The Best Glitter Gel Pens for 2023

Not everyone gets the appeal of glitter pens. Most people think that they are only for kids. However, the best glitter gel pens have many other artistic uses, like calligraphy. You can also use them to draw on black backgrounds. If you’re tired of always writing on plain white paper, these pens will let you write on any color surface.

Thanks to the bright, neon-colored inks, and sparkling glitter bits, you can write on black paper and you won’t have any trouble reading it. Not only are the inks bright and colorful, but the line weight is also big enough to see it. It is the reason why many trendy restaurants use these pens for writing on their menus.

If you are on a search for your first set of glitter gel pens, here is a quick buying guide and a couple of product suggestions to help you get an idea of what you need to keep an eye out for.

Best Glitter Gel Pen Reviews

1. Shuttle Art Unique Colors Gel Pens

The first thing I immediately noticed about this set of gel pens is the massive number of pens that come in it. As far as I could tell, there are no duplicate colors and shades. I do not have enough free time right now to create a color chart, but I believe that these pens would have varying hues.

Aside from different colors, it is possible to divide the pens in this set into seven different ink types. There are standard colors, neon colors, pastels, metallic, glitter, neon glitter, and rainbow swirls. You will have all the different kinds of ink colors that you could ever want for any project that you might have.

I am also glad that these pens come with a convenient carrying case/organizer. I do like having 120 different colored gel pens to play with, but throwing them into a large can is not an option. I like to know where each color is so I do not need to waste my time rummaging through dozens of pens.

These glitter pens for coloring all come with ballpoint tips, making them easier to use compared to other writing tips. Some people say that ballpoint tips are not as uniform as, say, felt-tip pens, but I have yet to create unevenly weighted lines while using these.

The great thing about gel pens is that they rarely blot or bleed through. With that, I can truly say that they are among my ideal writing implements.

I mentioned earlier that there do not seem to be any duplicate colors in this set of 120 gel pens. However, while testing them out, I found that the rainbow swirl pens look somewhat the same. Of course, the order that their colors come out is random, but they are essentially the same.

2. Nylea Glitter Gel Pens

Compared to other gel pen sets, this brand may seem a bit undermanned at just 50 colors. However, you will find that 50 colors are more than enough for most of your art projects. If you are considering giving these pens as gifts for kids, they will go crazy with the number of colors each kit has.

Aside from the fifty colors, you can further categorize the pens under ink types. You will be getting 8 neon-colored, 8 metallic, 8 pastel, and 26 glitter ink gel pens. You will have an almost limitless amount of color combinations, so you can give all your art projects your personal creative touches.

I do not have anything against people who like using felt-tip pens, but I just find using ballpoint-tipped pens, like the ones in this set, much easier to use. You do not have to worry about their durability because these ballpoint tips are heavy-duty and can withstand a lot of continued use.

The best thing about this set of glitter gel pens is that it includes a complete set of ink refills for every color pen. Here’s the thing – each gel pen in this set already comes with an impressive amount of gel inks each, so it will be a while before you even get to use the spares. Depending on how often you use them, they can essentially last for a year.

Although I do like these gel pens quite a lot, they are not without fault. The issue that I have with these pens is that some of the color codes are not consistent with the actual color of the ink. I suggest that you first create a color chart so you will have a more reliable way of choosing colors.

3. Linc Shine Glitter Gel Pens

When I am using glitter gel pens, I would prefer that they have a larger writing tip, something around 0.7mm above. This allows the colors to show even more. I am quite happy with this set of gel pens as they all have rather large, 1.0mm ballpoint writing tips. These pens make thick and uniform lines.

Even though these pens have thick writing tips, you do not have to worry about running out of ink quickly. They contain an incredible amount of ink. You can write a dozen or so pages using one pen, and it will still not run out of ink.

These pens come with ergonomically designed barrels. They are rather comfortable to hold. I also use these pens for journaling and I did not have any issues so far with sore hands and wrists. The ballpoint tips also allow the pen to glide over the surface with ease.

The inks are vibrant and they all contrast well on any color surface. The ballpoint tips apply the ink evenly on the paper. There is no skipping or ghosting of the ink. In addition, the ink has a rather thick consistency and dries quickly. This prevents it from bleeding through the paper.

It is a bit of a shame that there are only ten colors in this set of fashion gel glitter pens. Unlike the other pens I have used so far, I would have wanted a bit more variety and colors to choose from.

4. OOLY Yummy Scented Glitter Gel Pens

This set of gel pen markers comes with 12 different colored gel pens. For some people, twelve colors might not be enough, but if you will be using these markers mostly for journaling and for coloring adult coloring books, then 12 is fine.

Speaking of the colors, these pens use vibrant inks that show up clearly on any color paper, especially on black. I sometimes use these on my black notebook and all the colors show up vibrantly on the black background. However, they are not so bright that you cannot see them much on white paper.

The inks used in these pens all have unique fruity scents. However, unlike other scented pens, they do not have overpowering smells. The smells are noticeable, especially when you are writing but the smell doesn’t linger. I find that the fresh fruity smells help improve my mood while writing.

