Written by Paul Worrall
The journaling pen question is one I get asked constantly — by the 36,000 artists and stationery lovers in the Discount Art Supplies community, in our Facebook group, and from people who’ve been journaling for years and still aren’t convinced they’ve found the right pen. It’s a fair obsession. The wrong pen genuinely ruins the experience — ink that bleeds through the page, a nib that drags, gel that smears every time your hand crosses what you’ve just written. My wife thinks I’m slightly unhinged about stationery and she’s not entirely wrong. But I do know what works.
These are my honest picks for the best journaling pens in the UK right now — the ones I’d actually buy, the ones our community reaches for, and the ones that have earned their reputation through consistent daily use rather than good marketing. I’ve linked to Cult Pens throughout because they carry the full range of everything on this list and their selection genuinely can’t be matched on the UK high street. Check for any current sale or discount before you buy.
What Actually Makes a Good Journaling Pen?
Worth saying quickly before the recommendations — because best pen for journaling covers an enormous range of different needs. Someone writing dense daily diary entries in a small Leuchtturm needs something completely different to someone doing watercolour art journal pages with collage and mixed media. A bullet journalist tracking habits needs different ink properties to someone doing calligraphy headers and hand lettering spreads.
The things that matter across almost all journaling styles: consistent ink flow, bleed resistance on typical journal paper, comfort over extended writing sessions, and dry time — especially if you’re left-handed. A beautifull gel pen that smears every time your hand crosses the page is one of life’s minor but genuine frustrations. I’ll flag dry time where it’s relevant throughout.
Best Gel Pen for Journaling — Pilot G2
The Pilot G2 is the gel pen recommendation I keep coming back to, year after year. It’s the benchmark — smooth, consistent ink flow, fast enough dry time for most right-handed writers, available in multiple nib sizes and genuinely comfortable in the hand over longer sessions. The 0.7mm is the sweet spot for most journalers — fine enough for neat handwriting in a standard notebook, bold enough to feel satisfying on the page. My kids have started nicking them from my desk, which I take as an endorsement.
The G2 is refillable, which matters if you journal daily and get through pens quickly. Cost per refill is significantley lower than buying new pens, and the body is robust enough to last years. Not exciting — it doesn’t have the romance of a fountain pen — but reliably excellent in a way that matters over time. Find them at Cult Pens Pilot G2 range or at Ryman if you need them today.
Best Fineliner for Journaling — Sakura Pigma Micron
If you do any bullet journaling, hand lettering, drawing or doodling alongside your writing — and most journalers do at least some of this — the Sakura Pigma Micron is the fineliner I’d put in your hand first. Pigment-based ink, waterproof, archival quality. It won’t bleed if you add watercolour washes over it, it won’t fade over time, and it won’t feather on decent journal paper. The nib range from 005 (0.2mm) through to the brush tip covers everything from precise grid-drawing to loose illustrative work.
The Pigma Micron has become the default in the bullet journal community over the last decade and it’s a deserved position. One caveat: on very smooth or coated paper it can take a moment longer to dry than you’d expect. On standard Leuchtturm or Rhodia paper it’s essentially instant. Find the full size range at Cult Pens Sakura Pigma Micron range — or compare prices at Discount Art Supplies.
Best Fountain Pen for Journaling — Lamy Safari
The fountain pen recommendation is always the most satisfying one to make because journalers who switch almost never go back. Writing with a good fountain pen is a fundamentally different experience — ink flows with virtually no pressure required, which transforms long writing sessions from something your hand gets tired doing into something it can sustain almost indefinitely. If you’ve never tried journaling with a fountain pen, you’re missing something.
The Lamy Safari is the entry-level recommendation I make without hesitation. Robust, reliable, available in a range of nib widths, compatible with Lamy’s cartridge and converter system, and priced accessibly enough that a new fountain pen journaler isn’t taking a huge financial risk. The body is practically indestructable — I’ve seen Safaris survive conditions that would finish most pens. Start with the medium nib; move to extra-fine if you write small or on thinner paper.
One honest note: paper matters more with fountain pens than any other type. Cheap or thin paper will feather. Leuchtturm1917, Rhodia and Midori MD paper are all fountain pen-friendly and worth the investment if you’re committing to the format.
Best Brush Pen for Art Journaling — Tombow Dual Brush
For art journalers — and there’s a significant crossover between the journaling and mixed media communities — the Tombow Dual Brush is the recommendation that comes up again and again. Two tips in one: a flexible brush tip for broad strokes, lettering and illustration, and a fine tip for detail work. Water-based ink that blends beautifully when wet, producing watercolour-like washes when you go over marks with a damp brush or blender pen. The colour range is extensive and the pigment quality is genuinely excellant for the price.
