10 Best Colored Pencils 2026 in the United States

The Shuttle Art 138 Colored Pencils set offers an impressive range of 138 vibrant colors, making it a great choice for anyone from beginners to more experienced artists who want a wide palette to work with. These pencils have soft cores, which means the colors are easy to blend and layer, perfect for smooth shading and creative effects. The cores are also designed to resist breaking, which is helpful during sharpening or heavy use. Each pencil is numbered and named, accompanied by a DIY color chart, making it easier to find and organize colors, a nice feature for both adults and kids working on detailed projects.

The set comes with useful extras like a sketch pad, coloring book, sharpeners, and pencil extenders all neatly packed in a sturdy metal case, offering solid storage and portability. Shuttle Art is a trusted brand with a strong reputation, backed by many positive reviews. The price is reasonable considering the extensive color selection and accessories included, making this a good value for hobbyists, students, and casual artists looking for a versatile and enjoyable colored pencil set.

The Crayola Colored Pencils Set with 120 colors is a great choice for kids and classrooms thanks to its large color range and trusted brand reputation. These pencils have a smooth, creamy core that makes coloring and blending easy, which is especially helpful for young artists just starting out. The pencils come pre-sharpened, so kids can dive right into their artwork without any hassle.

While Crayola is known for quality and safe materials, these pencils are designed primarily for casual use rather than professional or archival artwork, so they may not offer strong lightfastness (resistance to fading over time) or very hard cores that some artists prefer for fine detail. The set is quite affordable considering the quantity, making it an excellent value for schools, homeschooling, or families with multiple children.

With so many colors, some shades might be quite similar, which could be a bit overwhelming or unnecessary for beginners. If you are looking for a fun, reliable, and budget-friendly pencil set mainly for kids or general coloring activities, this Crayola set delivers well without being overly specialized.

The Soucolor 72-Color Colored Pencils set is designed for a wide range of users, from kids and teens to adults, making it versatile for various art projects and school supplies. With 72 vibrant colors, the set offers a rich palette for smooth coloring, blending, and shading, which is ideal for drawing, sketching, and coloring books. The soft core of the pencils ensures an easy sharpening process and minimizes breaking, cracking, or crumbling, which can be a common frustration with colored pencils.

The included Soucolor pencil box is a convenient feature that helps keep the pencils organized and easily accessible. Safety is also a priority with these pencils, as they are made from odorless materials and come with an EN71 safety certificate. However, they do pose a choking hazard for children under three years old.

Some users might find the core's softness not suitable for detailed work requiring harder pencils. Additionally, for professional artists seeking top-tier lightfastness (resistance to fading over time), these pencils might not meet those high standards. Given their affordability and wide color range, they are an excellent choice for beginners, hobbyists, and those looking for a comprehensive coloring set without breaking the bank.