The 10 Best Coloring Pencils as of June 2026

How we ranked these coloring pencils

Each pick earns a score out of 10 from weighted criteria:

Performance (35%) — how well each set of coloring pencils does its core job.
Value (25%) — quality and features for the price.
Build & reliability (20%) — materials, longevity and warranty.
Features (20%) — meaningful extras that improve the experience.

At a glance: top 10 compared

Swipe across to see all columns, including Amazon links →

#	Coloring Pencils	Score	Best for	Grade	Approx. Price	Amazon links
1	Faber-Castell Polychromos	9.2	Best professional	Artist (oil-based)	$varies	View Price
2	Caran d'Ache Luminance	9.1	Best premium lightfast	Artist (wax)	$varies	View Price
3	Prismacolor Premier	9.0	Best for blending	Artist (wax-based)	$varies	View Price
4	Derwent Coloursoft	8.7	Best soft British	Artist (soft)	$varies	View Price
5	Derwent Procolour	8.7	Best all-round artist	Artist (hard-ish)	$varies	View Price
6	Faber-Castell Goldfaber	8.6	Best value artist	Student/artist	$varies	View Price
7	Staedtler Ergosoft	8.4	Best for students	Student	$varies	View Price
8	Arteza Coloring Pencils	8.3	Best big budget set	Craft/student	$25	View Price
9	Crayola Coloring Pencils	8.0	Best for kids	Kids	$8	View Price
10	Amazon Basics Coloring Pencils	7.9	Best ultra-budget	Craft	$10	View Price

The full ranking

Best professional

Faber-Castell Polychromos

9.2Our number one pick.

Faber-Castell Polychromos are oil-based artist pencils with superb lightfast pigment, hard cores that hold a point and excellent layering, a benchmark for serious colourists. They are expensive, but the control and quality are exceptional.

Pigment: 9.4Blending: 9.0Build: 9.4Value: 8.6

Pros

Lightfast oil-based pigment
Holds a fine point
Excellent layering

Cons

Expensive
Harder to blend than wax

Check price on Amazon≈ $varies

Best premium lightfast

Caran d'Ache Luminance

9.1A superb runner-up.

Caran d'Ache Luminance are top-tier wax pencils with outstanding lightfastness and smooth, blendable, highly pigmented cores, a professional's luxury choice. They are very expensive, but the quality and permanence are the best.

Pigment: 9.4Blending: 9.2Build: 9.0Value: 8.0

Pros

Outstanding lightfastness
Smooth and blendable
Top pigment

Cons

Very expensive
Soft cores wear

Check price on Amazon≈ $varies

Best for blending

Prismacolor Premier

9.0Rounds out our top three.

Prismacolor Premier are soft, wax-based pencils that lay down rich, creamy color and blend beautifully, beloved for vibrant, smooth work. The soft cores break and wear faster, but for blending and vibrancy they are superb.

Pigment: 9.2Blending: 9.6Build: 8.4Value: 8.6

Pros

Rich creamy color
Superb blending
Vibrant

Cons

Soft cores break
Wear quickly

Check price on Amazon≈ $varies

Best soft British

Derwent Coloursoft

8.7A standout in the upper half.

Derwent Coloursoft pencils have soft, velvety cores that lay down bold, blendable color, a British favorite for expressive work. They wear quickly like all soft pencils, but the color and feel are excellent.

Pigment: 9.0Blending: 9.0Build: 8.4Value: 8.6

Pros

Bold velvety color
Great blending
British brand

Cons

Wear quickly
Cores can break

Check price on Amazon≈ $varies

Best all-round artist

Derwent Procolour

8.7A well-rounded mid-table pick.

Derwent Procolour combines a harder core that holds a point with good blendability and lightfast pigment, a versatile artist pencil. It is pricier, but bridges the hard/soft divide nicely.

Pigment: 9.0Blending: 8.8Build: 8.8Value: 8.6

Pros

Holds a point and blends
Lightfast pigment
Versatile

Cons

Pricey
Range smaller than rivals

Check price on Amazon≈ $varies

Best value artist

Faber-Castell Goldfaber

8.6Great value in the middle of the pack.

