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Specs are compiled from manufacturer listings and verified buyer reviews and can change over time — please confirm the key details on the product page before buying.
Before you buy a coloured pencil set, ask yourself one question: are you colouring for relaxation or teaching a classroom? That answer splits the market in two, and the 9 sets here cover both sides — from a 150-piece artist’s dream to bulk classroom packs measured in hundreds. The right set depends on your primary use—relaxation, fine art, or classroom—so match the core type and colour count to that need.
I’m Mohammad Maruf — the founder and writer behind Gardening Beyond. This guide is built by comparing the manufacturers’ published specifications and the patterns across verified customer reviews, so you get each pick’s real strengths and trade-offs instead of marketing spin.
Find the right coloured pencil set by comparing core softness, blendability, and colour count across artist-grade and budget-friendly options.
Our Picks at a Glance
How To Choose The Best Coloured Pencil
The first decision is core type. Soft-core pencils deposit lots of pigment quickly, which makes blending and shading easy — but they wear down fast and snap under heavy pressure. Harder, oil-based leads keep a fine point longer and resist breaking, at the cost of needing more layers to build rich colour.
Match the set to the user
Adult colouring and fine art reward soft, creamy, blendable cores with a wide colour range. Classrooms and young kids need the opposite: tough, pre-sharpened leads, non-toxic materials, and bulk counts so a lost or broken pencil is no disaster. Reading the age range and safety markings on the box tells you which camp a set belongs to.
Decide how much colour you truly need
Colour count drives both price and storage. A 36-piece tin is plenty for sketching and portability, while 100 to 150 shades suit colourists who want every subtle transition without mixing. Between those extremes, a 60 to 72 shade set with a case or tray gives most hobbyists the best balance of choice and convenience.
Quick Comparison
| Model | Best For | Colour Count | Core Type | Notable Feature | Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prismacolor Premier 150★ Best Overall | Serious colourists | 150 | Soft wax | Ultra-smooth layering | Amazon |
| Faber-Castell Polychromos 36Artist Grade | Fine art & sketching | 36 | Hard oil | Lightfast pigments | Amazon |
| Ohuhu 72 Oil-basedTop Performer | All-round drawing | 72 | Soft oil | 4mm break-resistant lead | Amazon |
| Arrtx 72 Soft Core | Blending on a budget | 72 | Soft wax | 3.8mm SV resist core | Amazon |
| H & B 120 Set | Gift-ready variety | 120 | Oil | Colouring book included | Amazon |
| Crayola Adult 100ct | Casual adult colouring | 100 | Standard wax | Resealable storage box | Amazon |
| Shuttle Art 60 Pastel | Pastel colour lovers | 60 | Soft pigment | Colour chart & tin | Amazon |
| Crayola Bulk 12-Pack | Classrooms | 12 per pack | Soft, kid-safe | 12 boxes included | Amazon |
| Madisi Bulk 336 | School-year volume | 12 shades | Soft, non-toxic | 336 pencils total | Amazon |
In‑Depth Reviews
1. Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils, Soft Core, 150 Count
Our pick — over 4.5★ from 61,500+ verified ratings; the strongest balance of quality and price.
The cream-of-the-crop set where buttery soft cores and 150 shades set the standard every other pencil is measured against.
If blending is your priority, this is the set that defines the category. The thick, soft wax cores lay down colour so smoothly that shading and shadow work feel almost easy, and the 150 assorted shades mean you rarely search for the right transition. With thousands of owner reviews, this set holds a 4.8-star rating that few art supplies achieve.
The quality jump is real, as buyers put it: “The quality is night and day compared to the one I’ve been using.” They’re easy to blend, smooth to layer, and the pigment is richly saturated, so results can look almost like oil painting. The trade-off is that soft wax cores break under heavy pressure or with poor sharpeners, and they won’t hold a needle-sharp point — so invest in a decent sharpener and go gently.
The 150-colour range suits both adult colouring books and detailed sketching, while the snap-close case keeps pencils organised for storage and travel. The premium price is justified for regular colourists who want easy blending and rich, saturated pigment.
Why it wins
- 150-colour range for class-leading variety
- Ultra-smooth, blendable soft core
- Rich, lightfast pigments with a creamy feel
- Thick leads resist cracking with careful use
Handle with care
- Soft cores break under heavy pressure
- Needs a quality sharpener to avoid snapping
- Won’t hold a very sharp point for long
Reach for this if: you colour or draw often and want the smoothest, most blendable experience with a huge colour range.
