We colored with six different pencil brands for 40 hours total — filling in mandalas, landscapes, and detailed floral pages — and the differences were way bigger than we expected. Some pencils glided like butter. Others tore up the paper, had weird waxy buildup, or had colors that looked nothing like what was on the pencil.
How We Tested
We used the same coloring book (Creative Haven’s “Mandala Designs” on standard coloring book paper) and filled three mandalas with each pencil brand. We tested for: color vibrancy, blending ability, breakage rate, comfort during long sessions, and how well they worked on different paper types.
1. Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils — $24 (72-pack: $50)
Best overall for adult coloring
These are the standard for a reason. The soft core lays down rich, vibrant color with barely any pressure. Blending is smooth — you can layer three or four colors and they melt together beautifully. The color selection in even the 24-pack covers the spectrum well.
Pros: Incredible blending, vibrant pigments, soft cores fill large areas fast, available everywhere
Cons: The soft cores break easily — we snapped four pencils in 40 hours. They don’t hold a sharp point for detail work. The wood casing splinters when sharpening with anything other than a manual sharpener.
2. Faber-Castell Polychromos — $35 (72-pack: $80)
Best for detail work
The oil-based cores are harder than Prismacolor’s wax ones, which means they hold a sharp point way longer. If you’re coloring intricate patterns or small spaces, these are your best bet. The colors are rich but slightly more muted than Prismacolor — think fine art palette rather than punchy.
Pros: Hold a sharp point for detail, don’t break nearly as often, smooth laydown, color names are genuinely helpful (not random numbers)
Cons: Harder cores mean you press harder for full coverage. Less blendable than Prismacolor. More expensive. The pencil body is thinner, which cramps our hand after 30+ minutes.
3. Castle Art Supplies Colored Pencils — $18 (72-pack: $30)
Best budget pick
For under $20, these punch above their weight. The colors are surprisingly vibrant, and the 72-pack gives you more shades than you’ll ever need. But the cores are inconsistent — some pencils are buttery smooth while others feel scratchy on the paper.
Pros: Great price, wide color range, decent blending, comes in a nice tin, better than Crayola for adults
Cons: Inconsistent core quality, some colors are much harder to blend than others, white pencil is basically useless (can’t lay it over dark colors)
4. Crayola Colored Pencils — $8 (50-pack)
Best for: absolute beginners who aren’t sure they’ll stick with it
Look, Crayola pencils work. They just don’t work great. The colors are less vibrant, blending is nearly impossible, and the harder wax cores require heavy pressure for coverage. But at $8 for 50, they’re the cheapest way to find out if you enjoy coloring before committing.
Pros: Dirt cheap, available at any drugstore, decent for kids’ coloring books, don’t break easily
Cons: Dull colors, can’t blend, waxy buildup when you layer, limited color range, not satisfying to use on adult coloring books
5. Derwent Coloursoft — $28 (24-pack: $45)
Best for bold, vibrant coloring
These pencils lay down the most pigment per stroke of anything we tested. The colors are bold, saturated, and almost painterly. If you like your coloring to pop, these deliver.
Pros: Extremely vibrant, soft and creamy laydown, great for filling large areas, colors are true to what’s on the pencil
Cons: Very soft cores break constantly — we broke six pencils in our test period. Hard to sharpen to a fine point. The round barrel rolls off the table constantly.
6. Arteza Colored Pencils — $22 (72-pack: $28)
Best value for quantity
72 pencils for $28 is a lot of colors. The problem: many of those colors are barely distinguishable from each other, and the pigment quality is noticeably lower than the brands above. They’re fine for casual coloring but frustrating for detailed work.
Pros: Incredible quantity for the price, smooth case, decent initial laydown
Cons: Many colors are nearly identical, wax buildup when layering, tips break frequently, colors look washed out next to Prismacolor or Polychromos
Our Recommendation
If you’re just starting out, grab the Castle Art 72-pack for $30. It’s enough quality to be satisfying without the investment. When you’re ready to get serious, the Prismacolor Premier 72-pack at $50 is the sweet spot of quality and value. And if detail work is your thing, add a few Polychromos for the fine lines.