I previously shared my top 3 all time favorite gel pens. In today’s post I’m sharing my top 3 favorite ballpoint pens!

Disclaimer: this post contains affiliate links.

My Favorite Ballpoint Pens

1. PaperMate Inkjoy Ballpoint 1.0M

The PaperMate Inkjoy Gel made it to my favorite gel pens list so it’s probably no surprise that the ballpoint pens are on this list.

They’re my favorite because:

• They write smooth
• Cheap
• Readily available
• All the colors you need (and none of the colors you’ll rarely use e.g. yellow and grey)
• They come in mini (great for travelling) and full size
• They last ages before emptying or drying out
• Although they sometimes leave an indent on the backside of the page, I’ve found it to be less than most ballpoint pens
• Ink dries quickly – not very prone to smudging or smearing

They come in 2 versions – with a lid or retractable. The retractable is my favorite

Related: Pen testing in the Erin Condren Life Planner, Plum Paper, Happy Planner by MAMBI and Limelife Planner 

2. Ooly Bright Writers

These pens write smooth, the ink doesn’t skip and all of the colors in the pack are pretty! Instead of yellow and brown which you’ll probably never use, this brand includes multiple shades of blue, purple and green instead <3

The ink is true to the color of the pen body as well which isn’t always the case with pens.

3. Smiggle

These ballpoint pens are tri grip <3 and write really smoothly. The ink isn’t prone to skipping and all of the essential rainbow colors are included in the pack.

Being Smiggle (i.e. a well known brand), they are on the pricey side. However, I’ve seen various cheaper knocks off that look exactly the same (colors and triangular shape which write just as good) so you could always try one of those first.

I’m always looking for new pen brands to try. Comment below with your favorite ballpoint pen brand 🙂

More Pen Recommendations

• Best pens for writing on washi tape 
• Ultimate list of the best planner pen brands and how to choose colors for color coding 
• How to choose the right planner pens: what to look for when buying planner pens
• After trying more than 20 pen brands, these are my top 5

Planning Tips

• Minimalist planning: simple decorating & divider ideas for your planner using pens 
• How to resize a printable to fit A5 or US half letter (5.5 x 8.5) page size 
• 50 Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Planner

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