The Best Highlighters

Buying Guide for the Best Highlighters

Why buy a highlighter?

Whether you’re studying and need to highlight keywords or a text passage, are highlighting a favorite line in your book, or need to specify where a document should be signed, highlighters are an extremely useful tool. Highlighting text will allow you to easily find what you are looking for on paper and make it apparent to the eye at first glance. If you work in an office or are a student, highlighters are essential supplies to have on hand.

What should you look for in a highlighter?

• Point: Highlighters come in a variety of shapes and point thicknesses. A wider point is better for highlighting large pieces of text, while skinnier highlighter tips can be great for writing notes or editing. Chiseled tips allow for both thicker and finer lines.
• Color: Once again, the color should stand out against the paper and text, and sometimes multiple colors can be useful for color-coding. Highlighters come in all colors of the rainbow.
• Quick-Dry: Some highlighters will have ink that is quick to dry, which helps to eliminate annoying smudging and keep your writing looking good.

Should you test your highlighters before using them?

If you’re highlighting passages in a book, doing a spot test is not a bad idea to ensure that the highlighter won’t bleed through the pages or smear the print. Conversely, if you have a freshly printed or handwritten document, you might want to ensure the ink is dry before highlighting; otherwise, you risk the ink and highlighter smearing together. Without testing, you can ruin your paper and make the tip of the highlighter dirty.

Our Picks for the Best Highlighters

Pros: This 24-pack of creative markers double as both pens and highlighters, making them the perfect choice for taking notes, underlining, highlighting, drawing, and more. The chisel tip lets you change quickly between precise and broad lines. The mild colors are versatile for all sorts of projects.

Cons: These highlighters may make your pen’s ink run.

Bottom Line: These pens feature no-bleed ink to keep your work looking clean and legible and allow you to create eye-catching illustrations.

 

Pros: This 12-pack of fluorescent, brightly colored highlighters come in classic yellow. The chisel shape creates thick and thin lines to highlight and underline. The barrel tank allows for an ample supply of ink. Simply secure the cap to protect the tip when not in use.

Cons: Some found the tips too soft.

Bottom Line: Despite being a basic choice and single color, these highlighters get the job done efficiently and cost-effectively. These pens are versatile and ideal for home, office, school, or even art projects.

 

Pros: This six-pack of highlighters comes in soft but fashionable colors and will give your work a stylish look. The ink is quick-drying and will prevent smears and smudges. The pens have a large ink reservoir for long marking. They even come with two line widths of 1mm and 5 mm, which are ideal for highlighting texts of various sizes and drawing different line thicknesses.

Cons: Some reviewers mentioned the shape of these pens made them uncomfortable to hold for long periods of time.

Bottom Line: These subtle pastel shade highlighters will make reading easier on your eyes and take on an aesthetic appearance! They make a great gift for those who like to highlight books.

 

Pros: This set of muted earth tone highlighters comes in eight stylish colors, great for journals and memorizing Bible verses. The unique set is perfect for color-coding, and they won’t bleed, fade, or smear over any ink. The best feature is the twistable design, which can be sharpened for a finer tip.

Cons: The darker colors may be too dark for some book pages.

Bottom Line: If you’re a creative journaler, these highlighter pens are a stand-out choice due to their color range and functionality. Plus, they won’t dry out if left uncapped.

 

Pros: This multi-pack of highlighters comes in a unique flower shape, with all five colors acting as a petal. There’s pink, orange, yellow, green, and blue. The highlighters are palm-sized and lightweight, which makes them easy to fit into pencil cases or pockets. This highlighter is made of smoothed plastic, and it is nontoxic. The highlighters have an extra smooth writing system and can be used on many surfaces.

Cons: The colors will dry out quickly if the cap is not placed back after use.

Bottom Line: These fun highlighters are great for the artists or crafters in your life. They are also a great choice for small hands.

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re at home, at work, or in school, there are many benefits to having highlighters around. From bringing attention to your favorite book passage to optimizing your study sessions, these highlighters are useful supplies.