One reason why I like these pens is that they have reasonably thick 1.0mm nibs. When I am using colored markers, I want to use thick nibs because they tend to show colors much better. These pens lay down consistent and thick lines that show the colors of the inks nicely.

The only problem that I have with these markers is that they sometimes blot when you use them, which is why they are not suitable glitter markers. I suggest that you have a scrap piece of paper on hand to get the pens evenly writing. I also advise that you don’t put too much pressure on the tip to keep the ink from blotting.

5. VaOlA ART Color Gel Pens

One of the nicest things about this set of gel pen markers is that you will be getting 30 differently colored pens. There are no two pens that have remotely the same color, and I got all the colors that I will need for any art project that I have and might come up with in the future.

Not only do these pens come with different colored inks, but they also have four different types of ink. Depending on the kind of project you are doing, you can choose between glitter, pastel, metallic, and neon ink pens. I am particularly fond of pastel and glitter ink pens and I use them on almost all my art projects.

These markers are great gifts for kids. The inks are all water-based and are non-toxic. If your kids accidentally write on their hands, soap and water will take care of it. And if they get ink on their clothes, a bit of oxy cleaner will get rid of it before it gets a chance to stain.

Another thing that I liked about this brand of gel pens is they have significantly more ink in their barrels. There are at least 30% more in these pens compared to other glitter gel pen sets, and this is good news because these pens write thick and bold lines.

Speaking of line weights, these pens create lines that are between 0.8mm to 1.0mm, which allows the colors of the inks to show much clearer. This makes these glitter gel pens ideal for making line drawings and creating simple caricatures.

These pens would have been great for coloring, if not for the issue of bleeding. The ink these gel pens use does not dry quite as fast as it needs to, thereby resulting in the ink bleeding through the paper and marking the next page. If you want to try using these for coloring, I suggest placing a piece of cardboard underneath the page.

6. Flair Xtra Sparkle Glitter Gel Pen

The first thing that I noticed about this set of gel pens is how smooth the ink flows out of these pens’ 1.0mm tips. I like to use this kind of pen for creating faux brush calligraphy because these create bold lines, thus shaving a couple of strokes when writing.

Although these taotree glitter gel pens are not that great for writing on dark paper, silver is the only visible color, they are still great for regular white paper stock. Aside from calligraphy, I also like making mandalas, and these gel pens provide colors that complement, and yet still contrast against each other well.

If you like to give your office or school notes a bit of flavor, you can use these neon glitter gel pens for note-taking. Thanks to the smooth and free-flowing ink, you can take down notes with relative ease. I sometimes use these pens for journaling and I am quite impressed at how they completely glide over the paper.

Another thing I liked about these pens is how they seem to have more glitter compared to other glitter gel pen brands. Thanks to the thicker lines these pens make, you can easily see how much they shine and glimmer. In addition, the glitters never dull even after a long time has passed.

Here’s the issue I have with these pens, the ink does not dry up as quickly as I would have wanted. During the first couple of times that I used these pens, I had to clean the ink off my right wrist quite a lot. However, if you know this issue and you are mindful while using these pens, then it should not be much of a problem.

7. CAISEXILE Refills Glitter Gel Pens

Each of these refill tubes contains at least 15% more gel pen ink than other brands of pens. It is unlike other gel pens where you can see that the ink levels are less than half of the tube. These tubes are almost 80% gel pen ink, so it will take a while before these go empty.

It is a good thing that these glitter calligraphy pens have massive amounts of ink because they write so smoothly and the ink is free-flowing. I like how these pens can make thick and bold lines effortlessly. I often use them for calligraphy and the thicker line weights help reduce the number of strokes I needed to make.

This set of ink refills come with 100 different colored inks. There are no two tubes that contain the same color. This means that you will have all the different kinds of colors that you will ever need for your projects.

It is also nice that these gel pen refills are the standard size and design used by almost all brands of gel pens. This means even if you have not used Caisexile gel pens before, you can still use these refills on other gel pen brands. It is quite fortunate that I kept my empty pen barrels, or else I might have trouble finding enough empty barrels.

Do not be confused by this product. You will not be getting a set of metallic glitter gel pens as these are only refills for gel pens. Although technically, you can use these refills as is, you will find that writing or drawing using a very thin tube is not that comfortable.

8. Chromatek Glitter Gel Pens

Although it says 100-pc set on the label, you will be getting 50 different colors of pens and refills for each one of them. I am quite satisfied with the colors that came with the set though. There are no repeating colors and each one of them worked just fine.

Speaking of the inks, just like what you can expect from gel pens, their colors are very bright and vivid. In addition, the colors smoothly transition from one to the other. You can easily make color gradients almost effortlessly and without the need to blend the colors.

To make the pens even easier to use, they have color codes stamped on their caps. This will make it easier for you to choose which colors to work with. I find that this comes in handy when I am working with at least three colors that I want to blend, which usually means I will be using at least six pens for a smooth transition.

