The Best Gel Pens for Your Brand: Sleek, Smooth, Stand-Outs

Pens are the quintessential giveaway item, whether you hand them to diners with their restaurant bill or pass them out at trade shows. But if you want to make your pen a stand-out, you’ll need to make it extra special—and one way to do that is with gel ink. After all, the very best gel pens are worth holding on to…and get used again and again.

When clients pick up your custom gel pen to start writing, they’ll immediately appreciate the luxurious feel of the smooth gel ink on paper. And, ideally, they’ll take your pen with them as an enduring reminder of your brand.

What makes gel pens different from standard pens?

The gel ink in gel pens is smoother, more vivid, and more water-resistant than standard ballpoint ink. Gel pens also come in a rainbow of ink colors, so they’re great for art and coloring, or just staying color-coded and organized.

Beyond the smooth ink, gel pens have other stand-out features, too. Here are some other pen features and different types of gel pens to look for when you’re browsing the best gel pens for your brand.

Soft Touch Finish: Many top gel pens feature a barrel with a rubberized coating, which creates a smooth, comfortable feel in the customers’ hand. Choose a gel pen with a soft touch finish to give customers a pen that feels as good as it looks and writes.
Stylus Tip: Make your promotional gel pen even more versatile by choosing a design with a stylus tip. This will give customers the option to use your pen on more than just paper—think touchscreen devices like tablets and phones. And remember…more use means more visibility for your brand!
Rose Gold Trim: Rose gold trim is trendier than ever, and many of the gel pen types at Pens.com feature rose gold accents. Show customers that you keep up with what’s trending by choosing a pen design that’s (rose) gold medal worthy.
Specialty Ink Colors: Your custom gel pens are sure to stand out when you choose a neon or metallic ink color.
Gel Pen Sets: Give them more than just a pen with a full set! Artistic types are sure to appreciate having multiple ink colors to choose from.

What are the best gel pen brands?

And at Pens.com, you’ll find some of the best brands of gel pens—including our own collection of pens featuring Gelebration™ ink, a unique gel ink blend that’s designed to give the writer a bold line every time.

Here are some of the top gel pen brands you can browse at Pens.com.

Uni-Ball: Uni-Ball has been around for decades, and the brand specializes in performance pens with water-based ink—the same kind of ink that makes a gel pen, a gel pen.
Paper Mate: Paper Mate is one of the best pen brands out there, and launched their InkJoy line in 2012. InkJoy pens have super-fast drying hybrid gel ink, so customers don’t have to worry about smudged ink.
Sharpie: Though perhaps best-known for their permanent markers, Sharpie makes some of the best gel pens, too.
Pentel: Though Pentel might be best-known for inventing the felt-tipped pen, their Energel collection features pens that contain a hybrid liquid/gel ink.

Best-selling gel pens at Pens.com

If you’re curious about what gel pens other Pens.com shoppers are loving, check out some of our top gel pens.

1. Full Color Soft Touch Accent Gel Stylus Pen

This custom gel pen comes with a matching stylus that makes it even more versatile, and features our exclusive Gelebration ink—designed to provide the smoothest flow with the boldest line.