These Classic Colored Pencils Will Make You Want to Color Again

Back in my elementary school art class, my friends and I would scramble for the best colored pencils in the bin of jumbled-up brands—Crayola mixed with Prismacolor mixed with no-name pencils that forced you to press too hard and rip the paper or break the lead. So, as an adult, when I started using colored pencils in an anatomy coloring book for my yoga teacher training, I made sure to buy Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils, which come in multiple sizes (like 24-count and 72-count packs). They were the best choice back then, and they have been Wirecutter’s pick in our guide to the best colored pencils since 2018.

I’m no artist, but I still want a solid variety of colors and a smooth pencil to make coloring a pleasurable experience. In our testing for the guide, the Prismacolor Premier set was among the best in color range and vibrancy. When I color in a diagram of a diaphragm, for instance, I use different colors for bones and muscles, and I match the varying shades to corresponding parts. Coloring anatomy is surprisingly fun, and it’s helpful to mix a relaxing but stimulating activity like coloring with memorization.

The lead is made of soft wax—a sign of good quality at a lower price—which gives the pencils a soft tip for smooth gliding when applying color to a page. This also makes them easy to sharpen with the Prismacolor Premier Pencil Sharpener or any regular pencil sharpener. The metal box they come in is attractive, even though we didn’t rate the set’s packaging top of the list, due to the double-tiered plastic trays. For me, it’s not a big hassle to remove one tray to see all the pencils at once. I found the box good (and narrow) enough to carry on the go.

Prismacolor pencils are easy to work with, they layer well, and their quality is good enough to create realism portraits. My 15-year-old niece, who has been drawing and making all sorts of art projects since the age of 2, tells me this set is her favorite, too. She especially likes the colors’ high pigmentation.

Many of my co-workers agree. “I use the Prismacolor pencils for various card- and sign-making projects for myself and my kids, and they’re a delight. Creamy, vivid, and they blend well,” says supervising editor Ingrid Skjong. Another colleague recently admitted to keeping herself focused during marathon meetings with these pencils and an adult coloring book.

Since I started coloring again, I’ve reawakened one of my childhood joys. But most importantly, for the sake of my yoga journey, I remember anatomy that I otherwise would have forgotten—I even dreamed of it. I’m still in the process of learning and coloring pages, but I think when I’m done, I’ll pick up some coloring books for self-care (and long meetings).

This article was edited by Annemarie Conte and Erica Ogg.