The Best Gel Pens for Planners

A gel pen is a true jack of all trades. Its smooth ink and vivid colors make it an excellent match for all kinds of writing. But if you’re looking for the perfect gel pen for planning, it’s hard to choose one with so many options out there. That’s why we picked six of our most popular planners and tested over 20 gel pens to find the perfect combinations so you don’t have to do any guesswork. Read on to see our recommendations!

Watch our video for an overview of the best gel pens for planners.

Top Choice

Uni-ball Signo Gel Pen

The Uni-ball Signo is one of our favorite gel pens, including for planners.

The Uni-ball Signo is one of our favorite gel pens, and it’s no wonder that it’s also our top choice for planners. The pigment-based ink glides effortlessly across the page, and it’s even waterproof, fade-resistant, and feather-resistant. While it smudges slightly under highlighters and markers, it stands up well enough that it won’t distract from your writing.

The Signo comes in dozens of colors and tip sizes to match your planning style and the way that you write. There are even retractable bodies so you won’t have to fiddle with a cap.

Table of Contents

Best Planner Gel Pen Considerations

Showthrough and Bleedthrough

Showthrough can be distracting.

If you can see your writing on the opposite side of the page, that is known as showthrough. Showthrough is more obvious on papers with lower grams per square meter (gsm). It can distract from your writing, especially when you combine a broader, darker gel pen with thin paper.

Bleedthrough makes it hard to read your writing.

Bleedthrough is what occurs when ink soaks through the page. It can be difficult to write on the other side of the page, so you might feel the need to skip pages.

A gel pen that has limited showthrough and no bleedthrough will prevent these kinds of distraction and let you focus on your writing. Plus, they’ll work well on different kinds of paper.

Dry Time

A gel pen that dries quickly won’t transfer ink when you close your notebook.

Inks that take too long to dry can be frustrating to use. If you jot down notes on the go, an ink that dries slowly will transfer to the opposite page when you close your notebook. If you’re a fast writer or left-handed, it’s easy to smudge slow-drying ink. A gel pen with ink that dries quickly will make it easier to write down spur of the moment ideas without worrying about smears or ink transfers.

Highlighter and Marker Resistance

Gel pens that are smudge-resistant are useful for color-coding.

Color-coding using highlighters or markers is a great way to stay on top of your plans. However, most gel pens will smear when they come in contact with liquid inks. If you use highlighters and markers to color and fill in your planner, make sure to look for gel pens that are resistant to ink. To minimize chances of smearing, highlight with only gentle pressure and let inks dry for at least fifteen minutes before highlighting.

Tip Sizes

Gel pens that come in different sizes are handy.

An array of tip sizes let you differentiate between headers, urgent tasks, and notes. Use a broader tip size for things you want to notice immediately, like dates. A finer tip size works well for writing down tasks.

Broader tip sizes will put down more ink, which could lead to more showthrough and bleedthrough. It will also take longer to dry.

Colors

Gel pens with a variety of shades give you plenty of color options.

Many gel pens come in a wide range of vibrant shades, making it easy to color-code or doodle in your planner. If you’re particularly fond of interesting finishes like metallic, pastel, or even fluorescent shades, gel pens are your best bet.

Best Planner Gel Pen Recommendations

How We Tested

We tested all of our gel pens on six different notebooks: the Hobonichi Techo Planner, the Kokuyo Jibun Techo Planner, Leuchtturm1917 Notebook, the Midori MD Diary, Rhodia Webnotebook, and Stalogy Editor’s Series 365Days Notebook. We used a 0.5 mm tip, or the closest size available.

For more information on our testing process, check out the Test Results section.

Best Gel Pen for Hobonichi Techo: Zebra Sarasa Mark On Gel Pen

Zebra Sarasa Mark On on Hobonichi Techo Cousin Planner

The Zebra Sarasa Mark On Gel Pen dried quickly on the Hobonichi Techo’s ink-resistant paper.

The Hobonichi Techo is stuffed with Tomoe River paper, an ultra-thin and smooth paper that is remarkably resistant to bleedthrough. However, it takes a long time for most inks to dry. Furthermore, the paper has relatively high showthrough.

