Nomad Brush Compose review
Not long ago, I got my hands on an excellent paintbrush stylus from Nomad Brush. It was an excellent product which was designed and built well, but it was targeted at a niche market. Fortunately, Nomad Brush recently developed a new product which gives users the best of both worlds, literally. The Nomad Brush Compose uses an interchangeable brush head which gives users the standard paint brush like the original, and then also packages a stylus tip for other uses. Does it compare t0 the orginal? Hit the break to find out.
Design & Build Quality
Sticking with the excellent design of the original Nomad Brush, the Compose uses a high grade aluminum casing to house a dual tip, multi-function stylus. The aluminum is cool the the touch, and is extremely durable and solid. A nice departure from the usual fat styli on the market, Nomad Brush instead keeps a slim design more reminiscent of a pencil than a stylus. Though I have large hands, I still prefer this slim design over a fatter version. I feel I have more control this way, but of course this is a personal preference.
What makes the Compose really stand out from the crowd is the dual-tip heads that unscrew to customize your experience. In the box, you get two tips (paint brush and stylus) and a top cap, which screws in as well. With these tips (and top cap), you can decide how you want to use the Compose. If you are just taking notes, you can stick with the stylus tip and leave the top cap in place. However, if you’re feeling a little crafty, you can screw on the paint tip brush on one end, and screw the stylus tip on the other in order to quickly switch back and forth between a paint brush feel, and perhaps a more pen-like experience to write and or draw. The paint brush tips come in two different sizes, long and short. I prefer the shorter paint brush, but someone who’s more used to working with a paint brush would probably prefer the longer brush, as it’s more similar to a real paint brush.
What makes this stylus tip different than what’s already on the market though? Well for starters, it uses the same technology used in the paint brush tip. Utilizing a blend of natural and synthetic fibers, Nomad Brush has created and effortlessly smooth utencil to work with. While even the best styli can get caught up because of the fatter and rubberized tip, the Compose glides effortlessly across your display without a hiccup. The stylus tip is angled, which conforms excellently to written use, and only leaves a small section of fibers sticking out of the end. This really helps with the accuracy. Like most everyone, I haven’t used every stylus on the market, but this is the best experience I’ve come across yet. I really liked how smooth the original Nomad Brush felt, and this gives the same experience in a more typical fashion.
I’ve been using this to jot down some notes the last week or so, and even attempted a little artwork, and came away mightily impressed. This by far gives the most pleasant experience with a stylus yet, and does so at a competitive price point. The more and more we get away from stricly using laptops and desktops and start working with touch screened devices (think tablets and multi-touch computers), the more we see the benefits of an old school setup like a pen and paintbrush.
This may be a great product, but it could still become a little better. The major benefit of the Compose is the ability to switch different heads depending on your personal use. This is a huge benefit, but also comes at a price. There are four parts to this little stylus. Every time you use it, you will have one piece not in use. The tips are small and could easily get lost, so I’d really like to see a little case for the set. It doesn’t need to be a wood carved box, but a nice pen-like holder that has a pocket for one of the extra tips would be nice to keep the set together. I’d gladly pay a couple extra bucks for that, and I’m sure most would too.
Conclusion
This might be the best stylus product on the market. I haven’t seen another option that’s so unique, yet works so well than the Compose. The build quality and product material is fantastic, and the blended fiber tips are surprisingly durable. I’d like to see a carrying case pakaged in with the Compose, even if it’d cost a little more, simply because it’s worth it. The $39 price tag for this stylus might be in the upper range of the accessory realm for your tablet. But, once you get your hands on the high grade aluminum handle, and the blended fibers glide across the screen, you’ll surely understand why.
