Don’t Buy Another Pen Until You Read This!

This is not your typical pen review.  I recently hit a breaking point with my pens. I had a lot of opinions, a lot of favorites, and a whole lot of clutter! So I decided to do something I don’t usually do. I went deep. Reddit threads, internet rabbit holes, pen-enthusiast opinions, all of it.

What I found genuinely shocked me!!  To the point where I completely changed my mind about which pens are actually worth your money, which ones are just fine, and which ones I wouldn’t buy again today.

This also turned into a full family project! My husband was behind the camera, my kids chimed in, and the cat wandered through more than once. So these are not just my opinions. These pens were tested in real life, by real people, in real writing situations.

If you want to know what the deep dive on pens led to, then keep reading, or check out the video here!

What We Were Actually Looking For

Before jumping into specific pens, I want to be clear about the category we’re talking about.

This is not about:

• Signing legal documents

• Writing checks

• Official paperwork

We’re talking about everyday pens! The ones you use in planners, journals, to-do lists, notes, and daily life. Color matters. Feel matters. And how enjoyable a pen is absolutely matters!!

Pens I Used to Love (But Don’t Anymore)

Let’s start with a favorite that surprised even me.

I used to love the Paper Mate InkJoy Gel 0.7 pens. The colors are vibrant. The little hearts are cute. They write smoothly. But after testing them again side by side with others, they just didn’t feel special anymore.

They’re fine. Perfectly usable. But the ink feels a little thick, and there’s nothing about them that stands out now. These landed solidly in the “just okay” category for me.

Internet Favorites That Didn’t Win Me Over

There are several pens the internet absolutely raves about, so of course I tested them!

The Pentel EnerGel 0.7 pens surprised me in a good way. The colors are rich and vibrant, and they write smoothly. That said, they don’t come in enough colors for my taste, and the tip still feels a bit thicker than I prefer. If I were buying pens again today with limited space and budget, these wouldn’t make the cut. Still, they’re better than average and earned about a four out of five.

Sharpie S-Gel 0.7 pens were… fine. They’re easy to find and perfectly functional, but they didn’t do anything better than the EnerGels, and I actually thought the EnerGels wrote richer. These landed closer to a three out of five for me.

Pilot G2 pens also fall into this category. I love the color options, and they write nicely, but again, nothing about them feels special. Cute, reliable, but not exciting. Around a three to three-and-a-half out of five.

The Pen That Completely Won Me Over

This is where things changed!!

The Zebra Sarasa 0.4 pens absolutely blew me away. The thin tip makes a huge difference, especially if you write in planners or journals with tight spacing. They’re smooth, rich, and precise without feeling scratchy or faint.

When I compared writing with a 0.4 tip versus a 0.7 tip in the same journal, the difference was immediate. Smaller handwriting is easier. Pages look cleaner. Everything feels more intentional.

If I could only choose one general writing pen, this would be it!

My Big Change of Heart on Erasable Pens

Years ago, I was obsessed with Pilot FriXion pens. They were the OG erasable pens, and at the time, they felt revolutionary!

After retesting them, my opinion has changed.

The marker-style FriXion pens don’t erase cleanly. There’s more than just ghosting. You can still clearly read what was written, even after serious effort. The original FriXion pens erase better, but they still require way more pressure than a pencil, and the colors tend to be lighter and less vibrant.

A few important notes about erasable pens:

• Never use them on legal documents

• Heat can make writing disappear

• Writing can reappear in cold temperatures

For planners, journals, and everyday notes stored in climate-controlled spaces, I personally have never had an issue. But it’s something to know!

The Erasable Pens I’d Choose Instead

If I were buying erasable pens today, I would skip FriXion entirely.

Instead, I’d choose Grabie erasable gel pens! These are newer to the market and heavily advertised on TikTok, which is how I found them. I bought a small set first, loved them, and then bought the full set.

Here’s why they stood out:

• Excellent color range

• Comfortable triangular shape that doesn’t roll

• Soft, grippy feel

• Erases noticeably better than FriXion

• Minimal to no visible ghosting

My only complaint is that they don’t come in a 0.4 tip. If they did, they would be nearly perfect!! Because of that, I rate them a strong four-and-a-half out of five.

Marker-Style Pens and Felt Tips

Sometimes you want bold color! Checkboxes, laminated pages, posters, or crossing things off lists call for something different than a gel pen.

Paper Mate Flairs have been a staple for years for a reason. They’re vibrant, don’t smear much (even for left-handed writers!), and don’t bleed through most paper. I don’t personally use medium-tip markers often, but when I do, these deliver. Four out of five.

Le Pens (Marvy brand) are thinner, making them feel closer to a regular pen while still offering that marker-style ink. They’re reliable, don’t smear much, and have minimal bleed-through. These earned at least a four out of five for me.

Stabilo fine-tip markers are adorable, pencil-like, and thin. Mine are older, so I won’t judge longevity too harshly, but performance-wise they still hold up well. Minimal smearing and expected bleed-through for this type of pen.

A Surprise Favorite for Crossing Things Off

The dual-tip Paper Mate Flairs were a standout!!

One end is the standard marker tip, and the other is a brush tip. I love using the brush tip to cross items off a to-do list in a way that still lets me see what I completed. It’s incredibly satisfying, visually clear, and practical.

The only downside is limited color selection, but for versatility alone, these earned a four-and-a-half to five out of five.

Everyday “Real” Pens for Documents

When it comes to pens you’d carry in your purse or use for signing documents, I narrowed it down.

U Brands felt-tip pens are cute, widely available, and come in fun designs. They do smear slightly more than others, which lefties may notice, but overall they’re solid.

The biggest surprise was the Rifle Paper Company pen. It’s heavier, beautifully designed, and writes incredibly well!! The ink is rich and smooth, and it truly feels premium. That said, the cap does not stay securely on the back, which is frustrating for a pen in the $20 range. Because of that, it landed at four out of five instead of five.

The Only Highlighters I’ll Use

Traditional neon highlighters are a no for me.

Midliners, on the other hand, are perfect!!! The colors are soft, readable, and non-obnoxious. They don’t smear, they last forever, and the dual tips are genuinely useful.

These earned a full five out of five with zero complaints.

If I Were Building the Perfect Minimal Pen Kit

If I were starting from scratch and keeping things simple, here’s exactly what I’d buy:

• Zebra Sarasa 0.4 pens for everyday writing

• Grabie erasable gel pens (a small set, not all 36!)

• A few Midliners in my favorite colors

• One high-quality regular pen for documents

• Optional: dual-tip Flairs for posters, lists, and bold marking

That’s honestly all I’d need, and I could be perfectly happy!

That said, don’t worry. I will absolutely keep testing pens, LOL!   New brands come out all the time, and I’ll keep sharing what’s worth your money and what’s not!