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The 11 Best Gel Pens For Coloring
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Whether you’re an artist, a fan of adult coloring books, or just love doodling on paper, gel pens are a great tool for expressing your creativity. The best gel pens for coloring have smooth-flowing ink that dries quickly on the page, as well as the right tip size to suit your project.
Shopping for gel pens primarily comes down to your preferred palette. If you want to add a little pizazz to your creations, there are simple eight packs to get you started. If you want more variety in your arsenal, there are gel pen sets that include as many as 180 colors in a box. Some gel pens are categorized by color groups, such as neutrals and pastels, while others come in glitter and metallic inks for unique finishes. For those who prefer monochromatic color schemes, there are also gel pen packs that come exclusively in single colors or black and gray hues.
The gel pens you choose should also match the level of precision you want in your coloring projects. A fine-point tip is typically around 0.7 millimeters, but if you are coloring large areas, a 1-millimeter tip will cover surfaces more quickly. For detailed lines, look for ultra-fine points that measure 0.5 millimeters. There are also gel pen sets that include a variety of sizes.
The last considerations are design details and packaging. Retractable tips can extend the life of your gel pens, while ergonomic grips could help minimize hand fatigue. And, unlike pens for note-taking and filling up planner pages, pens for coloring often require having multiple colors on hand at one time; in that case, you may want them to come in a sturdy box or carrying case.
With these details in mind, scroll down to see the best gel pens for coloring — all of which are available on Amazon.
1A Best-Selling Refillable Gel Pen Set With 50,000 Fans On Amazon
It’s easy to see why Pilot’s G2 gel pens are an Amazon best-seller that boasts more than 51,000 five-star ratings. The set’s long-lasting gel inks have a clean application, dry quickly, and come in 20 colors. A retractable clicking mechanism protects the 0.7-millimeter tip from drying out prematurely, and a rubberized comfort grip reduces fatigue while coloring or writing. For those concerned with reducing waste, the pens also take refills (though the color selection on Amazon is a bit limited).
One fan raved: “These pens are great for colorizing a piece of art! They ARE NOT waterproof, so they blend easily with highlighters, art gel pens, and markers. They are great for tiny details. [...] Also, you can store these pens for a long time and they won't dry out like markers. [...] This is at least my third or fourth set, and the only reason I have to buy more is because the ink runs out.”
2A Basic Starter Pack Of Colorful Gel Pens
These cheap gel pens by BIC have impressed Amazon reviewers so much that they've earned more than 10,000 five-star ratings. The set includes eight vibrant colors, and each pen produces a 0.7-millimeter line. Retractable tips keep the inks from drying out too quickly, and a full-grip barrel provides comfortable control as you mark your pages. Best of all, the smooth-flowing ink dries up to three times faster than the brand's original Gel-ocity pens, reducing the odds of unwanted smudging.
One fan raved: “Wow. I love these pens for coloring books. The color is so bold and makes everything stand out. You won’t be disappointed. Will be buying more colors soon, Highly recommend.”
3An Extensive Gel Pen Set That Comes With Refills
This 180-pack of colorful pens by Feela is one of the largest gel pen sets on Amazon. The extensive assortment includes solid, glitter, neon glitter, neon, metallic, pastel, and even swirled inks. Tip sizes range from 0.6 to 1 millimeter, and refills for all 180 colors are included in handy storage bags for added value. The tips are protected with caps , and each barrel is clear, which allows you to keep an eye on the ink supply. The barrels don’t have any rubber-like grips, though most reviewers didn’t seem to mind. One fan noted, “The ink is bright, runs smooth, and dries in a reasonable amount of time so smearing is minimal.”
One fan raved: “These gel pens are fantastic! I just finished a coloring using them, and every pen worked beautifully! The ink is smooth, doesn't skip, doesn't blob like some gel pens, and provides good coverage. The colors are vibrant and bright, even the pastels! I highly recommend these gel pens!”
4A Premium Set Of Refillable Gel Pens In 60 Unique Colors
ARTEZA's 60-pack of high-quality gel pens is a curated collection of unusual inks for your coloring projects. The assortment includes three classic, nine pastel, six rainbow, 10 neon, 11 metallic, 17 glitter, and four glitter-neon colors. Ballpoint tip sizes vary between 0.8 and 1 millimeter, and the clear plastic barrels are designed to accommodate refills, which minimizes waste. One quibble from Amazon reviewers is that the caps are difficult to remove, but the smooth, consistent, and smudge-free ink seems to outweigh this minor criticism.
One fan raved: “I've been coloring for awhile now and have tried many different brands. I've only had these one day but my instant reaction is...I love them! The colors are great. The ink rolls out smooth. I just love them and I wanted to write a review. [...] They are excellent!”
5A Set Of Pastel Gel Pens That Pop On Dark Paper
These Milky Pop pastel gel pens by Pentel are a standout for their visibility on dark paper, as well as photo paper. The set of smooth-writing gel ink pens includes eight hues with medium-point, 0.8-millimeter tips. The extra-long barrels are clear and allow you to monitor how much ink is left in the chambers, while the soft rubber grips enhance comfort and match each pen's ink color. Although a few reviewers noted that the ink takes a few minutes to dry, many more were impressed with the overall performance of these pens.
