Best Pens for Note-Taking (2027): 7 Picks by Use

Seven pens standing tip down, labeled with their pick: Pilot G2 overall, Pentel EnerGel RTX fast-drying, Pilot Juice Up 0.4 fine lines, Pilot FriXion Clicker erasable, uni Jetstream 4&1 multi-color, BIC Cristal bulk and uni-ball Jetstream RT left-handed — One pick per note-taking job, drawn in proportion. Pilot and Pentel publish no length for three of the pens, so the lineup isn't to scale.

Products compared

Product	Brand origin	Made in	Price range
Pilot G2 Premium Retractable Gel PenPilot	Japan	Japan^*	Price range: $
Pentel EnerGel RTXPentel	Japan	Japan or Mexico^*	Price range: $
Pilot Juice Up 04 gel pen (0.4 mm)Pilot	Japan	Japan^*	Price range: $
Pilot FriXion Clicker Erasable Gel PenPilot	Japan	Not stated^*	Price range: $
uni Jetstream 4&1 multi pen (MSXE5-1000)uni-ball	Japan	Japan^*	Price range: $$
BIC Cristal ballpoint penBIC	France	Mexico^*	Price range: $
uni-ball Jetstream RT retractable ballpointuni-ball	Japan	Japan^*	Price range: $

Notes on these facts

Pilot G2 Premium Retractable Gel Pen: Made by Pilot Corporation (Japan); sold in the US by Pilot Corporation of America. Made in Japan: per US retailer spec sheets (Stop & Shop, OnTimeSupplies for item 31171). Some grocery listings for a 4-pack say "Japan, USA", so origin may vary by pack. Pilot's US site doesn't state it in the sources we found. Source. Price: example listing.
Pentel EnerGel RTX: Made by ASTRUM Corporation (Tokyo), called Pentel Co., Ltd. until April 1, 2026; Pentel remains the brand. Made in Japan or Mexico: Pentel of America's 2022 product catalog gives the origin of the EnerGel RTX (BL77 metal tip and BLN73/75/77 needle tips) as 'Japan / Mexico' without saying which SKU comes from where. Retailer listings match: OfficeSupply.com lists Mexico for one RTX listing. Pentel's Japanese product page doesn't state a country. Check the package of the exact pen you buy. Source. Price: example listing. Released: Year the EnerGel line launched, per Pentel's Japanese news release of August 7, 2026. Pentel's Japanese magazine says it was sold only outside Japan at first, with Japanese sales starting in 2003. We found no separate debut date for the US RTX model.
Pilot Juice Up 04 gel pen (0.4 mm): Made by Pilot Corporation (Japan). Made in Japan: per importer Simple Paper's listing (Origin: Japan). Pilot's Japanese web catalog doesn't state the country of manufacture in the pages we found. Source. Price: example listing. Released: Japanese launch of the 0.3 and 0.4 mm, per Pilot's press release of August 9, 2016. Pilot doesn't sell the Juice Up under its own US brand; it reaches the US through importers.
Pilot FriXion Clicker Erasable Gel Pen: Made by Pilot Corporation (Japan); sold in the US by Pilot Corporation of America. Country of manufacture not stated: Pilot's US product page and Pilot Japan's catalog don't state the country, and the Amazon listing for item 31450 we read on October 20, 2026 gives none. An earlier version of this guide cited Japan from McKesson and OnTimeSupplies listings, but on October 20, 2026 the McKesson page required a business login and the OnTimeSupplies page was gone, so we couldn't confirm it. Price: example listing.
uni Jetstream 4&1 multi pen (MSXE5-1000): Made by Mitsubishi Pencil Co., Ltd.. Made in Japan: The Journal Shop lists Japan as the country of origin for the 0.5 mm 4&1. Mitsubishi Pencil's Japanese product page and press releases don't state it. Source. Price: example listing. Released: Mitsubishi Pencil's February 17, 2011 press release says the Jetstream 4&1 first came out in November 2008.
BIC Cristal ballpoint pen: Made by Société BIC (France); sold in the US by BIC Corporation. Made in Mexico: BIC's French 75th-anniversary press kit (2025) says the Cristal is still made in BIC's own factories in France, Brazil, Mexico and South Africa, on machines BIC designs. For US packs, a Stop & Shop listing for a blue Cristal Xtra Smooth 10-pack gives Mexico, as did distributor listings for MS11 black and red (Aztek, Dealer Commander). European packs of the Cristal Original have been listed as made in France (Farnell). Check the pack. Source. Price: example listing.
uni-ball Jetstream RT retractable ballpoint: Made by Mitsubishi Pencil Co., Ltd.. Made in Japan: per US business-supplier spec sheets for items 62152 (0.7 mm black), 62153 (0.7 mm blue) and 73834 (1.0 mm red), all listing Japan; Unsharpen also lists Japan. uni's US store, uni-ball UK and Mitsubishi Pencil's Japanese site don't state it. Source. Price: example listing. Released: Mitsubishi Pencil's February 17, 2011 press release says the Jetstream Standard went on sale in Japan in July 2006; we found no separate US launch date for the RT.
Price bands are typical US retail, checked October 2026. Conversions to US dollars are approximate, at October 2026 rates (US$1 = ¥158 = ₩1,330 = NT$32.5 = CN¥6.7 = SEK 9.9 = DKK 6.7 = ₺49.6 = C$1.41 = A$1.43 = CZK 21.7; €1 = US$1.12; £1 = US$1.32; CHF 1 = US$1.21).

