Gel pens have certainly made their mark on notetaking and lettering, but they’ve also risen to stardom in the world of adult coloring. Gel pens are a fun coloring medium that offers precision, smooth application, vibrant and opaque colors, and even metallic or glitter varieties to add interest to your coloring projects. If you’re looking for an upgrade or a first-timer, consider some of these gel pen packs for your coloring adventures.
These are some of the best-rated gel pens for coloring:
1) ColorIt Gel Pens
2) VaO1A Art Color Gel Pens (36 Colors)
3) Feela 360 Super Value Gel Pen Pack
4) Smart Color Art (140 Gel Pens)
5) Arteza 60 Gel Pens
6) Reaeon 200 Pack
7) Sakura Gelly Roll (Ice Cream Smooth)
8) Tanmit 240 Gel Pens
9) Shuttle Art Gel Pen (120 Unique Colors)
Factors that might influence the best gel pens are price, smooth application and ink flow, packaging, and color variety. Every one of these packs has a 4.5/5 or higher rating on Amazon and various types of pens (glitter, neon, metallic, etc.), so it’s hard to go wrong with any of these!
ColorIt Gel Pens
This pack comes with 24 glitter pens, 12 metallic pens, 12 neon pens, and 48 refills, which make them last longer and make them more eco-friendly. The pens also come in a great zip-up case, unlike other packs, which often come in thin plastic. Users report a super-smooth application with little to no scratching and quicker-than-average drying time, which reduces smears. Given the case quality, this one might be your best option if you’re toting your gel pens around or looking for a good gift.
Like most gel pens, these have a 0.8 mm-1.0 mm ballpoint tip and are non-toxic and acid-free. These also have a comfortable, thicker-than-average grip. The price for 48 pens and 48 refills is listed at $39.99, which is a little higher than some on this list, but these are the go-to if the quality is what matters most to you.
VaO1A Art Color Gel Pens (36 Colors)
This is the only pack on this list with fewer than 50 pens and refills, but given the price of $9.99 and a great average user review, this pack might be the best option if you’re looking for an affordable and basic pack of pens. The pack comes with 12 glitter colors, 6 neon, 6 pastel, 8 metallic, and 4 classic colors, and the pens have a smooth flow of ink.
The pens themselves are pretty basic with a no-frills package, but they have a silicone grip, and for the price, this is one of the best options out there. Consider these if you want to start with something simple and affordable, especially if you’re testing the waters with gel pens.
Interested in learning some tips about using gel pens? Click HERE
Feela 360 Super Value Gel Pen Pack
If you’re looking for a lot of sparkles, consider this pack of 180 pens and 180 refills. This pack of pens has glitter, neon glitter, neon, metallic, pastel, swirl (which have an ink barrel with different colors mixed in and will change as you draw), and standard pens, but one of the largest concentrations of glitter pens on this list. (Users also report that even the metallic pens in the pack lean more toward glitter.)
This pack also sports a great range of color options, and, like some other similarly priced pens, these have a good numbering system for keeping track of colors, caps, and refills. They come in a relatively durable plastic box that stores your pens upright. The pens have a very consistent ink flow and are listed at $28.99.
Smart Color Art (140 Gel Pens)
This pack of 140 pens contains glitter, metallic, pastel, standard, neon, neon glitter, and swirl varieties and runs a very reasonable $19.99. A bonus reason you might be interested in this pack of pens is that they come in 0.6-1.0 mm instead of the more common 0.8-1.0 mm. A smaller tip favors more precision and detail and more potential for hatching effects (but might mean more work for filling in larger areas on your coloring projects). These pens come in a basic but handy plastic box for upright storage and have a satisfying range of glitter sizes.
Arteza 60 Gel Pens
This pack is the second smallest on the list but has one of the most affordable prices at $16.99. It comes with 3 classic colors, 9 pastels, 6 rainbow, 10 neon, 11 metallic, 17 glitter, and 4 glitter-neon pens. Users report one of the smoothest applications, vibrant colors, and a nice upright storage container.
The only downside is some users say the pens run out relatively quickly, but the good news is they are refillable (though refills are sold separately).
Reaeon 200 Pack
This pack of pens comes with 100 unique colors plus 100 refills, with 28 glitters, 18 metallics, 16 neon, 15 pastel, 14 neon-glitter, 6 swirl, and 3 classic colors. As a bonus: the pens also have a numbering system and boast 20% more ink than most gel pens, so they last longer.
Users report average drying times and a little scribbling to get the ink flowing, but a consistent and smooth application once things get started. The colors are satisfyingly vibrant, and the list price for 100 pens and 100 refills is a reasonable $26.99.
Sakura Gelly Roll (Ice Cream Smooth)
While this is one of the most expensive options on this list, Sakura Gelly Roll pens are well known for their juicy ink flow. This selection comes with 17 “Classic” colors, 14 “Metallic” colors, 20 opaque “Moonlight” colors, 13 “Stardust” glitter pens, 5 gold “Shadows,” and 5 silver “Shadows” (which have a stimulating outline effect).
The steady flow of ink makes them one of the best options for filling in areas but can make them prone to smearing if you’re not careful. The pens might also ooze a little too much for hyper-fine details. The pens have some of the most relaxed finishing effects, though, and have tons of potential for blending, hatching, and cross-hatching effects. They’re also a favorite for use on black paper or for lettering. The pens are also sold in smaller packs, but this collection of 74 is listed at an admittedly steep $117.16. You might want to go for it, though, if you like a thick, juicy application and visually exciting finish.
Tanmit 240 Gel Pens
This pack comes with 120 different colored pens with 120 refills, making it one of the larger packs on this list at a reasonable price of $29.99. The pack has 28 glitter pens, 20 metallic, 19 neon, 16 pastels, 16 fluorescent pens (which also have glitter in them), 11 dye colors, 6 rainbow pens, and 4 standard pens. They also have a numbering system to keep track of colors.
While some users report some scratching or occasional skipping and a slightly longer-than-average dry time, the variety of colors for the price might put them on your radar.
Shuttle Art Gel Pen (120 Unique Colors)
This pack of pens comes with 13 standard colors, 17 neon glitter colors, 19 neon colors, 17 pastel colors, 21 metallic colors, 29 glitter colors, and 4 swirl colors. These pens are a great deal if you’re looking for a wide variety of colors at an affordable price. This pack nets you 120 different colors listed for $21.20.
This pack has one of the highest concentrations of pastel colors if you like your coloring to have a softer effect. However, some users reported that the pens took some work to get the ink to flow on some colors and that they don’t have a long shelf life once opened, so if you’re only coloring occasionally, a different pack might be for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
1) How should I store my pack of gel pens?
Most gel pens should be stored vertically, with tips pointing up, but if you’re not sure, you can usually check the packaging or manufacturer’s website. Some storage cases will hold the pens upright for you, and others will need to be propped up or transferred to another container. Gel pens will all dry out eventually, but most have a shelf life of around 8-12 months. After that, they may start to dry, skip, or scratch, regardless of how much ink is left.
2) How do I minimize smearing with my gel pens?
Gel pens, regardless of quality, will smear if you don’t allow them to dry, so try to color left-to-right if you’re right-handed (or right-to-left if you’re a lefty). Lefties will want to be extra careful with writing and lettering and might want to choose a type of pen with a quick dry time. Whenever possible, use gel pens on thick, high-quality paper to minimize bleeding and damage from your pen strokes. Wait until areas are thoroughly dry before layering
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