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The 28 Best Pencils for 2023: Wooden and Mechanical Pencils

The 28 Best Pencils for 2023: Wooden and Mechanical Pencils


The 28 Best Pencils for 2023: Mechanical Pencils, Colored Pencils, Drawing Pencils, and Pencils for Writing

“The Best Pencil in the World” is a contentious title. Pencils come in an extraordinary number of varieties, and no two people need quite the same thing from their pencil. A student looking for the best mechanical pencil for math has very different needs from an artist looking for professional colored pencils.

To help you find your personal best pencil, we’ve chosen recommendations for specific categories rather than arranging all of the pencils in an arbitrary list. We also link to more in-depth guides so that you can learn more about why we chose what we did and see the competition. We encourage you to look around, evaluate our selections, and pick your own favorites.

How We Tested

To choose our recommendations, we referenced the many tests we’ve put our pencils through over the years for our topical guides and videos. These include overviews of full product lines, detailed product comparisons, and other educational resources. We use different tests depending on the guide, but we often evaluate pencils on qualities like consistency, darkness, vibrancy, erasability, and comfort.

Test These Pens

We’ve picked what we think are the best pencils for each category, but your favorites may be different depending on your particular needs and preferences. Try our JetPens Pencil Samplers and Starter Kit to test a selection of our best and most popular pencils so that you can pick the best pencil for yourself! You can also use our Comparison Tool to take a closer look at multiple pens at once. Try comparing some of our most popular pencils here.

The Best Mechanical Pencils
Cool Mechanical Pencil: Pentel Sharp Kerry Mechanical Pencil
The Pentel Sharp Kerry is a seriously cool mechanical pencil. It dares to be different with a capped design that is both stylish and supremely practical. When you’re not using the pencil, the cap protects the delicate lead sleeve from damage and prevents the lead sleeve from stabbing through your clothes. This makes the Sharp Kerry an excellent pocket EDC pencil. But when it’s time to write, the true genius of the Sharp Kerry shines through. Every part of the pencil is perfectly integrated for a seamless writing experience regardless of whether the cap is posted or unposted.

If you prefer to leave the cap off, simply push the button on the body of the pencil to advance the lead. When you do post the cap, it snaps securely into place with no risk of it flying off during use. Posting reveals a push button on top of the cap that lets you advance the lead even though the cap is covering up the main push button on the body of the pencil. It’s no wonder that the Sharp Kerry is the top pick in our guide to The Best Mechanical Pencils!

Product Name Tip Sizes Add to Cart
Pentel Sharp Kerry Mechanical Pencil 0.5 mm, 0.7 mm Add Items to Cart
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Fancy Mechanical Pencil: Kaweco Special Mechanical Pencil
The metal construction and elegant styling of the Kaweco Special make it our pick for fancy mechanical pencil. It’s available in two materials: lightweight aluminum in a matte black, and hefty brass with a shiny finish. The brass will patina with use, but you can keep it shiny by polishing it regularly. Both versions fit right at home on an office desk or tucked in a suit pocket. And it doesn’t just have looks—it offers a variety of tip sizes (the brass model even goes up to 2.0 mm) for users who want something bigger than the standard 0.5 or 0.7 mm sizes. One caveat to note is that the pencil doesn’t hold much lead, so if you’re an avid writer, you may find yourself refilling the pencil frequently (a small price to pay for a pencil of this caliber!).

The black model also comes in a mini size. We don’t recommend it for long writing sessions, but it’s a nice option for people with smaller hands or who want a pocketable pencil.

Product Name Tip Sizes Add to Cart
Kaweco Special Mechanical Pencil 0.5 mm, 0.7 mm, 0.9 mm, 2.0 mm Add Items to Cart
Kaweco Special Brass Mechanical Pencil 0.5 mm, 0.7 mm, 0.9 mm, 2.0 mm Add Items to Cart
Kaweco Special Mini Mechanical Pencil 0.5 mm, 0.7 mm, 0.9 mm, 2.0 mm Add Items to Cart

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Unbreakable Mechanical Pencil: Zebra DelGuard Mechanical Pencil
The Zebra DelGuard is the original unbreakable pencil. If you struggle with broken pencil leads, its highly engineered two-part lead guarding system will be a lifesaver. A spring in the barrel cushions lead from too much vertical force by allowing it to slide back inside the pencil instead of breaking. Another spring in the tip of the pencil extends a pipe to reinforce the lead when the writer applies too much sideways pressure. This is slightly different from other lead guard mechanical pencils that use a sliding lead sleeve to prevent breakage.