Think twice if: you press hard while colouring or rely on hand-me-down sharpeners — soft cores demand a gentle touch.
2. Faber-Castell Polychromos 36 Pencil Metal Tin Set
The precise, lightfast oil-based choice for artists who demand a sharp point and uncompromising permanence.
Where soft wax pencils feel creamy, Polychromos are the opposite — a harder, oil-based lead that keeps a fine point and layers colour with real control. That makes them the go-to for detailed sketching and illustration, and the 36 shades in this sturdy metal tin cover the essentials without overwhelming a travel bag. They’re also waterproof and non-smudge, which is rare in this category.
Owners rank these above other brands for break-resistant leads and smooth, blendable application that layers beautifully. The pigments boast unsurpassed lightfastness, so your work won’t fade over time. The honest catch is that saturation takes building — you layer hues up rather than getting full colour in one stroke, and a few warm-skewed sets lack light flesh tones.
If you’re coming from a wax-based set like Prismacolor, the feel is distinctly different but equally rewarding. Artists who prioritise lightfastness and precise layering consistently consider this set a worthwhile investment. The metal tin adds protection, though it can dent if knocked around.
Precision pick: the hardest, most lightfast lead here — ideal for fine linework, layering, and work that must resist fading.
Patience required: rich colour needs several layers, so it rewards methodical artists over quick colourists.
3. Ohuhu Colored Pencils 72-Color Oil-based
A 4mm oil-based core that blends creamy colour with break resistance — a rare combo at this size.
This set threads the needle between soft and strong. The 4mm oil-based lead gives a creamy, vibrant laydown that blends, shades, and layers without smudging, yet it’s durable enough to resist the breakage that plagues softer pencils. The 72 vivid shades include two metallics — gold and silver — adding a subtle sheen for portraits and character design.
Owners call these their favourite coloured pencils, praising the heavily pigmented, smooth cores that work beautifully on vellum paper and mix well with alcohol markers and watercolours. The colour-coded basswood barrels make organisation easy, and the metal box with a press-to-release mechanism keeps each pencil secure. Quality and smoothness earn near-universal praise, with buyers noting they compare favourably to pricier brands.
It’s less creamy than Prismacolor but clearly beats standard Crayola for blending, making it the smart middle ground — professional-grade feel without the premium price. Just don’t sharpen the tips too thin, as the manufacturer warns, to keep the durable core intact.
Standout strengths
- 4mm core resists breaking while staying creamy
- 72 shades including gold and silver metallics
- Works with markers and watercolours
- Secure, organised metal tin
Small trade-offs
- Less buttery than premium wax sets
- Skin-tone shades run out fast for portraits
- Avoid over-sharpening the tips
Best for: the all-round artist who wants vibrant, blendable colour with fewer broken leads.
Look elsewhere if: you want the absolute creamiest blend of a premium wax pencil — this is firmer by design.
4. Arrtx 72 Colored Pencils, Soft Core
Near-Prismacolor blending at a fraction of the cost, with firm cores that sharpen without crumbling.
Arrtx has built a reputation as the budget artist’s secret. The 72 soft wax cores use a 3.8mm diameter with SV break-resisting technology, so they’re soft enough for buttery blending and layering yet firm enough that breakage is rare. Each pencil carries a name and number for easy identification, and the vertical insert box keeps them organised and protected.
These pencils perform close to Prismacolor at a lower price, offering smooth laydown, easy coverage, and vibrant pigment. Buyers report they layer well across multiple passes, sharpen cleanly without crumbling, and work for both beginners and advanced artists. The recurring nitpick is the tiny metallic barrel print, which is hard to read at a glance.
With 72 numbered shades and a firm-yet-soft core, this is the value pick for colourists who want professional behaviour without the premium price tag. This set bridges the gap between budget and premium, offering professional-grade blending at a mid-range price.
Smart money: delivers rich, blendable colour with firm cores — the closest budget rival to premium wax sets.
Minor gripe: the small silver print on each pencil is hard to read; keep the colour chart handy.
5. H & B 120 Colored Soft-core Pencils Set
A complete 120-piece kit with a colouring book, sharpener, and case — ready to gift or go.
