The Best Pastel Highlighters for 2023

It is not just about the hype. Many seem to jump on the bandwagon and opt for the best pastel highlighters in place of the conventional vibrant and neon highlighter pens, while the soft and subtle tones enhance readability. When you highlight the texts in your books or journals, you can also elevate your creativity and artistic skills and make note-taking easy-peasy. But which pastel highlighter should you choose?

In this article, I will walk you through my favorite picks of pastel highlighters that I’ve tried on my personal notes and creative projects. To help you find the worthwhile purchase, I’ve also come up with an in-depth buying guide and unbiased product reviews.

Top 10 Pastel Highlighter Reviews

1. Stabilo Boss Original Highlighter

If you fancy pastel colors but with the classic design of Stabilo BOSS to mark your important notes, you shouldn’t miss this set of 6 of the original Stabilo pastel highlighters. While it is all about the timeless classic design, this highlighter ramps it up with the trendy pastel colors that can give off a soft, subtle, and stylish look on your notes.

Because I unknowingly leave the cap off when working on the notes very often, I find the Anti-Dry technology a major plus. You might also find this technology very useful even when you leave it without a cap for 4 hours! It won’t dry out easily. You can still save the ink and keep your highlighters working.

When it comes to the tip, the widths are 2mm and 5mm, thereby making the highlighter versatile in terms of creating lines, defining the thicknesses, and working on texts and wordings of different sizes. Plus, the tip is sturdy and reliable and won’t easily wear out over time. It’s long-lasting.

Moreover, water-based ink is also one of my favorite features of this product, making it safe to use at all times.

2. JavaPen rainbow pastel Highlighter

Another set of pastel coloured highlighters that can complete your creative arsenal is the JAVAPEN Rainbow Pastel Highlighter set. These 6 playful baby pens keep it sleek and slim so you can hold it with a comfortable grip when you work on your notes.

The pen-style design makes it much easier to write on texts or draw lines with subtle and soft colors. You can even fit it right in the compartment of your bag or let it slip in your pocket!

I also like how it can keep writing notes neat and readable with its quick-drying Smearguard ink that wards off any smears or smudges. This feature is probably very useful when you work on handwritten notes and inkjet printouts.

The bright but mild fluorescent colors render an understated highlighting technique that makes the texts much easier to read. The shades are light and cool in the eyes. The tip, on the other hand, has a width of 4mm which is ideal not only for highlighting texts but also for doodling, drawing, making lines, and a lot more.

Nonetheless, the highlighters do the job and just glide smoothly on the paper. They do not bleed and make an awful mess, making it perfect to use for daily notes in your planner!

3. Zebra Pen Mildliner, Assorted Colors

Simplify and organize your projects and task lists with the Zebra Pen Mildliner in assorted colors and dual tips. While you can maximize the creativity on your tasks and artistic materials with the variety of subtle pastel colors, you can make good use of its fine and bold tips.

The double ended design is quite a steal. I find it quite versatile and easy with the bullet tip when creating fine writing, consistent lines, and intricate illustrations while the chisel tip is the best for bold highlighting and thick strokes.

I also find it impressive that the ink is water-resistant, which is actually great for keeping the notes and doodles neat and clean. This can prevent any smears or bleeding. And because the colors are mild and soft, you can elevate your creativity and use it for layering and blending.

Truly, these mildliner pastel highlighters are all about clean and minimal design. Plus, they keep it easy and handy with the pocket clip so you can just hang it on your planner or notebook. The barrel cap keeps the highlighters sealed and secured as well.

4. Stabilo Swing Cool Pastel Wallet

If you’re up for another creative set to spruce up your artistic skills and revamp your planner and notes with stylish colors, this Stabilo Swing Cool Pastel highlighters in a set of 6 might be your favorite pick.

Contrary to the typical design of the brand, this one’s crafted with a pen-style look embellished with matte-finish grip zone so it won’t slip when you work with it. I also like the pocket clip along with the cap that makes it quite suitable to keep with a planner or notebook. And because it is slim and compact, you can just slip it into your pocket or in your bag. It is light and easy to hold.

Just like the vast array of highlighters from this trustworthy brand, these pastel colors are formulated with water-based ink and hence, harmless to your health. It also features the Anti-Dry out technology that keeps the ink from drying out even when you forget to put the lid on up to 4 hours!

The pastel colors are pretty, light, and not glaring. They look cool and easy on the eyes, making the notes and texts more readable when you highlight them. The mild and soft tones do not bleed through and just suits well when marking your essays, books, and other important notes.

