Mandy at LYNKtec contacted me a few weeks back, offering to send samples of the screen cleaning cloths her company sells. Before I reply to any vendor whose product might interest my readers, I spend a little time on the company site and check online reviews of their products. Then I decide if I’ll accept the item for review. My conditions for accepting an item are simple. I retain complete editorial control and my readers always know the item was provided for free. While checking on LYNKtec, I discovered they also sell styluses for the iPad and other portable devices. Turns out their TruGlide stylus products get favorable reviews. Frankly, I was more interested in their stylus than their cloths. I happened to be looking for a stylus I could recommend for a project I was consulting on. So I agreed to accept samples of the cloths and a stylus for possible review. Here’s what arrived.

What first impressed me in this collection was the handwritten notecard Mandy included, a personal invitation for me to enjoy the products. A great first impression.

Now, what about the cloths and the stylus?

As you can see, the ARTcloth isn’t your plain microfiber wipe. The artwork is attractive and each cloth has a side for cleaning and a smoother side for buffing.. I kept one for myself and gave the other as a gift. Some of the artwork designs would look good framed. You can see more than 30 cloth designs at their website.

Let’s take a closer look at the stylus. As you can see in the photos below, the tip on the TruGlide stylus is different. Rather than the rubber nib found on most products, this tip is made of a microfiber mesh. While I don’t know if the claim of 50% smaller is accurate, you can clearly see the difference in size between my rubber tip Kensington stylus and the TruGlide.

This TruGlide model comes in a gift box with a magnetic closure. The TruGlide has a bigger barrel than typical stylus models, but a tapered tip, much like an actual pen. Some may prefer a thinner profile but the TruGlide felt balanced in my hand.

Writing with the TruGlide was smoother than any stylus I’ve tried. Pen strokes seemed almost frictionless. I did notice a faint “squishing” sound occasionally as the microfiber mesh tip contacted the screen, but no drag. Beyond the fluid writing, my favorite feature was the ink pen included at the other end of the stylus. You may have noticed this is the Duo Stylus Pen model. I prefer an iPad stylus that includes an ink pen. The Kensington stylus I compared this to also functions as both stylus and ink pen. However, here’s a big difference. The TruGlide cap snaps snugly on either end. So you don’t need to fiddle with a loose cap and you’re less likely to get separated from it.

Did I like LYNKtec and the TruGlide? Remember that project I mentioned above where I needed to recommend a stylus? I recommended the purchase of 250 TruGlides.

Post Script: A new TruGlide model with an even smaller (5mm) microfiber tip hits the market in a few days. Mandy was kind enough to send me a sample of the new TruGlide Pro Precision Stylus. And no, she had not yet seen this review. You can see the TruGlide Duo and the Pro in the photo below. The Pro model has a replaceable tip. An artist’s paintbrush tip will soon be available. The Duo currently sells for $25.95 and the Pro will be $29.95. Other TruGlide models are available.