

It’s a minimalist design with an anodised aluminium body, textured glass display and a textured rear panel that sort of mirrors the feel of that display. It comes with reMarkable’s own pen (or Marker as they call it) which is equally luxurious and magnetically attaches to the right-hand side of the tablet.

You can also pay extra for various bundles to get the Marker Plus which I’m using and a few different types of cases. These cases are also brilliantly designed with magnetic attachment that is easy-but-not-too-easy to remove.

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In terms of dimensions, the Paper Pro Move is 7.7 x 4.24 x 0.26 inches and weighs 230g which feels like the perfect amount of heft. All-in-all, it definitely fits into the mini category of tablets meaning it is no trouble to carry around and lends itself to being used one-handed. Whether that is actually very useful or not is something I’ll get to shortly

What can you actually do with the reMarkable Paper Pro Move?

The Paper Pro Move is ostensibly a note-taking device, but more broadly you can use it to write whatever you want. I’ve got separate notebooks set up as diaries, to-do lists and general thoughts which is a system that has very quickly worked to take the pressure off of keeping everything in my head (a terrible strategy that I strongly advise against btw). There are templates too if you want an extra head start.

You can also do things like annotate PDFs, read eBooks or even sketch if you fancy it thanks to the different tools on offer that stretch from ball point pens, to highlighters, fountain pens and paintbrushes.

There are a load of other useful features too like the ability to turn your handwriting to text, integration with Google Drive and remote access to notes via the reMarkable mobile/desktop apps.

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Overall, this leads to what is undeniably a very complete experience that expands beyond simply writing notes. You can, if you want to, simply write stuff on the Paper Pro Move or you can dive in much deeper to make it a key part of your workflow. I particularly love the integrations because it opens up what is a niche device to something much more for those who have the creativity to do so.

The writing experience

I was blown away when I first used the reMarkable Paper Pro Move. As I said, I’ve never used a reMarkable product before, but it feels unbelievably like writing on paper. It’s so good that it actively makes you want to write on it which is, I think, all that you need to know.

Instead of getting my phone out to use the Notes app, my brain has been thinking of the Paper Pro Move first. And whenever I listen to my brain, I’m thankful because physically writing things down is so much more effective for remembering things in my experience.

The Marker is great too. It has a matte, almost sandpaper texture that fits well between your fingertips thanks to the standard pencil thickness. The box comes with extra nibs too so there are no worries about longevity. 

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I’ve been using the Marker Plus version which comes with a built-in eraser on the top which I would absolutely recommend paying the extra for. It is so much quicker than switching your pen-type to the eraser setting on-screen and overall leads to a smoother, less interrupted experience. The eraser is also just a very cool piece of tech that makes it feel a lot more paper and pencil-like.

I honestly can’t fault the Paper Pro Move here, it’s got to be the best you can get.

What is it actually like to use day-to-day?

I said at the beginning of this review that I wanted the Paper Pro Move to become my new friction-adding companion. Instead of going to a paper diary, I wanted to see if it could hook me enough as an alternative.

And for the most part it has.

Have I been using this device everyday? No. But whenever I’ve felt like I needed to write something down, more often than not my first thought has been to reach for the Paper Pro Move.

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At the start of the week, I note down my to-dos for work and personal life, add to them as the week goes on and enjoy ruling them out when I get round to completing them. I also use it regularly to make general notes and have been taking it with me in my backpack when I’m on the go. I’m yet to use it to read a book on it but I’m sure it’s just as good as a Kindle.

Making the most of a tablet like this is ultimately up to you. You need to figure out what you’d use it for and why that makes a difference to you. I can see this being a really handy tool for people that need to edit/annotate PDFs a lot for example, but not everyone is going to need every capability. That means the value you get out of the Paper Pro Move will vary from person to person.

The one hang-up

There is one thing that I’ve whilst using the Paper Pro Move and, funnily enough, it’s related to the size.

In most scenarios, I love how dinky it is. But it becomes a bit of a problem when trying to write on it away from a desk or hard surface. Perhaps it’s just my writing technique, but when standing up for example, I find it difficult to note things down neatly without the wrist support that the full-sized model might offer.

Again, when sitting down without a desk with the tablet hovering in your hand or resting on a leg, I still find it awkward, and at times, uncomfortable to write on. I’m sure with practise and more use, you get used to it and adapt, but right out of the box it is a touch unnatural.

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That just means the optimal setup for the Paper Pro Move is with a desk underneath it, which I’m sure is how most people will use it anyway.

Wrapping up

There’s no need for any grand conclusions here.

The reMarkable Paper Pro Move is an excellent note-pad tablet replacement. Writing on it feels incredible and the amount of features and cross-app functionality built in makes it so much more than ‘just a notepad’.

Is it worth £399 (the base-price without a case)? I’d say yes. If you’re looking for a portable tablet that lets you take notes, edit documents, read and even sketch, then the Paper Pro Move is good value. The only issue is that the price quickly moves upwards once you start adding the accessories on, which do help to complete the experience and therefore feel necessary.

Even so, the build-quality is superb and if you’re someone who knows they will use it consistently, it’s a purchase you won’t regret.