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The Best Blue Pens
October 25, 2022 - Posted by Zoe to Guides, Gel Pens, Pens, Ballpoint Pens, Markers and Felt Tip Pens, Rollerball Pens
The Best Blue Pens
Blue: the only vivid color that’s somehow tricked us into thinking it's neutral. Blue has a serene and subtle beauty that makes it the most popular ink color after black and, as a plus, that beauty is allowed on official documents. Read on for our recommendations for the best blue pens.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
What Pen Type Should I Choose?
How We Chose Blue Pens
The Best Blue Ballpoint Pens
The Best Blue Gel Pens
The Best Blue Rollerball Pens
The Best Blue Markers
Other Resources
Conclusion
WHAT PEN TYPE SHOULD I CHOOSE?
Are you unsure what pen type you should choose? We break down the different pen types in the bulleted list below. You can learn more about the characteristics that define different ink types in our guide.
Ballpoint pens are excellent all-purpose pens. Their oil-based inks dry quickly and resist smearing. However, they can perform somewhat inconsistently.
Gel pens use vibrant, water-based inks that pop against the page. Most gel pens are not waterproof and will smear when exposed to water.
Rollerball pens are characterized by their fluid, water-based inks. They flow smoothly and are wetter than gel pens.
Markers are best suited for bold writing. Most markers use felt tips which will wear down and create broader lines over time.
HOW WE CHOSE BLUE PENS
Blue Ballpoint, Gel, Rollerball, and Marker Pen Writing Sample
Vivid blue ink is available in any type of pen.
We evaluated blue pens on ink quality, ink color, and body design. Our picks showcase smooth-writing inks with vivid blue hues that don’t skew turquoise or purple. We avoided blue black ink in this guide because it’s not “true blue,” but several of our picks have blue black ink available.
THE BEST BLUE BALLPOINT PENS
The Best Low Viscosity Blue Ballpoint Pen: Pilot Acroball Ballpoint Pens
Pilot Acroball Ballpoint Pen
A Pilot Acroball Ballpoint Pen boasts true blue ink.
Low-viscosity ballpoint pens write with smooth-flowing ink. We enjoyed the blue ink of the Pilot Acroball; it maintains a little of the grippiness of traditional ballpoint ink, while leaving dark, vivid, skip-free lines. The form factor was a plus, too, as this pen features a textured rubber grip and a satisfying and snappy click.
A close second in our testing was the Uni Jetstream. A long-time favorite, it’s our top pick for low-viscosity black ink, and it features the option of an additional extra-fine tip size. However, we found its blue ink to be slightly less saturated than its competitors, and we’re not writing an article on blue inks to compromise on blueness.
We Also Tested:
Zebra Surari Ballpoint Pens: This ink had even more grippiness to it, and also tended towards blobbing. While it’s a perfectly functional pen, it’s not the strongest example of a low-viscosity ink.
The Best Pressurized Blue Ballpoint Pen: Uni Power Tank Ballpoint Pens
Uni Power Tank Ballpoint Pen
A Uni Power Tank Ballpoint Pen is ready for tough conditions.
The pressurized refill of the Uni Power Tank Ballpoint Pen means that ink has no problem flowing whether you’re writing on wet paper, in freezing conditions, in zero gravity, or upside down. We noticed some slight skipping and fainter color when writing on wet paper, though lines stayed legible. The ink dries quickly (a nice feature for left-handers!) as well. The thoughtful design extends to the pen body, which has a comfortable textured grip.
The Best Bold Blue Ballpoint Pen: Dong-A Anyball Ballpoint Pens
Dong-A Anyball Ballpoint Pen
Dong-A Anyball Ballpoint Pens are available in a range of chunky tip sizes.
It’s impossible for other blue ballpoint pens to compete with the size range of the Dong-A Anyball. Its chunky 1.2 mm, 1.4 mm, and 1.6 mm tips create thick, bold lines. Ballpoint pens with regular non-low-viscosity ink, unlike gel pens, vary in darkness and line width with pressure. On one hand, this means you need to exert some pressure for the thickest lines possible out of these pens. On the other hand, this line variation makes them great for doodling and dynamic-looking titles: try differing amounts of pressure on upstrokes and downstrokes for subtle effects.
The Best Fine-Tip Blue Ballpoint Pen: Tombow Mono Graph Lite Ballpoint Pens
Tombow Mono Graph Lite Ballpoint Pen
The needle tip of a Tombow Mono Graph Lite is perfect for tiny handwriting.
The 0.38 mm needle tip of the Tombow Mono Graph Lite lets you precisely lay down incredibly fine lines. We found the low-viscosity ink in this pen to write fluidly, landing right in the sweet spot where lines are free of both blobbing and skipping. Those with tiny handwriting will find this pen allows them to write smaller than ever before.
We Also Tested:
Uni Jetstream Ballpoint Pens in 0.38 mm: We again found the Jetstream wrote with a darker and slightly less blue ink. Its wetter ink produces a minutely wider line, as well as occasionally a few small blobs. However, it’s a great pen, especially for fast writers who really need their ink flow to keep up.
The Best Quiet Blue Ballpoint Pen: Zebra bLen Ballpoint Pens
Zebra bLen Ballpoint Pen
Rattle-free Zebra bLen Ballpoint Pens provide pleasantly quiet writing experiences.
The Zebra bLen Ballpoint Pen is a favorite around the JetPens office. Its artful construction with nary a hint of rattle or shake means it’s a reliable writing tool. Its end click mechanism has a wider surface area than most pens, making it easier on the fingers, and its click noise is quiet but satisfying. Its smooth low-viscosity emulsion ink writes without skipping, though may blob slightly on curves.
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