Some of those brands came out since I bought all the sets of inexpensive colored pencils on Amazon, but back then, the two best sets I found, for my arthritic hands, were the Hifony followed by Kalour. The Hiforny work well with Prisma pencils and Kalour work well with Polys so I kept those two sets and donated the other sets to a school program.
I suggest that you use this grading system for all colored pencils, regardless of price. Then, after testing all the pencils, put them in performance order - (1) regardless of price per pencil, then (2) in order of budget friendliness, then (3) by lightfastness, then (4) by color range, then (5) by hardness of the "lead", etc. That would be another step in making your channel a handy resource for artists, professional, amateur and beginner.
She’s done this a ton of times, with ones like prisma caran d’ache, budget ones and the likes :) I love @coloringbliss and have been watching her channel for a few years. Steve and Jennifer really work hard and think of all these great things for us ❤
I think I realised that would have to happen I inherited a lot of my colour pencils from all over the where's and I didn't want to ditch them so I'll chart them up to give them a rating there are some good ones
This was a fun watch and surprising indeed. I'm sure I will watch it again, as I do with many of your videos. I also love that we can hear sweet Rose snoring in the background. I have tremendous respect for the work you two do. You buy almost everything you review, are generous with your giveaways, and present the unvarnished truth about each product you review - generally after doing a substantial amount of work to ensure a fair review. It's no wonder that everyone (myself included) flocks to your videos - they are fun and honest. Thank you both!
I know Lori, from Color My World (here on You Tube) spent a lot of time working with the makers of the StarJoy pencils to create those groupings so that it would help make it easier for the new colorists. I bought the set when it was first released. I also own the Soucolor which I keep out for general use and the grands when they are over.
Star joy is my favorite set , I have the older set not the gold but they are so nice to use (oil based) they blend beautifully and last if you hand sharpen , I even bought 2 sets also the lady who helped design them put out a video showing how to use them , she said to do light layers first 😊 Thank you for all your hard work
I love when you do these comparison videos. All the tests you put the different mediums through are very thorough and informative. I thought I had enough budget sets, but now I just might need one more!
I have lots of pencil sets from budget to high end. I enjoy trying new sets and purchased the Artisto set a few months ago. I love those pencils and would definitely purchase a larger set if they were to produce them. I also purchased their watercolor pencils. They are also very good for a budget set. Not quite as pigmented as my Albrecht Durer but still very nice. I would also purchase a larger set of those if they made them. Thanks to you and Steve for your hard work testing the sets so we don't have to. I very much enjoy watching your channel. You and Steve are so down to earth and fun. Blessings!!! 😊
I’m wondering if their 520 set is identical to the 520 Brutfuner set - there seem to be quite a number of similarities, in packaging, looks, and shades.
I actually enjoyed my Kalour tbh. I had to return and re order a new set because my first set a few pencils were split down the middle. But for 20$ for 72, I used it in one of my coloring books, the pigment was great actually. And blend ability. I don’t mind them at all!
P.S. Thank you for alphabetizing the list. Thank you for all the links. Thank you for timestamping each review. And thanks for all of your work - great job!
Thats true! I thought I heard someone snoring and thought it was my son downstairs. I am painting when listening and looking, I just missed her! I havent seen your videos for about one year but I really miss my coloring-books and it was so fun to ”meet” you and your husband again, and Rose of course!
Love this. I love the Amazon pencils. After getting caran d'ache Pablo's, I love them and now I am leaning more towards more oil base pencils, like Amazon's were impressive. Love this video, thank you. ❤
My brother has a set of the Schpirerr Farben oil pencils that he loves. The 96 set is around $44 right now. I've noticed oil pencils are growing a bit in popularity as there are definitely more budget options being offered now than there were even a year ago.
I have the Schpirerr Farben pencils and love them! I also am finding I lean more towards the oil based pencils, and harder wax based ones. I have Prismacolor and very seldom use them, to me they are messy and smudge too easily, and I have to sharpen them too often. I have the Pablos and love them!
After watching this video, I bought the 120 SJ STAR-JOY SET. I LOVE THEM. THE COLORS ARE YUMMY and I love the color names they use. Thanks for the video.
I have the Brutfuner 520 set, and have thought about the Kalours, and wondered if they are the same. I love my Brutfuner 520 set. They work so well on all different papers
I was eyeballing the 520 set myself. I have a Prismacolor set that I like and a Kalour set. But im always on the lookout for decent pencil sets that don't break the bank. I thank you for your financial sacrifice on our behalf. 😊
Great video, thank you for your hard work. Looks like I have another set or two to add to the wish list. I love prismas but have to sharpen so much. I find myself grabbing my Kalours a lot. So I went big and added the 520 set. I love them. But organizing them and adding stickers to find the colors faster has been a labor of love. Interested in the Star Joy since they come in blends but noticed on your trial it mentioned it not being as easy to blend. Thank you!! Get the 520 so you can give us tips and tricks on them 😊
I really appreciate you listening to your subscribers. I have all these but the Staedler brand. I noticed on the Kalour in a round package are not the same quality as the 240 set. I am waiting for the price to drop on the 520 on Kalour. I do like the 240 set of Kalour. Thank you again for this video. ❤❤❤
Which pencils have the best performance and range of colors in the set, without considering packaging, best value, or other non-pencil characteristics? I like layering pencils that can be sharpened and stay sharp for awhile, and also have a good range of colors in the set. Thank you for an interesting video.
