Value aside, this thing is perfect.
Okay, so after doing a bit of research on drawing boards for the iPad, I decided to go with the Darkboard. After receiving it, I’m not at all disappointed in my choice. Here are my takeaways:1. This thing is light. It’s essentially an ESP foam slab; albeit, a somewhat dense ESP foam slab. If you can imagine lugging around a similarly sized piece of Styrofoam with the additional weight of an iPad, then you can imagine what it feels like carrying one of these. Last night I watched some anime while laying in bed and having the Darkboard sitting atop my chest. The experience was honestly much more pleasant than it would’ve been without the Darkboard, as I barely noticed the weight and the arrangement helped elevate the iPad so there was far less neck strain.2. The stand that it comes with is a pretty nice addition. It collapses into a very flat form-factor and can fit (along with the Darkboard) into the additionally supplied pouch. Folding it into a stand isn’t immediately intuitive and honestly felt a bit like one of those brain-challenge puzzles the first time I tried it. However, after I finally got it (a genuine “ah-ha!” moment for me), folding it into a stand became much easier. I can practically whip it into shape within a couple of seconds now. The stand is wrapped in a rubbery texture and feels sturdy enough to support my hand’s weight without any wobble. It can also be flipped over to allow for a much steeper angle, in case anyone is looking to use their iPad as a monitor.3. Installing/removing the iPad. After reading a few reviews, I was worried that putting my iPad into and getting it out of this stand was going to be a problem. So I took my time to ensure that I understood the directions before any attempts. Turns out that if you pay attention to the very easy-to-follow diagrams, inserting and removing the iPad is a breeze. I suspect that most of the people complaining about having a hard time removing their iPads missed the part where they’re supposed to lift the power button corner out first, then press the Darkboard’s eject button after. It takes me about 3-5 seconds to pull my iPad out. And no, it doesn’t feel like anything is going to break when I do.4. Use cases. You can use the Darkboard horizontally or vertically, and the supplied stand supports both orientations. I primarily work in Procreate using the vertical orientation—I do a lot of figure drawing. That said, I do have to work with the Darkboard upside-down when working vertically, as I’m right-handed and this particular arrangement allows for the most hand real-estate. Fortunately this is not an issue because iOS and Procreate will both flip UI orientations to match. Off the stand, the Darkboard feels great and is just the right size to prop on your lap or, my particular favorite, on the lap but also resting on the edge of my desk.5. Ports and pencil accessibility. The USB port and magnetic pencil edge are both easy to access. The pencil slot has a pretty nifty notch added to it that allows you to easily push and eject one end of your pencil upward. And the slot is just wide enough to let your pencil drop into it, allowing the iPad’s magnet to catch it. I like this design a lot. Access to the power and volume buttons is just wide enough for my fingers slide in without issue; but I could also see these being too narrow for someone that has larger hands.6. Overheating concerns. Like others, I was a bit concerned about ventilation with the Darkboard. Unlike the Sketchboard Pro, there isn’t a back-facing hole cutout on the Darkboard (with the exception of the small square cutout for the camera). This means that any heat generated will have to escape using the slim notches/slots dedicated to the USB, pencil, and speaker areas. Fortunately, after using the Darkboard for several consecutive hours, I didn’t really notice any difference in heat rising from the iPad’s surface. But I also realize that I’m not the best test candidate for this as I use my iPad primarily for drawing and never really have more than 3-4 apps running at any given time. I also keep screen brightness levels between 50-75% most of the time. I suspect the iPad will give me some kind of indicator if it does encounter any overheating (as it’s designed to do).7. Lastly, value. And this is probably my only real criticism of the product. It just doesn’t feel like something that should cost over $100. That isn’t to say that I think it is poorly designed/constructed. I very much like the design and see myself using it all the time moving forward. However, it is ultimately a just piece of foam—albeit a premium feeling one. And yes, the durability of the Darkboard worries me as I can only imagine that a sharp enough object would easily put a dent in it, or even puncture it. This isn’t exactly something you’d ever want to rest a heavy object (particularly a non-flat object) on. If I had to guess what the Darkboard cost based on materials alone I would not put the price past $60 (maybe $70).

High quality but expensive
This is a high quality board but expensive for what is essentially a large piece of foam. I think the price reflects the fact that there aren’t similar alternatives in the market. The board works well and is light and comfortable. There are a couple of functional omissions that I find annoying. The board doesn’t have a built in way to adjust the angle for lap use; this could have been accomplished with an additional foam wedge or by making the board two pieces that can open/close at a hinge. The inlay for the tablet won’t work with a case on your tablet – so you have to take the ipad in/out of it’s case for every use. The inlay only works with one size of tablet, so no luck putting a different version ipad in. Had this been engineered to accommodate these needs, the price point would have been more understandable. Besides these omissions, the darkboard is nicely finished and works well.

Works great, if a bit rough around the edges
This works great for drawing on the ipad. It feels much more natural, and also works well when set on easels. The cost seems a bit high for the production, but it does completely change how you can draw on it.The board’s material is similar to styrofoam, and the iPad sits in a hard plastic tray. The fit when it arrived was very tight, and I think the hard plastic warped either during shipment or before, because I had a lot of difficulty getting the iPad to fit. It actually took me 24 hours before I was able to..shove…the expensive tablet in. I’m hoping over time this breaks into the plastic tray like new shoes break in, it does seem tricky to pop in and out. This board isn’t something I would prefer to lug around if I was trying to use the ipad around town, or use in public.I do like that they included a divit for the controls, and where the USB-C connector can plug in so you can charge this while working on it, but the cord is still an issue. I am probably going to DIY carve additional space or a hole into the styrofoam…somehow.

Instantly improved the feel of drawing on my iPad pro 3rd gen 12.9”, It really feels like I’m using a sketch board and traditional paper and paint, I couldn’t recommend this more. The texture of the board is very grippy, it is obvious that allot of thought went into designing it for comfort of use, I’m no longer chained to a desk to paint on the iPad, I can take it anywhere, and the stand attaches to the front of the sketch board also basically making it into a perfect carry case for your ipad when walking or travelling.

If you can afford it, and you love to draw away from the desk, buy it. Feels great, solid and light. I felt sorry for astropad when sidecar came out, but this is a genius low tech hardware comeback from them. Honestly, it’s so good…