10 Best Colored Pencils For Adults 2025 in the United States

The Soucolor 180-Color Artist Colored Pencils Set offers a wide array of 180 vibrant colors, making it an excellent choice for those who enjoy a diverse color palette for adult coloring books, sketching, shading, and blending. The pencils come in a convenient and durable metal tin box, ensuring easy storage and organization. Each pencil is numbered, which helps in quickly finding and using the right color without hassle.

The soft core of the pencils allows for smooth application and easy blending, which is beneficial for creating detailed and colorful illustrations. Additionally, these pencils are designed to be durable and not prone to breaking, cracking, or crumbling, which is a significant advantage during lengthy coloring sessions. The ease of sharpening also means less frustration and more uninterrupted creativity time.

The pigment quality, while decent, might not meet the highest professional standards, especially for those who prioritize lightfastness (the resistance of colors to fading over time). This set is a great choice for beginners, hobbyists, and even kids (above the age of 3) due to its user-friendly design and safe, odorless materials. Professional artists might find the lightfastness and pigment quality somewhat lacking for long-term projects. The Soucolor 180-Color Artist Colored Pencils Set is a versatile and comprehensive set that is well-suited for amateur artists and coloring enthusiasts who value variety and ease of use.

The KALOUR 72 Count Colored Pencils set is particularly well-suited for adult coloring enthusiasts, beginners, and even kids interested in art. One of the standout features of this set is the wide range of 72 vibrant colors, which offers ample variety for any project. Each pencil is clearly labeled with a unique number and color name, aiding in easy identification and selection.

The soft cores are highly pigmented, ensuring rich, vivid colors that are ideal for blending and shading, making it a great choice for detailed artwork and adult coloring books. The cores are also described as break-resistant, adding to their durability and making them reliable during extensive use. The high-quality basswood body makes these pencils easy to sharpen without frequent breaking, which can be very convenient for continuous use.

While the pencils are marketed as perfect for both adults and kids, the soft core might wear down quickly with heavy use, potentially leading to more frequent sharpening. Despite these potential drawbacks, the pencils meet safety standards, making them non-toxic and safe for users aged five and up. This set is well-regarded by many users for its blendability, color range, and ease of use.

The PRINA 120 Colors Colored Pencils set offers a wide and vibrant color range that’s great for adults who enjoy detailed coloring, drawing, or sketching. These pencils use oil-based, soft cores that provide smooth application and rich pigment, making blending and layering easier—ideal for creating nuanced artwork. The thick core also suggests these pencils are durable enough for repeated use without breaking easily. With an HB hardness rating, these pencils lean towards a medium softness, which balances smooth color flow with reasonable control but might not suit users who prefer very hard or very soft cores.

The included portable zipper case keeps everything organized and protected, making it handy for travel or storage. The set also comes with a sketchbook and a drawing tutorial, which is helpful for beginners wanting to learn color techniques. The set is non-toxic and eco-friendly, suitable for adults and safe around kids.

This kit suits adult colorists who want a large variety of vibrant colors and smooth blending capabilities, especially those who enjoy layering and shading, while beginners will appreciate the extra sketchbook and instructions. Artists needing detailed pigment lightfastness information or very specific core hardness may want to consider further options.