Do you think the pens you’re using every day are really the best? Well, you’re about to find out: In this ultimate list, I rank the best everyday pens from top to bottom using a simple, transparent method.
Read on to see if you’re really using the best pen out there, or if there’s something better waiting for you ?
Table of Contents
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The pen challenge
I started off by announcing that my favorite pen was the Pilot G2 back in #1: The Best Pens for Writing and A Little Easier #9.
Then, I issued a challenge: I wanted you to let me know if you thought you had a pen that was better than the G2. I even promised that I’d send folks a pack of their favorite pen and a pack of G2s if they managed to share a pen that was better than mine.
Boy did you deliver.
I got five other pens to try from audience members. And, after running them through my test, I discovered that two are, in fact, better than the G2. One of them is so good that I’ve switched my everyday pen.
Ready to find out how each pen stacked up? Let’s go!
How I ranked each pen
My method was pretty simple: Design a rubric, benchmark each pen based on that rubric, and get a score.
If you’re interested in my full method, be sure to listen to the podcast episode at the top of the page! I explain the whole process there ?
What were the categories?
Here’s a quick breakdown of each category I used:
Flow (10)
A good pen should flow, or write without stopping or skipping. I can’t stand when I have to go back over something I’ve already written because the pen skipped.
Flow is worth 10 points: More points = better, smoother flow.
Resistance (10)
Resistance is the amount of effort you have to put into using a pen.
This one is easiest understood by feeling it for yourself: Get a Pilot Frixion and a Tul Medium pen, write your name with each, and see how they feel. That’s resistance.
Resistance is worth 10 points: More points = less resistance.
Smudge (5)
Pens shouldn’t take forever to dry and you shouldn’t end up with ink all over your palm. In other words, writing shouldn’t smudge.
I tested this category twice for each pen:
- I scribbled a bit, waited one second, and then ran my finger across the ink (see photos in Test Pages sections below)
- Scribbled again (in a different spot), waited five seconds, and then ran my finger across the ink (see photos in Test Pages sections below)
Smudge is worth 5 points: More points = less smudge.
Build (8)
Build is split into three categories:
- Cap, worth 3 points: Does the pen have a cap? 3 points if no cap; 0 points otherwise.
- Grip, worth 2 points: Is the pen comfortable to hold? 2 points if yes; 0 points if no.
- Clip, worth 3 points: Is the pen’s clip sturdy? 3 points if yes; fewer points if no.
Color availability (2)
If a pen model is available in colors beyond just black, blue, and red, it gets 2 points for color availability. Otherwise, 0 points.
Price (3)
Price was a tiny rubric in itself. These prices are per individual pen!
- < $1.50 / pen = 3 points
- $1.50 – $2.50 / pen = 2 points
- $2.51 – $3.50 / pen = 1 point
- > $3.50 / pen = 0 points
Bleed (2)
If a pen bleeds through the page, it was awarded fewer points.
Bleed is worth 2 points: Less bleed = more points.
Bonus / special (5)
Finally, I could award a pen up to 5 points for special features or things I really liked.
Be forewarned: this category is definitely subjective and based on my own tastes!
A few thoughts on Flow
Overall, flow is an incredibly important metric to me.
It’s my belief that a pen’s sole job is to deliver ink to the page; if a pen skips, it’s failing to do its sole job. That’s not acceptable.
Therefore, in my ranking, I’m pretty harsh in this category. Even just one skip will lead to a substantial point penalty.
Ranking the best everyday pens
Here we go! The ultimate list of the best everyday pens, ranked from bottom to top (by benchmark score):
?#6. PILOT FRIXION CLICKER (0.7)
33 out of 45
Scores
CATEGORY | POSSIBLE | AWARDED |
Flow | 10 | 8 |
Resistance | 10 | 5 |
Smudge | 5 | 3 |
Build > Cap | 3 | 3 |
Build > Grip | 2 | 2 |
Build > Clip | 3 | 1 |
Color availability | 2 | 2 |
Price | 3 | 2 |
Bleed | 2 | 2 |
Bonus / Special | 5 | 5 |
TOTAL | 45 | 33 |
Test pages
Here are the pages, front and back, where I benchmarked this pen.
To see a larger version, click on the photo. Or, on mobile, pinch to zoom.
Thoughts
- This pen has more Resistance than I’d like for an everyday pen.
- I’ve tried using them all day, but I find that my hand gets tired much more quickly
- They also don’t have the best Flow ever
- The clip is a bit flimsy
- But, what they lack in other categories, they make up for in features!
- These pens are erasable ?
- They’re not suitable for everyday use, but, they’re an amazing stand-in for pencils
- Any time I’m working on something and need to erase, I jump for one of these
- They’ve become a staple in my bag
Get these pens
Grab a set of these pens on Amazon! (Left is black, right is blue)
?#5. PILOT G2 (0.7)
34 out of 45
Scores
CATEGORY | POSSIBLE | AWARDED |
Flow | 10 | 6 |
Resistance | 10 | 8 |
Smudge | 5 | 2 |
Build > Cap | 3 | 3 |
Build > Grip | 2 | 2 |
Build > Clip | 3 | 3 |
Color availability | 2 | 2 |
Price | 3 | 3 |
Bleed | 2 | 2 |
Bonus / Special | 5 | 3 |
TOTAL | 45 | 34 |
Test pages
Here are the pages, front and back, where I benchmarked this pen.
