The Best Markers for Adult Coloring Books in 2023

I don’t know how it is but there is definitely something therapeutic about adult coloring books. I just find them very relaxing to do. People also get a sense of fulfillment when they finish coloring a page, and the feeling gets even better when they use the best markers for adult coloring books because the results look so much better.

I have nothing against crayons or colored pencils, but when it comes to adult coloring books, using markers is infinitely better and a whole lot easier. Due to adult coloring books having such small spaces, you will need a medium that shows its colors better.

Fortunately, lots of different markers are on the market right now. Some are better than others, though. Typically, you will get what you pay for but some cheaper sets of markers can also perform like their more expensive rivals. This article will teach you how you can find the set of markers that fits your needs and budget.

Best Markers for Adult Coloring Book Reviews

1. Hethrone Adult Coloring Markers

One reason why I say that this set contains among the best adult coloring book markers is that you are getting 100 incredible colors in just a single set. I sometimes like to blend colors when coloring, and having these many colors to choose from is quite nice. It is also great that these markers are relatively easy to blend.

Another reason why I highly recommend these markers is that they have dual tips. One end has a felt brush tip for coloring large spaces quickly and drawing soft outlines. The other end of the pen has a very fine point nib, which I would typically use for filling in the tiny spaces in the drawings. You will be amazed at the versatility of these markers.

If you are just a beginner at using colored markers, this is a good beginner’s set. Beginners should not spend hundreds of dollars for a professional set of markers, especially if they will only be using them as coloring books for adults markers. This set is just a fraction of the cost of branded markers, and they do their intended jobs well.

I do not exclusively use my set of markers for coloring books, as I feel it would be a shame not to use them on other projects as they are so good. The water-based inks are great for making drawings that look and feel like they are made using watercolors. The brush tips are also nice for basic brush calligraphy.

Now, because this is an economical set of markers, it is only fair that you will be making a couple of compromises. One of which is that some of the pens’ colors do not match what is on their caps. I strongly advise that you make a clear color swatch table so that you have a better means of determining what colors to use.

2. ZSCM Adult Coloring Books Drawing Colored Pens

For water-based color markers, these are quite vibrant. Unlike some cheap brands of color markers, the colors of this set do not look washed out and faded. If you add another layer, it even seems like you used alcohol-based markers. For the price, you are getting a good deal for beginner-class color markers.

All the markers in this set also come with dual tips. One end has a fine-tipped 0.4mm nib, which is ideal for drawing fine lines and getting in those small details in those big coloring books for adults. The other end of the pen contains a felt brush tip, and these are great for general coloring tasks and brushstroke calligraphy.

If you like making a family activity out of coloring books, you should get a couple of sets of these markers to share with your kids. Don’t worry as these pens use water-based, non-toxic inks so they are safe for kids to use. These products do not also have a foul odor unlike some brands of alcohol-based markers, so these are safe to use indoors.

Another nice touch is the convenient carrying case that the pens came in. It keeps the pens in place and prevents them from drying out quickly. The box itself makes the kit look good enough that you can give these markers as a gift as is.

I do not have a problem with the pens themselves. They work well in my opinion. I do have a huge issue with the number of repeated colors in the set. There are so many markers that have very similar colors to each other that I reckon there are only 40+ unique colors in the set instead of the 60 colors that it claims it has.

3. TANMIT Adults Coloring Books Glitter Gel Pens

These pens are ball-point gel pens, which means the inks are brighter and a lot opaquer than your regular pens. This makes the color pens ideal for coloring and drawing mostly whimsical art pieces mainly because of the glitter ink. If you are fine with glitters on all your projects or if it is your plan from the start, then you will love this set of gel pens.

If you have not used gel pens yet, you will be surprised at how smooth they write. You do not even need to put that much pressure on the paper to write. Just lightly touch the surface of the paper and move the pen around. Even if you are working on a large coloring page of mature adult coloring books, your hand will not get tired easily.

This set comes with 80 different colored markers – all of which have their color codes and names stamped on the pen bodies for easier identification and organizing. In addition, the set also comes with spare ink tubes for all the pens. You can also see the color codes printed on the ink tubes so you do not switch colors accidentally.

One of the best things about this set of gel pens is that it came in a sturdy carrying case. Unlike in other brands where you just chuck the pens inside a container, this case has a designated place for each of the 80 pens. This makes organizing and using the pens a lot easier because you see every one of them.

Now, as mentioned earlier, all the inks in this set of color pens contain a lot of glitters. It would have a lot more uses if half of the pens had regular color inks. However, if you deliberately wanted an 80-color set of glitter pens, then you would love this set.

Note, though, that if you thought that there would be regular-colored pens in the set, then you would be surprised when your order arrives.

4. GC WRITING QUILL Coloring Markers

This set of water-based ink markers come with dual tips. One end has a nylon felt brush tip, which can write 1-2mm wide lines depending on how you hold the pen. The other end is a 0.4mm fine-liner tip, which is perfect for drawing fine details and jotting down notes or journaling.