.just an FYI, the Kalour 520 set has about 40+ metallics, fluorescents. However, I actually love those shades. (And, all Kalours are the same, except more colors each set)
Wish we got the same prices in the UK. On Amazon today, Wednesday April 3rd 2024, the Aristo pencils are 57.50 pounds sterling, which works out to $72.29 😮
Jennifer, You Rock! I have quite a few of the selection you showcased, but I was really surprised about the winner though. I am most definitely going to get me a set of those and add to my collection. Thank you so much for taking time out to do these types of tests. It is so greatly appreciated.
thank you so much for doing all of this. Absolutely amazing work. This is so helpful. im a single mother of 2 children with special needs and im 4 years sober from a bad meth addiction and i used to draw and paint and color all the time before my addiction and haven’t been drawing since then. Pencils just seem the most practical for me with having 2 toddlers and Its so difficult to know which brands are good and i will spend hours researching and just come out more confused and still have not purchased anything. this helped me so much!
Thank you for all the work you put into this, Jennifer. I have a lovely 48 watercolour pan set by Artisto, so I'm not surprised to see that their pencils match up as well.
Thank you so much for all your hard work I really appreciate it! My son's birthday is coming up on April 19th and we're both artists, and I think I'm going to get the H&B set, I love the case and the pencil quality looks fine and I'm sure he'll enjoy it (he's not a little kid- he'll be 34 😳😆), but he mainly does ink work so this should be fine. I have my 150 piece Prismacolor set , but just to let you know, my first colored pencil set that I bought as an adult was The Statler 24 pencil set a number of years ago. It's a little on the harder side and when you sharpen it you get a great point that doesn't break, and I did very well with it over the last number of years until I finally got my prismacolor set.
I got the Kalour 520 a few weeks ago and I am ADDICTED! I love them! They blend like a dream, are so creamy and I've had zero breakage (and I do long point, super-sharp sharpening). I really can't believe how in love with these pencils I am - I use them every single day! ❤❤❤
Thanks for all your hard work. I'd love to see a comparison with the artisto set and Prismacolor because their quality is getting so poor. I'm sure I'm not the only one who would like to find something as good as Prismacolor but better production quality. Love your videos and Happy Easter.
Hi Jen & Steve & Rosie -- Very fun tests & results. Ty!! I broke my shoulder in TWO places, & am still recovering from that. Phoo huh?! So I've been drawing more, & coloring w/ my TomBows. Also wld like to categorize my drawings, & set up a proper filing system for everything. Between my work & supplies, it's all totaled into one big bunch of stuff! Will get there. I wanted to mention what good pencils PABLOS are. Not cheap but lovely. Sending love from Seattle! - Julie & Winnie 3-2024
I have the Brutfuner 520 set which seems to be exactly the same as Kalour, as I have seen both brands using identical boxing for it. It is a decent set. I did my own challenge where I coloured with all 520 pencils and I found them to be decent. They wont look as nice as the set you got of kalour, as they are a little more Pismacolor in presentation (no capped ends), although I think they are a millimeter thinner than even Prismas. They don't have names though, just numbers. I found the 520 set did have some cracked barrels, but from the 520, i only had one broken lead. They are also not pencils you carry around, so while they might be a little lower in quality with a thin core, they are definitely desk sets. You don't move them around, so they wont have a rough working life, like some pencils that we do take outside the home and throw in a bag to take with us. I don't do detail analysis on pencils like you, so I am sure you would find more positives and negatives than I did with less experience, but I did find I could layer and blend pretty well. Not that you need to blend much with 520 pencils. It is a great set to have and I would recommend it highly to anyone on a budget :)
there's a big difference when it comes to sharpening them I heard , the Brutfuners are horrible when it comes to sharpening them compared to the Kalours . the Kalours dont break as easily as the brutfuners
@@puffyjo these two boxes are the same boxes though. Just a different label. I didn't have any issues when I did sharpen the pencils. I've actually never had any issues with Brutfuners at all from both my sets. Who knows though, that could come down to luck and even the sharpener you use.
My set of 520 Brutfuners has names and numbers. I don't know if it matters, but I bought them from Amazon. I really enjoy using them. They sharpen really well. I'm using a Carl Angel 5 sharpener. I haven't had any problems with them so far. Isn't it strange how we find so many differences between sets sometimes?
I have really enjoyed this video and have just subscribed thank you. You have both worked very diligently and presented a lot of useful information for amateurs like me who need to work within a tight budget. God bless you both. ❤❤
The fugal Crafter did a review. And Loved them. The closest to Prisma’s and I Agree..WITH You and Her. Will want a pack when I can..I Appreciate You and Your Husband So so much!! 🤟🙏🙏🙏🕊
I own the 300 set of kalours and I love them . Those 72 will be in the 300 and 520 sets as well as many other gorgeous colors. I wanted the 520 set but it's way too expensive in Canada so I settled for the 300. I bought them last year so I've had plenty of play time with them .
hi Jennifer! How long ago did you purchase your Amazon Basics pencils? I bought a set during the black Friday sale for $15 and they were so strange and unpleasant to work with. I had heard such great things about these pencils but I think they have changed quality. This is what frustrates me about some of these budget brands, they can switch manufacturers after a review is posted. I have not tried all the brands you mentioned here but I did like the Artrsto!