One fan raved: “These pens from Pentel are simply glorious for adding emphasis and big bangs of color. They are so much more than simple color. They're FLASH! The ink is thick and shiny, like writing or coloring with glitter. Even the pastel colors pack a wallop and jumped from the paper.”
6A Highly Rated Set Of Metallic Gel Pens
For those in search of metallic gel pens for coloring, Pilot's G2 Metallics is a popular option that has earned more than 2,800 five-star Amazon ratings. This set includes eight pens: one black, one white, and six metallic inks. Retractable tips make them long-lasting while rubber grips on the barrels make them comfortable to hold. The smooth-writing inks produce a fine, 0.7-millimeter line, and multiple reviewers were impressed with their highly pigmented finish. The pens are packaged in a sturdy pouch, which means they're also great for taking on the go.
One fan raved: “These metallic colored pens are great for those of us who love adult coloring...The colors are vivid and smooth as silk when applying them to the coloring book of your choice. G2's are a great all around pen and these put some color in your life!”
7A Large Set Of Long-Lasting Glitter Gel Pens
Add some sparkle and shine to your coloring with this extensive set of glitter gel pens. The 100-pack set has zero duplicate colors, so there's bound to be just the right shade for your particular project. The tips range from 0.8 to 1 millimeter, and extra-large chambers store up to 30% more ink than competing gel pens, according to the brand, which means they're a great value. The plastic caps are color-coded to match each pen, and soft grips on the barrel alleviate hand fatigue as you write or color. With more than 15,000 fans, this set boasts a 4.8-star overall rating on Amazon.
One fan raved: “[...] this set has the comfort grips, the tight caps, the fatter ink cartridge (which holds more ink and therefore lasts longer), the most individually unique color variety in the largest selection, super consistent and reliable flow, glides super smooth on the page, has the nice broad 1mm tip, dries decently fast without smearing, has SUPER sparkly ink, and excellent customer service. So basically to shorten it up: I’m in love!!!”
8A Set of White Gel Pens With Assorted Tips
Sakura's Gelly Roll white gel pens are an ideal choice for creating highlights, covering mistakes, and adding pops of color on dark pages. This six-pack includes two pens in fine, medium, and bold points — each of which produces lines in an opaque white ink. White caps and barrels make these pens easy to spot in a pile of colored gel pens, and multiple Amazon reviewers praised their ability to slide smoothly on paper.
One fan raved: “Sakura makes great gel pens, and the white gelly roll pens are no exception. If you're looking to doodle on black paper, or overlay some white over colored pens, these are perfect. The varied sizes in this pack were exactly what I wanted!”
9A Variety Pack Of Gel Pens In Monochromatic Colorways
OfficeGoods’ gel pen sets are perfect for artists who see endless possibilities in a single color. The 24-pack is available in three different monochromatic palettes — greens, blues, and pink/purples — plus an earth tone set. It’s also available in a 12-pack set with blacks and grays or multicolor pens. Tip sizes range from 0.8 to 1 millimeter, and inks include a mix of matte, metallic, and glitter finishes. Plastic caps indicate the color of each pen, while a clear, buttoned pouch makes them easy to store and transport. Each pen comes with a refill and provides 40% more ink than competing brands, according to OfficeGoods, so they’re a great value to boot.
One fan raved: “Do you use a lot of green, and always seem to run out of that color or not have enough shades? [...] There are SO many shades of green! If I am working on a jungle scene, I can vary the greens a LOT because so many to choose from. [...] SEEMS to have a lot of ink and it FLOWS beautifully!”
10A Premium Metallic Set With The Look Of A Fountain Pen
This limited edition metallic gel pen set by TUL is a premium take on playful colored pens. An 0.8-millimeter tip produces smooth, medium-point lines without any unwanted skipping on the page, and the eight shimmering gel ink colors are unique to the brand. Opaque barrels indicate the color of each pen, while gilded metal highlights add a fancy touch to the overall design. Finally, retractable tips and soft grips make these pens long-lasting and comfortable to write with.
One fan raved: “These are the kind dreams are made of. For all you pen freaks like me, this the one! So glidey! The colors are perfect. They don’t bleed much. The shape is awesome and the pen is just pretty. Nab these as soon as possible! ”
11A Fluorescent Gel Pen Set That Glows Under Black Lights
The Moonlight fluorescent gel pen set by Sakura is a secret weapon for artwork with fun effects. The 10-pack produces bold, 1-millimeter lines in creamy, opaque gel ink, and the results are bright and smooth on both light and dark papers. Even better, the inks glow in the dark when placed under a blacklight. The pens have standard caps and the basic barrels lack grips, but the special effects — as well as the smooth, smudge-free application — still make them a worthwhile purchase.
One fan raved: “I’ve only heard stories of the Gellyroll pens until now. Everything I was told, from the fluidity of the ink to the very pigmented colors, lived up to my high expectations! [...] Overall, you get what you pay for. These pens are a dream to write/draw with and are worth the cost! No dry gel pens here, this is the real deal folks.”
