Is the reMarkable Paper Pro Move worth it? Hands-on review of the new digital notebook

It has a 7.3-inch full colour display that weighs just 230g and sits at 6.5mm thick. Like all reMarkable products, its display has a paper like textured glass and is glare-free, so can be used in direct sunlight, plus up to two weeks of battery life and can charge up to 90% in less than 45 minutes.

The reMarkable Paper Pro Move also joins its predecessors in being able to take notes, convert handwriting to typed text and mark-up any PDFs or files, which you can upload via the reMarkable app.

The only potential sticking point? It costs £399. So, we've done a deep dive to see if this tablet is worth it.

Buy the reMarkable Paper Pro Move for £399 at reMarkable

You can also check out the reMarkable Paper Pro Move vs reMarkable 2.

Is the reMarkable Paper Pro Move worth it?

We managed to get a close-up look at the new reMarkable Paper Pro Move, so here's our hands-on review.

How does it feel to hold?

The reMarkable Paper Pro Move is designed to fit snugly into the palm of your hand, a similar shape to the old-fashioned journalists' notebook.

It measures in at 7.7-inches by 4.24-inches, or as Phil Hess, CEO of reMarkable put it: “It’s big enough to hold your work, yet small enough to not get in the way. Whether you’re meeting at a conference, airport, or café, you’re able to be fully in the moment during your conversation.”

In fairness, Hess has that exactly right. The Paper Pro Move is a great size for easy, on the go note-taking. It sits nicely in your palm and isn't so heavy or cumbersome you can't hold it with one hand (unlike some larger counterparts), but still feels more significant than a smartphone.

As it's smaller and thinner, this does mean you have less space to write on. However I didn't really come across that issue because I mainly felt compelled to use mine for list writing or little reminders – perhaps a side effect of its smaller size.

The sample came with the Leather Folio case, which acts as a protective cover and, more importantly, can be dramatically flipped open when you need to jot down a thought.

What is it like to write with?

The main draw for the reMarkable is that is has the look and feel of paper without the waste – or the need to loudly flap through pages trying to find your last note.

In that it does deliver. Writing on the tablet with the Marker Plus feels incredibly close to a normal pen and paper setup. You can choose from a range of pen styles including ballpoint, fountain pen and fine liner, and each type requires a different amount of pressure put through it akin to its real-life counterpart – so for a fountain pen you need to put more pressure on the stylus to produce thicker "ink".

Another perk we happily found out is the tablet won't react to anything but the Marker when you're writing so if, like us, you often end up smudging your hand along the page, there won't be random marks left anywhere.

The latency between writing and the words appearing (12 milliseconds) is hardly noticeable. But our only issue would be when we rubbed out any text with the Marker Plus it tended to still show faintly in the background, although it disappeared eventually.

How do the features work?

At the start we found the reMarkable a little tricky to set up. What we didn't realise before is you need to download the reMarkable app on your phone or sign in on your laptop to upload any PDF or reader files. After that, they're easy to find and mark up on the tablet.

We enjoyed exploring the different colours available although some were not as vivid as we had hoped when writing. That being said, the colours on uploaded files and documents pulled through perfectly.

The adjustable back light also worked very well, with the screen always the right level of visibility and we never had any problem with glare.

Last but not least, the two-week long battery life is as good as promised and the first charge did indeed take less than 45 minutes – we haven't needed to charge it since so can only assume that holds up!

Our verdict: Is it worth the cost?

Overall, the reMarkable Paper Pro Move functions pretty much exactly as it claims to. It's easy and nice to write on, light to hold and able to complete a range of different tasks.

That being said, we still flinch at the idea of a £399 price tag, and that's before you add on the potential Marker Plus and Folio case.

Our suggestion would be: buy it if you're absolutely going to use it. If you're someone who runs through notebooks like no tomorrow, has to a lot of work on the move, or is just headed to uni and doesn't fancy typing up lectures, this is your new best friend.

However, if you're just an occasional list-maker, the notes app on your phone will do.

Buy the reMarkable Paper Pro Move for £399 at reMarkable
Make sure you also check out our guide for the best digital notebooks and the best Kindle deals.