Our favorite pen for the Hobonichi is the Zebra Sarasa Mark On. Specially formulated to dry quickly and stay crisp under highlighters, it works well with the unique properties of Tomoe River paper. We found that the famously tricky Mildliner highlighters will fade this ink slightly if you neglect to give it a little extra drying time or if you highlight with heavy pressure, but it holds up to standard highlighters with ease.

Best Gel Pen for Kokuyo Jibun Techo Planner: Pilot FriXion Gel Pen

Pilot FriXion Gel Pen on Kokuyo Jibun Techo

The special ink of a Pilot FriXion Gel Pen can be easily "erased" and rewritten.

The Kokuyo Jibun Techo Planner is meant to be an all-encompassing life organization system. True to that goal, its layout is crammed full of helpful details.

The Pilot FriXion Gel Pen is the Jibun Techo’s perfect match. It’s quick-drying, available in plenty of colors and tip sizes, and resistant to markers and highlighters. But, best of all, the heat from friction makes this ink disappear. The “THIN” paper used in most Jibun Techo lines is specially designed to hold up to erasing. There’s no risk of tearing the paper here, and heat from friction has no effect on the other side of the page (though you can always invest in a pencil board if you’re concerned).

“Erasable” ink makes it easy to rearrange a busy schedule with no wasted space. That said, temperature extremes will have adverse effects on FriXion ink, so keep your planner safe from hot cars or snowbanks.

Two types of Jibun Techo, the Biz Diary and LIFE booklets, use a different type of paper. This MIO PAPER is archival safe, with a somewhat more substantial paper weight. The FriXion works well on MIO PAPER too, but if you would like to trade erasability for darker ink, the Kokuyo ME Gel Pen writes fluidly and dries instantly.

Best Gel Pen for Leuchtturm1917 Notebook: Zebra Sarasa Clip Gel Pen

Zebra Sarasa Clip Gel Pen on Leuchtturm1917 Notebook

The Zebra Sarasa Clip Gel Pen works well on this popular notebook.

The Leuchtturm1917 is one of the most popular notebooks for planning, and for good reason. It’s full of cream-colored, acid-free paper that works well with a variety of writing instruments. Dedicated planner designs are seasonally available; the rest of the time, you can pick up a Leuchtturm1917 notebook that's perfect for a customizable system like bullet journaling.

We found this paper was a little more prone to bleedthrough than some of our other options. In truth, gel pens aren’t our favorite to use with it. Low-viscosity ballpoint pens write just as smoothly without smearing or showthrough. That said, the Zebra Sarasa Clip Gel Pen is a fine choice for the gel pen diehard.

The Sarasa Clip has no bleedthrough on Leuchtturm paper and is resistant to smearing, though we recommend only highlighting over lines made by the finer tip sizes. Luckily, it's available in a rainbow of colors, including the delightful Marble Color multicolor swirl, so you can organize and decorate your planner pages without ever touching a marker.

Best Gel Pen for Midori MD Paper: Pentel EnerGel Permanent Gel Pen

Pentel EnerGel Permanent Gel Pen on Midori MD Paper

The archival qualities of a Pentel EnerGel Permanent Gel Pen mean your planner is safe from spills.

Creamy Midori MD paper shows up in some of our favorite planners, including the TRAVELER’S COMPANY TRAVELER’S notebook, Midori MD Diary, and Midori Pocket Diary. It’s bleed and feather resistant, and its color is gentler on the eyes than bright white pages.

We found MD paper paired best with the Pentel EnerGel Permanent Gel Pen. The Pentel EnerGel Permanent writes fluidly, while the rollerball tip creates a hint of feedback against MD paper’s subtle texture. After a few seconds, it won’t smudge under a finger.

For picture-perfect highlighting, we recommend letting the ink fully bond to the page, which we found took about twenty minutes. True to its name, the Energel Permanent’s ink is archival friendly–both fadeproof and waterproof–so you can save your planner and look back on life events for years to come.

If you prefer to color-code with pen instead of marker, regular EnerGels come in a cornucopia of tip sizes and colors.