Faber-Castell Goldfaber pencils bring much of the Polychromos quality at a lower price, with good lightfastness and smooth laydown, a great mid-range choice. They are slightly less refined, but excellent value.

Pigment: 8.8Blending: 8.6Build: 8.8Value: 9.2

Pros

Near-artist quality
Good lightfastness
Great value

Cons

Less refined than Polychromos
Smaller top range

Check price on Amazon≈ $varies

Best for students

Staedtler Ergosoft

8.4A dependable pick if the price is right.

Staedtler's Ergosoft pencils have a comfortable triangular barrel and decent pigment, ideal for students and schools with a non-slip grip. They are student grade and less blendable, but comfortable and good value.

Pigment: 8.4Blending: 8.2Build: 8.6Value: 9.0

Pros

Comfortable triangular grip
Decent pigment
Good for students

Cons

Student grade
Less blendable

Check price on Amazon≈ $varies

Best big budget set

Arteza Coloring Pencils

8.3Solid, if outshone by pricier rivals.

Arteza's big coloring-pencil sets offer loads of colors at a low price, great for adult coloring books, kids and casual use. The pigment is craft grade and less lightfast, but for quantity and value they are excellent.

Pigment: 8.2Blending: 8.2Build: 8.2Value: 9.4

Pros

Loads of colors cheaply
Good for coloring books
Bright

Cons

Craft grade
Less lightfast

Check price on Amazon≈ $25

Best for kids

Crayola Coloring Pencils

8.0A budget-friendly option worth a look.

Crayola coloring pencils are durable, affordable and non-toxic, perfect for children with break-resistant cores and bright colors. They are basic for artists, but for kids and casual use they are great value.

Pigment: 7.8Blending: 7.6Build: 8.6Value: 9.2

Pros

Durable and non-toxic
Bright and cheap
Great for kids

Cons

Basic pigment
Not for fine art

Check price on Amazon≈ $8

Best ultra-budget

Amazon Basics Coloring Pencils

7.9Rounds out our top ten.

Amazon Basics coloring pencils provide a big, cheap set of pre-sharpened pencils fine for casual coloring and kids. The pigment is basic and they don't blend well, but for the price and quantity they are good value.

Pigment: 7.8Blending: 7.6Build: 8.0Value: 9.2

Pros

Big cheap set
Pre-sharpened
Fine for casual use

Cons

Basic pigment
Poor blending

Check price on Amazon≈ $10

Frequently asked questions

What's the best of the coloring pencils in 2026?

Our top overall pick is the Faber-Castell Polychromos, which leads on our combined score for performance, value and features. The Caran d'Ache Luminance and Prismacolor Premier are excellent alternatives depending on budget and needs.

How did we choose these?

We weight performance, value, build quality and features, drawing on hands-on use and independent testing. See the methodology box above for the full breakdown.

Are these prices accurate?

Prices are approximate UK figures at the time of writing and change frequently. Click through to Amazon for the current price.

The bottom line

If you just want the best coloring pencils without overthinking it, the Faber-Castell Polychromos is our top recommendation — it earns the highest overall score for performance, value and features. Have a look at the current price and see what you think.

Check price on Amazon ≈ $varies

Our top picks at a glance

Faber-Castell Polychromos

Faber-Castell Goldfaber

Caran d'Ache Luminance

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How we ranked these coloring pencils

At a glance: top 10 compared

The full ranking

Faber-Castell Polychromos

Pros

Cons

Caran d'Ache Luminance

Pros

Cons

Prismacolor Premier

Pros

Cons

Derwent Coloursoft

Pros

Cons

Derwent Procolour

Pros

Cons

Faber-Castell Goldfaber

Pros

Cons

Staedtler Ergosoft

Pros

Cons

Arteza Coloring Pencils

Pros

Cons

Crayola Coloring Pencils

Pros

Cons

Amazon Basics Coloring Pencils

Pros

Cons

Frequently asked questions

The bottom line

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