15 Best Pens for Note Taking in College: Write with Precision and Style
We have some excellent suggestions if you’re seeking the best pens for note taking to start your pen collection.
Taking notes is an excellent approach to identify and remember the key details discussed at a conference or lecture or to make inferences while reading a new book.
Nowadays, taking notes is frequently done digitally, typically on a laptop or tablet.
However, some people still choose the pen-and-paper approach, which is superior to digital note-taking in many ways.
However, in this article, we will list the 15 best pens for note taking in college. Let’s get right in
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Table of contents
15 Best Pens for Note-Taking
It’s critical to pick a pen that won’t smear when you take your crucial notes.
The options below will therefore help you focus on the best pens for note taking you should buy.
1. Montblanc Meisterstück Rollerball Pen
The pen that tops our list of the best pens for note taking is the most recognizable in the history of pen design.
This pen serves as both a traditional premium writing instrument and a great note-taking tool.
It’s wonderful for taking notes during meetings or writing lengthy letters because it’s thin, lightweight, and comfortable in your hand.
Choose from the Gold Coated Classique, Platinum Coated Classique, or Rose Gold Coated Classique if you prefer the rollerball Meisterstück 163, or purchase a fine liner refill for smudge-free writing on even the smoothest paper.
2. Lamy 2000 Rollerball
Another pen that tops our list of the best pens for note taking is the lamy 2000 rollerball.
This pen appears to have been created recently, yet the original design, which dates back to 1966, makes it a classic.
It boasts a unique, sleek, and contemporary design that is also quite functional and quick to dry.
The pen’s body is composed of fiberglass-reinforced polycarbonate, and while having a tapered design, it fits both small and large hands without any issues.
To maintain them in the proper position, you might need to add a spacer because the refills for this pen are a little bit longer than the typical ones.
The pen comes in a stainless steel form in addition to the traditional black design.
3. Pilot – Metropolitan
The Pilot Metropolitan is the best pen available at this price bracket.
If you’re searching for the best pens for note taking, this one is a terrific choice because it strikes the perfect combination between aesthetics, quality, and price.
First off, the grip piece fits comfortably in your hand, allowing you to take notes for hours on end without your hand getting tired.
The pen is also very sturdy, so you can count on it to remain in your collection for many years.
4. Baron Fig – Squire
Another good pen on our list of the best pens for note taking is the baron fig – squire.
The Baron Fig Squire will undoubtedly offer something fresh if conventional pens are too routine for you.
The length and shape of the pen are appropriate for daily usage, and it has been ergonomically engineered to fit nicely in hands of all sizes.
This pen is incredibly practical in addition to looking fantastic in your hand every time you use it to take notes during meetings.
Its endurance is further assured by the fact that it is composed of stainless steel.
5. Classic Pen – Parker Jotter Premium
Another good pen on our list of the 15 best pens for note taking is the classic pen Parker jotter premium.
It has a reputation for being long-lasting and reliable.
This common ballpoint pen is a dependable instrument for all writing tasks and the ideal choice if you like leaner pens.
This stainless steel pen will probably remain in your writing supplies for many years to come.
Its metal barrel makes it incredibly sturdy, and it will last for years inside a purse or bag without suffering any harm.
6. Zebra Sarasa Dry Gel Pens
Another of the best pens for note taking is the zebra sarasa dry gel pens.
Smudging is prohibited by the Zebra Sarasa Dry’s instantly drying ink.
This pen really impressed us because of its steady wet-but-not-too-wet ink flow and dark lines, especially at smaller tip sizes.
Its restricted color selection and smearing under highlighters are two drawbacks.
Purchasing more colors of Zebra Sarasa R Gel Pens, which write with vivid dye-based ink, can help with the former.
Zebra Sarasa Mark On Gel Pens, which easily resist highlighters, take care of the latter issue.
7. Uni-ball One Gel Pens
We were impressed by the Uni-ball One’s high level of workmanship, from its smooth rubber grip to its reliable metal clip.
Its design is complemented by an avant-garde ink. Large pigment particles leave more vivid and obvious lines than conventional gel inks because they sit on top of a sheet rather than absorbing it.
Increased contrast with the page makes text easier to read. It immediately dries as well.