Best Gel Pen for Rhodia Goalbook and Webnotebook: Uni-ball One Gel Pen

The Uni-ball One Gel Pen on Rhodia Goalbook and Webnotebook

The Uni-ball One Gel Pen dries quickly on Rhodia’s creamy paper.

Rhodia’s thread-bound notebooks are a luxurious planner option. The high-quality Premium “R” paper is velvety smooth to the touch, and the heavyweight paper is resistant to showthrough. The Goalbook comes pre-printed with an index and year at a glance, while the Webnotebook is refreshingly blank with your choice of ruling.

Rhodia paper is great for fountain pens, which in turn makes most gel pens slower to dry. However, the Uni-ball One Gel Pen dries almost instantly. It writes smoothly in a wide selection of highly pigmented colors, and it’s smear resistant under highlighters and markers. Its sleek, sturdy construction complements durable Rhodia notebooks perfectly.

Best Gel Pen for Stalogy Editor’s Series 365Days Notebook: Pilot Juice Up

The Pilot Juice Up on Stalogy Editor's Series 365Days Notebook

The Pilot Juice Up is the best match for this Stalogy notebook.

The Stalogy Editor’s Series 365Days Notebook is a minimalist alternative to the Hobonichi Techo. The pages are thin like Tomoe River paper and are somewhat more absorbent.

The Pilot Juice Up performed the best on the Stalogy's paper, drying in five seconds with little showthrough and no bleedthrough. The unique tip combines the precision of a needle-point with the sturdiness of a conical tip. Its water-based ink is fade-resistant and smeared only slightly under a Zebra Mildliner and marker.

Test Results

We put all of our gel pens to the test, comparing their showthrough and bleedthrough, drying speed, highlighter resistance, and marker resistance. Read on to see our full results and learn more about our testing methodologies.

Showthrough and Bleedthrough

To test showthrough and bleedthrough, we drew an X on the papers. Once the ink was dry, we checked the back of the page.

Click here to see the full results of our showthrough and bleedthrough tests.

Dry Time

We tested drying times by drawing an X on the papers, then brushing over them with a finger at 3, 5, 10, and 15 seconds. For tests that showed smearing at the 15 second mark, we labeled the time as 15+ seconds.

Click here to see the full results of our dry time tests.