Sliding lead sleeves are highly effective, but they require you to write with the end of the lead pipe touching the paper at all times. Since the Zebra DelGuard protects your pencil lead no matter how you write, we believe it’s the best unbreakable pencil for most people.

The Zebra DelGuard comes in several different styles, including the lightweight standard plastic version and the ergonomic Type-GR. If you appreciate being able to write in ink or pencil at a moment’s notice, try the Zebra DelGuard +2C Multi Pen. It combines the DelGuard’s lead guarding features with smooth black and red Zebra Surari Emulsion ballpoint ink refills.

Product Name Tip Sizes Add to Cart
Zebra DelGuard Standard Mechanical Pencil 0.3 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.7 mm Add Items to Cart
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Zebra DelGuard Mechanical Pencil Starter Kit 0.5 mm Add Items to Cart
Zebra DelGuard Type-ER Mechanical Pencil 0.5 mm Add Items to Cart
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Zebra DelGuard Type-GR Mechanical Pencil 0.5 mm Add Items to Cart
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Zebra DelGuard Type-Lx Mechanical Pencil 0.3 mm, 0.5 mm Add Items to Cart
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Zebra DelGuard +2C Multi Pen 0.5 mm (Pencil) & 0.7 mm (Ballpoint Pen) Add Items to Cart

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The Best Japanese Mechanical Pencil: Uni Kuru Toga Mechanical Pencil
All pencils suffer from a fundamental flaw: as you write, the pencil lead wears down on one side until you finally turn the pencil to find a sharp edge. The Uni Kuru Toga pencil solves this problem with an internal mechanism that rotates the lead for you every time you lift the pencil tip from the paper. This prevents the lead from ever getting dull so that you can write comfortably without the distraction of constantly adjusting your grip. It also reduces lead breakage and ensures that each letter looks crisp rather than varying in width as the lead wears down.

The Uni Kuru Toga comes in several versions, but two of our favorites are the Uni Kuru Toga Roulette and the Uni Kuru Toga Advance. The Uni Kuru Toga Roulette is consistently the most popular Kuru Toga on our site for its premium look, knurled metal grip, and comfortably low center of gravity. If you’re looking for a fancy mechanical pencil, the Roulette is it. The Uni Kuru Toga Advance features a “W Speed” rotating mechanism that turns the lead twice as fast as standard Kuru Togas. This faster speed is better for people who write in cursive since they don’t lift the pencil from the paper as often as people who print. The Advance also has a sliding lead sleeve that protects against lead breakage and can be retracted to prevent the pencil tip from damage when it’s not in use.

Product Name Tip Sizes Add to Cart
Uni Kuru Toga Standard Mechanical Pencil 0.3 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.7 mm Add Items to Cart
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Uni Kuru Toga Advance Mechanical Pencil 0.3 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.7 mm Add Items to Cart
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Uni Kuru Toga High Grade Mechanical Pencil 0.3 mm, 0.5 mm Add Items to Cart
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Uni Kuru Toga Mechanical Pencil Starter Kit 0.7 mm Add to Cart
Uni Kuru Toga Pipe Slide Mechanical Pencil 0.5 mm Add Items to Cart
Uni Kuru Toga Roulette Mechanical Pencil 0.5 mm Add Items to Cart
Uni Kuru Toga Rubber Grip Mechanical Pencil 0.5 mm Add Items to Cart
Uni Alpha Gel Kuru Toga Mechanical Pencil 0.5 mm Add Items to Cart
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Uni Alpha Gel Switch Mechanical Pencil 0.3 mm, 0.5 mm Add Items to Cart
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Most Comfortable Mechanical Pencil: Uni Alpha Gel Mechanical Pencil
If you suffer from achy fingers, the Alpha Gel line has your back. It is equipped with the luxuriously squishy Alpha Gel grip, which features a soft cushion that provides much-needed relief for your fingers if you grip your pencil hard or have sore spots that are sensitive to pressure. Depending on your grip, hand size, and writing style, you can choose from a variety of models including the Shaka Shaker, Slim, and even Kuru Toga, which incorporates their famous auto-rotation mechanism. The Shaka Shaker line extends lead with a shaker mechanism and offers two additional grips: firm and medium firm. Don't be fooled by the names though—the grips are still quite squishy; they're just slightly firmer than the original soft grip for those who need more support.
Product Name Tip Sizes Add to Cart
Uni Alpha Gel Kuru Toga Mechanical Pencil 0.5 mm Add Items to Cart
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Uni Alpha Gel Shaka Shaker Mechanical Pencil - Firm Grip 0.5 mm Add Items to Cart
Uni Alpha Gel Shaka Shaker Mechanical Pencil - Medium Firm Grip 0.5 mm Add Items to Cart
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Uni Alpha Gel Shaka Shaker Mechanical Pencil - Soft Grip 0.5 mm Add Items to Cart
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Uni Kuru Alpha Gel Slim Mechanical Pencil 0.3 mm, 0.5 mm Add Items to Cart
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Uni Alpha Gel Switch Mechanical Pencil 0.3 mm, 0.5 mm Add Items to Cart
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Shop the Best Mechanical Pencils: JetPens Mechanical Pencil Sampler
If you're looking for a new mechanical pencil but can’t pick just one, our mechanical pencil sampler is the way to go. It comes with six fantastic mechanical pencils, including a super-fine 0.2 mm Pentel Orenz (recommended below, in the Best Pencils for School section), a Uni Kuru Toga, and a Zebra DelGuard.