The tips, on the other hand, exhibit two line widths. One is 4mm which is ideal for highlighting while the other one’s thinner and finer at 1mm which is ideal for underlining and making intricate lines and strokes. I like how you can work with it in a versatile way whether you’re just highlighting or ramping up your creativity.

5. PILOT FriXion Light Pastel Collection Erasable Highlighters

If you’re worried about messy corrections and erasures on your work, this Pilot FriXion Light Pastel Collection Erasable Highlighters will do the trick for you. These Japanese highlighters are innovatively crafted with a thermo-sensitive ink formula.

The formula erases the highlight seamlessly and cleanly whether it is dry or not. I find it quite useful, particularly when you don’t want to make messy errors in your books and important documents. You can just re-highlight them any time you want. Basically, you won’t have to worry about making mistakes ever again!

Apart from keeping your paper works, notes, and essays neat and damage-free from any marks, the pastel tones can give your work a stylish revamp with its subtle and light shades. The highlighters write very smoothly and hence, help you stay organized, emphasize points, and make detailed and artistic lists and projects.

The ink has got great pigmentation but not glaring or overpowering. Also, it does not bleed through the paper so it keeps the work neat and much easier to read. Plus, the pen-style design provides a comfortable grip for hassle-free use.

Besides the innovative erasable ink, I also find the chisel tip sturdy and reliable that goes nice and smooth for highlighting. You can also use it to make illustrations, create doodles, define intricate lines and strokes, and however you need to use it for your creative tasks.

6. TWOHANDS Highlighter 6 Assorted Pastel Colors

You can get your work done with a tad bit of style and color with these 6 assorted pastel colors of TWOHANDS highlighters. The best features I find with this highlighter is the versatility from its two-line widths.

You can make use of the 1mm width for creating lines and strokes or drawing illustrations while the 5mm width would be great for bold highlighting. Basically, you can switch between different thicknesses depending on your preferences.

What’s also great about the colors is how subtle and mild they are and won’t bleed through the paper. They are not very bright or similar to neon shades that tend to be too glaring. The pastel colors keep it low and stylish with its soft tones.

You can work on your journals, planners, books, and essays and mark your favorite points and important notes. Plus, the ink is quick-drying so it won’t damage your work with messy smudges and smears.

Looking at it, I can tell that it is more than just a unique shape but also a larger reservoir for the ink. Therefore, you’ll have just enough ink and it won’t easily wear out over time as you use it on school tasks or your projects and work.

7. 2Way Water-based Pastel Pen Dual Nibs Highlighters

These ICONIC highlighters are all about versatile quality with its 2-way design that you can use to maximize your artistic skills or simply just to emphasize the focal points on your journals and books. You can give it a smooth stroke and glide through the texts and wordings on your material whether with a thick highlight or an underline.

I like how you can use the fine tip to create intricate strokes and lines or write neat but colorful notes on your book, planner, journal, or other creative works you have. The wider tip allows you to perform light but thicker highlighting technique on your personal notes or important reminders on your planner.

I personally love the pastel colors that are just light and subtle and they don’t bleed through the paper, allowing you to keep your handwritten notes or books free from damages and messy lines. The ink, moreover, is not really quick drying so you might want to give your writing just enough time to dry before you work on it with highlighters and save your notes from some smudges and smears.

But as the ink is slightly juicier, as I may say, it writes well and not very likely to dry out too quickly. These beautiful pastel colors don’t get stained with the other colors, leaving your work clean and readable at all times.

What I also like about these highlighters is the slim and compact barrel which lends a comfortable grip and also feels good in the hand when you write, draw, and highlight notes. The size and shape make it much easier to put away in a bag, pocket, or your pencil pouch. Plus, both ends or tips are secured tightly with caps to prevent the ink from drying.

8. ZEYAR Highlighter Pastel Colors Chisel Tip Marker Pen

If you’re considering another set of pastel colors that can ramp up the aesthetic features of your work, you might want to give the ZEYAR Highlighters a shot. I’d say each highlighter is crafted with a sleek and delightful pastel color that can keep the words and texts on your work more readable and neatly highlighted.

The colors are very pigmented but not too glaring to bleed through paper. Rather the colors are subtle and soft and would look good on any material you’re highlighting over. The ink, moreover, is water-based so it is non-toxic and free of acid and therefore, safe to use. Kids and teens would probably love these highlighters as well for doodling, creating lines, and drawing illustrations.