Gel Pen	Hobonichi Techo Planner	Kokuyo Jibun Techo Planner	Leuchtturm1917 Notebook	Midori MD Paper	Rhodia Goalbook and Webnotebook	Stalogy 365Days Notebook
Dong-A Miffy Scented Gel Pen	15+ seconds	15+ seconds	10 seconds	15+ seconds	15+ seconds	15+ seconds
Kaweco Sport Gel Roller Pen	15+ seconds	10 seconds	15 seconds	15+ seconds	15+ seconds	15+ seconds
Kokuyo ME Gel Pen	10 seconds	15 seconds	15 seconds	15 seconds	15 seconds	5 seconds
Ohto Rays Flash Dry Gel Pen	15 seconds	5 seconds	10 seconds	15+ seconds	15 seconds	3 seconds
Paper Mate InkJoy Gel Pen	15 seconds	5 seconds	5 seconds	10 seconds	5 seconds	5 seconds
Parker Jotter Gel Pen	15+ seconds	5 seconds	15 seconds	15 seconds	3 seconds	3 seconds
Pentel EnerGel Gel Pen	5 seconds	3 seconds	5 seconds	5 seconds	5 seconds	3 seconds
Pentel EnerGel Permanent Gel Pen	10 seconds	10 seconds	5 seconds	10 seconds	15+ seconds	10 seconds
Pentel Hybrid Gel Pen	15+ seconds	15+ seconds	15 seconds	15+ seconds	5 seconds	3 seconds
Pilot FriXion Gel Pen	10 seconds	5 seconds	5 seconds	5 seconds	15+ seconds	10 seconds
Pilot G2 Gel Pen	10 seconds	15+ seconds	15+ seconds	15+ seconds	10 seconds	5 seconds
Pilot Hi-Tec-C & G-Tec-C Gel Pen	15+ seconds	5 seconds	10 seconds	10 seconds	15 seconds	10 seconds
Pilot Juice Gel Pen	10 seconds	15+ seconds	15 seconds	5 seconds	10 seconds	3 seconds
Pilot Juice Up Gel Pen	10 seconds	15 seconds	10 seconds	5 seconds	3 seconds	1 seconds
Sakura Ballsign Knock Gel Pen	10 seconds	5 seconds	5 seconds	5 seconds	10 seconds	15+ seconds
Sakura Gelly Roll Gel Pen	15+ seconds	15+ seconds	15+ seconds	15+ seconds	3 seconds	1 seconds
Uni Style Fit Gel Multi Pen	10 seconds	10 seconds	5 seconds	5 seconds	1 seconds	1 seconds
Uni-ball One Gel Pen	3 seconds	3 seconds	3 seconds	5 seconds	15 seconds	10 seconds
Uni-ball R:E Erasable Gel Pen	3 seconds	5 seconds	5 seconds	5 seconds	10 seconds	15 seconds
Uni-ball Signo Gel Pen	5 seconds	15+ seconds	5 seconds	15 seconds	15 seconds	5 seconds
Yasutomo Y&C Gel Xtreme Gel Pen	15+ seconds	15 seconds	15+ seconds	10 seconds	1 seconds	1 seconds
Zebra G-301 Gel Pen	15+ seconds	15+ seconds	15+ seconds	15+ seconds	3 seconds	1 seconds
Zebra Sarasa Dry Gel Pen	15 seconds	5 seconds	10 seconds	10 seconds	5 seconds	5 seconds
Zebra Sarasa Gel Pen	15+ seconds	15+ seconds	15+ seconds	15+ seconds	1 seconds	3 seconds
Zebra Sarasa Mark On Gel Pen	15+ seconds	10 seconds	5 seconds	15 seconds	10 seconds	5 seconds

Highlighter Resistance

We tested the ink’s resistance to highlighting using a Stabilo Boss Original and a Zebra Mildliner. We waited at least an hour before highlighting. If the gel ink smeared, we labeled "Yes." If there was some smudging, we labeled "Some." Inks that did not smear at all are labeled "No."

Click here to see the full results of our Stabilo Boss Original highlighting test.

Gel Pen	Hobonichi Techo Planner	Kokuyo Jibun Techo Planner	Leuchtturm1917 Notebook	Midori MD Paper	Rhodia Goalbook and Webnotebook	Stalogy 365Days Notebook
Dong-A Miffy Scented Gel Pen	Some	Some	Some	Some	Some	No
Kaweco Sport Gel Roller Pen	No	No	No	No	No	No
Kokuyo ME Gel Pen	Some	Some	Some	No	Some	Yes
Ohto Rays Flash Dry Gel Pen	No	No	No	No	No	No
Paper Mate InkJoy Gel Pen	Some	No	Some	No	No	No
Parker Jotter Gel Pen	No	Some	Some	Some	Some	No
Pentel EnerGel Gel Pen	No	Some	Some	No	No	No
Pentel EnerGel Permanent Gel Pen	No	No	No	No	No	No
Pentel Hybrid Gel Pen	Yes	Yes	Yes	Some	Some	Some
Pilot FriXion Gel Pen	No	No	No	No	No	No
Pilot G2 Gel Pen	Some	Some	Some	No	Some	Some
Pilot Hi-Tec-C & G-Tec-C Gel Pen	No	Some	No	No	No	Yes
Pilot Juice Gel Pen	No	Yes	Some	Some	Some	Some
Pilot Juice Up Gel Pen	No	No	No	No	No	No
Sakura Ballsign Knock Gel Pen	No	No	No	No	No	No
Sakura Gelly Roll Gel Pen	No	No	No	No	No	No
Uni Style Fit Gel Multi Pen	No	Some	No	No	No	No
Uni-ball One Gel Pen	No	No	No	No	No	Some
Uni-ball R:E Erasable Gel Pen	No	No	No	No	No	No
Uni-ball Signo Gel Pen	No	Yes	Some	No	No	Some
Yasutomo Y&C Gel Xtreme Gel Pen	Some	Some	No	No	No	No
Zebra G-301 Gel Pen	No	Yes	No	No	No	No
Zebra Sarasa Dry Gel Pen	Some	Some	Some	No	Some	No
Zebra Sarasa Gel Pen	No	No	No	No	No	No
Zebra Sarasa Mark On Gel Pen	No	No	No	No	No	No

Click here to see the full results of our Zebra Mildliner highlighting test.