Hi Lindsey! I was worried about quality changes too so we bought all of these sets brand new for this testing (including Amazon Basics) even though I already owned most of them. During the testing, I tried very hard to focus on just these twelve sets and not compare them to any others…like Prismacolor for example. It was an interesting experience. Amazon Basics was definitely not one of my favorites but they were not terrible either…very middle of this pack. Mediocre at best.
When I started recently using color pencils I started out with Crayola. Pretty bad. I upped my game to the Faber- Castell set of 120 polys. I’ve been doing commissions and in addition, upped my game to Duralar drafting film and Pastelmat. I was using smooth Bristol but now depending, I use all 3. I think, depending on the paper used, the color samples may not look the same.
I have the Kalour 240 set and I really like them. Prefer them to the Brutfuners. I also got a 72 set of the H&B pencils in the same case you got the Kalours in. Have to say I think the H&B and Kalour are exactly the same pencils. X
The watercolor pencil set also blends really nicely with the Ohuhu alcohol blender which is great for those coloring pages that are not very hardy with water.
Hi guys lovely video. I wish the prices were the same as USA hear on Amazon Australia.. I checked the prices and they are just so expensive the cheapest I found was Kalour 72 in the case for $32.99 and the premium is $48.46 it not to bad for budget pencils.. your video was very interesting I just wish you guys included prices from different amazon around the world.. thank you for sharing to guys.. Rose 🌹 looks relaxed and chilled too ❤❤❤😊😊😊xxxx
I wish we could include all the prices and availability from all the countries but it is just unrealistic…especially when you consider that the prices are changing daily. So complicated!!
Staedtler and Faber Castell have been the go to pencil brands in nz I have not used pencils before ive had some experiences with colour pencils like scratchy and yuck that made me realise i need to buy a lot of pencils to find the ones i like and can use I think your site has helped clear that problem up thank you Im looking forward to working with pencils 😊
Thank you for this wonderful and thorough review Jennifer. I've been looking at many of these sets and wondering which of them, if any, were worth purchasing. I am such a novice when it comes to coloring but your unboxing, swatching, and testing of all these budget pencil sets was interesting and educational for me. You've made it so much easier to select one of these budget sets of which to begin my coloring adventure. THANK YOU SO MUCH!
I have a challenge for you if you are interested. I've been challenging myself and like the results. I'm struggling with blending. So I hopped on Amizon and found all sorts of two-tone and tri-tone and even 4-tone colored pencils. Most of them are kind of cheapies. But I'd love to see a great colored page using only multi-toned pencils: Two-tone, tri-tone and/or four-tone pencils. The results are crazy neat I think. I was surprised with your results too, but just because pencils are cheap, still I see great results, lots of fun and they all manage to give decent results. I have a lot of those brands in my own supply.
I am happy that I own the top 3, except for Artisto I own the watercolor version, and I'm not sure if there's a difference. I like all of these pencils a lot. My Artisto are definitely good budget pencils, but if I had to choose my own favorite under $30 budget pencil I'd choose Arrtx 72 set, I was able to get if for about $30 exactly on Amazon, sometimes the price goes down a little though!
You are so lucky with your pricing in the USA. The number one product is $103 Aussies dollars on Amazon for us (equivalent to $64 USA dollars) Thanks for the testing ❤
Jennifer, you work really hard! It must have taken a long time to compare all of these colored pencils. I haven't used several of these brands, but I'm so impressed with the colors that are included in the sets. I can't remember if I've seen you testing Evazar London or Arrtx brands. Both of these brands have sets that cost less than $30. They are nice pencils. I would be interested in seeing what you think of them. Thanks for everything that you and Steve do for us!!
I actually have all the Kalour's pencils. Watercolor set, Two sets in Cylinder Cones, Metallic Colored Pencil set, and their soft pastel pencils too. I have tried each and every one of them, and loved them. I have them placed next to my Prisma set of colored pencils too.
That's a lot of work and expense. Thanks for the time and effort to do this. I've tried all of these brands but two (H&B and "I Buy Em" brand. LOL Steve. Great call!) My all time favorite budget set is one that I have never seen mentioned on anyone's coloring channel. They're called Huhuhero and they only come in a 120 set. I've seen them for as low as $13 and as high as $22. They're on the firmer side, but they lay down color very easily and smoothly. They are very similar to Kalour (though they are not the same).
Hullo, I am surprised that you were not able to find the Brutfuner square pencils. Those are my cheap or budget pencils. I did get a set of 120 Cezanne pencils from Jerry’s Artarama, but they often sell VIA Amazon shop fronts. I got them as introductory priced at $29.99 Cezanne pencils also have watercolor pencils sets but 72 is their largest set. Nice review from you both! Thank you.
A few years ago Jennifer did a whole video on the Brutfuner squares that were so wildly popular, so she already owns them. I think the title of the video is, "You made me buy these!"--or something like that. I agree, it would've been nice for her to include those pencils in this "battle," too.
I wish I could have included the Brutfuner but the point of this battle was to compare pencils that fit the criteria at the time we were shopping Amazon. Plus I wanted to purchase all new sets (including Crayola) in case quality has changed since the first time I purchased them.
i have the amazon prime pencils and they are nice for the cost. I have maybe one or two of those other brands in my amazon cart. But you listed several that I never heard of. That took a lot of work and time. thanks so much
Thank you for the review!!! I really enjoy this kind of videos even though I'm a polychromos girl. I wonder what do you do with all those pencils afterwards. Do you gift them to family and friends?