Particularly useful for journalers who do hand lettering headers or loose illustration alongside their writing — the brush tip has enough flex to produce real variation between thick and thin strokes without any calligraphy training needed. Find them at Cult Pens Tombow Dual Brush range, individually or in sets. Also compare prices at Discount Art Supplies — sets represent better value if you’re building a colour palette.
Best Highlighter for Journaling — Zebra Mildliner
The Zebra Mildliner has become the highlighter of choice for the journaling community and it’s not hard to see why. The colours are muted and sophisticated rather than the agressive fluorescent shades of traditional office highlighters — they sit on the page without screaming at you, which makes journal layouts look considered rather than chaotic. Double-ended with a broad chisel tip and a fine tip on the opposite end, the Mildliner works as a highlighter, a marker and a detail pen all at once.
The ink is also significantly less likely to bleed through typical journal paper than standard highlighters, which matters if you write on both sides of the page as most journalers do. The colour range covers five sets — basic, mild, natural, fluorescent and cool tones. Worth getting more than one set if you colour-code your entries. Find them at Cult Pens Zebra Mildliner range in individual colours and full sets.
Best Budget Pen for Journaling — Uni Pin Fineliner
If budget is a genuine consideration — and for daily journalers who get through pens quickly, it always is — the Uni Pin fineliner is the recommendation that delivers the most quality for the least money. Waterproof, fade-resistant pigment ink, consistent line width, good bleed resistance on most paper types, available in sizes from 0.1mm through to 0.8mm. Not as refined as the Sakura Pigma Micron but competative in almost every technical respect at a noticeably lower price point.
Particularly popular in the art journaling community for working over watercolour backgrounds — the waterproof ink holds up reliably where cheaper fineliners would run or dissolve. A set of three or four sizes covers most journaling needs without breaking the bank even if you’re buying replacements every few weeks. Find them at Cult Pens Uni Pin range or compare prices at Discount Art Supplies. Also available from Hobbycraft if you want to pick up in store.
Best Pens for Journaling That Don’t Bleed
Bleed-through is the most common journaling pen complaint and worth addressing directly. The pens least likely to bleed on typical journal paper are pigment-based fineliners and ballpoints rather than gel pens or felt tips. The Sakura Pigma Micron and Uni Pin are both excellent here. The Pilot G2 in 0.5mm is the best gel pen choice if bleed is a real concern for you. Fountain pens on quality paper are also very low-bleed with a fine or extra-fine nib and a well-behaved ink.
What consistently causes bleed: oversaturated felt tips, broad gel pen nibs on thin paper, and water-based inks used on non-fountain-pen-friendly paper. If your journal has thinner paper — some Moleskines and cheaper notebooks fall into this category — stick to fineliners and ballpoints and avoid anything with a very wet ink flow.
Best Pens for Bullet Journaling Specifically
Bullet journaling has its own requirements — grid work, ruler lines, a lot of switching between detail tasks and broader decorative work on the same spread. The combination I’d reccommend for a bullet journal setup: a Pilot G2 0.5mm for everyday writing and task lists, a Sakura Pigma Micron 01 or 03 for headers, borders and detail work, and a set of Zebra Mildliners for colour coding. That three-item combination covers essentially every bullet journal task and none of it is expensive. All three are available from Cult Pens — check for any current sale pricing before ordering.
Where to Buy Journaling Pens in the UK — and How to Save
Cult Pens is the definitive specialist answer — the widest range of quality pens from any UK retailer, with genuine expertise behind the selection. Ryman covers the basics and is useful for high street convenience. Hobbycraft stocks Tombow, Zebra Mildliner and the more craft-facing pen ranges. Amazon is worth checking on sets and multipacks where pricing can be very competitive.
Before you buy anywhere, check our Cult Pens deals page and our Cult Pens discount code guide — their Pen Pals loyalty programme earns you points on every purchase that convert to future discounts, which adds up quickly if you’re buying pens regularly. Sale periods at both Cult Pens and Hobbycraft — particularly around back to school in September and Black Friday in November — can bring meaningful savings on pen sets.
Best Pens for Journaling — Quick Summary
Best gel pen: Pilot G2 0.7mm — reliable, refillable, universally excellent.
Best fineliner: Sakura Pigma Micron — waterproof, archival, the bullet journal community standard.
Best fountain pen: Lamy Safari — accessible entry point, robust, genuinely transforms the writing experience.
Best brush pen: Tombow Dual Brush — blendable, versatile, excellent for hand lettering and art journaling.
Best highlighter: Zebra Mildliner — sophisticated colours, low bleed, double-ended.
Best budget option: Uni Pin fineliner — waterproof, consistent, excellent value.
Best bullet journal setup: Pilot G2 + Sakura Pigma Micron + Zebra Mildliner set.
Where to buy: Cult Pens for the widest UK range and specialist expertise.