Key takeaways

Tips for note-taking run from the Pilot Juice Up 0.4 mm, which Pilot says writes a 0.2 mm line in black, to 1.0 mm on the G2, EnerGel, FriXion, Cristal and Jetstream RT.
Pentel and uni-ball both market their inks as quick-drying for left-handed writers, but neither publishes a dry time in seconds.
Pilot says FriXion ink turns invisible above 60 °C (140 °F), so it suits drafts and study notes, not signed documents.
The uni Jetstream 4&1 puts black, red, blue and green ink plus a 0.5 mm pencil in one 148.8 mm body; Mitsubishi Pencil lists it at ¥1,100 (about US$7) in Japan.
Six of the seven are in our lowest band, $ (under $5 per pen); the Jetstream 4&1 is $$ ($5–20).

What is the best pen for taking notes?

The Pilot G2 is the best pen for taking notes for most people, but the best pick for smudge-free speed, small handwriting, erasing, color-coding, bulk buying or left-handed writing is a different pen. Picks are based on published specs and maker claims; we haven’t tested them yet.

Best overall: Pilot G2 0.5 or 0.7 mm. A refillable gel pen in four tips from 0.38 to 1.0 mm and up to 41 core colors, per Pilot USA, sold in almost every US store.
Fast and smudge-free: Pentel EnerGel RTX 0.5 mm needle tip. Pentel says its “liquid gel” ink is lower in viscosity and quicker drying than ordinary gel ink.
Fine lines for small handwriting: Pilot Juice Up 04. Pilot says the black 0.4 mm writes a 0.2 mm line, fine enough for small notes in narrow-ruled books; in the US it is sold by importers.
Erasable: Pilot FriXion Clicker 0.7 mm. Pilot says its ink turns invisible above 60 °C (140 °F), the heat its end eraser makes by friction.
Multi-color: uni Jetstream 4&1. Black, red, blue and green ballpoints plus a 0.5 mm pencil in one 148.8 mm body, for color-coded notes without a pencil case.
Cheap in bulk for students: BIC Cristal. A capped 1.0 mm ballpoint sold since December 1950 that BIC says writes up to 3 km; multi-packs sit well inside our under-$5 band.
Left-handed: uni-ball Jetstream RT 0.5 mm. uni-ball markets its low-viscosity oil-based ink as quick-drying and smudge-resistant, and recommends it to left-handed writers.

How do the seven note-taking pens compare?

Six are retractable and refillable; the BIC Cristal is a capped disposable, and the Jetstream 4&1 is the only multi pen.

Pen	Ink	Tips for notes	Refills	Made in	Band
Pilot G2	Gel	0.38 · 0.5 · 0.7 · 1.0 mm	All sizes	Japan	$
Pentel EnerGel RTX	Liquid gel	0.3 · 0.5 needle, 0.7, 1.0 mm	LRN, LR	Japan or Mexico	$
Pilot Juice Up 04	Pigment gel	0.4 mm (0.2 mm line)	LP3RF	Japan	$
Pilot FriXion Clicker	Erasable gel	0.7 · 1.0 mm	0.7 mm (US)	Not stated	$
uni Jetstream 4&1	Oil-based, 4 colors + 0.5 mm pencil	0.38 · 0.5 · 0.7 mm	SXR-80	Japan	$$
BIC Cristal	Oil-based	1.0 mm (about 0.4 mm line)	None	Mexico (US packs)	$
uni-ball Jetstream RT	Low-viscosity oil-based	0.5 · 0.7 · 1.0 mm	SXR	Japan	$

Line widths are from Pilot (Juice Up) and retailer spec sheets (Cristal). Pilot lists the Juice Up at ¥275 (about US$1.70) in Japan and Pentel the EnerGel RTX at ¥275 (about US$1.70); US prices vary by pack.