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The Best Multi Mechanical Pencil: Sun-Star Nicolo Multi Mechanical Pencil
We always get questions about whether you can put multiple pencil components into one mega pencil so they can have multiple lead colors, lead grades, or tip sizes. While you can always DIY one with a customizable multi pen, brands have also come out with pre-filled options. If you're in the marketing for a pencil that has multiple tip sizes, the Sun-Star Nicolo Multi Mechanical Pencils feature a 0.3 mm and 0.5 mm in one! Simply twist the top of the pencil to switch between sizes. The rubber grip makes the pencils comfortable to hold, and they come in both neutral and bold colors.
Product Name Tip Sizes Add to Cart
Sun-Star Nicolo Multi Mechanical Pencil 0.3 & 0.5 mm Add Items to Cart
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The Best Writing Pencils
The Best Wooden Pencil for Writing: Tombow Mono 100 Pencil
The sleek Tombow Mono 100 is a favorite among draftsmen, designers, engineers, and students. It’s an outstanding writing pencil due to its high-density lead, which resists breakage and stays sharp longer than other pencils. It writes smoothly with a hint of satisfying feedback and barely smears, even in the darker lead grades. We do recommend pairing this pencil with a good eraser, especially if you grab the B grades—they took a bit more effort to erase than the H grades in our tests.

Most people use medium lead grades like HB, F, H, and B for writing, but the Mono 100 does come in a wide range of lead grades if you prefer harder or softer options. If you like soft leads and want something with a bit more flair, try a Blackwing Pencil, which was our top pick for writing in The Best Wooden Pencils guide. Its distinctive look and smooth, dark leads make even everyday writing feel special.

Product Name Lead Grades Add to Cart
Tombow Mono 100 Pencil 9H, 8H, 7H, 6H, 5H, 4H, 3H, 2H, H, F, HB, B, 2B, 3B, 4B, 5B, 6B Add Items to Cart
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Blackwing Pencil Matte (Soft), Pearl (Balanced), 602 (Firm), Natural (Extra Firm) Add Items to Cart
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Shop the Best Wooden Pencils: JetPens Wooden Pencil Samplers
Our wooden pencil samplers let you try several of our best wooden pencils so that you can find your favorite. The JetPens Pencil Starter Kit comes with everything you need to get started with wooden pencils, including a selection of fantastic HB pencils, two of our best pencil sharpeners, and an eraser. If you already have a sharpener and eraser you like, choose from our other wooden pencil samplers to compare pencils within the same lead grade: H, HB, F, B, and 2B.

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The Best Ergonomic Mechanical Pencil: Staedtler 771 Mechanical Pencil
The Staedtler 771 was designed with ergonomics in mind. Its wide triangular shape promotes a relaxed, tripod grip, so your hands don't get cramped during long writing sessions. Plus, if you're heavy handed, the pencil's thick 1.3 mm lead and cushioned tip help prevent lead breakage. We also like the generously-sized twist-up eraser.

If you want a customized grip and don't mind tinkering with your pencil, we recommend Pilot's Dr. Grip CL Play Balance Mechanical Pencil. It comes with two types of materials for the inner grip: metal and silicone.

The metal parts produce a firmer grip and weighted writing experience, while the silicone parts provide a cushier grip and lighter weight. You can configure the grip in any order with eight different weight and center of gravity combinations! Just twist off the pencil tip, remove the translucent outer grip, then arrange the inner parts to your liking.