I found this video to be very informative. I like a lot of colors so I, too, wish that Aristo had more because I would like to try them. I have many sets of pencils, I like to compare them. Thank you for the heads up.
I know they're not included in your test but my favorite budget pencils are brutfuner square. I was considering buying the kalour set but many videos I've watched seem to show that brutfuner and kalour are the same.
What an undertaking! You and your husband and little Rose are a most wonderful and amazing team:)! My question is about barrel width which I think is the diameter you use your calipers to measure. Which pencil(s) might have a chunkier diameter than those in the black Kalour 120 set which you also may have tried. Just sent mine back - very first ever ordered and didn't think to measure before return to at least know what was "too skinny" for me. It felt uncomfortably narrow in hand, as though it was a wood drinking straw. I'd really prefer a thicker pencil where you don't need such a gripping fingers position. Many descriptions give the core measurement but I haven't noticed entire pencil body measurements for any of the ones I've read about from your testing. Thank you so much for all your hard work and any suggestion you have for a good budget class chunkier set.
![UPDATED...Best CHEAP Colored Pencils on Amazon in 2024 [Now Includes Arrtx, Arteza & Castle Arts]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/bfLe-fS7X3I/mqdefault.jpg)
![UPDATED...Best CHEAP Colored Pencils on Amazon in 2024 [Now Includes Arrtx, Arteza & Castle Arts]](/img/tr.png)
Some of those brands came out since I bought all the sets of inexpensive colored pencils on Amazon, but back then, the two best sets I found, for my arthritic hands, were the Hifony followed by Kalour. The Hiforny work well with Prisma pencils and Kalour work well with Polys so I kept those two sets and donated the other sets to a school program.
I suggest that you use this grading system for all colored pencils, regardless of price. Then, after testing all the pencils, put them in performance order - (1) regardless of price per pencil, then (2) in order of budget friendliness, then (3) by lightfastness, then (4) by color range, then (5) by hardness of the "lead", etc. That would be another step in making your channel a handy resource for artists, professional, amateur and beginner.
She’s done this a ton of times, with ones like prisma caran d’ache, budget ones and the likes :)
I love @coloringbliss and have been watching her channel for a few years. Steve and Jennifer really work hard and think of all these great things for us ❤
Why don’t you do it on Your Channel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think I realised that would have to happen I inherited a lot of my colour pencils from all over the where's and I didn't want to ditch them so I'll chart them up to give them a rating there are some good ones
This was a fun watch and surprising indeed. I'm sure I will watch it again, as I do with many of your videos. I also love that we can hear sweet Rose snoring in the background.
I have tremendous respect for the work you two do. You buy almost everything you review, are generous with your giveaways, and present the unvarnished truth about each product you review - generally after doing a substantial amount of work to ensure a fair review. It's no wonder that everyone (myself included) flocks to your videos - they are fun and honest. Thank you both!
Such a kind comment!!! Thanks for sharing.
I know Lori, from Color My World (here on You Tube) spent a lot of time working with the makers of the StarJoy pencils to create those groupings so that it would help make it easier for the new colorists. I bought the set when it was first released. I also own the Soucolor which I keep out for general use and the grands when they are over.
They are very unique in the way they are organized.
I know she worked so hard on those pencils. I am so proud of her!
Star joy is my favorite set , I have the older set not the gold but they are so nice to use (oil based) they blend beautifully and last if you hand sharpen , I even bought 2 sets also the lady who helped design them put out a video showing how to use them , she said to do light layers first 😊 Thank you for all your hard work
I love when you do these comparison videos. All the tests you put the different mediums through are very thorough and informative. I thought I had enough budget sets, but now I just might need one more!
So glad you enjoyed this video. Have fun shopping.
I have lots of pencil sets from budget to high end. I enjoy trying new sets and purchased the Artisto set a few months ago. I love those pencils and would definitely purchase a larger set if they were to produce them. I also purchased their watercolor pencils. They are also very good for a budget set. Not quite as pigmented as my Albrecht Durer but still very nice. I would also purchase a larger set of those if they made them.
Thanks to you and Steve for your hard work testing the sets so we don't have to. I very much enjoy watching your channel. You and Steve are so down to earth and fun. Blessings!!! 😊
I agree with you 100%.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I’m glad I’m not the only one who is impressed with Artisto.
😢😊
I've heard good things about the Artisto brand! You ran the sets through really good and comprehensive testing!
I didn’t like the Kalour, with my first set, but I have to say, I bought the 520, and I’m learning how to love them!
Good to know! Thanks
520 pencils?! 😱
I’m wondering if their 520 set is identical to the 520 Brutfuner set - there seem to be quite a number of similarities, in packaging, looks, and shades.
I have the 180 set of kalour and they color like crayons. I want to replace them. Glad you like te 520 set. That should be a ton of colors.
I actually enjoyed my Kalour tbh. I had to return and re order a new set because my first set a few pencils were split down the middle. But for 20$ for 72, I used it in one of my coloring books, the pigment was great actually. And blend ability. I don’t mind them at all!
You inspire, you are positive and spread happiness and all this colors in the world! Thank you! Where are your wonderful little dog?
Oh you are so sweet!! Thank you. Little Rose was in this video a little…you can hear her snoring from time to time.