Even though these markers use water-based inks, the colors they provide are quite bright and vibrant. Although they are not quite as pigmented as alcohol markers, these pens still write nicely and put a lot of color on paper. In addition, you can use the brush tips to recreate a watercolor effect in your drawings.

I was quite surprised that each pen contained a lot of ink. I have been using the same set of markers for about a month now and none of the pens have run out of ink yet. I reckon that this set of markers can last at least two coloring books. These might not be the absolute best coloring markers for adults but they do come close.

These markers can also be great gifts for kids. These markers use non-toxic water-based inks and do not have any foul smells. However, you should not give these to young kids or you might have a huge mess to deal with later. School-aged kids, on the other hand, would love these markers.

The thing that I disliked about these pens is there are no color codes or names on the pens. The only way you can identify the colors of the pens is through the colors of the caps, but this can be misleading as some of the pens have inaccurate colors.

In addition, the color choices are kind of imbalanced. For instance, there are many shades of orange but only three to four shades of red.

5. Anngrowy Adult Alcohol Art Markers

You will be getting a whole lot of pens for adult coloring books – 80 markers to be exact plus one colorless blender. This means you will be getting a lot of value for your money.

Having a lot of colors to choose from made every coloring book session more relaxing and fun. I try to use as many of the colors in one picture, and yet there is still a dozen or so colors that I have not used much yet.

These products are alcohol-based color markers. This means that the colors are a lot more vibrant compared to water-based pens. Even though this brand is not as expensive as the top brands, I was surprised at the quality of the inks the markers used. They were so opaque that I could almost swear that these are paint pens.

Another nice thing about these pens’ ink is that they dry quite fast, so it prevents accidental smudges. However, even after drying for a couple of minutes, the colors are still easy to blend using the included blender pen. This is not like other water-based markers where you will need to race against time to blend.

Another nice thing about these pens is that they are dual-tipped. One end has a chisel tip while the other is a bullet-point tip. I mainly use the chisel tip for coloring large swatches and making sharp bold lines. I often use the bullet points for small details and drawing outlines.

I have not experienced it first-hand, but I have found a few reviews that said their markers were defective. Most of them said that their markers immediately started to leak the moment they took off the cap and it happened several times with different pens.

I probably lucked out with my set, but the number of complaints somewhat shows a lack of quality control.

6. Feela Adult Coloring Fineliners Art Markers

The best thing about this set of color markers is the price. You will be getting a set of a hundred different-colored pens for a low price. Since I will only be using these pens for adult coloring books, I don’t care too much about color accuracy. I am quite happy with how these pens are working, though I won’t consider using them for commission work.

These markers use water-based inks so their colors are not as washed-out, like the other cheap markers that I have tried in the past. You can still tell the difference between marigold and orange, and the other shades of different colors. As mentioned earlier, color accuracy is not that great, but it is not the worst as well.

Another surprising thing about these economical markers is that they have dual tips. These pens come with a brush tip and a very fine bullet-point tip. The brush tips could have been better and more consistent, but they still work as intended. The bullet points are so fine that you can use them for drawing really small details if needed.

I was also quite surprised when I learned that these markers do not bleed through the paper that much. There will still be bleed-through, especially if you write on thin paper, but you can prevent it by placing another sheet under the page you are coloring.

If you will be using these markers for adult coloring books, then I suggest that you get the ones with single-page pictures and have thick paper.

The biggest issue that I have with these markers is that there are no identifying marks on the pens. Take off all the caps and they would all look identical. There should have been at least color codes printed on the bodies or caps of the markers for easier organizing.

7. MOGYANN Adult Coloring Art Markers

The thing I liked the most about these markers is they are among the most affordable that I have bought. However, even though these pens are quite cheap, they are not bad at all. All the markers in the set I received worked as intended. They are not the best coloring pens for adults, but they are also far from being the worst.

For a marginal amount, you will be getting 72 different colors of markers. If you will be using these markers primarily for adult coloring books, then 72 colors are more than enough. The set I got has been seeing use pretty much regularly, but there are still some colors that I have not used more than once.

I also liked how these markers all came with dual tips. It is like having two sets of markers rolled into one. The added versatility of having a brush and fine-point tips allows you to do almost everything with just one set of markers. For instance, they are not just for adult coloring books. I use the brush tips for practicing calligraphy as well.

These markers can also make a fine gift for young artists. These pens use water-based inks, so they are non-toxic and do not have any noxious smells. Also, if the kids get any ink on their hands because they are water-based, you can remove them just by using soap and water.

Now, since you will be getting 72 pens for a bargain price, you should keep your expectations low. With that said, you may receive a set that has a couple of dry markers. Mine came with 3 markers that were bone dry. I was able to revive them by dipping the tips in some warm water but this should not have been needed at all.

8. Soucolor Adult Glitter Gel Pens

The best feature of this set of gel ink pens is that you are getting 60 different colors. You will also receive ink refills for every one of them. I also appreciated that the pens have color codes and names printed on the pens’ bodies. This made organizing and picking colors a lot easier.

These pens are also comfortable to use. They have a rubber grip near the tip, which makes it a lot easier to use and control the pens. Even if you are working on a particularly large piece for a long time, your hand will not feel that much discomfort.