Product Name Tip Size Add to Cart
Staedtler 771 Mechanical Pencil 1.3 mm Add Items to Cart
Pilot Dr. Grip CL Play Balance Shaker Mechanical Pencil 0.5 mm Add Items to Cart
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The Best Ergonomic Wooden Pencil: Staedtler Triplus Jumbo Pencil
If you enjoy using wooden pencils but have trouble with hand fatigue, try the oversized Staedtler Triplus Jumbo Pencil. Although it was designed with young writers in mind, its thick body is just as good for adults who need to hold their pencils more gently to reduce cramping. The pencil’s triangular shape also encourages writers to use a tripod grip. This makes it easy to maintain control of the pencil without using heavy pressure. If you don’t like large writing instruments, the Faber-Castell Grip 2001 Pencil is a good alternative. It's no thicker than a typical pencil, but it features a triangular body lined with grippy dots to reduce slippage.

Product Name Lead Grades Add to Cart
Staedtler Triplus Jumbo Pencil 2B Add to Cart
Faber-Castell Grip 2001 Pencil Set 2B, B, HB Add to Cart

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The Best Pencils for School
The Best Mechanical Pencil for School: Pilot Opt Mechanical Pencil
The Pilot Opt is our pick for the best mechanical pencil for students. It is inexpensive enough to fit in most students’ budgets but still has excellent ergonomics to prevent hand fatigue no matter how long you study. Its barrel is wider than most mechanical pencils’. This, together with a low center of gravity and added traction from the tapered rubber grip, allows you to hold the pencil gently while still maintaining control.

The Opt also has two handy extras: a shaker mechanism and a binder clip for fastening the pencil to notebooks and pockets. The shaker mechanism lets you advance the lead without readjusting your grip, so you don’t have to break your train of thought. In addition to these practical features, the Pilot Opt comes in fun body colors so that you can express your style.

Product Name Tip Size Add to Cart
Pilot Opt Mechanical Pencil 0.5 mm Add Items to Cart
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For students who need a bit of cheer as they plug away at their homework, a cute pencil like the Pilot Fure Fure Me is a great choice. Slimmer than the previous pick and just as inexpensive, this adorable pencil features several design options including checkered patterns and two-tone color combinations. You can even string a charm through the hole in the clip to accessorize further. It fits easily into pencil cases, bags, or even a pocket. Plus, the tip is completely retractable, so you don’t have to worry about it accidentally bending or breaking. Like the Opt, the Fure Fure Me is a shaker pencil (Fure comes from the Japanese word fureru, which means to shake), but sensitive users take note—it’s a little noisier than the Opt.

Product Name Tip Size Add to Cart
Pilot Fure Fure Me Shaker Mechanical Pencil 0.5 mm Add Items to Cart
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The Best Mechanical Pencil for Math: Pentel Orenz Mechanical Pencil
The best mechanical pencil for math lets you write intricate equations clearly and precisely, easily fitting numbers into the small squares of graph paper. The Pentel Orenz is the only pencil to accommodate 0.2 mm lead, which makes even the tiniest notations easy to read. Although the 0.2 mm lead size is delicate, the Pentel Orenz is equipped with a sliding lead sleeve that reinforces the lead along its entire length and retracts as it wears down. As long as you do not extend the lead beyond the sleeve, you can write indefinitely with no breakage.

The Pentel Orenz comes in four different styles, ranging from the lightweight standard Orenz to the premium Orenz Nero. This futuristic pencil is made from a sturdy metal and resin blend and features an automatic advancement mechanism that extends the lead every time you lift the tip from the paper.

Product Name Tip Size Add to Cart
Pentel Orenz Standard Mechanical Pencil 0.2 mm, 0.3 mm, 0.5 mm Add Items to Cart
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Pentel Orenz Mechanical Pencil - Metal Grip 0.2 mm, 0.3 mm, 0.5 mm Add Items to Cart
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Pentel Orenz Nero Mechanical Pencil 0.2 mm, 0.3 mm, 0.5 mm Add Items to Cart

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The Best Mechanical Pencil Eraser for School: Tombow Mono Graph Shaker Mechanical Pencil
The Tombow Mono Graph Shaker Mechanical Pencil is chock-full of features, including multiple ways to extend lead (push button or shaker mechanisms), two lead sizes, fun body colors, and more. But we're turning the spotlight on its most overlooked feature: its eraser. If you're an avid reader of our blog, you already know that we love Tombow Mono erasers, because they erase efficiently and cleanly. The Tombow Mono Graph provides a decently-sized eraser that's larger than most mechanical pencils'. It extends with a convenient twist mechanism and has a usable length of 0.7 inches (1.8 cm). When you run out, you can even purchase mechanical pencil eraser refills!

If you don't need all the features of the Tombow Mono Graph, another mechanical pencil with a generous twist-up eraser is the Pentel Twist-Eraser III. Its soft, latex-free grip earned it a spot in our Best Ergonomic Pencils guide.