I have a set of the Starjoys. The color selection is lovely, but I don't love that they don't all feel the same.
I loved them until I got the Artxx. The Starjoys are oil based and that makes a big difference to me.
I need a video of little Rose just sleeping and snoring. ❤😂 So cute. 🥰 PS: Thanks for all the very helpful videos. 👍
Fun idea…her snoring and warm little body certainly makes me sleepy.
P.S. Thank you for alphabetizing the list. Thank you for all the links. Thank you for timestamping each review. And thanks for all of your work - great job!
Thanks so much Jennifer and Steve!💜
You’re welcome ☺️
Thats true! I thought I heard someone snoring and thought it was my son downstairs. I am painting when listening and looking, I just missed her! I havent seen your videos for about one year but I really miss my coloring-books and it was so fun to ”meet” you and your husband again, and Rose of course!
Love u jen ans steve.. you put so much work into your channel and definitely deserve a million subscribers!! ❤❤❤
Love this. I love the Amazon pencils. After getting caran d'ache Pablo's, I love them and now I am leaning more towards more oil base pencils, like Amazon's were impressive. Love this video, thank you. ❤
My brother has a set of the Schpirerr Farben oil pencils that he loves. The 96 set is around $44 right now. I've noticed oil pencils are growing a bit in popularity as there are definitely more budget options being offered now than there were even a year ago.
I have the Schpirerr Farben pencils and love them! I also am finding I lean more towards the oil based pencils, and harder wax based ones. I have Prismacolor and very seldom use them, to me they are messy and smudge too easily, and I have to sharpen them too often. I have the Pablos and love them!
Wondering how those starjoy compare to the 120 set of Markart. They are the same as the nyoni and they work very well for adult coloring.
Wow! That was great to watch, thanks for doing the good comparison.
After watching this video, I bought the 120 SJ STAR-JOY SET. I LOVE THEM. THE COLORS ARE YUMMY and I love the color names they use. Thanks for the video.
I haven’t watched the video yet, but I love the Star Joy. So reasonable I got them for friends. I’m also loving my Artxx set as well
The 520 Kalour set is the complete colour range, every smaller set is a subset of those 520. The Kalour pencils are the same as Brutfuner.
I have the Brutfuner 520 set, and have thought about the Kalours, and wondered if they are the same. I love my Brutfuner 520 set. They work so well on all different papers
I’ve wondered if the big Kalour set is the same as the big Brutfuner. How do you know they are the same? I’m so curious
@@ColoringBliss i wonder too!
I do NOT think they are the same at all. I have used both, and while I do like the 120 Brutfuner squares, I prefer the Kalour 520 over Brutfuner 520
@@BarbBColorReader I have both the Brutfuner squares and the 520 set and I prefer the round Brutfuner to the squares.
I was eyeballing the 520 set myself. I have a Prismacolor set that I like and a Kalour set. But im always on the lookout for decent pencil sets that don't break the bank. I thank you for your financial sacrifice on our behalf. 😊
You’re welcome!
i am so glad you do this. I am so very very much NOT a detail person and to do all this would never happen. But I love detailed coloring
VERY VERY HELPFUL!! ESPECIALLY LIKE THE ONES IN A CASES!!❤ TYVM😊
I love how in depth this was and that it has actual criteria rather than subjective opinions
I have the Artisto watercolor pencil set(72)…..love them. Saves my Albrecht Durers!! Thanks for the video.
Thank you for such a comprehensive and thorough comparison!
Thank you, Jennifer and Steve for your hard work!
Our pleasure!
Great video, thank you for your hard work. Looks like I have another set or two to add to the wish list. I love prismas but have to sharpen so much. I find myself grabbing my Kalours a lot. So I went big and added the 520 set. I love them. But organizing them and adding stickers to find the colors faster has been a labor of love. Interested in the Star Joy since they come in blends but noticed on your trial it mentioned it not being as easy to blend. Thank you!! Get the 520 so you can give us tips and tricks on them 😊
Thanks for the suggestion…I am really tempted by that giant set.
Star Joy Gold are oil based, so they are a pencil to layer to get your color buildup and blends. I have them and love them!
I really appreciate you listening to your subscribers. I have all these but the Staedler brand.
I noticed on the Kalour in a round package are not the same quality as the 240 set. I am waiting for the price to drop on the 520 on Kalour. I do like the 240 set of Kalour. Thank you again for this video. ❤❤❤
Thanks for the info! I wish Kalour would explain the set differences so we can make better informed choices
Which pencils have the best performance and range of colors in the set, without considering packaging, best value, or other non-pencil characteristics? I like layering pencils that can be sharpened and stay sharp for awhile, and also have a good range of colors in the set. Thank you for an interesting video.
.just an FYI, the Kalour 520 set has about 40+ metallics, fluorescents. However, I actually love those shades. (And, all Kalours are the same, except more colors each set)
Thank you. That’s good to know.
Wish we got the same prices in the UK. On Amazon today, Wednesday April 3rd 2024, the Aristo pencils are 57.50 pounds sterling, which works out to $72.29 😮
A$113.50 on Amazon australia 🤦♀️
Jennifer, You Rock! I have quite a few of the selection you showcased, but I was really surprised about the winner though. I am most definitely going to get me a set of those and add to my collection. Thank you so much for taking time out to do these types of tests. It is so greatly appreciated.
thank you so much for doing all of this. Absolutely amazing work. This is so helpful. im a single mother of 2 children with special needs and im 4 years sober from a bad meth addiction and i used to draw and paint and color all the time before my addiction and haven’t been drawing since then. Pencils just seem the most practical for me with having 2 toddlers and Its so difficult to know which brands are good and i will spend hours researching and just come out more confused and still have not purchased anything. this helped me so much!
