# HP 35s calculator

5 Hacker News commenters recommended HP 35s calculator and 1 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 1 of 13 months.

**Verdict:** People recommend it for quick everyday calculations thanks to its well-designed interface and instant power-on. Critics say keys can start missing presses after a couple of years.

## Why people recommend it

- Well-designed interface, instant power-on (1 comments): "It's just faster for quick calculations as the UI is very well done and it turns on instantly." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45890321))
- Easy for everyday calculations (1 comments): "the most easy way to calculate things with current and power for everyday use" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45890008))
- Used daily by longtime RPN users (1 comments): "I use an HP-16 (the SwissMicros version, my originals are in boxes) and a 35s pretty much every day" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45890521))

## What people warn about

- Ergonomics not as good as older model (1 comments): "found the ergonomics not as good as my old, dead 11C" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45891593))
- Keys miss presses after a few years (1 comments): "After just a couple of years of use, mine started missing presses on frequently used keys." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48380617))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [HP 15C](https://hackerapproved.com/p/hp-15c-calculator.md): 24 recommend
- [Casio S100X Japanese Lacquer Edition](https://hackerapproved.com/p/casio-s100x-japanese-lacquer-edition.md): 16 recommend
- [Casio calculator](https://hackerapproved.com/p/casio-calculator.md): 14 recommend
- [SwissMicros DM42n](https://hackerapproved.com/p/swissmicros-dm42n.md): 13 recommend
- [SwissMicros R47 RPN calculator](https://hackerapproved.com/p/r47-rpn-calculator.md): 11 recommend

## Where to get it

- [See price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=HP+35s+scientific+calculator&tag=hackerapprove-20) (affiliate link)

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "HP 35s calculator", https://hackerapproved.com/p/hp-35s/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).