Gel Pen	Hobonichi Techo Planner	Kokuyo Jibun Techo Planner	Leuchtturm1917 Notebook	Midori MD Paper	Rhodia Goalbook and Webnotebook	Stalogy 365Days Notebook
Dong-A Miffy Scented Gel Pen	Some	Some	No	No	No	No
Kaweco Sport Gel Roller Pen	No	Some	No	Some	No	No
Kokuyo ME Gel Pen	Some	Some	Yes	Some	Some	Some
Ohto Rays Flash Dry Gel Pen	No	No	No	No	No	No
Paper Mate InkJoy Gel Pen	Yes	Some	Some	Some	Some	No
Parker Jotter Gel Pen	Some	Some	No	Some	No	No
Pentel EnerGel Gel Pen	Some	Some	No	No	Some	No
Pentel EnerGel Permanent Gel Pen	No	No	No	No	No	No
Pentel Hybrid Gel Pen	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Some	Some
Pilot FriXion Gel Pen	No	No	Some	No	No	No
Pilot G2 Gel Pen	Some	Some	No	Yes	No	Some
Pilot Hi-Tec-C & G-Tec-C Gel Pen	No	Some	No	Yes	No	Some
Pilot Juice Gel Pen	Some	Yes	No	Yes	No	Some
Pilot Juice Up Gel Pen	Some	No	No	Some	No	Some
Sakura Ballsign Knock Gel Pen	No	No	No	No	No	No
Sakura Gelly Roll Gel Pen	No	Some	No	Yes	No	No
Uni Style Fit Gel Multi Pen	Some	Some	No	Some	No	No
Uni-ball One Gel Pen	Some	Some	Some	No	No	Some
Uni-ball R:E Erasable Gel Pen	No	No	No	No	No	No
Uni-ball Signo Gel Pen	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes
Yasutomo Y&C Gel Xtreme Gel Pen	No	No	No	No	No	No
Zebra G-301 Gel Pen	No	No	No	No	No	Some
Zebra Sarasa Dry Gel Pen	Yes	Some	Some	Some	Some	Some
Zebra Sarasa Gel Pen	No	Some	No	No	No	No
Zebra Sarasa Mark On Gel Pen	No	No	No	No	No	No

Marker Resistance

We tested the ink’s resistance to markers using a Tombow Dual Brush Pen. We waited at least an hour before applying the marker. If the gel ink smeared, we labeled "Yes." If there was some smudging, we labeled "Some." Inks that did not smear at all are labeled "No."

Click here to see the full results of our Tombow Dual Brush Pen marker test.

