It’s available in four sizes (.38 mm, .5 mm, .7 mm and 1.0 mm) and comes with a comfort grip. (Though, many pen enthusiasts will tell you that these included rubber grips don’t necessarily add to the comfort.) It should be noted that while some of our testers used the pens to freehand draw or doodle, we did not test pens that were created explicitly for drawing purposes. (That’s another review for another time!) Compare the best pens Pen Comfort and aesthetics: The pen should look nice sitting out on your desk, but more importantly it should be designed to hold comfortably. Look for lighter pens. They will be easier on your hand than heavy ones. And don’t be fooled by pens with soft grips included on them; they’re not necessarily any more comfortable.

BIC Gel-ocity Quick Dry Ballpoint Pens - Red, Box of 12

We consulted forums like /r/pens/ to find out what inexpensive pens the aficionados were recommending. We browsed through the Pen Addict’s blog for inspiration and consulted The Wirecutter’s pen review, too. Paper Mate – InkJoy (gel): Though Paper Mate’s ballpoint version of the InkJoy was the best in our tests, we weren’t as impressed by the gel version. We found that it feathered, bled and tended to smudge.Finally, we chose to focus primarily on .7 mm pens, which create medium-sized lines and are a good writing choice for a lot of people. However, we also tested some smaller and larger pens for those who want range. Ink flow: You want a pen that creates a clean, consistent line. It shouldn’t skip, bleed through the paper, or feather out into more tiny lines. Similarly, the ink should come out easily, requiring you to put very little pressure on the pen. They found that the pen didn’t bleed or feather, and it didn’t smudge either. They thought the pen’s grip was solid and comfortable, which led to nice, uniform lines. The one minor discrepancy with the Paper Mate was that each new pen requires a bit of “warming up” the first time around before it stops skipping and starts writing smoothly. At most retailers, the InkJoy will cost you well under a dollar per pen. Other finalists we tested Pens we recommend But while there are a number of youthful-looking gel pens on the market (like the Gelly Roll we tested), there are also plenty of quality, businesslike pens that you may not know use gel ink. Gel ink is simply pigment in water-based gel. If you’re looking for strong colors and sharp, featherless lines, then a gel pen is probably a great choice for you. They say the pen is mightier than the sword. Tell this to the journaling community and they’ll ask, “Which pen?”

BIC Gel-ocity Smooth Stick Gel Pens, Fine Point, 0.5mm BIC Gel-ocity Smooth Stick Gel Pens, Fine Point, 0.5mm

Conventional gel pens come in three sizes: micro (making lines .5 mm wide and thinner), medium (.7 mm) and bold (1.0 mm). Rollerball pens If you’ve searched online for pens, you know that there are hundreds and hundreds from which to choose. So, we narrowed down our prospects by focusing only on gel, ballpoint and rollerball pens. These are the pens most commonly used in people’s everyday lives, rather than fountain or calligraphy pens. If you’re only interested in gel pens, we’ve also exclusively reviewed the best gel pens in another post.

However, a rollerball’s intense ink can sometimes bleed through paper if you’re not careful, and the pen can leak if it’s left uncapped or taken to high altitudes. Conventional rollerball pens come in three sizes: micro (.5 mm), fine (.7 mm) and bold (.8 mm and wider). Important features to consider Bic – Round Stic Xtra Life (ballpoint): The Bic felt like a standard, uninspired office pen. It was uncomfortable to hold, required a decent amount of pressure to write with, and the ink often felt dry and uneven. Ballpoint” refers the the mechanism of the pen: a tiny ball in the tip transfers the ink to the paper. You probably already knew that. Every office supply closet has boxes of basic ballpoint pens. They’re utility pens. They get the job done. Good ballpoint pens write smoothly, though even the best have occasional skipping and ink globs (that’s a highly-technical term for a pen booger).