Gel, ballpoint or erasable: which ink is best for notes?

Gel is best for most note-takers because it writes dark with light pressure; choose a low-viscosity ballpoint if you smear, and erasable gel only for drafts. Our gel pen roundup compares eight gel pens in more detail.

Ordinary ballpoint ink, as in the BIC Cristal, needs more pressure but dries almost at once. The Jetstream’s low-viscosity ink sits between the two. FriXion ink can vanish in a hot car, so don’t trust it with notes you can’t rewrite.

What tip size is best for small handwriting?

Use 0.3 to 0.5 mm for small handwriting or narrow ruling, and 0.7 mm if you write large and fast. A finer tip puts down less ink, which also cuts drying time and show-through on thin paper.

Pilot’s 0.2 mm line for the black Juice Up 0.4 mm is the finest stated line of the seven. The G2 0.38 mm and the EnerGel 0.3 mm needle are the finest tips you’re likely to find in a US office-supply store.

Which pen won’t smudge for left-handed note-takers?

A quick-drying ink in a fine tip: the Jetstream RT 0.5 mm or the EnerGel RTX 0.5 mm. Pentel recommends EnerGel for left-handed writers, and JetPens says it recommends the EnerGel to lefties who smear. Our guide to pens for left-handed writers adds the Zebra Sarasa Dry, a fountain pen and advice by writing style.

Can you take notes in several colors with one pen?

Yes: the uni Jetstream 4&1 holds black, red, blue and green refills plus a 0.5 mm pencil, chosen by pressing the clip. Mitsubishi Pencil sells it in 0.38, 0.5 and 0.7 mm, with SXR-80 refills for each color. It is heavier than a single pen, at about 24 g per retailers.

What’s the cheapest pen for students buying in bulk?

The BIC Cristal, sold in multi-packs that work out well under $5 per pen. BIC gives each pen 0.4 g of ink, enough for up to 3 km of writing. The catch is that it is capped and can’t be refilled; the G2 and EnerGel cost more per pen but take refills.

Specialist reviewers point the same way on fast-drying ink.

JetPens says it always recommends the Pentel EnerGel to left-handed writers who smear.
The Pen Addict has called EnerGel lines cleaner and faster-drying than the G2’s.
Wirecutter has named the Jetstream RT a top pick since 2013, per uni’s US store; we couldn’t open Wirecutter’s page to confirm its current pick.

Where are these pens made?

Retailers and makers list four of the seven as made in Japan, and US packs of the BIC Cristal list Mexico. Pentel of America’s catalog gives Japan or Mexico for the EnerGel RTX, and no source we could confirm states where the FriXion Clicker is made, so check the pack.

Frequently asked questions

What pen do most students use for notes?

A cheap ballpoint or a gel pen. The BIC Cristal is the low-cost standard sold in multi-packs, and the Pilot G2 is the gel pen Pilot USA calls America's No. 1 selling gel ink pen brand, citing Circana.

Is a gel pen or a ballpoint better for taking notes?

Gel pens such as the Pilot G2 write a darker line with less pressure, which helps on long lectures; ballpoints such as the BIC Cristal and Jetstream RT are less likely to smear. Pick a fast-drying gel, such as the Pentel EnerGel, if you want both.

What is the best pen for small handwriting?

A 0.3 to 0.4 mm tip. Pilot says the black Juice Up 0.4 mm writes a 0.2 mm line; the Pilot G2 0.38 mm and the Pentel EnerGel 0.3 mm needle tip are easier to find in US stores.

Which pen doesn't smudge when you write fast?

Pentel markets the EnerGel's liquid gel ink as quick-drying, and uni-ball says the same of the Jetstream's oil-based ink. Neither publishes a dry time; finer tips put down less ink and smear less.

Can you use erasable pens for notes?

Yes, for drafts and study notes. Pilot says FriXion ink turns invisible above 60 °C (140 °F) and advises against using it for legal or official documents, so keep it away from car dashboards and signatures.

What is the best multi-color pen for notes?

The uni Jetstream 4&1: black, red, blue and green ballpoints plus a 0.5 mm mechanical pencil in one body, refilled with SXR-80 cartridges in 0.38, 0.5 or 0.7 mm.

What is the best pen for left-handed note-taking?

A quick-drying ink in a fine tip: the uni-ball Jetstream RT in 0.5 mm, which uni-ball recommends to left-handed writers, or the Pentel EnerGel RTX in 0.5 mm. Our left-handed guide covers more options.

Sources (13)

Plain-text version for AI agents: best-pens-for-note-taking.md · Spotted an error? See how we check facts.