This is the set that arrives as a full experience. Alongside 120 premium oil-based pencils, you get a garden flowers colouring book, a pencil sharpener, a vinyl eraser, and a portable storage case with elastic slots that keep every pencil individually strapped in. It’s the rare set that’s genuinely ready to use the moment the box opens.
Owners love the organisation, with pencils arranged by shade and each one marked with a colour name, number, and lightfastness rating. The cores are non-toxic, eco-friendly, and pre-sharpened, gliding smoothly and blending beautifully for shading and layering. The oil-based wood resists breaking, and the case keeps everything protected for travel — making it a popular gift for artists of every level.
At 120 shades, it goes well beyond basic colour sets, and the included accessories add real value for beginners. The lifetime warranty is a confidence boost, though the included book and tools matter most to newcomers rather than seasoned artists with their own gear.
The full package
- 120 colours plus book, sharpener, eraser
- Pencils individually secured in travel case
- Each pencil named, numbered, lightfast rated
- Pre-sharpened and break-resistant
Consider this
- Accessories suit beginners more than pros
- Large set needs the case to stay tidy
- Heavier at 1.11 kg to carry around
Grab this for: a gift, a beginner, or anyone who wants a complete, organised kit straight from the start.
Maybe not if: you already own a sharpener, eraser, and favourite book — you’d pay for extras you won’t use.
6. Crayola Adult Colored Pencil Set (100ct)
A dependable 100-shade household staple that balances price with smooth, precise colouring.
When the whole family colours, this is the practical powerhouse. The 100-count set delivers a wide variety of brilliant colours that glide smoothly and take a fine point for intricate details — ideal for adult colouring books and school projects alike. The resealable box and organised storage sleeves make it easy to grab and go, and the familiar Crayola name means no surprises.
Buyers are “pleasantly surprised” by the quality and performance, calling the leads sturdy and smooth-blending with good value for money. As owners put it: “These pencils are a great color selection.” The honest caveat is durability — feedback on sharpening is mixed, with some reporting breakage, and a few colours come out less vibrant than others. Some buyers were also disappointed there’s no included case, just the sleeves.
For casual colourists who want plenty of shades without a big investment, this set delivers smooth, consistent colour that works better than crayons for detailed pages. It’s the safe, affordable choice for teens and adults aged 12 and up.
Everyday reliability: a huge, smooth colour range at a friendly price — the sensible default for mixed-age households.
Watch out: sharpening is hit-or-miss and there’s no storage case, so budget for a separate holder.
7. Shuttle Art 60 Pastel Colored Pencils
Sixty cheerful pastel shades in a gift-ready tin, chosen specifically for their soft, gentle palette.
If your taste runs to soft, sweet hues rather than bold primaries, this set is built for you. The 60 pastel colours are bright and cheerful with good saturation, laid down by soft, break-resistant cores that glide smoothly and blend well. Each pencil is named and numbered to match a DIY colour chart, which is also printed inside the tin lid — so finding the right shade is instant.
Owners call the colours “gorgeous” and “stunning,” praising how comfortably they layer and blend for relaxing colouring sessions. The set arrives pre-sharpened in a built-in plastic tray inside a giftable tin box, keeping everything organised and protected. One reviewer noted the metallic colours create a subtle sheen on the page, though opinions on that finish are split.
There’s a pragmatic note: deep colour requires heavier pressure, and a light touch yields faint marks — so this set rewards deliberate strokes. It’s non-toxic and acid-free per ASTM D-4236 and EN71 standards, making it safe for kids and adults alike.
Why it stands out
- 60 soft, unique pastel shades
- Named, numbered pencils with colour chart
- Giftable tin with protective tray
- Non-toxic and acid-free
Keep in mind
- Deep colour needs heavier pressure
- Metallic finish is a mixed bag
- Pastel palette isn’t for bold work
Choose this for: pastel lovers and anyone gifting a calming, beautifully presented colouring set.
skip it if: you need punchy, saturated primaries — this palette is deliberately soft and gentle.
8. Crayola Colored Pencils Bulk, 12 Packs with 12 Colors
Twelve individual 12-colour boxes that make classroom distribution and donations easy.
Teachers and organisers, this is the bulk solution. The set contains 12 separate boxes of 12 classic Crayola colours, each pre-sharpened and ready for immediate use. The soft cores resist breaking easily, which matters when a whole class of young artists is at work, and every pencil is non-toxic and safe for ages 5 and up.
