The best gel pens nearly all come from Japan. Japanese makers have spent decades refining the category, and it shows in the details: ink that goes down evenly without blobbing, fine tips that genuinely write at their stated size, and barrels that feel considered rather than incidental. This guide compares the gel pens we think are worth buying, and who each one suits.
Everything recommended here is in stock at The Journal Shop, so each pen links straight to it.
What makes a good gel pen
Consistent ink flow. A good gel pen starts on the first stroke, doesn't skip on curves and doesn't leave blobs at the end of a line.
Drying time. Gel ink is wetter than ballpoint ink, so it takes longer to dry. That matters if you are left-handed or close your notebook straight after writing.
Tip size. 0.5mm is the everyday standard. 0.38mm suits small handwriting and planners. 0.3mm and below is for very fine, dense writing.
Pigment or dye ink. Pigment inks resist water and fading once dry; dye inks tend to be brighter but less permanent.
Zebra Sarasa: the best all-rounder
If you only buy one gel pen, make it the Zebra Sarasa Clip. It writes smoothly, comes in an enormous range of colours, and its spring-loaded binder clip slides over notebook covers without scratching them. It is also very good value, which makes it the easiest pen to build a colour collection around.
The Sarasa family covers most needs on its own. The Sarasa Dry uses a quick-drying formulation that makes it the best gel pen for left-handers and fast note-takers. The Sarasa Nano 0.3mm writes a crisp hairline for tiny planner boxes. The Sarasa Milk pastels are opaque enough to show up clearly, even on cream paper.
uni-ball One: the best for vivid colour
The uni-ball One uses an ink designed to keep colour near the surface of the paper rather than letting it soak in. The result is noticeably more saturated colour than an ordinary gel pen, with blacks that look properly black. That makes it the best gel pen for colour-coding, where colours need to be easy to tell apart at a glance.
The uni-ball One 8-pack is the easiest way in. The One Fika comes in soft, café-inspired barrels, and the uni-ball One Tri-Colour puts three colours in one pen.
uni-ball Signo: the best for permanent ink
The Signo is one of the most widely recommended gel pens in the world, largely because of its ink. It is pigment-based, so once dry it resists water and fading, which suits anything you want to last: letters, records, labels and journals. The retractable uni-ball Signo RT1 is our everyday pick.
Pentel EnerGel: the best for speed
EnerGel ink is built to dry fast and flow freely, so it glides across the page with almost no pressure. It is a good choice for anyone who writes quickly or for long stretches. The EnerGel InFree has a clear barrel so you can see exactly how much ink is left.
Sakura Gelly Roll: the best for creative work
The Gelly Roll is the pen that brought Japanese gel ink to the rest of the world, and it remains the go-to for creative work. The Gelly Roll Moonlight writes in bright, opaque colours that show up even on dark paper, while the Gelly Roll Metallic adds a shimmer that suits cards, scrapbooks and journal headings.
For a gel pen that lasts: refillable options
If you would rather keep one good pen than keep buying new ones, the Leuchtturm1917 Drehgriffel Nr. 1 is a twist-action metal gel pen that takes refills, designed to match Leuchtturm notebooks. The Kaco Pure set offers a lower-cost route to a full colour range.
Best gel pens at a glance
- Best overall: Zebra Sarasa Clip 0.5mm.
- Best for left-handers: Zebra Sarasa Dry.
- Best for colour-coding: uni-ball One.
- Best permanent ink: uni-ball Signo RT1.
- Best for fast writing: Pentel EnerGel InFree.
- Best fine tip: Zebra Sarasa Nano 0.3mm.
- Best for dark paper and crafts: Sakura Gelly Roll Moonlight.
- Best refillable: Leuchtturm1917 Drehgriffel Nr. 1.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best gel pen?
For most people, the Zebra Sarasa Clip: smooth, reliable, inexpensive and available in a huge range of colours. If you need permanent ink, choose the uni-ball Signo; for the brightest colours, the uni-ball One.
Which gel pen dries fastest?
The Zebra Sarasa Dry and Pentel EnerGel are both formulated to dry quickly, which is why they are the usual recommendation for left-handed writers.
Are gel pens good for journaling?
Yes. Fine gel pens are the most popular journaling pen. See our guide to the best pens for journaling for a full kit.
Gel pen or ballpoint?
Gel pens are smoother and more colourful; ballpoints dry faster and last longer. Our guide to ballpoint vs gel vs rollerball pens explains the difference in detail.
Where to start: browse our full range of gel pens.
