Next to pens, teachers love their dry erase markers. That’s why we did a Dry Erase Marker Showdown: Which Brand Is The Best For Classroom Use? I didn't expect much from a Bic but the A1 gel was a new kind of terrible. There are no redeeming qualities to this pen, leaving me no choice but to end the review with "This may be the single worst pen I have ever reviewed."

The thought of Office Depot using all their sales data and insights to produce a pen that’s better than that of their partners seemed intriguing to me, but that’s not the case with the Tul gel pen. This is an OK, but not great, gel pen that is jumping into a highly competitive class. With all sorts of incredible gel pens sold today, there is no reason to go with the Tul. On the whole, the closest comparison to Tul would be Staples’ Tru Red. FAQs Does Tul make their own pens? The rollerball is the only capped pen that was included in the kit. The gel and ballpoint pens are both retractable and the mechanical pencil can retract not only the lead but the lead tube as well making it easier to transport and protect the lead tube from damage.While gel pens are a clear favorite among teachers, our readers also rate these colorful ballpoints highly. “I am a teacher and these are my favorite pens. I like to color code things and want pens that don’t skip and are comfortable to hold for long periods of time.” The logos and graphics are minimal and minimal branding is really quite an appealing feature to me in pens. I find a lot of modern “big box store” pens have way too much text, graphics and branding on them. The TUL series is a nice antidote to this.

I am a fan of the TUL pen lineup from Office Max, except for the ballpoint. The original design was flat out terrible and the new model is better in barrel alone. Writing performance is a blobby mess, doing everything it can to keep the Uni-ball Jetstream at the top of the ballpoint pen heap. Tul’s pens had a significant reboot in 2012 which remodeled the entire line and changed the pens significantly. If you have only experienced their older, pre-2012 pens then you might be surprised at what you find today as it’ll be totally different than before. The general consensus is that most changes have been for the better. Tul pens originated in 2006. In this guide, we're thoroughly breaking down everything you need to know about the best pens and how to differentiate among types, so you can make the best choice for you.

Tired of hand cramps when you’re still in the middle of grading? “I have arthritis in my hands and these are the only pens I can use,” explains a reviewer. “Not only do they not hurt my hands, they keep them from aching with the large amount of writing I am required to do.” I wanted to like this pen so badly but the refill was horrible. The barrel is excellent though, leaving some room for improvement. Still, it was a poor overall experience. Tul also sells customizable notebooks, which are essentially binders not unlike a Filofax, Levenger Circa, or Traveler’s Notebook. These notebooks are bound with plastic discs and have a large number of cover options a well as many accessories for the inside. As far as writing smoothness goes, the Uni-Ball Vision Elite may be the best of the bunch. Our testers found its fluid ink flow quite exceptional, with one person saying, “I thought it wrote very smoothly. I also love how dark and rich the ink appears.”