Thank you for all the work you put into this, Jennifer. I have a lovely 48 watercolour pan set by Artisto, so I'm not surprised to see that their pencils match up as well.
Oh wow!
I love my SJ Starjoy gold 120 set. I just wish they had more browns and skin tone colors.
This was one of the best vids on true unbiased reviews I’ve seen in a long time. Thank you so much for all the hard work. ❤
Thank you so much for all your hard work I really appreciate it! My son's birthday is coming up on April 19th and we're both artists, and I think I'm going to get the H&B set, I love the case and the pencil quality looks fine and I'm sure he'll enjoy it (he's not a little kid- he'll be 34 😳😆), but he mainly does ink work so this should be fine. I have my 150 piece Prismacolor set , but just to let you know, my first colored pencil set that I bought as an adult was The Statler 24 pencil set a number of years ago. It's a little on the harder side and when you sharpen it you get a great point that doesn't break, and I did very well with it over the last number of years until I finally got my prismacolor set.
I’m glad you enjoyed the video. I hope your son enjoys his new pencils.
Thank you!! 🤗@@ColoringBliss
I got the Kalour 520 a few weeks ago and I am ADDICTED! I love them! They blend like a dream, are so creamy and I've had zero breakage (and I do long point, super-sharp sharpening). I really can't believe how in love with these pencils I am - I use them every single day! ❤❤❤
Glad you like them! Thanks for sharing
I have the 180 and don't like them. Kalour colors like crayons. Glad the bigger set is better. Good to know.
Thanks for all your hard work. I'd love to see a comparison with the artisto set and Prismacolor because their quality is getting so poor. I'm sure I'm not the only one who would like to find something as good as Prismacolor but better production quality. Love your videos and Happy Easter.
Pencils are much cheaper in US than here in UK as Starjoy are over £30.00 & the Amazon ones are over £30:00. Helpful video😊
The Amazon pencils are very cheap here on the continent, around £15.00
Limidix are nice and very affordable pencils too.
I wish prices were the same all over the world…think how much easier things would be!!
same as Canada we pay crazy prices . I paid well over 100$ for my set of 300 with a case to put them all in . so for me that was a huge investment .
Hi Jen & Steve & Rosie -- Very fun tests & results. Ty!!
I broke my shoulder in TWO places, & am still recovering from that. Phoo huh?! So I've been drawing more, & coloring w/ my
TomBows. Also wld like to categorize my drawings, & set up a proper filing system for everything. Between my work & supplies, it's all totaled into one big bunch of stuff! Will get there.
I wanted to mention what good pencils PABLOS are. Not cheap but lovely.
Sending love from Seattle! - Julie & Winnie 3-2024
I have the Brutfuner 520 set which seems to be exactly the same as Kalour, as I have seen both brands using identical boxing for it. It is a decent set. I did my own challenge where I coloured with all 520 pencils and I found them to be decent. They wont look as nice as the set you got of kalour, as they are a little more Pismacolor in presentation (no capped ends), although I think they are a millimeter thinner than even Prismas. They don't have names though, just numbers. I found the 520 set did have some cracked barrels, but from the 520, i only had one broken lead. They are also not pencils you carry around, so while they might be a little lower in quality with a thin core, they are definitely desk sets. You don't move them around, so they wont have a rough working life, like some pencils that we do take outside the home and throw in a bag to take with us. I don't do detail analysis on pencils like you, so I am sure you would find more positives and negatives than I did with less experience, but I did find I could layer and blend pretty well. Not that you need to blend much with 520 pencils. It is a great set to have and I would recommend it highly to anyone on a budget :)
there's a big difference when it comes to sharpening them I heard , the Brutfuners are horrible when it comes to sharpening them compared to the Kalours . the Kalours dont break as easily as the brutfuners
@@puffyjo these two boxes are the same boxes though. Just a different label. I didn't have any issues when I did sharpen the pencils. I've actually never had any issues with Brutfuners at all from both my sets. Who knows though, that could come down to luck and even the sharpener you use.
oh thats fantastic . good to hear , cause they look like fun too =) @@lozantoninocreations
Thanks for sharing your experience with all of us.
My set of 520 Brutfuners has names and numbers. I don't know if it matters, but I bought them from Amazon. I really enjoy using them. They sharpen really well. I'm using a Carl Angel 5 sharpener. I haven't had any problems with them so far. Isn't it strange how we find so many differences between sets sometimes?
All of the star joy sets are just beautiful. I love the gold the colors are so unique
Thank yu ayou work so hard on this!!
No problem 😊
Love this review! Thanks!
I have really enjoyed this video and have just subscribed thank you. You have both worked very diligently and presented a lot of useful information for amateurs like me who need to work within a tight budget. God bless you both. ❤❤
My son got me 120 castle water color pencils, I love them beautiful colors they cam in a tin the picture is a beautiful peacock.
The fugal Crafter did a review. And Loved them. The closest to Prisma’s and I Agree..WITH You and Her. Will want a pack when I can..I Appreciate You and Your Husband So so much!! 🤟🙏🙏🙏🕊
Which pencils are you referring to?