When it comes to the tip, it is crafted with two different widths which are 4mm and 1mm. Each width will do the job on certain projects and tasks and you can make use of the finer tip to draw thin and complex lines while the 4mm or the wider tip would be ideal for broader highlighting technique.

The design, on the other hand, may seem wider and shorter compared to other highlighters. But such a feature makes it handy and much easier to hold. While the short and wide design exhibits a simple and basic feature, this also makes it more compact and portable, allowing you to fit it nicely in your pocket or in your pen case.

9. Monami Essenti Liner Soft Pastel Color Highlighter

If a set of 6 or 5 isn’t enough, then this pack of 12 of Monami Essenti Soft Pastel Color Highlighters might be the deal you need. It includes 6 assorted colors and you’ll get two of each color so you can have an extra just in case you’ve used up all the ink or you want to keep the other one for your other books, notebooks, and journals.

I really like the pen-style design because it is much easier to hold and the comfortable grip allows you to work on your books and papers with ease. The tip has dual widths that you can use for bold and fine lines and highlights. Plus, they glide smoothly across the paper, allowing you to get the work done neatly with a nice touch of pastel colors.

I’d say each color is quite pleasant in the eyes and is soft and subtle so you can read whatever you are highlighting over. You can mark the important points and reminders in your book or journal without going through the words and make them difficult to read. This highlighter does otherwise and you can aesthetically revamp your notes with a touch of soft pastel tones.

10. Faber-Castell Pastel Highlighter Chisel Tip

When it comes to high-quality pastel office supplies such as pastel highlighters, you’d probably end up with trustworthy brands like Faber-Castell. With the brand’s popularity on the market for art materials, it won’t fail to impress with its vast lineup of pastel highlighters such as these assorted colors in a set of 8.

Just by a glance at its design and appearance, I can easily tell how the colors would turn out to be as each highlighter is beaming with a designated soft and subtle color. Each pastel tone renders a nice and neat appearance that would look good on your planner, journal, and books.

You won’t have to worry about messy lines and strokes as the ink is smudge proof and water-based, allowing you to take notes or mark calendars seamlessly with a nice hint of pastel colors. Plus, the water-based ink is safe to use and harmless to you and the environment.

When it comes to the widths of the chisel tip, you can take advantage of the precision highlighting, writing, and drawing with its 3 different line widths: 1mm, 2mm, and 5mm. As I play often with lines, strokes, and different styles of highlighting, I find this quite impressive as most highlighters I found are often crafted with only 2 widths. This feature, moreover, defines flexibility and ease of use.

It also features a flat and ergonomic design that you can easily put away in the bag or pocket. It feels good in the hand as you hold it and won’t roll out of your desk or work table when you leave it for a while.

What to Look for When Buying Pastel Highlighters

Before you head on to the store and pick out the pastel highlighters of your choice, there are some significant factors you have to consider first. Consider the following focal points.

Availability of Shades

Probably one of the first things that you want to check out is the availability of pastel colors. Fortunately, most manufacturers offer them in sets of different colors, allowing you to try out each color and determine which shades you actually need.

You may find them in sets of 4, 5, 6, 8, 10 and even 15 but some brands may even offer more than usual. Fewer shades would be ideal for your basic highlighting needs while the ones with more available shades could be very useful for layering and blending colors that you can take advantage of when working on your art projects.

Tip Width

The width of the tip is a highly significant feature of a highlighter, particularly if you want to work with lines and highlighting techniques of different styles and thicknesses. You can find highlighters with a single tip but with dual widths that allow you to create bold lines and fine strokes. Some brands can offer up to 3 widths.

The same concept applies with highlighters with double-ended designs but you have to switch sides every time you want to change the thicknesses of your lines and highlights. But it can be a bit of a hassle to take the cap on and off on each side. Nonetheless, both styles will do the job. But if you’re all about classic design, versatility, and hassle-free highlighting and writing, you may stick with the common single tip designs with dual or multiple widths.

Ink Formula

The ink formula can break or make your highlighter. We’re definitely not into drying ink that wears out too quickly and gives up on you in a short span of time. That’s why it is imperative to check the details regarding the ink formula.

Most of the manufacturers utilize water-based ink which is both reliable and safe to use while many brands reinforce the quality and longevity of their highlighters with the use of formula technologies that can keep the ink from drying out. Such a feature would be ideal for users who often forget to put away their highlighters without the lids on.

