You shouldn't buy the Lunatik Touch Pen, but you should definitely buy the Lunatik Touch Pen
My experience reviewing the Lunatik Touch Pen was a unique one. I had two of the pens sent to me, and at first glance they appeared to be identical aside from the color. One was black and the other, which was in nearly identical, but slightly more bulky packaging, was silver. Both said "Lunatik Touch Pen" on the front, so I opened the black one and tried it out.
Impressions
The pen portion of the device is great, and I totally love the rolling ball tip and gel ink. As a pen, it's a bit bulky, but it's absolutely above average. When you click the pen closed the rubbery tip can then be used as a stylus for your iDevice, at least in theory. In practice the stylus takes a great deal of pressure to register on the screen of both my iPad and iPhone. Definitely not ideal, and certainly not on par with my other styli I've used in the past.
I was all set to write a pretty scathing review of it, and then I examined the second pen that was sent along. I unpacked and realized that unlike the black one I had tested, this one was made out of aluminum. I flipped the package over and noticed that, unlike the front of the box which is a direct copy/paste of the plastic version, the rear notes that this version is the "Touch Pen Alloy." Aha!
So what's the verdict? The Touch Pen Alloy is one of the greatest things I've ever had on my desk. Unlike its plastic counterpart, which requires that your fingers are in constant, firm contact with the rubberized grip, the Alloy version works as a stylus no matter how you hold it. And when I say it "works" I mean it's recognized the moment you touch it to the your screen, rather than requiring you to press the pen down with the force of a falling asteroid. Oh, and the super-smooth gel pen housed within still works like a charm.
It's a little bit on the large side, even for me, and I typically have an issue with pens and styli being too small for my mitts. If you have particularly small hands, you might feel like you're holding a young tree trunk, but overall it's not a deal breaker.
Specifications
Dimensions: 6 in x 4 in
Materials: Aircraft-grade aluminum barrel (Alloy version), Polymer barrel (plastic version), graphite clip, silicone rubber grip
Conclusion
I'm torn. If you saw both of these device on a store shelf, and didn't bother to take the time to compare the rear of each package, you'd never know the difference between the two. Well, aside from the fact that the plastic version is US$19.95 and the metal one is $39.95.
On one hand, the "Alloy" Touch Pen is a fantastic accessory and an easy recommendation, even at the rather steep asking price, and on the other hand the plastic version is essentially a $20 gel pen. Rather than lump these two together, as the company seems to have done with its identical packaging and product design, I'll issue two scores.
Rating: Out of 4 possible stars
Touch Pen (Plastic)
Touch Pen (Alloy)
Giveaway
Dare to tempt fate? We're giving away both of these beauties, so entering will give you a shot to win either the plastic or (far superior) alloy version of the Touch Pen. Here are the rules for the giveaway:
Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 13 and older.
To enter, fill out the form below completely and click or tap the Submit button.
The entry must be made before March 9, 2014 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Time.
You may enter only once.
One winner will be selected and will receive either a Lunatik Touch Pen valued at $19.95 or a Lunatik Touch Pen Alloy valued at $39.95.
