The 4 Best Mechanical Pencils of 2025
As with pens and other writing and drawing utensils, the best mechanical pencil for you is the one you like best — and that’s a matter of not just how well the pencil performs at leaving marks on paper, but also comfort, style, and, sometimes, particular features like a retractable tip.
So we offer you options below that vary from budget-friendly, lightweight mechanical pencils to hefty, metal instruments that are pure engineering marvels. All are grown-up, more-advanced alternatives to the dime-a-dozen models that may have soured you on mechanical pencils before.
Top pick
This metal pencil is a pleasure to use thanks to its smooth grip section and satisfying, solid knock.
The Blick Premier Mechanical Pencil is a stellar value at under $10, and it’s more foolproof than other mechanical pencils. Unlike most other retractable options, which require you to hold down the knock (usually the top of the eraser cap) while pressing down on the tip to retract it, the Blick Premier extends or retracts the lead sleeve instantly with a single click, similar to using a retractable pen.
That means you won’t inadvertently advance the lead and break it; to get more lead out, you double-click on the top of the eraser cap button. This double-knock design is ingenious, and sadly a rarity these days.
The Blick Premier is also a well-rounded mechanical pencil with features not typically seen at this price. It has a premium-feeling all-metal body, a cushioning mechanism to prevent lead breakage if you press too hard, a lead indicator at the top, and anti-slip knurling that feels smooth yet somewhat grippy.
If you’re used to heavy drafting pencils that have rougher grips, the Blick Premier may be too smooth for you — you’d be better off with the heftier rOtring 600 Mechanical Pencil 1 with its more textured grip. The Blick Premier is Japanese-made and only available from certain art stores, but it could be worth the trip or shipping fee for such a solid mechanical pencil.
Widths available: 0.5 mm, 0.7 mm
Best for…
Its rotating lead keeps the tip sharp as you write, making for the cleanest and most consistent writing — especially when you make short, non-cursive strokes.
The Uni Kuru Toga Pipe Slide is a lightweight, always-sharp option that looks and feels nicer than most similarly priced or cheaper plastic mechanical pencils. It has a retractable tip so it doesn’t stab you through your pocket, and it rotates the lead when you pick the pencil up from the paper — twice as fast as the original, so it keeps the tip at a finer point than other mechanical pencils in the popular Kuru Toga lineup.
Many testers preferred the thicker barrel of the Pipe Slide to other inexpensive pencils’ thin bodies, and they especially loved its comfortable, grooved grip section.
Widths available: 0.5 mm for the Pipe Slide; 0.3 mm, 0.5 mm, and 0.7 mm for the Kuru Toga Standard pencil
Upgrade pick
This metal drafting-style pencil doesn’t do anything fancy, but it feels and performs like an heirloom writing instrument.
Are you a pencil aesthete? Do you draw diagrams and illustrations more than you write words? Do you simply prefer the feel of solid, heavy metal to plastic? If so, the rOtring 600 is a traditional mechanical drafting pencil worth considering.
It’s not as portable as our other picks because it’s not retractable, but what it lacks in pencil tip protection it more than makes up for in lead stability — the fixed sleeve lays down reliable, exact strokes. All of our testers preferred the rOtring 600 to similarly priced alternatives. Is it heavy? Yes. But that gives it gravitas.
Widths available: 0.5 mm, 0.7 mm
Best for…
This capped mechanical pencil has the widest barrel of the models we tested and looks fancier than its modest price would suggest.
The most giftable mechanical pencil is the Pentel Sharp Kerry. It has a pricey fountain pen or rollerball pen look and a unique cap that protects the lead and tip in travel. Because it isn’t retractable, the fixed lead sleeve is less wobbly than retractable pencils.
Like fancy pens, the Pentel Sharp Kerry has a wide barrel that is comfortable to hold especially if you tend to grip your writing utensils like your life depends on it. Its grip doesn’t have any texture, though, so if you don’t like a smooth barrel, look elsewhere. Again, design and aesthetics are a matter of personal preference.
Widths available: 0.5 mm, 0.7 mm
