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 Crayola Colored Pencils Set offers 120 vibrant, assorted colors that are ideal for a wide range of creative projects. These pencils are designed with a smooth, creamy texture, which makes them easy to blend and layer, appealing to both beginners and those who enjoy casual coloring. The pre-sharpened tips add convenience, allowing users to start drawing immediately without the need to sharpen each pencil first.

The set is also marketed as durable and long-lasting, making them a practical choice for school supplies and various art projects. They are well-suited for pairing with adult coloring books for creating intricate designs and patterns. While these features are attractive, some key specs for the adult category such as high pigment quality and lightfastness, which ensure the colors remain vibrant over time, may not be on par with professional-grade colored pencils.

Additionally, the core hardness and durability might not satisfy those requiring more substantial and long-lasting tools for detailed artwork. This set is best suited for casual users, kids, and adult beginners who need a broad range of colors and easy-to-use pencils for recreational coloring, rather than professional artists seeking top-tier pigment quality and longevity.