If your perfect pen is one that just works, on every kind of paper and in just about every circumstance, you need a ballpoint pen. Steadfast and dependable, ballpoint pens will write on everything from regular copy paper to glossy receipts. They take much longer to run out of ink than their gel pen cousins and rarely have problems that a quick scribble won’t fix. Watch the video below and keep reading to learn more about these workhorses of the pen world.
To see the full lineup, peruse our comprehensive Jetstream guide.
- What is a Ballpoint Pen?
- Why Use a Ballpoint Pen?
- Ballpoint Pen Considerations
- Ballpoint Pen Recommendations
- Best Ballpoint Pens for Drawing
- Best Cheap Ballpoint Pens
- Best Colored Ink Ballpoint Pens
- Best Eco-Friendly Ballpoint Pens
- Best Ergonomic Ballpoint Pens
- Best Fine Tip Ballpoint Pens
- Best Luxury Ballpoint Pens
- Best Metal Ballpoint Pens
- Best Pocket Ballpoint Pens
- Best Pressurized Ink Ballpoint Pens
- Best Professional Ballpoint Pens
- Best Student Ballpoint Pens
- More Ballpoint Pen Resources
- History of the Ballpoint Pen
- Compare These Pens
- How We Approach Research & Testing
- Conclusion
- Shop This Post
Ballpoint pens use a small, revolving ball to dispense oil-based ink. Rollerball and gel pens use the same ball mechanism but are filled with liquid and gel-based ink instead of oil-based. “Ballpoint” and “ball pen” are occasionally used to refer to any pen with a rotating ball in the tip, but we will use “ballpoint” only to refer to oil-based ink pens.
Ballpoint ink is typically quite viscous, like a paste. This helps it last longer between refills and reduces the chance of ink bleeding through the paper, as less ink comes out with each stroke. The thickness of the ink generally requires you to apply more pressure to the paper when you write. This can make ballpoints tiring to write with for long periods, but some people appreciate the controlled action ballpoints provide. You can read more about ballpoint ink in our Ballpoint and Gel Pen: Best Practices guide.
Ballpoint pens have a number of advantages over gel, rollerball, and fountain pens. They are:
- Low maintenance.
- Highly reliable.
- Long-lasting.
- Unlikely to bleed through paper.
- Generally water resistant.
- Generally fast drying, which is good for left-handed writers.
- Able to sign credit cards without excessive smearing.
- Able withstand enough writing pressure to be used with carbon copy paper.
- Able to write well on many different papers, including copy paper, cardboard, glossy paper, synthetic paper, and receipts.
Ballpoint pens typically require the writer to use more pressure to leave a dark line, which can cause hand fatigue. If this bothers you, try smoother options that don’t need to be pressed down as hard or choose ergonomic pens that reduce hand strain.
If you like to combine ink colors in your work, this design is also available as a multi pen, so you can add red ink and a mechanical pencil to your art without additional bulk in your pencil case.
If you like how Acroball ink writes but prefer a more professional body style, it is also available as a metal body pen known as the Pilot Acro Drive. Refills for the Acro Drive only come in three colors.
Read our Guide to Eco-Friendly Pens for more suggestions.
If you prefer a squishy grip, we suggest trying the Uni Jetstream Alpha Gel Grip Ballpoint Pens. Its soft, squishy grip is like a pillow for your fingers.
If you prefer a twist mechanism, the LAMY Aion is a handsome alternative that uses the same refill as the LAMY 2000. To learn more about the LAMY 2000, check out our guide.
If you like the Fisher refill but not the Backpacker’s key ring style, try the sleek Fisher Space Pen Bullet Ballpoint Pen or the machined Schon DSGN Classic Pen. Both are sturdy metal pens that come with a Fisher Space Pen refill and can stand up to hard use.
If the Zebra Techo Mini is just a bit too small, try the similarly-styled Pilot Birdy. It’s about half an inch longer, which makes it more comfortable for people with larger hands but reduces the number of places it will fit. The Pilot Birdy also comes in a double-sided pen and pencil version called the Pilot Birdy Switch.
If you like the functionality of the Down Force’s clip but find that the pen is too large, try the pocket-sized Tombow AirPress.
If you like the Ballograf’s tapered profile but prefer a slimmer barrel, you can’t go wrong with the iconic Parker Jotter.
As modern as they seem, ballpoint pens were actually early alternatives to the fountain pen. The first pen that could be described as a ballpoint was patented in 1888 by an American tanner named John Loud. It had an ink reservoir and a rolling ball in the tip to dispense the ink, but Loud’s ink was too viscous, and his design was never commercially developed. Other inventors tried to develop similar pens throughout the early 1900s, but they all failed due to the difficulty of finding an ink that would flow consistently and evenly around the ball without clogging, leaking, or smearing.
Eventually, Hungarian newspaper editor László Bíró noticed that the viscous ink used in newspaper printing dried quickly without smearing. He worked with his brother György, who was a chemist, to develop a similar ink for use in a pen with a freely-rotating ball in the tip. They patented this successful design in 1938. A few years later during World War II, the Bíró brothers moved to Argentina to escape the Nazis. There they founded a company to sell their pen, which they named the Birome. To this day, ballpoint pens are commonly called a “birome” in Argentina and a “biro” in Britain.
Ballpoint pens are now the most popular pens in the world. Although details of their design have changed over the years, modern ballpoints remain remarkably similar to the humble ballpoint pen developed by László and György Bíró.
Do you want to review all of our recommended ballpoint pens at once? Use our comparison tool to see their specifications side by side.
Our writers draw on their personal expertise, consult our in-house subject matter experts, and do extensive research to make our guides as accurate and comprehensive as possible. We then test every finding that makes it through the research stage. Only the techniques and tools whose performance we personally confirm make it into our guides as recommendations.
Ballpoint pens offer unparalleled reliability, longevity, and versatility. Do you have a favorite ballpoint pen? Tell us about it in the comments below!