Best colored pencils for 2026
Cutting through the marketing noise to find the right colored pencil set for your actual needs and budget, not just the best-sponsored result.
Updated June 2026Independently researchedNo paid placement. Picks come from reputation, long-term owner feedback, and published expert reviews.
For most people, the Prismacolor Premier Soft Core 72 set offers the best balance of rich, blendable color and value, it’s the set that professional and hobbyist colorists consistently reach for.
If your budget is tight, the Crayola 100 pack is surprisingly capable for casual use; if you want the most lightfast, precise sticks available, the Faber-Castell Polychromos are the premium pick.
Choosing a colored pencil set can feel overwhelming: there are dozens of brands, hundreds of color counts, and a tangle of wax-based, oil-based, and water-soluble options. This site cuts through the noise by focusing on the sets that have earned a loyal following through years of real-world use. Whether you’re sketching portraits, shading mandalas, or illustrating a graphic novel, we help you find the pencils that actually match your style and your workspace.
Prismacolor Premier Soft Core Colored Pencils, 72 Count
Best overall
4.8out of 5The industry standard for good reason: these wax-based pencils lay down incredibly smooth, vibrant color and blend like a dream. The soft cores do break more easily than oil-based rivals, but the range of 72 hues and the buttery texture make it the top choice for detailed, layered work.
Price range: $$$
Check price on Amazon →Faber-Castell Polychromos Colored Pencils, 60 Count
Runner-up
4.7out of 5If you need lightfast, archival-quality color and a fine tip that holds a point, Polychromos are the benchmark. Their oil-based lead is harder and less prone to breakage, and each pencil is a precision tool, ideal for tight illustrations and mixed-media projects.
Price range: $$$$
Check price on Amazon →Crayola Colored Pencils, 100 Count
Best budget
4.2out of 5Don’t underestimate Crayola at this price point: the 100-count set gives you an enormous palette for casual coloring, kids’ projects, and quick sketches. The color payoff is lighter and less blendable than premium sets, but for the cost it’s unbeatable value.
Price range: $
Check price on Amazon →How we choose our picks
We don’t run lab tests or time trials. Instead, we dig into long-term owner feedback from forums, art supply communities, and published expert reviews to find the sets that hold up under real conditions, not just out of the box. We pay attention to what actually breaks (soft-core wax pencils snap; oil-based pencils don’t), how color performance changes after years of use, and how each brand’s customer service handles defective pencils. Our picks are based on consistency across hundreds of user reports, not a single “best” review. We prioritize sets that offer reliable color, good lightfastness for the price, and a core hardness that matches the intended use, from soft and blendable for artists to durable and bright for classroom settings.
Start here: pick by what you need
How we pick
Colored Pencil Picks is independent. We don’t take payment for placement and a commission never moves a product up our list. Our rankings come from research, not sponsorships.