Product Name Tip Size Add to Cart
Tombow Mono Graph Shaker Mechanical Pencil 0.3 mm, 0.5 mm Add Items to Cart
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Pentel Twist Erase III Mechanical Pencil 0.5 mm, 0.7 mm Add Items to Cart
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The Best Pencil Highlighter for School: Kutsuwa Neonpitsu Knock Highlighter Pencil
You might be surprised to see a highlighter pick in a pencil blog, but we think students (especially if you’re left-handed) should consider trying a pencil highlighter if they frequently smudge traditional ink highlighter pens. Plus, it won’t bleed through the page! The Kutsuwa Neonpitsu is a mechanical pencil highlighter; unlike a wooden colored pencil, you don’t have to sharpen it. The barrel is transparent so you can see how much lead you have left and refill it when you run out. It uses 3.8 mm lead, which covers a little over half of normal handwriting if you’re using 6 or 7 mm rule. It’s enough to draw attention to important points, but if you prefer to have the whole line highlighted, you can go over it twice.

For students who like very neat notes or straight lines, take note that you won’t get super precise lines with a pencil highlighter. The Neonpitsu has a waxy texture and makes marks reminiscent of colored pencils. You can lighten the pencil marks using an eraser, but they don’t erase completely.

Product Name Tip Size Add to Cart
Kutsuwa Neonpitsu Knock Highlighter Pencil 3.8 mm Add Items to Cart

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The Best Colored Pencils
The Best Colored Pencils for Artists: Prismacolor Premier Color Pencils
If you’re looking for a set of good colored pencils that will work for almost any project, Prismacolor Premier Color Pencils are exactly what you need. Their 72 vivid colors provide a wide range of color options, and their soft wax cores are a pleasure to use. They apply smoothly, easily achieve full coverage, and can be blended and burnished with almost no effort. Their opacity gives drawings excellent contrast even when done on colored paper. Prismacolor Premier pencils deserve a place in any artist’s pencil case, whether you’re a professional, student, or hobbyist.

Product Name Add to Cart
Prismacolor Premier Color Pencils Add Items to Cart
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Professional Colored Pencils for Artists: Faber-Castell Polychromos Colored Pencils
Faber-Castell Polychromos are the best colored pencils for professional artists whose drawings will be on display. Each pencil is filled with a buttery smooth, richly pigmented core that lays down vibrant color at the slightest touch. Because their cores are oil-based, there’s no need to worry about unsightly wax bloom on your art. Most impressively, Faber-Castell Polychromos are lightfast. Asterisks on each pencil indicate how well that particular color resists degradation from light exposure. This lets you choose hues that will remain vivid over time and show your work to the best effect.

As a bonus, Polychromos pencils are color-matched with other Faber-Castell products for easy mix media work.

Product Name Add to Cart
Faber-Castell Polychromos Colored Pencils Add Items to Cart
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The Best Erasable Colored Pencils for Artists: Uni Arterase Color Pencils
Uni Arterase pencils are fantastic colored pencils even if you don’t plan to use their erasable properties, with firm yet smooth cores that blend well and are highly opaque. They are also the best erasable colored pencils we have ever seen. Most colored pencils will smear and leave pigment on the page no matter how good of an eraser you use, but Uni Arterase pencils lift cleanly and easily every time.

Product Name Add to Cart
Uni Arterase Color Pencils Add Items to Cart
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The Best Watercolor Pencils for Artists: Faber-Castell Albrecht Dürer Watercolor Pencils
Faber-Castell Albrecht Dürer pencils are the best watercolor pencils for making stunning, long-lasting watercolor pencil art. Their buttery cores contain intense, high-quality pigments that deliver brilliant color payoff and excellent lightfastness. Like the Faber-Castell Polychromos, each color’s lightfastness rating is printed on the barrel of the pencil for easy reference. Although Faber-Castell Albrecht Dürer pencils are a pleasure to use dry, they truly shine when used as watercolor pencils.

Their colors dissolve into even more intense hues when touched with water, allowing you to blend new colors and spread them into lovely watercolor washes.

Product Name Add to Cart
Faber-Castell Albrecht Dürer Watercolor Pencils Add Items to Cart
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Mechanical Colored Pencils for Artists: Pilot Color Eno Mechanical Pencils
Although they’re not as common as wooden colored pencils, mechanical colored pencils do exist—and the Pilot Color Eno is the best mechanical pencil with colored lead that we’ve seen. Each of the eight body colors is matched to the lead inside so that you can easily pick the right pencil. The pencils are filled with 0.7 mm Pilot Color Eno Erasable Lead. It is smudge resistant and wonderfully easy to erase, which makes it perfect for sketching, editing, and color-coding notes or planner entries.

