A Picky Person’s Guide to Pens: Lefty Edition
Last month, I wrote a little op-ed about my favorite pens, and the response was … strong. Regardless of whether or not readers agreed with any of my picks (and plenty didn’t), it was great to learn how absolutely not alone I am in my pen pickiness. I felt seen.
I also felt completely remiss for overlooking one category in particular: lefties. They make up a mere 10 percent of the general population — though 15 percent of my comments section — but they stood out. “I’m skeptical of advice from a right handed writer,” one wrote. “How I’d love a Flair that stays put and doesn’t smudge or leave my hand covered in ink,” another noted. “It would be helpful to know which of these pens work well for lefties,” another commented (fairly). My story gave righties a platform to share their opinions, and it’s only fair the lefties get a turn. To that end, I asked some left-handers about what they write with and why. I also looked into the reader recommendations on my initial piece and did some digging online to find a few more pens that weren’t mentioned but seem very promising.
All of my picks have three things in common: First,they never (or hardly ever) smudge, which made ballpoint and gel pens the clear favorites, since their ink evaporates much faster than rollerballs and fountain pens. (Ballpoint ink is oil-based and contains solvents that aid in evaporation; gel ink is water-based and thus dries a little slower than ballpoint.) Second, they have consistent ink flow.Writing left to right means righties are simply pulling their pens across the page whereas lefties have to push their pens across, thereby pushing the pen nibs directly into the paper and blocking the free-flow of ink. Gel pens’ watery ink seems better in this respect. Third, they’re comfortable. Using your left hand in a world built for righties often means forcing it into unnatural positions, which can cause major muscle strain and fatigue.
Below are ten pens that have been vetted by actual lefties, if not via first-person commentary then by multiple online sources. Keep in mind that, as with my first story, this roundup is neither definitive nor comprehensive — which also means it’s practically begging for outside opinions, so comment away! Clearly we all have a lot more to learn.
Update on January 20, 2026
For Stationery Week, we’ve updated this piece to make sure all these pen picks for lefties are still available and correctly priced.
Ballpoint pens
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Stabilo Pointball
Style: Ballpoint| Nib size: 0.5mm| Ink type: oil-based|Closure: Retractable| Available ink colors:6| Refillable: Yes
“I usually just go with ballpoint pens because of the quick-drying ink, and because I feel like I don’t have to be too precious with them — I can quickly jot down messy ideas and doodles, so I even prefer them to digital pens,” says lefty Ben Tuber, a graphic designer (and my brother) who regularly uses a stylus for his work. Apart from the ones he’s held onto for sentimental or aesthetic reasons, his current ballpoint of choice is the Stabilo pointball because “it looks nice, the ink doesn’t run or explode from its chamber (even on airplanes), and it has a helpful rubber grip area so I don’t have to clutch it too hard. It also has a seemingly endless supply of ink — I picked up my first one about six months ago and immediately bought a 10-pack because I liked it so much, but I’ve yet to break that open because the original is still flowing.”
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BiC Cristal Xtra Bold Ballpoint Pen
Style: Ballpoint | Nib size: 1.6 mm | Ink type: Oil-based, water-resistant | Closure: Capped | Available ink colors: 8 | Refillable: No
Left-hander Roseanne Zaccagnini, a medical biller (and mom of Strategist writer Dominique Pariso), loves the “totally smudge-proof” BiC Cristal Xtra Bold because “it writes really smooth and the ink flows out continuously. [With] other pens [the] ink stops, and then you have pick up your pen and start writing again,” she says. She attributes this flow to her habit of writing in cursive, but the sheer number of online reviews and posts praising the Xtra Bold’s “smooth as silk” line suggests it’s not handwriting-dependent.
The Cristal Xtra Bold is also a favorite of lefty and Vulture associate editor Savannah Salazar, especially in blue ink, which she calls “a perfect shade.” Other selling points include its lack of smudging, “very smooth writing,” affordability (“it’s the easiest pen to buy in bulk”), and ridged barrel that helps with grip.
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Style: Ballpoint | Nib size: 0.7mm | Ink type: Low-viscosity oil-based | Closure: Retractable | Available ink colors: 1 (black) | Refillable: Yes
While Jetstream pens weren’t mentioned specifically, the Uni/Uni-ball brand was called outby readers in general, and their Jetstream pens gets a lot of online praise from lefties in particular: Yoseka Stationary says the Jetstream Lite is “one of the smoothest-writing ballpoint pens you can find [and] perfect for left-handed writers.” JetPens named the whole JetStreams line their favorite left-handed pen overall, and multiple reviewers and Redditors call them “mandatory,” “the absolute best pen for left-handers.” and “the best pen in the world.”