A great video as always!😊🎉
I'm so glad you included Crayola in this. I love my Crayola pencils!
They are great pencils with fun names and colors.
Can really tell how much time and effort went into this , I just got back into colouring so I think this is a great video
You had me at the unboxing! I immediately liked and subscribed to your channel. tfs!!!!!
Omg I have those hiforney’s!! I bought them as testers😂😂😂 and I’ve been waiting for you to test the star joys
I was hoping H&B would make the top 5. They remind me of the Castle Arts. I really loved this video!
I own the 300 set of kalours and I love them . Those 72 will be in the 300 and 520 sets as well as many other gorgeous colors. I wanted the 520 set but it's way too expensive in Canada so I settled for the 300. I bought them last year so I've had plenty of play time with them .
Great to hear. Thanks for sharing.
Hello Jennifer and Steve. Gosh thankyou so much for your detailed comparison of all these sets.Wonderful. 💞💞💞
You are so welcome!
hi Jennifer! How long ago did you purchase your Amazon Basics pencils? I bought a set during the black Friday sale for $15 and they were so strange and unpleasant to work with. I had heard such great things about these pencils but I think they have changed quality. This is what frustrates me about some of these budget brands, they can switch manufacturers after a review is posted. I have not tried all the brands you mentioned here but I did like the Artrsto!
Hi Lindsey!
I was worried about quality changes too so we bought all of these sets brand new for this testing (including Amazon Basics) even though I already owned most of them. During the testing, I tried very hard to focus on just these twelve sets and not compare them to any others…like Prismacolor for example. It was an interesting experience. Amazon Basics was definitely not one of my favorites but they were not terrible either…very middle of this pack. Mediocre at best.
Great and informative video as always. Thank you very much to all of you.
Our pleasure!
Great review!! 👍 Incredible results! 🌟 You really worked your tail off on this review! 👏👏
Thank you so much!
@@ColoringBliss You are quite welcome!! 🤗
When I started recently using color pencils I started out with Crayola. Pretty bad. I upped my game to the Faber- Castell set of 120 polys. I’ve been doing commissions and in addition, upped my game to Duralar drafting film and Pastelmat. I was using smooth Bristol but now depending, I use all 3. I think, depending on the paper used, the color samples may not look the same.
I have the kalour 240 and I love them, I'm considering buying the 520 set
Good to know. Thanks.
I have the Kalour 240 set and I really like them. Prefer them to the Brutfuners. I also got a 72 set of the H&B pencils in the same case you got the Kalours in. Have to say I think the H&B and Kalour are exactly the same pencils. X
Meant to say that the Artistro pencils are nearly £57 for 72 in the UK....so not really a budget brand here!
Artisto is $40 in Amazon Canada. 😢
Amazing video…I was just looking for something like this…thanks so much for everything ❤ btw love you videos 😊
Thank you so much 😀
My favorite budget pencil is also Artisto. And their watercolor pencils are amazing! ❤️
The watercolor pencil set also blends really nicely with the Ohuhu alcohol blender which is great for those coloring pages that are not very hardy with water.
Good to hear!!
Thanks for your hard work, appreciate your video 😅
I *love* the Artisto Paint markers, too. great price. (I have the set with the fine points)
Love your videos would you consider doing a color combo for shuttle art pencils. I would so appreciate it.
Hi guys lovely video. I wish the prices were the same as USA hear on Amazon Australia.. I checked the prices and they are just so expensive the cheapest I found was Kalour 72 in the case for $32.99 and the premium is $48.46 it not to bad for budget pencils.. your video was very interesting I just wish you guys included prices from different amazon around the world.. thank you for sharing to guys.. Rose 🌹 looks relaxed and chilled too ❤❤❤😊😊😊xxxx
I wish we could include all the prices and availability from all the countries but it is just unrealistic…especially when you consider that the prices are changing daily. So complicated!!
Rose looks so precious on her pillow. I wish you would show more of her...
Yay I am so excited you are going to film a video can’t wait
I am so happy that our content gives you so much joy!
I think Steve should be in the video
Tell Steve I said hello
Staedtler Design Journey is a very good brand as well as FaberCastell Classic.
So many fun brands to try.
Staedtler and Faber Castell have been the go to pencil brands in nz
I have not used pencils before ive had some experiences with colour pencils like scratchy and yuck that made me realise i need to buy a lot of pencils to find the ones i like and can use
I think your site has helped clear that problem up thank you
Im looking forward to working with pencils 😊
Thank you for another amazing video. I appreciate the information
Our pleasure!
Thank you for this wonderful and thorough review Jennifer. I've been looking at many of these sets and wondering which of them, if any, were worth purchasing. I am such a novice when it comes to coloring but your unboxing, swatching, and testing of all these budget pencil sets was interesting and educational for me. You've made it so much easier to select one of these budget sets of which to begin my coloring adventure. THANK YOU SO MUCH!
I have a challenge for you if you are interested. I've been challenging myself and like the results. I'm struggling with blending. So I hopped on Amizon and found all sorts of two-tone and tri-tone and even 4-tone colored pencils. Most of them are kind of cheapies. But I'd love to see a great colored page using only multi-toned pencils: Two-tone, tri-tone and/or four-tone pencils. The results are crazy neat I think.
I was surprised with your results too, but just because pencils are cheap, still I see great results, lots of fun and they all manage to give decent results. I have a lot of those brands in my own supply.