If you’re worried about smears and smudges, you may also consider highlighters formulated with a thermo-sensitive ink. There are brands opt this formula to make their highlighters erasable, allowing you to eliminate any smudges or damages and hence, keep your notes clean at all times. Some pastel highlighters also boast their water-resistant compounds that can save your work from messy errors, smudges, or smears.

Brand Reputation

Searching for the perfect pastel highlighters may take a bit of research, especially if you’re going to try it for the first time. You can start off with the trustworthy and reputable brands that do not fail to impress with their excellent lineup of highlighters. With their established reputation and innovation of technologies, you can expect high-quality products that do not wear out easily over time.

Preferences, Needs, and Your Budget

If you’re contemplating your options, it is a prerequisite to determine what your preferences and needs are. Are you only going to use it for highlighting or you wish to use it to elevate your creative projects, artworks, or illustrations? Do you need erasable highlighters or just the usual formula and design? Do you prefer a pen-style design or flat and ergonomic shape to fit in your hand?

As you evaluate your needs, you should also consider how much you’re willing to spend on these highlighters. They don’t cost a lot, though, and spending more doesn’t always mean better quality. You can even avail them for as low as $5 or anywhere near that price. But remember to take note of the quality and prioritize the features that would make a great value for your money.

Other Important Factors to Consider

What is a pastel highlighter?

Crafted with soft, subtle, and light pastel colors, a pastel highlighter renders refreshing tones contrary to the classic neon highlighters that are typically too glaring. It works like any highlighter but with a milder shade that enhances readability every time you highlight over texts. Typically manufactured with tips that have dual widths, it promotes flexible highlighting and writing techniques, allowing you to create lines or highlights in different styles and thicknesses.

While it is commonly used to mark important notes on your books, planners, or journals, the soft playful colors of pastel highlighters are often utilized for layering and blending colors, particularly in making illustrations and amplifying creative projects.

How does it work?

Pastel highlighters are usually formulated with water-based ink that can provide smooth and clean texture, thereby allowing the highlighter to glide smoothly on the material as you define lines, create strokes, and simply just highlight over words and sentences. Just how you use a common highlighter, you lay the tip onto the material, press it on gently, and drive the highlighter seamlessly to highlight the main points of your work. Moreover, this type of formula is safe to use and also harmless to the environment.

Who is this for?

If you are a teacher, a student, an organizer, an artist, or simply just someone who wants to keep the deets on your work organized and carefully highlighted without getting too blinded with striking neon colors, pastel highlighters are the ideal choice for you. The mild and light colors give off subtle tones that are cool in the eyes, giving your projects, books, and tasks a dash of pop color and stylish look.

If you are someone who also wants to spruce up the creativity and artistic skills, you can mix and play with these beautiful soft colors, layer and blend the shades to decorate projects or create illustrations with bold and fine lines and strokes. And as they are typically formulated with water-based ink, it is safe for both adults and teenagers to use.

What are the different types of pastel highlighters?

Although pastel highlighters may all look similar, they can be classified by the style of their tip and type of ink formula. There are highlighters that differ by the width of their tips that can deliver lines and highlights of different thicknesses and sizes.

As mentioned, most pastel highlighters feature water-based ink formulas that can render smooth texture while some brands take their spotlight on water-based ink formulas with an innovative technology that keeps the ink from drying out. Some manufacturers also use a thermo-sensitive ink formula, making the highlighters erasable and messy-free.

Why do you need pastel highlighters?

While pastel highlighters can be a great addition to your highlighter arsenal, these perky and soft colors can be essential for highlighting the focal points and notes on your books, notebooks, or any material. They can also be your creative pens when you work on your art projects and illustrations.

As gentle as their colors are, these highlighters are ideal to use on different types of materials without getting too messy with the colors. A pastel highlighter does the job of what any highlighter does but with a more stylish, organized, and neat look.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the most trusted pastel highlighter brands?

The market is beaming with a vast array of highlighter brands but many stand out because of their long-lasting quality and performance. While Stabilo Boss has been a reputable brand of highlighters for years, there are other popular and trusted pastel highlighter brands that you can check out such as Faber-Castell, Zebra, PILOT, Javapen, Zeyar, and Monami.

Some compare Stabilo Boss VS Zebra Mildliner but each brand exhibits their respective impressive features and pitfalls. That is why it is imperative to check the brand first, consider the customer reviews, and learn more about it to know which brand best suits your preferences.