It does write drier than our other option, and it exhibits the typical problem of gel pens in that it slightly blurs under highlighter.
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8. Uni-ball Jetstream Ballpoint Pens
Jetstream ink dries rapidly, doesn’t skip, and runs smoothly without smudging at all when used with highlighter.
There’s a reason why it’s among the list for our best pens for note taking.
Additionally, it comes in a virtually endless variety of pen bodies. You might want to spend money on a soft grip if you frequently engage in lengthy note-taking sessions.
Pick up a Jetstream Edge with a 0.28 mm tip if you value detail. Try using a multi pen if you’re having trouble deciding between all of these alternatives.
Any decision you make will be well-served by a Jetstream.
9. Zebra bLen Ballpoint Pens
You can concentrate on your notes more easily because of the Zebra bLen’s silent design.
It gets its name from the Japanese term burenai, which means “non-vibrating.”
That promise is kept by its streamlined, noiseless design, allowing you to concentrate on what really counts.
The bLen uses a dark, low-viscosity ink that writes smoothly and without any skips.
For delicate handwriting, we preferred its finer tip size making it among the best pens for note taking in our opinion.
10. Pilot Acroball Spotliter 3 Color Ballpoint Multi Pen + Highlighter
The Pilot Acroball Spotliter features a highlighter tip on one end and three different colors of ballpoint ink.
By just rotating the pen body, you may quickly change the ink color. Twirl the pen to highlight just like you’ve been doing with pencils since elementary school.
Naturally, the smooth ballpoint ink is highlighter-resistant.
Additionally, the Spotliter’s light weight and substantial diameter help to reduce hand fatigue.
11. Uni Style Fit Multi Pen
You may combine up to five different pens into one with the customized Uni Style Fit Multi Pen. Choose refills for pencils, gel pens, and ballpoint pens.
While ballpoint refills use smooth Jetstream ink, gel refills come in an array of colors making it among the best pens for note taking.
Additionally, gel refills use up ink more quickly than ballpoints do.
We advise saving gel ink for colorful annotations rather than whole pages of notes as multi pen refills are already simple to exhaust due to their small size.
The Style Fit system is also compatible with refills from numerous other manufacturers, so you can get creative when personalizing your pen.
12. Pilot Multi Ball Rollerball Pens
The Pilot Multi Ball is more than just what it appears to be, but that initial impression is certainly excellent.
It creates notes that are dark and readable, dry almost fast, and don’t smear when highlighted.
Your line will, however, write clearly and permanently on a variety of surfaces if it strays off the page.
Desks shouldn’t be a concern because they become entirely permanent after six hours.
In addition to taking notes, it’s ideal for labeling binders and even drawing on shoes making it among our recommendations for the best pens for note taking.
13. Pilot Precise V5 Pens
The Pilot Precise V5 pen is a quick, light device. Little pressure is required to produce an impression thanks to the simple glide and feedback-free rollerball tip of this pen.
Given its moist ink flow, we think that it takes a few seconds to dry.
Additionally, it smeared a lot when tested with highlighters, which was true of every rollerball other than the Multi Ball. For such romantic lines, the price is reasonable.
14. Platinum Preppy Fountain Pens
Platinum Preppy Fountain Pens are surprisingly high-quality for their small, cheap bodies.
Each Preppy is cheerfully colored to match the ink cartridge that comes with it, and their springy steel nibs write amazingly effortlessly.
Only the Extra Fine nib has a slight scrape on it, but it works on ordinary paper and dries almost instantly.
Under highlighter, even thicker ink lines remained stationary.
15. TWSBI GO Fountain Pens
The TWSBI GO uses bottled ink, unlike the majority of entry-level fountain pens.
This makes it simple to choose the ink characteristics you like, such as quick drying time, resistance to highlighters, or permanence.
For reams of paper, the GO’s huge piston-fill reservoir will keep your pen inked.
Additionally, we loved the structure, which is light but robust enough to be knocked around in a pencil case.
To avoid ink spills or tiny explosions, remember to remove the cap gently while the pen is pointing up. Fountain pens can be finicky.
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Why you should buy one of the pens listed above
Pens are a functional instrument that most people don’t give much thought to while purchasing, much like notebooks, pencils, and other standard stationery items.