The Jetstream line’s greatness seems to come from its oil-based low-viscosity ink, which is thinner than standard oil-based ballpoint ink, requires less pressure to produce a smooth, solid line, and is said to dry almost instantly. There are multiple Jetstream varieties to choose from, but the squishy silicone grips on the Alpha-Gel looks like the most comfortable and helpful for preventing hand fatigue.
Gel pens
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Zebra Sarasa Dry Gel Ink Pen
Style: Gel | Nib size: 0.4mm–0.7 mm | Ink type: DRYJELL pigmented, fast-drying gel | Closure: Retractable | Available ink colors: 14 | Refillable: Yes
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Zebra Sarasa Study Gel Ballpoint Pen
Style: Gel | Nib size: 0.5mm | Ink type: Water-based | Closure: Retractable | Available ink colors: 3 (black, blue, red) | Refillable: Yes
All Zebra Sarasa gel pens use quick-drying gel ink, but the Sarasa Dry Gel pen (recommended by reader jasperjones) is the quickest. According to JetPens (my favorite online source for comprehensive, straightforward pen guides and reviews), its specialized Dry Gel ink “dries 85 percent faster than most inks, and doesn’t smear, even if you run your hand over it right after writing,” making it particularly top choice for lefties and a great pen in general. That said, all Zebra Sarasa pens dry quickly, and resist feathering and water, so the Sarasa Study (the favorite of reader latenac) is also a reliable option.
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Style: Gel | Nib sizes: 4 (0.38mm–0.7 mm) | Ink type: Water-based gel | Closures: Retractable, capped | Available ink colors: 16 | Refillable: Yes
“I need a pen with absolutely no bleeding,” says Salazar. “Number one problem as a lefty is having to worry about whether the ink will stain the sides of our hands or wipe across the page since our hand hovers over our writing at all times,” and with Muji’s gel ballpoint pens “there’s never a worry about smudging.” She also says they’re “clean and lightweight,” and that writing with them feels “like there’s nothing between my fingers sometimes.”
Salazar prefers the 0.38mm nib size because “my handwriting looks so nice and precise when I use them,” but you’ve got options: Muji’s gel pens also come in 0.3, 0.5, and 07.mm sizes and up to 16 different colors, and in capped, knock type (clicky), and compact forms. If you can’t pick just one but don’t want to carry around a bunch of different pens, there’s also a universal pen body that fits all nib sizes. They’re also very affordable — just under $2 for a single pen (even less when you buy in bulk) and $1 for refills.
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Pilot G2 Premium Gel Roller Pen
Style: Gel | Nib sizes: 4 (0.38mm–0.7 mm | Ink type: Gel | Closure: Retractable | Available ink colors: 33 | Refillable: Yes
One left-handed reader cited the G2 as their favorite in the comments of my first piece, and it’s one of the Strategist’s top 100 pens. Online reviews from other lefties are mixed: Devotees say G2s last a long time, write smoothly but not sloppily, and are comfortable to hold, but others mention issues with the ink flow and that they smudge too much, especially if you write with a heavy hand. Nonetheless, it’s the top-selling gel pen on Amazon (more than 45k five-star reviews and counting) and one of the best-selling pens in America, so it definitely deserves a spot on this list.
If you like Pilot and are open to ballpoints, JetPens has a solid guide to left-handed pens and cites the Pilot Dr. Grip pen as a best bet.
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Style: Felt | Nib sizes: 4 (0.38mm–1.0mm) | Ink type: Water-based gel | Closure: Retractable | Available ink colors: 18 | Refillable: No
“Sharpie has a great line of pens [but] the best Sharpie pen is the S-Gel,” says Salazar, who prefers the 0.7mm nib (it also comes in 0.5 and 1.0mm sizes). “They have them in a variety of colors, it doesn’t bleed or smudge, and it has a squishy grip [that’s] very comfortable to hold.”
Felt Tip Pens
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Style: Felt tip | Nib size: 0.4mm | Ink type: Water-based, permanent | Closure: Cap | Available ink colors: 24 | Refillable: No
Salazar also cites Sharpie’s fine point felt tip pen as a favorite because it doesn’t bleed, but points out that “the ink is bolder, so I wouldn’t recommend using it for plain notebook paper.” (She likes to use it in her planner, which has paper thick enough to keep her handwriting from showing up on the other side.)
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Style: Felt tip marker | Nib size: 1 mm | Ink type: Water-based, permanent | Closure: Capped | Available ink colors: 49 | Refillable: No | Best for: Anything and everything
Apart from the Stabilo pointball, Tuber feels that “Sharpies are the only other pen worth mentioning, and their qualities go without saying. You obviously can’t use them on thin paper or they’ll bleed through, so I use them mostly for big jobs like labeling boxes and making signs. But they’re the godfather of pens.”
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The Strategist is designed to surface useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Every product is independently selected by our team of editors, whom you can read about here. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