For a more extensive and interesting color selection, check out the Uni EMOTT Color Mechanical Pencils. These minimalist pencils feature unique colors like Khaki Green and Vermilion. However, they're only available in three 4-color sets, and their thin diameter may not be ergonomic to hold for long drawing sessions.

Product Name Tip Sizes Add to Cart
Pilot Color Eno Mechanical Pencils 0.7 mm Add Items to Cart
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Uni EMOTT Color Mechanical Pencils 0.7 mm Add Items to Cart

Shop the Best Mechanical Colored Pencils: JetPens Sketch Starter Kit
We put our JetPens Sketch Starter Kit together with artists in mind, but its components could work just as well for writers! This versatile kit comes with a Pilot Color Eno mechanical pencil in Soft Blue, which is known as non-repro blue because most scanners and photocopiers won’t pick it up. This lets you easily make clean copies of sketches and edited documents. The set also includes a box of smooth Blackwing Pearl pencils, a high-quality Maruman Mnemosyne notebook, and several other sketching tools.

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The Best Multi-Colored Pencil for Artists: Uni Color 3 Multi Mechanical Pencils
Readers ask us all the time whether it's possible to create their own multi-color mechanical pencil. In the past, we've recommended picking out a customizable multi pen and filling it with all mechanical pencil components, but now, Uni offers the Color 3 Erasable Multi Mechanical Pencil. It comes installed with Uni's NanoDia lead in blue, orange, and red, so you can start sketching and color-coding right away. NanoDia leads are infused with nano-diamond particles, making the leads stronger and more break resistant than typical colored leads. We do find that they take a little more effort to erase than other comparable leads like the Pilot Color Eno, but they feature truer, slightly darker colors.

You can swap out the preloaded colors with other colored leads or even graphite lead in different lead grades. Plain 0.5 mm mechanical pencil components with graphite lead are also available so you can easily tell the difference between colored and graphite lead components.

Product Name Tip Sizes Add to Cart
Uni Color 3 Multi Mechanical Pencils 0.5 mm Add Items to Cart

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The Best Colored Pencils for Adult Coloring Books: Uni No.888 Color Pencils
Uni No.888 pencils are specifically designed to be the best colored pencils for adult coloring books. They come in a set of 36 rich hues including several shades of red, blue, brown, and green. This allows you to color natural motifs with great detail and produce beautiful gradients. Because they also layer well, it’s easy to build up more hues than are represented in the set. If you want a greater variety of colors, try Tombow Irojiten Color Pencils. They have harder cores and come in several unusual hues, including fluorescent and grayscale.

Product Name Add to Cart
Uni No.888 Color Pencils Add to Cart
Tombow Irojiten Color Pencils Add Items to Cart

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The Best Drawing Pencils
The Best Mechanical Pencil for Drawing: Kokuyo FitCurve Mechanical Pencil
The Kokuyo FitCurve is our pick for the best mechanical pencil for drawing. It is ergonomically designed to prevent hand fatigue no matter how long your study sessions go for. The FitCurve’s center of gravity falls near the pencil grip for stability, and the moderately-sized barrel swells gently into a wider, firm grip section to fit comfortably into your hand. This pencil isn’t just about ergonomics, though—unlike most mechanical pencils, it has a generously sized twist eraser so that you can correct mistakes without relying on separate erasers. The FitCurve also has a sliding lead sleeve to protect the lead from breaking.

Product Name Tip Sizes Add to Cart
Kokuyo FitCurve Mechanical Pencil 0.5 mm Add to Cart

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The Best Graphite Pencil for Drawing: Uni Mitsubishi Hi-Uni Pencils
No matter how you use them, Uni Mitsubishi Hi-Uni pencils deserve a place in your art kit. These professional drawing pencils are some of the best pencils for art we’ve ever seen, with outrageously creamy and expressive graphite cores across every lead grade. Each grade is clearly differentiated from the next so that artists can build up realistic drawings with the full range of graphite tones. The B grades’ exceptional smoothness makes them some of the best pencils for shading and drawing quick, fluid movements, but even the H grades are smoother than most.

Product Name Lead Grades Add to Cart
Uni Mitsubishi Hi-Uni Pencils 10H, 9H, 8H, 7H, 6H, 5H, 4H, 3H, 2H, H, F, HB, B, 2B, 3B, 4B, 5B, 6B, 7B, 8B, 9B, 10B Add Items to Cart
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The Best Sketching Pencil: Uni Vermilion and Prussian Blue Pencil
The Uni Vermilion and Prussian Blue Pencils are designed for editors, but they’re great for sketching. They're double sided, so you can carry two colors without taking up any extra space. Their firm cores barely smudge and are soft enough to easily lay down smooth lines. The vermillion side is an orange-leaning red that works well for underdrawing, while the darker Prussian blue side is ideal for overdrawing and adding emphasis. This pair of colors would also work well for capturing warm light and cool shadows, a combination often found when drawing in sunlight. These two-sided pencils come in hexagonal or round bodies and either an even distribution of the two colors or a 7:3 ratio of vermillion to Prussian blue for those who use the red side more often. Single-color erasable versions are also available.

