We've tested several big names in the drawing tablet world, so we were excited to review a relatively new contender, Gaomon.
This portable-sized drawing tablet promises to deliver with several exciting features, like Bluetooth connectivity and a zoom dial. We also love the blue-green shade—it’s refreshing to see drawing tablet companies moving away from the usual black and embracing more vibrant pastel hues!
Read on to find out if it stands out in the competition for the best drawing tablet for beginners!
Jump straight to:
- Summary
- How we tested
- Gaomon WH851 drawing tablet review
- Where to buy Gaomon WH851 drawing tablet
- Our verdict: should you buy Gaomon WH851 drawing tablet?
- Looking for more drawing tablets for beginners?
Summary
If duck egg blue, Bluetooth connectivity, portable sleeve protection, and 16,384 levels of pressure sensitivity sound appealing, you’re going to love the Gaomon WH851 drawing tablet! It’s a sleek, effective pen tablet at a decent price, making it a great option for beginners.
How we tested
We thoroughly tested the tablets on a MacBook Pro with the latest drivers, focusing on stylus sensitivity and responsiveness, button functionality, beginner-friendliness, portability, compatibility, and overall value for money.
Our beginner tester spent several hours drawing in Krita 5.2, following a YouTube tutorial. This hands-on approach gave us a real feel for how these tablets work for newcomers to digital art.
The results
Gaomon WH851 review
Key features
- Wired/ wireless: Wired/Bluetooth
- Ports: USB-C × 1
- Compatibility: Windows 7 or later, macOS 10.12 or later, ChromeOS 88 or later, Android 6.0 or later, HarmonyOS 2.0 or later, Linux (Ubuntu 20.04 LTS)
- Applications: Compatible with at least 16 popular apps
- Dimensions: 288.88 × 171.08 × 7.8mm
- Weight: 397g
- Drawing area: 203.2 x 127mm
- Display tablet: No
- Sensitivity of pen (min. of 2048; 4096 or more preferred): 16384
- LPI pen resolution: 5080
- Tilt recognition: ±60°
- RRP: £58.99 | $59.99
Sensitivity - 5/5
Screen
The Gaomon WH851 isn’t a display tablet, so you connect it to your laptop or phone, and use that as your screen. It takes a little time to get used to drawing in one spot while looking at another, but it’s actually easier than you'd think!
Pressure sensitivity
This is one of the most sensitive tablets I've tested, with 16,384 levels of pressure sensitivity! The Ugee M808 also offers this many levels with a firmware upgrade.
I really appreciated the pen test function in the Gaomon interface, which lets you easily adjust the pressure sensitivity to your liking.
Functionality - 3/5
Tablet buttons and customisability
This is one of two tablets I've tested with a zoom dial, and it makes navigating the drawing space so much easier—I used this function a lot. I especially liked that it was a rotary dial, as it felt more ergonomic and comfortable for me.
The pen also has two buttons set to right and left mouse click. I would have preferred if these buttons opened up a tool docker in Krita, like the colour or brush selection, but I couldn't figure out how to edit this in the pen settings.
Ease of use for beginners
I didn't make as much use of the other eight buttons because, as a beginner, you have to learn what each command does and then remember which button does what. It takes a bit of getting used to!
I also noticed that towards the end of my drawing session, the tablet became noticeably laggy, which was quite frustrating. I didn’t encounter this issue with any of the other tablets I tested. However, it might have been a problem specific to Krita, as the lag disappeared when I started a fresh project.
Portability - 5/5
Size and portability
I love that this tablet comes with a sleeve for protection when you're on the go! It has a special pen pocket, and the tablet itself features a fabric ring pull, making it easy to pull out of the sleeve.
This tablet measures 288.88 × 171.08 × 7.8mm and weighs 397g, which is a little bit larger and about 100g heavier than the Huion Inspiroy 2. It's still a very portable option, and the Bluetooth feature means you don’t have to fuss with wires while drawing on the go.
Just keep in mind that you'll need to connect it to a monitor, like your phone, tablet, or laptop, when you're using it.
Battery life
With a battery life of about 18 hours and a charge time of just 4.5 hours, the Gaomon WH851 drawing tablet lets you draw to your heart’s content.
It also boasts a communication range of 5-10 meters, though we noticed the drawing got a bit shaky when moving beyond around 7 meters.
Compatibility - 5/5
Connectivity
The Gaomon WH851 comes with a neat little USB to UBS-C adapter, so you can plug it straight into your Apple devices. And if you're out of ports, or you don't want to faff around with wires, just use the Bluetooth function!
There's one UBS-C port on the tablet itself for a streamlined setup and user experience.
Compatibility
The tablet is compatible with Windows 7or later via a wired connection, Windows 10 or later via wired and Bluetooth, macOS 10.12 via a wired connection, and macOS 10.13 or later via wired and Bluetooth.
You can also use Linux (Ubuntu 20.04 LTS) via a wired connection, and ChromeOS 88 or later, Android 6.0 or later, and HarmonyOS 2.0 or later via wired and Bluetooth.
Value for money - 5/5
Overall, I think this tablet offers great value for money. It’s priced similarly to the Huion Inspiroy 2 and comes with a lot of similar features. Its 16,384 levels of pressure sensitivity, zoom dial, Bluetooth connection, and portable sleeve really set it apart from the rest!
What's in the box
- Gaomon WH851 Pen Tablet
- 20 Pen Nibs
- Nib Clip
- Sleeve
- Glove
- USB-C Adapter
- Quick Start Guide
- Blue Cleaning Cloth
- USB-C Cable (1.5m)
- Artpaint AP52
Where to buy Gaomon WH851
Our verdict: should you buy Gaomon WH851?
If you’re looking for a versatile and portable drawing tablet with a lot to offer, the Gaomon WH851 is definitely worth considering. It combines a high level of pressure sensitivity, a convenient zoom dial, and wireless Bluetooth connectivity, all packed into a sleek, portable design.
While it requires connection to an external monitor and the drawing can get a bit shaky beyond 7 meters, these are minor trade-offs for the features you get. The included sleeve and distinctive blue-green colour add extra appeal!
Looking for more ?
If you're on the hunt for the perfect drawing tablet and want to check out a few more models before trying, don't miss our roundup of the best drawing tablets for beginners! Or check out the 8 best cheap drawing tablets on the market.
