Instead of writing down every interesting thought or passage while studying, use a highlighter pen it, so it’s easy to find and reference later. Here is a handful of the hundreds of highlighter pens out there. These are the cream of the crop, designed to last a while and come with several in a package to make them a better value. Take note of the differences of each as you discover which highlighter pens are best for you.
Avery Hi-Liter Desk-Style Highlighter Pens (12 Pack)
The original highlighter
Hi-Liter was the first highlighter pens on the market, so it makes sense that the Avery Hi-Liter 12 pack would be the best one to grab for any job. This box comes with duplicates of five different colors including the traditional bright yellow hue. Blue, green, orange, and pink are also included. The thick body of these pens makes them easy to grip while the chiseled tips give you the option to highlight with a thick or thin line.
AmazonBasics Chisel Tip (12 Pack)
Thick and thin lines in several colors
This highlighter pen set from AmazonBasics comes in six fun colors. They are about the same size as a regular pen, so they’re much easier to use than the bulky marker-type highlighters. You get a total of 12 highlighter pens in this box and each has a clip so you can slip it in your pocket for quick access on the go. The chiseled points of each pen let you decided how thick your highlighted lines should be.
Crayola Take Note Dual Tip (6 Pack)
For for all ages and creativity levels
This six-pack of colorful highlighters was designed with kids in mind. While they can be used for traditional highlighting in textbooks, research journals, and daily planners, they are also made to be used for coloring. Each highlighter pen has two points. One is a traditional chiseled point. The other is very fine to make doodling more fun. The clip-on cap lets you slip your highlighter into a pocket, binder, or notebook in between uses.
Sharpie Accent Retractable Highlighters (8 Pack)
Don’t worry about losing the top
These highlighter pens from Sharpie have ditched the cap and instead use a retractable mechanism to pull the chisel tip up into the pen in between uses. There are eight different highlighters in this bundle, each one a different color. While the body of these pens is a little chubby, the tips are quite small. These highlighters are filled with ink that won’t smudge text as you use them, and won’t bleed through most paper types.
Mr. Pen Gel Highlighters (8 Pack)
Use on any paper type
The Mr. Pen gel highlighter pens are touted as being “Bible safe.” This means the ink in these pens won’t bleed through any paper, including the super-thin paper used to print Bibles. The ink of these highlighters won’t smudge text, either, which is important when marking newspapers where ink tends to smear more easily when wet. Mr. Pen highlighters come in a pack of eight with eight different colors.
Avery Hi-Liter Pen-Style (6 Pack)
Bright colored highlighter pens with clip-on caps
These highlighters look like a pen down to the clipped cap. This six-pack includes several fun colors in addition to the traditional neon yellow. This gives you more options when highlighting several ideas within the same text. These highlighter pens are filled with smear-proof ink that dries quickly to prevent bleeding, too. The chiseled tips were made to withstand a lot of use without fraying.
Zebra Pen Mildliner Double Ended Highlighters (15 Pack)
A good choice for arts and crafts
This assortment of highlighter pens comes in 15 different, vibrant colors. Each Zebra Pen highlighter has two tips. One is very fine to doodle more details while the other side is thicker for true highlighting or filling in color. The Mildliner pens by Zebra Pen comes in a handy carrying case and does have a 25-count pack available for even more fun.
Stabilo BOSS (6 Pack)
Highlight like a boss in subtle hues
The Stabilo BOSS highlighter pen pack is all pastel colors. These beautiful pens are thick but designed to be held firmly and comfortably as you highlight important passages. The ink of these pens is water-based, so they're more environmentally friendly and less toxic on your skin. If you leave the cap off one of these highlighters it will still be okay to use up to four hours later.
Some highlights of the highlighters
The very first highlighter pens sold were Hi-Liters, which makes the Avery Hi-Liters the best and the original pens. They are designed to be used on anything and anywhere and are reliable to the end. The AmazonBasics highlighters are good, too. They aren’t as bulky as the Hi-Liters and are easier to carry around.
For kids, we recommend the Crayola Take Note highlighter pack. These are designed to withstand the creative colorful nature of kids who want to do a bit more than simply highlight. The Zebra Pen Mildliners are also designed for coloring in addition to highlighting. They come with more pens and colors compared to the other highlighters we looked at.
