When it comes to drawing display tablets for beginners, the Huion Kamvas 13 Gen 3 checks all the boxes. It’s portable, has their latest PenTech, and an interesting 2-dial shortcut layout for a price that makes it an absolute no-brainer against the competition. This review of the Kamvas 13 Gen 3 will cover all that you need to know about using this tablet for digital drawing and painting.
*Huion did send me the tablet for review but the thoughts here are my own. The post includes affiliate links, I may earn a small commission on purchases made through them.
Highlights
- 2x customizable dials
- can be connected with a single USB-C cable
- excellent pen
- great value for money ~$250
Key specs
- overall size: 36 x 20cm
- display size: 13.3″
- display resolution: 1920 x 1080 FHD
- stylus: PW600L with PenTech4.0
- 16k levels of pressure sensitivity
- 60 degrees of tilt
- 2g initial activation force
- 5 shortcut buttons and 2 dials
Full specs can be found on the Kamvas 13 Gen 3 product page.
Box contents
Inside the box, you will find the following:
- 13″ display tablet
- PW600L stylus
- Pen stand with spare pen nibs
- 3-in-1 cable
- USB-A extender cable
- cleaning cloth, drawing glove
- quick start guide
- *mine included the stand (optional purchase)
The tablet
IMPORTANT: The Kamvas 13 Gen 3 is not a standalone tablet and MUST be connected to a computer to work.
The 13.3″ display size makes this a good, compact option for beginners. The overall size of Kamvas 13 gen 3 is around 36cm x 20cm so it won’t be taking up too much space on the desk, and it’s easily portable.
The frame around the buttons, screen, and the back of the tablet is a slightly textured matte plastic. There are also rubber feet in the corners of the back to minimize slipping around on the desk or a potential angled surface that you put it on. There are no fold out legs or VESA mount holes on the tablet, so a stand is recommended.
Along the one side are two USB-C ports for connecting the tablet to your computer.
The screen
The 1920 x 1080 resolution on the Kamvas 13 Gen 3 delivers a pretty crisp image. While we do get higher resolutions on standalone devices this size, FHD is perfectly fine on a 13″ tablet.
It also has an anti-glare etched glass display. It diffuses the light really well and adds a slight texture to the surface that feels good while drawing.
The dials and buttons
An interesting design choice that sets the Kamvas 13 Gen 3 apart from other display tablets is the addition of two dials on either end of the 5 shortcut buttons. The have a slight clickiness as you turn them and can have up to three functions each assigned. The button in the center of each will let you cycle functions.
I normally don’t like cycling between more than two functions on a dial. Thankfully in the driver you can disable one of the functions so that pressing a dial’s button only switches back and forth between two functions.
What I like about this feature is that I can program each one to handle specific things. The top one for example can be set to change brush size and brush opacity. The bottom one though could be for navigation like zoom and rotate.
The pen
The most outstanding feature of Huion’s Gen 3 Kamvas tablets is the included stylus with their PenTech4.0 inside. The PW600L stylus is almost identical to those that are shipping with the brand’s more recent Pro tablets. The only difference is that there is no eraser on the back of the pen.
It has the same tapered design with three customizable buttons on it. I actually like this third button on the pen and normally assign this to switching my cursor between monitors so that I don’t have to reach for my mouse.
These pens have over 16k levels of pressure sensitivity, a low 2 grams of initial activation force required, and the the tablet registers up to 60 degrees of tilt from the pen.
Setting up the Kamvas 13 Gen 3 tablet
Connecting the tablet
The Kamvas 13 Gen 3 connects via the included 3-in-1 cable but I instead used a full-feature USB-C cable for a slightly tidier setup. The tablet only comes with the 3-in-1 cable but you can purchase a compatible USB-C cable from the Huion website.
For this to work, your computer also need the right USB-C port. It must be at least USB 3.1 with DisplayPort 1.2 to deliver video and enough power. Check your computer manufacturer’s website or your user manual to see what ports you have.
You can also connect the Kamvas 13 Gen 3 to an Android device that has a compatible USB-C port.
The driver
Before you start drawing, you’ll need the tablet driver from the Huion website. You’ll be able to customize your tablet buttons, dial functions, pen buttons and pressure curve here.
The pen and tablet buttons can be assigned to keystrokes, modifiers, mouse clicks, switching between monitors, etc. Or even create an on-screen menu that is triggered by one of the buttons.
If you do not know what to set your buttons to, there are some presets already available for some popular software options.
Remove any other tablet drivers that you might have on your computer FIRST. I did experience driver conflict between Wacom and Huion drivers with this device.
Line test
I’m using Clip Studio Paint here for the line test and a 100px ink brush (adjusted G-Pen) throughout.
The overall pressure response from the PW600L stylus is smooth and accurate. From very light pressure for thin lines, to heavy for thick, and back to light all look good. Maintaining consistent pressure gave consistent line weight with no unexpected variation.
When it comes to slow diagonals, there wasn’t any weird wobble or wave in the line. The slight variation in the line in the image above is due to my pressure toggle for brush size being on and using a large brush.
Tilt responded well too. Something that else that Huion added is improved automatic tilt compensation so as you tilt the pen, the cursor doesn’t deviate from the pen tip. I only detected slight deviation near the corners when the pen was tilted.
Drawing and painting with Kamvas 13 Gen 3
Drawing and painting with the Kamvas 13 Gen 3 felt was a very good experience. The pressure response was consistently good. When sketching ideas out very lightly, it has no issues registering the pen.
Pen experience was great and on par with what I get from the Kamvas Pro 19. This is the most notable thing about this tablet (and the 16″): you’re getting that same high-quality pen experience that comes with Huion’s recent Pro tablets.
The size did feel a bit small as I’m used to working on larger monitors and the Kamvas Pro 19. This is more of a personal preference thing and only really an issue if I want my full UI and reference open on the same screen. I’ve used 13″ tablets for a while too, and it’s really not a bad size to start with.
The two dials are also interesting to use. This tablet doesn’t have a touch screen, so assigning one dial only to navigation is convenient while using the other only for brush settings like opacity and size. I appreciate that you can disable unused function slots on the dials as I normally don’t like cycling between more than two functions.
Huion Kamvas 13 Gen 3 vs Wacom One 12
I would definitely recommend the Kamvas 13 Gen 3 over the Wacom One 12 which is in similar price range and also generally targeted at the beginner user. The obvious difference is the size, but more importantly, the pen experience of Huion’s PW600L is significantly better than the Wacom One standard pen. I find that the PW600L is more comfortable and handles low pressure much better in comparison.
The Wacom One has no shortcut buttons or dials like the Kamvas 13 Gen 3. This is a personal preference thing though and not a necessity, but something to keep in mind if you do like this feature.
Concluding thoughts
So far in 2025, no other 13″ competitor tablet stands close to what Huion is providing here with the Kamvas 13 Gen 3, especially at this price. Personally, I still prefer something a little bigger and would probably pick the 16″ version if budget allows for it. The pen experience with this definitely makes it feel like more than just your average entry-level display tablet and I have no hesitations about recommending it.
Who is this for
The Kamvas 13 Gen 3 is an ideal tablet for digital art beginners who are looking for a display rather than a screen or standalone tablet. If you have a computer already and are getting started with digital drawing, animation, or 3D, then this is the tablet I recommend.
It’s also not a bad option for more intermediate users who want something compact and portable.
If you are looking for a standalone tablet, consider the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9FE.
The Huion Kamvas 13 Gen 3 retails at around 250 USD or 270 USD with the stand included.
Buy it on Huion store