I also liked the included carrying case. Unlike other markers that come in a cup, these gel pens come in a convenient carrying case. Every pen has its place. When you unfurl the carrying case, you will be able to see all colors immediately. In my opinion, this is a better container for color pens compared to pouches.

In addition, because these pens use gel inks, the colors flow out of the ballpoint pen smoothly. Also, the ink provides good coverage. The inks are so opaque that you might mistake them for paint. If you will be using these pens for adult coloring books, you will discover that you do not need more than one pass to fill a space with color.

Honestly, there is nothing about this set of markers to complain about. This set of color pens is more than reasonably priced and they work quite well. This is a good example that disproves that you always get what you paid for. You will be getting a good set of glitter markers, at just a fraction of the price of top brands.

9. MoneleN Adult Coloring Books Brush Pens

This set comes with 24 different colored markers. This might seem like there are not enough colors but for beginners at using adult coloring books, not having dozens of colors to distract them is better. It also helped that the markers have highly pigmented inks that show up well on paper.

This is also a great introductory set for using brush tip markers. These pens come with both a fine-tipped nib and a felt brush tip. Since I have been using brush markers for a couple of years, these are not all that special. However, for someone inexperienced working with these kinds of pens, this set is a good way to get their feet wet.

I also like how these markers have very little bleed-through. Unlike some professional-grade color markers, these would only leave a couple of spots rather than going through several pages. That said, you should use single-page coloring books with good quality paper. I also suggest placing a sheet of paper underneath the page you are working on.

I got this set of markers as a practice set for my calligraphy so I do not waste the ink of my more expensive color markers. The felt brush tips have enough flexibility to mimic real brush strokes, but they are still firm enough that they will spring back once I lift them off the paper.

However, I do wish that the brush tips were a bit more durable. After a couple of practice rounds, the tips of the brush nibs have started to fray. Some of them have gotten so damaged that I had to trim off the tips to make them sharp again.

10. Aen Art Markers Brush Pens

For a fraction of the price of the top brands of color markers, you will be getting 36 markers of different colors. I bought two sets of these markers intending to use them as practice sets so I will not waste any of my more expensive markers. And I have to say, they worked better than I expected they would.

One thing I liked the most about these markers is all of them have dual tips. I mainly bought these pens for the brush tips because I wanted to practice my brushstroke calligraphy. I was quite surprised that the felt brush tips worked so well. They were firm enough to resist wear and tear but also flexible enough to mimic how real brushes work.

The other end of the pen is 0.4mm fine-tipped marker, which I found were ideal for fine line drawings, outlining, and journaling. The latter I just started doing lately, and I found that using different colors per entry made the activity more enjoyable. You will find that these markers have many other uses other than just for adult coloring books.

However, if you are going to buy these markers for adult coloring books, you will like the highly pigmented inks that these markers have. All the colors show clearly on paper and they contrast well against each other. I have tried these markers a couple of times for coloring and they were surprisingly easy to blend using just a bit of water.

I knew beforehand that these markers will not be perfect based on their price. I got a set with a couple of the fine tips that were a bit dried out and would not write. However, I managed to make them write again after dipping the tips in a bit of warm water.

What to Look For When Buying a Markers for Adult Coloring Book

Here are a couple of factors that you might want to consider when you are shopping for your first set of markers for adult coloring books.

Number of Colors

Adult coloring books should be able to make use of as many different colors as you can put into them. This can add a more therapeutic value to the hobby. You cannot do that if you only have 10 or so colors to play with.

Aim for marker sets that contain at least 24 colors. Go for even above 50 if your budget permits it. This will give you at least a couple of shading and highlighting options, thereby providing your adult coloring books a more polished look.

Does not Bleed Through the Page

You should choose a set of markers with minimal to no bleeding. It is almost impossible to find markers that do not bleed into the page you are coloring. However, you can still find those that do not bleed quite as much as other brands.

With that in mind, you should be using single-page adult coloring books if you plan to color them with markers. Place a sheet or two of paper underneath the page you are working on so that the ink will not bleed into the next page.

Color Accuracy

If you are particularly obsessive about the way your adult coloring books look, then you need to use markers that have high color accuracy. This simply means that you can identify colors easily like you can pick out which markers are reds and which ones are oranges.

In addition, the colors presented on the pen caps should be exactly like or very close to the actual color of the ink.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What Kind of Pens do you Use for Adult Coloring Books?

You can use water-based, alcohol-based, or gel pens for adult coloring books. It will depend on what kinds of pens you are used to and the kind of look that you are trying to achieve.

Are Copic Markers Good for Coloring Books?

Yes, Copic Markers are very good for adult coloring books. However, because they are so expensive, most people would rather use them for professional applications.

Conclusion

The best markers for adult coloring books are those that can make you happy when you use them. They should not be so cheaply made that coloring using them stresses you out, which is opposite to what you want to achieve.

The markers should also not be so expensive that you feel like it would be a waste to use them on coloring books. Find the happy medium that suits your needs and your budget. If you find the right set of pens, you can look forward to many days of coloring ahead.