Gel Pen	Hobonichi Techo Planner	Kokuyo Jibun Techo Planner	Leuchtturm1917 Notebook	Midori MD Paper	Rhodia Goalbook and Webnotebook	Stalogy 365Days Notebook
Dong-A Miffy Scented Gel Pen	Yes	Some	Some	No	Some	No
Kaweco Sport Gel Roller Pen	Some	Some	Some	No	Some	No
Kokuyo ME Gel Pen	Yes	Some	Yes	Some	Some	Some
Ohto Rays Flash Dry Gel Pen	Some	Yes	No	Some	Some	No
Paper Mate InkJoy Gel Pen	Yes	Some	Some	Some	Some	Some
Parker Jotter Gel Pen	Yes	Yes	No	Some	Some	No
Pentel EnerGel Gel Pen	Some	Yes	No	No	No	No
Pentel EnerGel Permanent Gel Pen	Some	Some	No	No	Some	No
Pentel Hybrid Gel Pen	Yes	Yes	Some	Yes	Some	Yes
Pilot FriXion Gel Pen	No	No	No	No	No	No
Pilot G2 Gel Pen	Some	Yes	Some	Yes	Some	Some
Pilot Hi-Tec-C & G-Tec-C Gel Pen	Yes	Some	Some	Some	Yes	Some
Pilot Juice Gel Pen	Some	Yes	Some	Some	Some	Some
Pilot Juice Up Gel Pen	Some	Yes	Some	Some	Some	Some
Sakura Ballsign Knock Gel Pen	No	Some	No	No	Some	No
Sakura Gelly Roll Gel Pen	No	Yes	Some	No	Some	No
Uni Style Fit Gel Multi Pen	Some	Some	Some	Some	Some	Some
Uni-ball One Gel Pen	Some	Yes	Some	No	Some	Some
Uni-ball R:E Erasable Gel Pen	No	No	No	No	No	No
Uni-ball Signo Gel Pen	Some	Yes	No	Some	Some	Some
Yasutomo Y&C Gel Xtreme Gel Pen	Some	Some	No	No	No	Some
Zebra G-301 Gel Pen	Some	Some	No	No	No	Some
Zebra Sarasa Dry Gel Pen	Yes	Some	Some	Some	Some	Some
Zebra Sarasa Gel Pen	Some	Some	No	No	Some	No
Zebra Sarasa Mark On Gel Pen	No	No	No	No	No	No

Compare These Gel Pens

Do you want to review all of our recommended gel pens at once? Use our comparison tool to see their specifications side by side.

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JetPens Fine Tip Gel Pen Sampler - Black

Try a sampler like this JetPens Fine Tip Black Gel Pen Sampler.

Still not sure what gel pen would work best with your planner? Check out all of the JetPens Gel Pen Samplers! Test out a variety of pens from one brand, or pick a colorful selection with matching shades of ink.

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Conclusion

What gel pens do you use in your planner? Let us know in the comments below!

Gel Pen	Planner	Tip Sizes	Colors	Add to Cart
Pentel EnerGel Gel Pen	Midori MD Paper	0.3 mm, 0.35 mm, 0.4 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.7 mm, 1.0 mm	Black, Pink, Red, Brown, Orange, Green, Turquoise, Blue, Purple	Add Items to Cart
Pentel EnerGel Permanent Gel Pen	Midori MD Paper	0.5 mm, 0.7 mm	Black, Red, Blue	Add Items to Cart
Pilot FriXion Gel Pen	Kokuyo Jibun Techo Planner	0.38 mm, 0.4 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.7 mm, 1.0 mm	Black, Pink, Red, Brown, Orange, Yellow, Green, Turquoise, Blue, Purple, Gray	Add Items to Cart
Pilot Juice Up Gel Pen	Stalogy 365Days Notebook	0.3 mm, 0.4 mm	Black, Pink, Red, Brown, Orange, Green, Blue, Purple, Gold, Silver, White	Add Items to Cart
Uni-ball One Gel Pen	Rhodia Goalbook and Webnotebook	0.38 mm, 0.5 mm	Black, Pink, Red, Brown, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple	Add Items to Cart
Uni-ball Signo Gel Pen	All (Top Choice)	0.28 mm, 0.38 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.7 mm, 0.8 mm, 0.8 mm, 1.0 mm	Black, Pink, Red, Brown, Orange, Yellow, Green, Turquoise, Blue, Purple, Gray, Gold, Silver, Copper, White	Add Items to Cart
Zebra Sarasa Clip Gel Pen	Leuchtturm1917 Notebook	0.3 mm, 0.4 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.7 mm, 1.0 mm	Black, Pink, Red, Brown, Orange, Yellow, Green, Turquoise, Blue, Purple, Gray, Gold, Silver, Copper, White, Marble	Add Items to Cart
Zebra Sarasa Mark On Gel Pen	Hobonichi Techo Planner	0.4 mm, 0.5 mm	Black, Red, Blue	Add Items to Cart

The Best Gel Pens for Planners

The Best Gel Pens for Planners

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