BIC Pen Refills ( 2023) - Pen Vibe The Ultimate Guide to BIC Pen Refills ( 2023) - Pen Vibe

After the focus group, we tested our worst offender and best pens on cheaper notebook and scratch paper, to see how they’d act. We found the results to be just about what we expected; lesser-quality pens wrote even more poorly on cheap paper, and good quality pens wrote about the same, save for a slightly less-smooth flow. The best overall: Pilot – G2 We started by rounding up a group of designers at our content marketing agency in San Diego, and gave them each a few pens and a Moleskine notebook to call their own. In the weeks leading up to our formal focus group testing, they were encouraged to use the pens daily, whether it be for journaling, making grocery lists, signing cards or sketching out plans for the next photoshoot. In short, yes, gel pens are a great choice for most types of journaling, including Bullet Journaling. ÂThey typically create clear, sharp lines, and the marks appear much darker than those from a ballpoint pen. The strong lines of gel ink create a distinct aesthetic that has attracted quite a few fans. The Pilot G2, in particular has a strong cult following! A pen can seem like a deceptively simple product, but there’s a lot that goes into making one great. Ask any pen aficionado and they can wax poetic about nibs and ink flow for hours. However, for the purposes of the everyday pen user, there are only a few things you need to keep in mind:Keep in mind, not every gel pen is created equal. For every wonderful gel pen you try, you’ll find two more that skip, dry out, and smear like yesterday’s eyeliner. However, they do have some common pros and cons that push people to either the “Pro-Gel” or “Anti-Gel” crowds.

Bic Gel-ocity Stic Gel Pens Fine Point (0.5mm) - Assorted Bic Gel-ocity Stic Gel Pens Fine Point (0.5mm) - Assorted

I recently shared my top 6 journaling supplies, which featured felt-tipped artist pens. I’m partial to felt pens in my journal, but it didn’t feel right to completely ignore gel pens, especially since they have a huge fan base. Gel pens have a number of pros and cons, but by the end of this post, you’ll be a bona fide gel pen aficionado! What is the difference between ballpoint and gel pens? uni-ball – 207 Retractable (gel): uni-ball may be popular among writers everywhere, but they missed the mark on their 207 gel pen. Our testers found that uni-ball’s gel formula feathered and didn’t create very uniform lines. Bic Gelocity illusion Gel Pen Refills fit Bic Illusion erasable gel pens. The refills have a 0.7mm tip and a special ink that disappears when heat is applied via friction with its eraser. You can make your pen even more comfortable to hold by using it correctly. This may seem like an elementary skill, but many of us are doing it wrong (or have forgotten proper form in the age of the keyboard). Remember to: Those who aim to be more eco-friendly will like that the Onyx is made from 80 percent post-consumer recycled electronics — a fact uni-ball is proud of, as evidenced by the “eco” logo on each pen. uni-ball says that their Onyx ink also protects against “water, fading and fraud.” However, we didn’t test for this. The best ballpoint: Paper Mate – InkJoyLike a popular celebrity, the Pilot- G2 inspires polarized opinions. People seem to either love or hate the G2 — and we have our suspicions that some hate it just because it’s so well-loved! Pilot – Precise V5 (ballpoint): Pilot, the makers of our best pen overall, also did a good job with the V5. Our testers loved the way this pen writes, and appreciated its uniform and even ink flow. It didn’t bleed or feather, and it required only a small amount of pressure to write. Our only gripe with the V5? It doesn’t have much of a grip, which can make it hard to hold. Pens we don’t recommend Then, we asked them to join us in a focus group, where they wrote assigned sentences (using every letter of the alphabet). Then, they had “free time” to use the pen however they pleased. After this process was complete, they filled out a survey about the experience using each pen. Me? I’m a peacemaker. I love all pens. That being said, I rarely use gel pens in my journals. For doodling, drawing layouts, and everyday planning, I prefer the uniformity and precision that a felt pen provides. I love my gel pens, but I love my felt tips just a smidgen more for journaling. I do favor fountain pens and gel pens for note-taking, though. They’re fast, reliable, and easy on the hand. Depending on what I’m doing, I choose different gel pens. Here are some great choices to consider… 8 Everyday Gel Pens Reviewed