The feedback is overwhelmingly from classrooms and charitable drives — buyers have donated these to children’s hospitals and school supply collections, with one noting Crayola is “the only brand we buy” for art therapy because of the quality. The featured colours cover the essentials: red, orange, yellow, green, sky blue, blue, purple, black, brown, and white, among others.
This is a rare case where the value is in the packaging as much as the pencils — individual boxes make handing them out to students simple, and the bulk format keeps costs sensible for classrooms or gift drives. If you need one reliable pencil per child, this does exactly that.
Built for sharing: a dozen separate boxes of 12 — the cleanest way to distribute one set per student or donation box.
Not for artists: this is about classroom practicality and safety, not rich blending or shading capability.
9. Madisi Colored Pencils Bulk, 336 Pack
A 336-pencil classroom giant that survived a full school year with middle schoolers — and got asked for by name.
For sheer volume per dollar, nothing here comes close. The box holds 336 pre-sharpened, non-toxic pencils across 12 assorted colours — black, brown, red, orange, yellow, green, sky blue, blue, purple, pink, and white. The soft cores are hard to break under pressure and deliver smooth, consistent colour ideal for mixing, making this a true workhorse for classrooms and art projects.
Teachers are the loudest fans, with one reporting the pencils “held up a full school year with middle schoolers” while students asked where they came from — some even calling them better than Crayola. The value-for-money praise is consistent, and the sturdy storage boxes keep 336 pencils organised and protected for home and school use, suitable for children 3 and up.
The only planning note is organisational: with this many pencils, you’ll want a way to sort the 12 colours for easy access, as they arrive grouped in the box. But for a school year’s worth of reliable, replaceable colour at a bargain price, this is the definitive bulk buy.
The volume play
- 336 pencils for a full year of use
- Sturdy, break-resistant soft cores
- Pre-sharpened and ready immediately
- Non-toxic, safe for ages 3+
Plan ahead
- Needs separate sorting by colour for easy access
- 12 shades only — no variety for fine art
- Bulk box is large to store at home
Best for: classrooms, youth groups, and donation drives that need hundreds of dependable, replaceable pencils.
Not for: artists seeking shade variety — this is a 12-colour utility set, not a creative palette.
Understanding the Specs
Soft core vs hard oil core
The core’s hardness decides everything about your experience. Soft wax cores (like Prismacolor) deposit lots of creamy pigment quickly, making blending and shading easy — but they wear down fast, won’t hold a sharp point, and snap under heavy pressure. Harder oil-based cores (like Polychromos and Ohuhu) keep a fine point longer, resist breaking, and layer colour with control, at the cost of needing more passes to build rich saturation.
Colour count and lightfastness
More colours mean fewer mixing sessions, but also higher price and more storage. Entry sets start at 12 shades, while 100 to 150 options suit serious colourists. Lightfastness — how well a pigment resists fading over time — matters if you’re creating art meant to last. Premium sets like Polychromos boast unsurpassed lightfast pigments, while budget sets vary considerably, so check the rating if permanence matters to you.
FAQ
What is the difference between wax-based and oil-based coloured pencils?
Why do my coloured pencil tips keep breaking when I sharpen them?
How many colours do I actually need in a coloured pencil set?
Are soft-core or hard-core pencils better for adult colouring books?
Can I blend coloured pencils with other art supplies?
What does “lightfast” mean and why does it matter?
Are there non-toxic coloured pencils safe for young children?
What is the best coloured pencil set for a beginner artist?
How should I store coloured pencils to keep them from breaking?
Why do some coloured pencils feel waxy while others feel dry?
Final Thoughts: The Verdict
For most people, the coloured pencil winner is the Prismacolor Premier 150 because its buttery soft cores and massive 150-shade range deliver the smoothest, most blendable experience money can buy — the crowd favourite at 4.8 stars with tens of thousands of owners behind it. If you want precise, lightfast linework instead, grab the Faber-Castell Polychromos 36. And for a classroom or a full school year on a budget, the Madisi 336 pack is the one to reach for.
How We Picked
We do not accept paid placement. Every pick is matched to a real buyer and a real use-case; we do not hands-on test units.
Sources & Methodology
Specifications: manufacturer listings and product documentation. Review insights: verified customer reviews, as of August 2026. Pricing: not shown on this page (it changes often); check the current price via the retailer link.
As an Amazon Associate, Gardening Beyond earns from qualifying purchases. This does not affect which products we feature.