You may occasionally go for extended periods without buying any pens, instead stocking your home or desk with freebies from hotels, companies, conferences, and other locations.
But if you invest just $2 or $3 on a decent pen, the darker, better-flowing ink will make your handwriting more appealing and maybe more readable.
It is worthwhile to spend money on a pen that has a comfortable grip, a tip size that you want for your handwriting, and a design you like.
Everyone has varied hand sizes, comfort preferences, and aesthetic sensibilities.
Even though the last step may seem stupid, appearances matter when it comes to items that you’ll use frequently.
An everyday luxury, a decent pen will offer a better writing experience overall than simple ballpoint sticks, which feel and look cheap and dry out far too quickly.
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Buying guide on the Best Pens for Note Taking
You might ask how we selected the best pens for note taking after reading our pen recommendations.
This wasn’t an easy chore, we have to admit, but what really helped was going over each pen according to the following standards.
1. Ink Flow Quality
The quality of the ink flow is the most crucial factor to consider while selecting the best pen for taking notes.
It’s the best pens for note taking that will enable fluid writing because you don’t want to have to press the pen firmly to do that.
Rollerballs and fountain pens, with the former being more cost-effective, are the best pens for that.
2. Drying Time
Smeared notes are the worst, especially if you’re a lefty who continually has a hand over the words you write when taking extensive notes during a conference or lecture.
These undesirable events are avoided with quick-drying pens, and the best pens for note taking on our list excel in this regard.
3. Ink Intensity
The quality of the ink you use is crucial because it will affect how well you can read your notes when you go back and review them. The ink should be dark and clear.
Because of this, it’s preferable to use darker inks, like black, off-black, and dark blues, however it’s a good idea to keep a few additional ink colors on hand when you want to draw attention to a particular paragraph.
You can find good pens with ink intensity on our list of the best pens for note taking.
4. Tip Type and Size
The type of pen and its size are important factors to take into account when selecting a pen.
In terms of the pen, we’ve already indicated that rollerball pens or fountain pens are the Best pen for note taking in this regard.
The former is even better than the latter when other considerations like smudging are taken into account.
Who are we to decide for you, though, if you prefer fountain pens to rollerballs?
Additionally, choosing the tip size is a matter of preference.
Therefore, while some people prefer stronger tips that tend to dry slower, others prefer the finer tips’ tendency to do so.
5. Highlighter Compatibility
The majority of people like to underline particular sentences or words when they review their notes.
The compatibility of your ink with the highlighter you’re using is a point to take into account when selecting the best pen for taking notes, which takes us back to the smearing issue.
In general, ballpoint pens are the best pens for note taking with highlighters; fountain pens, gel pens, and rollerballs aren’t as compatible.
The quality of the highlighter is another important consideration; we advise making an investment in a decent highlighter that complements the pen you select.
6. Pen Grip and Weight
If you intend to use a pen for a prolonged period of time, it should fit comfortably in your hand.
For the finest writing experience, choose lighter pens with appropriate ergonomic support.
You can find light weight pens from our list of the best pens for note taking.
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Conclusion
If you only try the best pens for note taking that have been reviewed by professionals in the field of writing tools, such as the Truphae team, your search for the best pens for note taking won’t have to be as time-consuming and difficult.
The best pens for note taking that we’ve examined are only a small portion of the large selection of pens and writing instruments that are available in stores.
The Montblanc Meisterstück is a pen that has endured the test of time and has been a favorite among users for many years, therefore in this situation it would be a good option for the best pens for note taking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why write down notes by hand?
A lot of the potential for distractions on your laptop, phone, or tablet are eliminated while taking notes by hand. Notifications rarely ring on your sketchpad on a regular basis. Additionally, making notes by hand causes you to engage your body, slow down, and think more deeply about the words you are putting down than if you were typing.
What is the best pens for note taking?
Despite the fact that I prefer rollerball pens because I find them to be smoother, I believe ballpoint pens are the greatest overall. They can write on slippery surfaces and don’t smear as much as other pens.
Which pen is ideal for students?
We predict that the Baron Fig Squire will be a student fan favorite from the aforementioned list. It’s simply too cool and useful.
References
- Jetpens.com – the best pens for note taking
- Dayspringpens.com – 7 best pens for note taking
- Nytimes.com – 6 best pens for note taking in 2023