Are Stabilo highlighters good?

Known to be one of the most reputable and trustworthy brands of highlighters and deemed to be “the father of all highlighters”, it’s safe to say that Stabilo highlighters are good. Perhaps, more than just good. A lot of users are fond of their vast collection of highlighters and consider them their favorite among the highlighters available on the market because of their quality, design, and long-lasting ink.

Throughout the years, the brand has developed other shapes and sizes apart from its classic and signature shape. The widths of the tips also vary from one highlighter to another, which offers flexible writing and highlighting. Personally, I like their Anti-Dry technology that keeps the ink long-lasting and many users might find this a useful feature as well.

How much are Stabilo pastel highlighters?

These Stabilo pastel highlighters are available in a vast pricing range. But you’d be happy to know that many of the pastel highlighters from this brand are available at an affordable pricing mark. You can buy them by piece or in sets which typically include 4 or 6 colors. The price tag might only vary or become higher than usual due to the number of colors included in the set. You can purchase these beautiful Stabilo pastel highlighters in a set of 8, 10, and 15.

How do you use pastel highlighters?

Using a pastel highlighter is just like using a typical highlighter or a pen. But if you’re trying out a pastel highlighter for the first time, you may take note of these following tips:

1. Take the cap off. Four double-ended pastel highlighters, choose which type of tip you want to use and gently take the cap off.
2. If you’re going to highlight over a regular paper, press the highlighter gently onto it.
3. Let it glide smoothly on your material. Use it to highlight important notes on your book or mark some reminders on your planner or journal.
4. If you’re using the finer tip, use it to underline the notes. You can also use it to draw illustrations, doodle, or create intricate lines and strokes.
5. Don’t forget to put the cap or lid back on after using it or when you’re switching between the colors. Make sure the lid is sealed tightly to prevent the ink from drying out.

Pastel highlighters lend soft and subtle colors. But if you’re going to use it on a thin paper, you can try a little swatch to check if it would bleed through the paper.

Where can you buy pastel highlighters?

You can find pastel highlighters in almost every bookstore or art shop you can find although the availability of the brands and colors may vary from one shop to another. There are physical stores that you can try out where you would be allowed to choose and check the highlighters personally or even test their swatches.

A lot of popular brands of highlighters, however, have provided a much easier platform where you can choose and check the latest products, popular deals, and best-selling pastel highlighters through online stores and popular e-commerce websites such as eBay and Amazon. You can easily access the vast array of pastel highlighters from your favorite brands. Some of these brands, moreover, offer affordable pricing range and discounts every now and then.

How to care and clean highlighters?

Highlighters are easy to care for. While they do not require any extensive care and maintenance, always keep in mind that the ink will still have the tendency to dry out. Therefore, you should not forget to put the cap back on at all times, especially right after using it or even when you are switching between the colors while you are working on your illustrations or highlighting over texts.

You’d be lucky enough to find pastel highlighters that are crafted with an anti-dry technology such as the Stabilo highlighters we have mentioned in the reviews. If you often forget to put the caps back on, this feature might be the ideal design for you.

Moreover, make sure that the lid or cap is tightly sealed and secured to prevent the ink from drying out too quickly. You can put them away in a pen case or box but it’ll be much better if you can keep them upright, so the ink won’t leak in any way.

Is there a warranty available for highlighters?

As much as we want to have proof of reliable quality for every product, it isn’t very typical for highlighters to have a warranty. That is why it is a prerequisite to delve into the features and the pros and cons of the highlighters you are planning to purchase. In this way, you’d be able to determine which brand or set of highlighters is a great value for money.

While a warranty isn’t usually available, there are brands that offer a money-back guarantee just in case you are not satisfied with your purchase or you wish to have the products replaced or returned. On the other hand, I find it impressive when a brand can provide excellent customer service that can promptly address your concerns about the product. I also recommend you consider this essential factor. This would also be a good reference to back up the durability and quality of the product in lieu of a warranty.

Conclusion

With the plethora of pastel highlighters on the market, searching for the best pastel highlighters can be a bit challenging. But the key is to determine your preferences and sift through the focal points and features such as mentioned above. The comprehensive reviews also unravel the pros and cons that will help you figure out the topnotch options and pick out which brand and set of highlighters will best complement your needs and preferences.

Robert S. Brown

I am a former art teacher, so it is evident to me the importance of art in educating the new generation. We also want to help parents who plan to teach their children and desire the best tools and tips for them.