To see a larger version, click on the photo. Or, on mobile, pinch to zoom.
Thoughts
- If you’re looking for a solid go-to pen, this is a great option
- It was my #1 pen for a long time (until creating this list!)
- Flow is actually a bit disappointing. Too many skips (there should be ZERO skips).
- If you enlarge the photo of the front page, look at the arrow at the bottom. The letter T in the word “standard” is uneven and skippy.
Get these pens
Grab a set of these pens on Amazon!
?#4. UNIBALL SIGNO 207 (0.7)
35 out of 45
Scores
CATEGORY | POSSIBLE | AWARDED |
Flow | 10 | 5 |
Resistance | 10 | 9 |
Smudge | 5 | 3 |
Build > Cap | 3 | 3 |
Build > Grip | 2 | 2 |
Build > Clip | 3 | 3 |
Color availability | 2 | 2 |
Price | 3 | 3 |
Bleed | 2 | 2 |
Bonus / Special | 5 | 3 |
TOTAL | 45 | 35 |
Test pages
Here are the pages, front and back, where I benchmarked this pen.
To see a larger version, click on the photo. Or, on mobile, pinch to zoom.
Thoughts
- Quite a nice pen!
- Good resistance
- I like the grip on this pen. Awarded a few bonus points.
- Price is great, too!
- Almost good Flow, but it had a HUGE skip. This is a big no-no, and it cost this pen quite a few points in the Flow category.
- See the word “Differences” in the third quote in the photo above.
Get these pens
Grab a set of these pens on Amazon!
?#3. PILOT G2 (1.0)
37 out of 45
Scores
CATEGORY | POSSIBLE | AWARDED |
Flow | 10 | 10 |
Resistance | 10 | 8 |
Smudge | 5 | 3 |
Build > Cap | 3 | 3 |
Build > Grip | 2 | 2 |
Build > Clip | 3 | 3 |
Color availability | 2 | 2 |
Price | 3 | 2 |
Bleed | 2 | 1 |
Bonus / Special | 5 | 3 |
TOTAL | 45 | 37 |
Test pages
Here are the pages, front and back, where I benchmarked this pen.
To see a larger version, click on the photo. Or, on mobile, pinch to zoom.
Thoughts
- Love the bold! Overall, I prefer solid, bold color.
- Writes smoothly
- Writing with a 1.0 pen usually takes up more space. The Pilot G2 1.0 is no exception
- Bonus points given for bold color
Get these pens
Grab a set of these pens on Amazon!
?#2. PENTEL ENERGEL (0.7)
39 out of 45
Scores
CATEGORY | POSSIBLE | AWARDED |
Flow | 10 | 10 |
Resistance | 10 | 9 |
Smudge | 5 | 3 |
Build > Cap | 3 | 3 |
Build > Grip | 2 | 2 |
Build > Clip | 3 | 3 |
Color availability | 2 | 2 |
Price | 3 | 2 |
Bleed | 2 | 1 |
Bonus / Special | 5 | 5 |
TOTAL | 45 | 39 |
Test pages
Here are the pages, front and back, where I benchmarked this pen.
To see a larger version, click on the photo. Or, on mobile, pinch to zoom.
Thoughts
- This pen was a joy to use
- Great Flow, Resistance, and Build
- They’re a bit more expensive than I’d like
- Given how smooth and bold they are, I’m surprised that the smudge was quite good
Get these pens
Grab a set of these pens on Amazon!
?#1. TUL MEDIUM (0.7)
42 out of 45
Scores
CATEGORY | POSSIBLE | AWARDED |
Flow | 10 | 10 |
Resistance | 10 | 10 |
Smudge | 5 | 3 |
Build > Cap | 3 | 3 |
Build > Grip | 2 | 2 |
Build > Clip | 3 | 3 |
Color availability | 2 | 2 |
Price | 3 | 2 |
Bleed | 2 | 1 |
Bonus / Special | 5 | 6 (see thoughts) |
TOTAL | 45 | 42 |
Test pages
Here are the pages, front and back, where I benchmarked this pen.
To see a larger version, click on the photo. Or, on mobile, pinch to zoom.
Thoughts
- I am quite surprised at how lovely these pens are to use
- The color is bold and satisfying, even though they’re 0.7mm (not 1.0)
- The resistance and flow on this pen are excellent
- The overall build is sturdy: solid clip, no cap, comfortable to hold
- You’ll notice that I gave these pens a 6 out of 5 in the bonus category. Why the extra credit? These are the only quality everyday pens I’ve found that have a shape which allows them to fit easily into the spiral of a notebook.
- To me, this convenience was worth the extra credit point!
- This pen has become my new pen of choice! It’s the one I grab every time I need to write. You absolutely should give it a shot!
Get these pens
Grab a set of these pens on Amazon!
Your favorite pen not on the list?
No to worry! Head to the comments section below and let me know what your favorite is. I’ll run it through my benchmark test and add it to the list!
Think you can find one that beats my #1? ?
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