Gel pens are a favorite of many stationery fans as they offer vibrant colors and can write more smoothly than other pens. They're popular for a variety of purposes such as writing, decorating cards, or coloring. They're especially suitable for adult coloring books due to their precision.
We chose the G2 Premium Gel Roller pens by Pilot as our favorite colored gel pens. They're comfortable to hold, the ink flows consistently, and they glide across the page. We've also put together a top 10 list for you to consider and created a handy buying guide to help you make your choice!
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Before buying any colored gel pens, there are a few points you should take into consideration. To help you with this, we've put together this handy buying guide!
Gel pens come in a variety of tip sizes, with most of them ranging from 0.3 to 1mm. Finer tips (0.5 and below) are best for writing, especially if you’re looking to add notes to documents or write within the constraints of lined or squared paper.
Medium tips (0.5 to 0.7) are also great for writing and look best when you have larger sizes to play with. They’re great for greeting cards, addressing envelopes, or writing on wide-ruled pages.
Bold tips (0.8 and above) are ideal for coloring. If you’re a fan of adult coloring books, then bolder tipped gel pens can bring your coloring vividly to life and will fill in the smallest sections easily. Of course, you can use the smaller tips for this also but you might find that they take too much time!
Using any kind of pen or pencil for a long time and can make your hands hurt. Look for gel pens that have a rubber grip just above the nib as these will be more comfortable. Even plastic gel pens can have these.
Rubber grips that have indentations such as lines, grooves, or circles are even more comfortable and help you grip the pen without using too much pressure. If you’re a heavy writer and put a lot of pressure on the pen when you write, then you may want thicker grips than those who write more lightly.
Something else to look for is a pen that's well-balanced. If the pen is top-heavy, this will make it unstable when you write. This won’t be a problem in short bursts but can add stress on your hand over longer use. Try and pick a pen that looks uniform from top to bottom instead of one that varies, like with a plastic or rubber barrel but metal top.
Colored gel pens come in all sorts of colors. It’s possible to buy a pack of 140 gel pens and to have every single one be a unique color! If you’re not looking to buy that many pens and are searching for smaller packs, try and make sure it has the basic colors you need.
This is also the case with the types of gel pens. Most gel pens have the standard kind of ink you would use for writing, but you can also get gel pens in neon, metallic, and even glitter inks.
Glitter ink can add some sparkle to your writing and coloring but might not be suitable for use in the office, so make sure you’re only buying what you need and will use.
Some colored gel pen sets can have more than just the pens included and this is especially the case with the larger sets. These often come in a plastic pack that also doubles as an organizer for the pens and can be kept once opened.
Some others come in a neat case so you can keep your pens together and take them with you if need. It’s also possible to buy gel pens that come with refills. Using a refill instead of throwing away the old pen and buying a new one is better for the environment!
These pens have a comfortable ribbed rubber grip on the barrel. The pens are refillable and long-lasting and come in a variety of common colors. This set has great colors for writing, but they also come in other choices and sizes for coloring and drawing.
Reviewers say that they glide over the page smoothly and that the ink is very consistent. They say all the colored inks are dark enough to see easily. They are very durable, as a couple of reviewers report that the pens still worked even after accidentally washing them!
There is a full-length grip on these pens to make them comfortable to write with. They are fast-drying and the ink flows in a smooth line.
These pens are quick-drying to reduce the chances of the ink smearing. The barrels of the pens are part plastic and part rubber for a comfortable grip.
For a few reviewers, these pens skipped and the ink didn't flow consistently. But most say that they are very comfortable to hold due to the dotted rubber grip. They also say that the colors are bright. A few reviewers report using these pens for a couple of years without any problems.
These pens have a rubber grip with arrows etched into them for ease of holding. The 20 different colors make this set good for journaling, organizing your notes, or coloring.
However, a few reviewers say that some colors are indistinguishable or incorrect shades. Others found that the ink dries out quickly and that the wax seal is difficult to remove from the nibs.
Reviewers praise how fast the ink dries on the page and say it is almost instant. They say that the pens write smoothly. Many reviewers find them comfortable to hold and even left-handed writers say that they don't smear.
This set of colored pens comes with a neat carrying case, a full set of refills, and a coloring book. There are a large number of neon and glitter pens, and each pen has a dotted, rubber grip.
Some reviewers say that there isn't enough color variation and too many dark colors. But they love the case that makes it easy to keep their pens in good condition. The coloring book is also a hit! Reviewers like the flow of these pens and that they have the name and number of the color on the barrel.
There are many different colors included in this set, including neons, metallics, glitter, and six rainbow pens that change color as you draw! They come in a neat box for storage and have a triangular-shaped barrel to make them comfortable to hold.
For some reviewers, the ink ran out quickly or the pens became clogged. Others love how these pens write and say they are very smooth on the page. The pens are refillable, which is a big bonus for many reviewers, and the colors are vibrant. Reviewers praise the effect of the rainbow pens and love coloring with these.
There are 36 unique colors in this set, including 12 glitter and eight metallic ones. The plastic case they are packaged in can also be used as a storage case.
Some reviewers report that the pens dried out quickly. Others found the ink patchy and not as smooth and free-flowing as they would have liked.
Reviewers love the variety of the colors and say that the tips aren't scratchy at all. The quality of the glitter pens come in for specific praise as reviewers say the glitter ink flows smoothly. Reviewers also praise the lack of smearing with these pens.
This set of 100 gel pens has a wide variety of colors and styles. It includes glitter, neon, pastel, and metallic colors, and the ink is quick-drying.
Reviewers say that the pens are unlabelled, and it can be difficult to identify the glitter or metallic pens from sight alone. Some found the pens deliver ink intermittently and scratch their paper.
Reviewers love the variety and dense pigmentation of the colors in this set. Many reviewers like how the ink flows from the pens and say they are comfortable to hold while coloring.
These simple but stylish looking pens have soft-touch barrels to make them more ergonomic and comfortable to write with. There are 20 different colors which are easy to identify due to the entire pen being colored.
A few reviewers report that the ink began to leak from these pens. Some also didn't find them easy to write with due to the shape and the fineness of the tip.
Reviewers like the variety of the colors included and say they are vibrant, although the white one is actually brownish-gray ink! Left-handed writers especially like how they dry fast and don't smear.
There are 30 unique colors in this set and each pen has a rubber grip to make it comfortable to hold. In addition to standard colors, there are flourescent, pastel, metallic and glitter pens.
Some reviewers had trouble getting the ink to flow. A few pens leaked, also. Reviewers say that when the ink flows, it is very smooth and glides across the page. They love the colors of the pens, especially the glitter pens, and say they are easy to hold.
As well as colored gel pens, there is a wide range of stationery available to help you with any task. Whether you're writing an essay, decorating a card, or coloring a book, we have some more suggestions for you!
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