The choice can be overwhelming when it comes to gel pens but don't worry we can help you to narrow it down with these quick questions!
- What surface to you plan to write on?
- How many different colours do you need?
- Do you need specialist ink (glitter, matt, metallic, pastel etc)?
- What is your budget?
If you're planning to write on regular white paper then almost any gel pen will be up to the job but if you would like to write on shiny surfaces or dark coloured paper, you need to choose a little more carefully.
Mattehop Gel Pens - Pentel
- Mattehop takes gel ink to another level!
- Available in 14 vibrant colours;
- High opacity ink with a matte, plastic-look finish when dry;
- Brilliant colour writes beautifully on light and coloured paper;
- Suitable for use on photographic and coated paper;
- Excellent for drawing and colouring;
- Gives maximum impact to cartoons and comic book-style illustrations;
- 1.0mm tip gives approx. a 0.5mm line width.
Smooth writing gel roller pens with high-opacity ink. The Pentel Hybrid Milky Gel Pens include four attractive, pastel shades; light blue, light green, yellow and pink. With the ability to write beautifully on both dark and light-coloured paper, they're perfect for adding that extra special, colourful touch to greeting cards, scrapbooks, and other crafts or journaling.
- Pastel shades work on light and dark paper
- Perfect for crafting and artwork
- 0.8mm tip gives a 0.4mm line
Pentel Dual Metallic Gel Pens
Pentel Hybrid Dual Metallic Pens - Innovative gel roller which produces two tones - one shade on light-coloured paper and a variation on dark paper.
8 Colours in each set = 40+ shades with a gorgeous sparkling effect on all papers.
1.0mm tip writes smoothly and evenly.
Pentel Energel
Staying with Pentel, they're best selling Energel is a cross between a gel pen and a rollerball. Ideal for everday writing as it's super smooth quick drying ink. With 20 different ink colours to choose from these infinitely refillable pens are great for lefties thanks to the quick drying ink.
Decogel from Karin are relatively new and are a great alternative to Sakura Gelly Rolls with the advantage of being refillable.
Decogel Gel Pens - Karin
DECO GEL 1.0 is a collection of 50 gel pens for decoration, drawing and calligraphy, divided into colour series: MILKY WAY, METALLIC and STAR SPARKS. They work perfectly on light and dark paper surfaces as well as on papers covered with watercolour paints, water-based markers (such as Brushmarker PRO markers) and many other surfaces such as glass, foil, metal or stone covered with acrylic paints and markers containing acrylic paints (such as Pigment Decobrush markers).
This variety of surfaces provides unlimited creative possibilities. DECO GEL 1.0 gel pens are precise tools for creating works full of subtle details and light nuances, such as calligraphy, bullet-journaling, scrapbooking, zentangle or mandalas. They are characterized by high covering power (MILKY WAY and METALLIC series), rich colours (METALLIC series), and special light effects (STAR SPARKS series).
The covering, pigment-rich, dense water-based inks in DECO GEL 1.0 pens provide a smooth line, do not bleed through to the other side, are water-resistant (on paper) and lightfast.
The iconic and best-selling retractable gel pen from Pilot.
Favoured worldwide by professionals and the public alike, the smooth gel ink provides a blob-free and vivid writing experience from start to finish.
With over thirty exciting colours to choose from, there's a G207 for every occasion, and with refills available, this is truly a pen that will stay with you for years.
The cushioned ergonomic grip and smooth curves of the pocket clip give the pen a simple yet elegant finish that fits in the pocket, pencil case or hand with equal ease, letting you simply write.
0.7mm tip gives a 0.35mm medium line.
Pilot are now offsetting the CO2 emissions of all pens manufactured at their European factory based in France by supporting and funding the “clean ocean plastic banks” project.
- Writing width: 0.35 mm
- Tip size in mm: 0.70 mm
- Refillable: Yes
Pilot Frixion Erasable Pens
Pilot Frixion pens contain heat-sensitive ink which can be removed using friction. Lots of colours available across a range of rollerballs, fineliners and highlighters. No more crossing out mistakes or messy pages when your plans change!
Looking for something a little bit cuter?
| Brand | Model | RRP | Price | Colours | Ink Type | Refillable |
| Pentel | Mattehop | £2.68 | £1.50 | 14 | Matt | No |
| Pentel | Milky | £2.75 | £1.50 | 7 | Pastel | No |
| Pentel | Dual Metallic | £2.68 | £1.62 | 15 | Metallic | No |
| Pentel | Energel | £3.50 | £2.75 | 20 | Smooth | Yes |
| Karin | StarSparks Decogel | £3.00 | £3.00 | 20 | Glitter | Yes |
| Karin | MilkyWay Decogel | £3.00 | £3.00 | 10 | Pastel | Yes |
| Karin | Metallic Decogel | £3.00 | £3.00 | 20 | Metallic | Yes |
| Pilot | G2 | £3.29 | £2.50 | 25 | Pastel, Metallic, Smooth | Yes |
| Pilot | FriXion Roller | £4.56 | £2.95 | 15 | Erasable | Yes |
| Pilot | FriXion Stick | £2.39 | £1.50 | 12 | Erasable | No |
| Legami | Lovely Friends | £2.95 | £2.95 | 10 | Smooth | Yes |
| Legami | Erasable | £1.95 | £1.95 | 8 | Erasable | Yes |
About the Author
Link to share
Use this link to share the article with a friend.
