Want a little more sparkle in your drawings? Oh come on, we all have that little kid inside of us wanting our pictures to POP on the paper!
Glitter gel pens are the crown jewels in the world of penmanship. The shimmering ink can add a touch of something otherworldly to your words, pictures, or designs.
They’re a big hit with kids thanks to the sparkle effect, but equally fun for adults who want to add a little extra something to their creations. Plus, it’s way easier than fussing about with glitters and glue!
In this article, we look at which are the best glitter gel pens on the market. We’ll recommend the best for adults, kids, the serious crafter, and the occasional hobbyist.
At a Glance: Our Choice of the 5 Best Glitter Gel Pens On The Market
- Sakura Gelly Roll Stardust (Best Overall)
- Copic Spica (Best Premium)
- Aen Art (Best Value)
- Superdoodle
- Caliart
Note: The links above take you to more information, current prices, and customer reviews on Amazon. If you do purchase something, we get a small commission, which has no effect on the final price that you pay.
Here’s what we’ll cover in this post:
Contents
What Can I Use Glitter Gel Pens For?
Glitter pens are ideal for applications such as:
- Invitations, gift tags, and greeting cards
- Notes, memos, and letters
- Scrapbooking and paper crafts
- Illustrations
Best Glitter Gel Pen – Product Roundup & Reviews
1. Sakura Gelly Roll Stardust
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The company Sakura was the first to invent gel pens back in 1984, under the ‘Gelly Roll’ brand name. Since then they’ve produced many ranges of gel pen all with different qualities and characteristics (see their shadow and metallic ranges).
In the year 2000, they introduced their first glitter gel pen, called the ‘Gelly Roll Stardust’. They are excellent glitter pens.
First up, they include a roller ball nib that is easy and comfortable to write that lets the ink run reliably, which makes them very like a standard pen only you get a superb glittery effect.
Plus they’re made with pigment-based archival quality ink which is a cut above most of the others.
The glittery dust is a finely ground, cosmetic grade ingredient which avoids a lot of the issues these types of pens often have (smearing, feathering, etc.). There is no bleed through on most paper types either.
They are super smooth too – what Sakura called ‘ice cream smooth’ lol.
In summary, Sakura makes great pens but don’t expect to get dozens of pens for your money (you only get 6 in a pack). You get relatively few for your buck, but what you do get is very high quality and comfortable to use. They’re ideal for adult coloring books, especially for highlighting details.
PROS
- Superb glittery effect
- No smearing, feathering or bleed through
- Ideal for adult coloring books, especially for highlighting details
CONS
- You don’t get a lot of pens for your money
- Probably wasted on young children
- Pricey
2. Copic Spica
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These Copic Spica Glitter markers are another great choice for the serious crafter, and add some long-lasting sparkle to any art or craft project.
These pens have micro-glass flakes infused in their ink making them super reflective. The glitter effect of these markers is hard to beat, and more intense than the Stardusts above.
The pigment is slightly transparent too, so they’re great for paper crafts for sparkly embellishments and can be used over other inks.
In contrast to the Sakura Gelly Roll Stardust pens, these ones have a felt tip nib (more of a scratch type of tip rather than the gliding type) and do not use a roller ball.
For this reason, they’re great for coloring but lack the precision of a roller ball. However, the felt non-clog tip gives good ink flow and they handle really well.
There are two packs available referred to as ‘Set A’ and ‘Set B’, each with a different selection of colors (the Set A ones are more vibrant). If you want the full range (24 pens) you’ll need to buy both sets.
Note: If you want a Copic marker without the glitter, they also make one of the best markers for adult coloring books, the ‘Ciao Art Marker’.
PROS
- Incredibly sparkly
- Great for coloring large sections
- Handle really well
CONS
- Pricey
- Not for the occasional crafter
3. Aen Art
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If you’re shopping on a budget and looking for a starter pack to give your kids, this pack from Aen Art is a perfect choice. For a very reasonable price, you get 30 premium non-toxic, acid-free ink glitter pens that are safe for kids.
If you’re shopping for young children, quality won’t matter as much as quantity (they’ll soon get bored with 6 pens!). Besides, if you’re kids are anything like ours, they’ll get through them in no time and you don’t want to spend too much on them.
Of course, the quality doesn’t compare with the professional-grade Sakura or Copic pens above, but for kids starting out these will more than suffice and help their artwork pop right off the page!
They’re marketed for adults too, so likewise if you’re an adult just starting out, then these are a great choice too.
PROS
- AMAZING value for money!
- 30 unique colors to help your artwork pop off the page
- Non-toxic and acid-free
- The perfect started pack for adults and children alike
CONS
- The quality doesn’t match that of the pro-grade products
4. Superdoodle
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If you have a bit more cash to spend and fancy upping the ante in terms of quantity, then thus set from Superdoodle is for you. With it, you get a whopping 80 pens comprising of 42 standard glitter and 38 neon glitter gel inks that offers you a bit of contrast.
With a large range of glittery colors available, you will be hard-pressed to run out of colors. Each pen has it’s own unique glitter color too, there are no duplicate colors.
All the pens are non-toxic and have a comfortable, latex-free grip. The ink is smooth flowing and does not bleed through.
This is a good set to buy the kids who are hard to please (aren’t they all?!) and the sheer number of pens you get with this pack should keep them happy for quite a bit. Equally, they’re great for the adult artist.
PROS
- A total of 80 colors (42 standard / 38 neon glitter gel inks)
- Good quality – smooth flowing ink, does not bleed through
- Non-toxic, kid-friendly
- Comes with a handy carry case
CONS
- Not the quality of the pro-grade options
5. Caliart
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Worried about running out of ink of your favorite color? Fear not, as this product from Caliart includes refills for each of its 48 colors. So if you’re ever in the middle of coloring something in and you run out of ink, you just pop in the refill and away you go.
The pens have a 1.0mm ballpoint fine point tip (which is a good medium point) that helps the ink flow freely and doesn’t skip. It also comes in a handy carrying case.
PROS
- Refills for each color, in case you run out
- Great variety of colors
- Handy carry case
CONS
- Not as good quality as others on the list
Which Should I Buy?
They all have their merits and downfalls.
If you’re shopping on a budget, go with the Aen Art 30 pack. For the price of a couple of cups of coffee, you get 30 pens of a decent enough quality for beginners. They’re not the quality of the pro-grade pens, but for children or adults wanting to dabble, they’re a great first set that won’t break the bank.
If you want more colors, and have a bit more cash at your disposal, go with the Superdoodle offering a massive 80 colors.
If you’d rather have fewer colors, and refills in case you run out, go with the Caliart.
Finally, if you’re looking for the creme-de-la-creme of glitter gel pens, you have to try the Sakura Gelly Roll Stardusts or the Copic Spica pens. Both sets are equally great, and your artwork or craft project will thank for you it.
Whichever you choose, we hope you’ve enjoyed this article. Whether you’re a mixed media artist, a scrapbooker, or a card maker, you’ll love the twinkle they’ll give your work.
Best of luck!
Image Credits:
Featured Image Source: Nick Amoscato / CC BY-SA 2.0