Product Name Add to Cart
Uni Vermilion and Prussian Blue Pencil Add Items to Cart
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The Best 2.0 mm Lead Holder for Drawing: Staedtler Silver Series Lead Holder
It’s no wonder that the Staedtler Silver Series lead holder is the top choice in our guide to The Best Lead Holders. It combines excellent build quality with all of the features a lead holder should have, all for a thoroughly reasonable price. Its aluminum body is well balanced and sturdy without being heavy. It is equipped with a knurled grip to reduce slipping. The 4 mm long guide pipe provides a clear view of the paper, and a built-in lead grade indicator lets you easily keep track of which lead is installed in which pencil.

Unlike many lead holders that use a drop clutch mechanism, this 2.0 mm lead holder has an easy-to-use incremental advance clutch that works just like a 2.0 mm mechanical pencil would.

Product Name Tip Sizes Add to Cart
Staedtler Silver Series Lead Holder 2.0 mm Add to Cart

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The Best 5.6 mm Lead Holder for Drawing: Kaweco Sketch Up Lead Holder
For a thicker lead, try the Kaweco Sketch Up Lead Holder. It's quite hefty and feels sturdy in the hand even though it's pocket length. It comes with 5.6 mm lead, which means you can use it to sketch and shade. The drop clutch mechanism makes it easy to extend the amount of lead you need. It does come with a built in lead pointer, but the tip doesn’t ever sharpen to a precise point, which is normal for leads this size. Kaweco offers other colored leads in 5.6 including primary and highlighter colors. For everyday carry, we recommend grabbing a clip for attaching to a notebook or pocket.

Kaweco also came out with a refillable eraser version of the Sketch Up Holder that uses the same clutch mechanism.

Product Name Tip Sizes Add to Cart
Kaweco Sketch Up Lead Holder 5.6 mm Add Items to Cart
Kaweco Sketch Up Corrector Eraser Holder 5.6 mm Add to Cart

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The Best Technical Pencils
The Best Drafting Pencil: Pentel Graph Gear 1000 Drafting Pencil
The Pentel Graph Gear 1000 provides all of the features you need in a drafting pencil for a thoroughly reasonable price. Its solid aluminum construction is sturdy without being overly heavy, so it won’t tire your hand out during use. It’s also comfortable to hold due to a knurled grip section that is inlaid with rubber ovals for extra traction. The Pentel Graph Gear 1000 includes a lead grade indicator as well as a 4.0 mm lead sleeve that makes it easy to use with a straightedge.

One of the Graph Gear 1000’s unusual features is a spring-loaded binder clip that fastens easily onto thick notebook covers and pockets. Opening the clip retracts the pencil tip, so there’s no danger of accidentally poking yourself through your clothes. The Pentel Graph Gear 1000 comes in tip sizes from 0.3 mm to 0.9 mm for artists and engineers who need a wide range of sizes at their disposal.

Product Name Tip Sizes Add to Cart
Pentel Graph Gear 1000 Drafting Pencil 0.3 mm, 0.4 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.7 mm, 0.9 mm Add Items to Cart
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The Best Architect Pencil: Staedtler Mars Lumograph Graphite Pencil
The Staedtler Mars Lumograph is our top pick in The Best Wooden Pencils guide for good reason. Its high quality lead is smooth, while providing just enough grip for control when writing or drawing. What makes it especially good as an architect pencil is its superb point retention. Many architects go for mechanical and drafting pencils because regular wooden pencils wear down too quickly, leading to thick and inaccurate lines. All wooden pencils need to be sharpened periodically, but the Lumograph stays sharp longer than most. This lets you keep drafting without frequent pencil-sharpening pauses.

The Staedtler Mars Lumograph is also a genuine pleasure to use. It sharpens and erases easily, so your work will always look tidy. The Lumograph comes in a full range of lead grades if you prefer harder or softer options, which is great for both architects and artists.