That sounds like a fun challenge…thanks for sharing.
You should try artisto watercolor pencils! They are beautiful!!
I'll check it out!
In the UK Artisto pencils are £57.00, a little expensive for only 72 pencils. 😢
Hi the same hear in Australia it’s expensive it’s $114.11 for 72 pencils
That’s too bad. Sorry.
Wow! This was a lot of work! 😊😊thank you
I am happy that I own the top 3, except for Artisto I own the watercolor version, and I'm not sure if there's a difference. I like all of these pencils a lot. My Artisto are definitely good budget pencils, but if I had to choose my own favorite under $30 budget pencil I'd choose Arrtx 72 set, I was able to get if for about $30 exactly on Amazon, sometimes the price goes down a little though!
Great to hear your thoughts. Thanks.
I love this video! I think you should do more videos testing high end against budge friendly.
You are so lucky with your pricing in the USA. The number one product is $103 Aussies dollars on Amazon for us (equivalent to $64 USA dollars)
Thanks for the testing ❤
Jennifer, you work really hard! It must have taken a long time to compare all of these colored pencils. I haven't used several of these brands, but I'm so impressed with the colors that are included in the sets. I can't remember if I've seen you testing Evazar London or Arrtx brands. Both of these brands have sets that cost less than $30. They are nice pencils. I would be interested in seeing what you think of them. Thanks for everything that you and Steve do for us!!
There is a new light fast brand named woomer for 30 dollars for 72 and i have heard amazong things about them but no open stock
I love the box of Artisto, they look good, but are they lightfast?
Great review! Awesome
Thanks.
I actually have all the Kalour's pencils. Watercolor set, Two sets in Cylinder Cones, Metallic Colored Pencil set, and their soft pastel pencils too. I have tried each and every one of them, and loved them. I have them placed next to my Prisma set of colored pencils too.
Good to hear. Do you think they are all the same pencils or is each set a little different?
They are all different even the two in the cylinder cones.
That's a lot of work and expense. Thanks for the time and effort to do this. I've tried all of these brands but two (H&B and "I Buy Em" brand. LOL Steve. Great call!)
My all time favorite budget set is one that I have never seen mentioned on anyone's coloring channel. They're called Huhuhero and they only come in a 120 set. I've seen them for as low as $13 and as high as $22. They're on the firmer side, but they lay down color very easily and smoothly. They are very similar to Kalour (though they are not the same).
I also own the 120 watercolor Kalour set and they are the best ever.
That’s fantastic!
here in my country in europe these Artisto 72 set costs 107 dollar (98 euro) on amazon. so sad....
Hullo, I am surprised that you were not able to find the Brutfuner square pencils. Those are my cheap or budget pencils. I did get a set of 120 Cezanne pencils from Jerry’s Artarama, but they often sell VIA Amazon shop fronts. I got them as introductory priced at $29.99 Cezanne pencils also have watercolor pencils sets but 72 is their largest set. Nice review from you both! Thank you.
A few years ago Jennifer did a whole video on the Brutfuner squares that were so wildly popular, so she already owns them. I think the title of the video is, "You made me buy these!"--or something like that. I agree, it would've been nice for her to include those pencils in this "battle," too.
I wish I could have included the Brutfuner but the point of this battle was to compare pencils that fit the criteria at the time we were shopping Amazon. Plus I wanted to purchase all new sets (including Crayola) in case quality has changed since the first time I purchased them.
Thanks for explaining this. :)@@ColoringBliss
Artisto $120 from Amazon in Australia 😢 same pencils
You should ask a friend to buy it in USA than mail it to you if you know anyone here.
i have the amazon prime pencils and they are nice for the cost. I have maybe one or two of those other brands in my amazon cart. But you listed several that I never heard of. That took a lot of work and time. thanks so much
Thank you for that great review.
My pleasure!
Isn’t Kalour a subsidiary or white label of Brutfuner?
Thank you for the review!!! I really enjoy this kind of videos even though I'm a polychromos girl. I wonder what do you do with all those pencils afterwards. Do you gift them to family and friends?
I have a very large collection that I keep on hand in my studio for videos but if I end up with duplicate sets, I like to give them away.
@@ColoringBliss that's cool! Thanks for the answer and I hope and wish you both to reach 100k subscribers, you definitely deserve that and more!! ❤️
I found this video to be very informative. I like a lot of colors so I, too, wish that Aristo had more because I would like to try them. I have many sets of pencils, I like to compare them. Thank you for the heads up.
I know they're not included in your test but my favorite budget pencils are brutfuner square. I was considering buying the kalour set but many videos I've watched seem to show that brutfuner and kalour are the same.
What an undertaking! You and your husband and little Rose are a most wonderful and amazing team:)! My question is about barrel width which I think is the diameter you use your calipers to measure. Which pencil(s) might have a chunkier diameter than those in the black Kalour 120 set which you also may have tried. Just sent mine back - very first ever ordered and didn't think to measure before return to at least know what was "too skinny" for me. It felt uncomfortably narrow in hand, as though it was a wood drinking straw. I'd really prefer a thicker pencil where you don't need such a gripping fingers position. Many descriptions give the core measurement but I haven't noticed entire pencil body measurements for any of the ones I've read about from your testing. Thank you so much for all your hard work and any suggestion you have for a good budget class chunkier set.