Another neat thing about this set of glitter gel pens is they use high-quality, archive-grade ink. This means that whatever you write or draw will last for many years. The colors will remain vibrant and the glitters will still be lustrous. The glitter gel pen ink can and will outlast the paper it is used on.

I do have a bit of a problem with these pens and that is they don’t write quite as smoothly as I would have wanted. If you don’t hold the pen almost perpendicular to the paper, the ink won’t flow smoothly and the nib might scratch the paper.

9. Scentco Glitter Gel Smens

The best thing about these pens is their various scents. Each pen has a different scent depending on its color. For instance, yellow is banana scented, and purple is fruit punch. Each smell is noticeable but not overbearing, which helps you become more engaged with your writing task.

Although these pens look like they are made for kids, they write incredibly smoothly. Even when you first use them, the ink would flow freely and smoothly. The lines drawn are all uniform and there is no blotting, ghosting, or skipping. This is all thanks to the high-quality ballpoint tips.

Another thing that makes these pens ideal for kids’ use is that they do not have caps. The ink tubes are on a spring-loaded mechanism and this allows the nibs to pop out and retract with the push of a button. Kids are notorious for misplacing pen caps and with this, you do not have to worry about the pens drying out.

These pens are not quite as big as regular gel glitter pens, like the color technik glitter gel pens, but they do hold a lot of ink. I have been using these pens for journaling for a couple of weeks and their ink levels still have not breached the halfway mark. I believe that I will be using these pens for quite a while and I have no complaints about that.

Although I do not have a problem with it, many people were surprised when they found out that the pens are the ones that are scented, not the inks. The problem here is that it is not mentioned on the label and description of the product that the pens themselves are scented.

10. Smart Color Art Glitter Gel Pens

Some people may think that the 200-pack printed on the label is misleading, which it is, but if you take a bit more time to read the details, you will discover that this is a set of 100 different colored pens and refills for each. I was quite satisfied with getting the 100 pens.

Just like most gel pens, all 100 pens write exceptionally well. I sometimes use these pens for journaling, and I can fill an entire page without stopping. It takes absolutely no effort to write with these pens. It feels like the pens are gliding over the paper.

Another nice thing about these pens is that they use water-based and non-toxic inks. This means that even if you are doing an extensive note-taking session, you will not smell any fumes coming from the ink. This also means that if you accidentally get some ink on your hands, simple soap and water are enough to get it out.

What I liked the most about these pens is that they use quick-drying inks. The ink dries up so fast that it does not allow any time for smudging. This is great for left-handed people as they would not need to wash their wrists quite as often. This also means that the ink won’t bleed through the page.

There is one big issue about these pens and that is it is difficult to match the pens with their respective refills. Even if the pens and refills are divided into four groups, you need to have a keen eye to pick the matching colors. It would have been a whole lot easier if the pens and refills have color codes on them.

What to Look For When Buying a Glitter Gel Pen

When you are shopping for a set of glitter gel pens, there are certain factors you need to consider to make sure you are getting a product that is worth your money.

Ink Quality

This encompasses a couple of qualities. The ink used must be bright and accurate to the colors on the pen label. In addition, the ink should dry quickly. This means that the ink should dry within seconds of writing. This will prevent the ink from smudging and bleeding through the page.

Number of Colors

What will you be using the glitter gel pens for? If you are only planning to use the pens for journaling and note-taking then you will be fine with just 10-12 colors. Now, if you are planning to use the pens for drawing and coloring then get a set that has at least 50 colors.

Ink Quantity

It is almost a guarantee that you will be addicted to using glitter gel pens, so you need to buy pens that have a lot of ink. Check the ink levels when you are browsing the shelves. Some have very small amounts of ink, which usually lasts a month or so.

There are also pen sets that come with free ink refills. With these sets, you don’t need to worry about running out of ink anytime soon.

Writing Quality

The nice thing about glitter gel pens, or gel pens in general, is that they tend to write smoothly every time. However, if you can, you should make some test scribbles before deciding on buying a set. The pens should glide over the paper and lay down a thick layer of ink. There should be no blotting, no ghosting, and no skipping.

Once you have found a set of gel pens that has all of the qualities mentioned above, you can confidently pull the trigger, and purchase it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I Buy Glitter Gel Pens?

You can find glitter gel pens in stationery shops and art supply stores. However, if you want more variety and better deals, you can purchase glitter gel pens online. The only caveat is that you cannot test the pens first before purchasing, but you do have the option to return them if you are not satisfied with the quality.

How do you Store Glitter Gel Pens?

Ideally, you should keep the pens in the original carrying case that came with the set. This will help keep the colors organized. In addition, you need to store the pens in a place that is not exposed to direct sunlight as it will make the colors dull.

Conclusion

Although many of the glitter gel pens for sale these days are indeed marketed towards young children, some sets can be used for professional purposes. If you want to give a new dimension to your art projects, try using glitter pens to make them more eye-catching.

I hope that this article was able to help you find the best glitter gel pens and that you are now enjoying using them.