Product Name Tip Sizes Add to Cart
Staedtler Mars Lumograph Graphite Pencil 10H, 9H, 8H, 7H, 6H, 5H, 4H, 3H, 2H, H, F, HB, B, 2B, 3B, 4B, 5B, 6B, 7B, 8B, 9B, 10B, 11B, 12B Add Items to Cart
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Shop the Best Wooden Pencils: JetPens Wooden Pencil Samplers
Our wooden pencil samplers let you test the Staedtler Mars Lumograph alongside several of our other best wooden pencils so that you can find your favorite. This JetPens Wooden Pencil Sample comes with a variety of pencils in 2B, a popular lead grade for architects.

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The Best Pencil Accessories
The Best Pencil Sharpeners
The Best Pencil Sharpener for Graphite Pencils: KUM Automatic Brake Sharpener
If a good sharpener is one that reliably produces long, clean, sharp points, KUM Automatic Brake Sharpeners are the best pencil sharpeners there are. They use a two-step process. First, place the pencil in the hole on the left to shave away the wood and reveal the graphite. Then use the hole on the right to bring the lead to a needle-sharp point.

Even the best pencil sharpener is only as good as its blades, so KUM Automatic Brake Sharpeners come with spare blades to replace the originals when they get dull.

As a bonus for those who use lead holders, the blue sharpener also has built-in lead pointers for sharpening 2 mm and 3.2 mm leads.

Product Name Add to Cart
KUM Automatic Brake Sharpener Add Items to Cart

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The Best Sharpener for Colored Pencils: Uni Color Pencil Sharpener
The Uni Color Pencil Sharpener is the best sharpener for colored pencils we’ve found. Don’t be fooled by its unassuming looks—its simple design gently shaves colored pencils’ delicate leads to short, sharp points without crumbling or chipping every time.

Product Name Add to Cart
Uni Color Pencil Sharpener Add to Cart

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The Best Eraser: Sakura Sumo Grip Eraser
The Sakura Sumo Grip is the best eraser we know for just about any use. It is made from a microporous plastic foam that lifts graphite and traps it for a smudge-free clean every time. It’s also a bit firmer and grippier than similar erasers, like its cousin, the Sakura Foam. This makes it easier to control so that you don’t accidentally erase more work than you mean to. The Sumo Grip’s eraser crumbs roll together for easy cleanup, and since it’s black, it’ll keep looking tidy no matter how much you use it.

Product Name Add to Cart
Sakura Sumo Grip Eraser Add Items to Cart

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Shop the Best Erasers: JetPens Eraser Sampler
The JetPens Eraser Sampler lets you test seven of our best-selling erasers to find your own favorite. It includes block eraser favorites like the Sakura Foam, Uni Boxy, and Tombow Mono as well as a kneaded eraser that is ideal for art applications.

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The Best Mechanical Pencil Leads
The Best Graphite Mechanical Pencil Leads: Pilot Neox Graphite Lead
It doesn’t matter how good your mechanical pencil is if the lead you put in it doesn’t measure up. Pilot Neox Graphite Lead is the best mechanical pencil lead we’ve found for all-around performance. Due it its high-purity graphite, it has a lubricated feel that makes for an effortless writing and sketching experience. The lead slides onto the page with minimal resistance and erases beautifully, but this also results in reduced longevity. If you're looking for lead that lasts longer, try Uni's Smudge-Proof Lead, though it's not as smooth. Pilot Neox lead comes in a wide variety of grades and sizes so you can be sure to find one to fit your preferences.

Product Name Lead Sizes Add to Cart
Pilot Neox Graphite Lead 0.3 mm, 0.4 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.7 mm, 0.9 mm Add Items to Cart
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Uni Smudge-Proof Lead 0.3 mm, 0.4 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.7 mm, 0.9 mm Add Items to Cart
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Shop The Best Mechanical Pencil Leads: JetPens Mechanical Pencil Lead Samplers
If you’re not quite sure which lead is for you, try our JetPens Mechanical Pencil Lead Samplers. They let you test the Pilot Neox against a selection of our best mechanical pencil leads in HB or B, or try out a mix of lead grades to see which you like best.

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The Best Colored Mechanical Pencil Leads: Uni NanoDia Color Lead
If you need something more interesting than plain graphite, check out Uni NanoDia Color Leads. These high-quality colored mechanical pencil leads come in seven vivid colors in both 0.5 and 0.7 mm sizes. They also erase easily. You can even pick up a mixed color set in 0.5 mm to try all of the colors. They're perfect for sketching, color-coding notes, and making planner entries.

Product Name Tip Sizes Add to Cart
Uni NanoDia Color Lead 0.5 mm, 0.7 mm Add Items to Cart
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CONCLUSION

We hope you’ve enjoyed this exploration of the best pencils for 2023! Check out our companion Best Pens for 2023 guide if you also write or draw in ink, and be sure to subscribe to our newsletter to be updated on new guides, videos, and products.