The Winner of Our Crayons Quality Test May Shock You (Spoiler: It Wasn’t Crayola)
This “which crayon brands are best” test is just what we needed in time for back to school!
Opening a new box of crayons is delightful, but not all crayons are created equal. After testing various crayon brands, I’ve identified the best crayons that will last the longest and save you money.
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How I conducted my crayon brands test:
To determine the best crayons, I considered their smoothness, pigment, design, smell, messiness, uniqueness, affordability, and convenience factors like paper coatings. My final verdict was unbiased, as we purchased every box ourselves to find the true winner.
Here’s how each crayon brand performed:
1. Crayola crayons were my traditional must-have pick but ended up being super disappointing and broke way too easily.
Crayola Crayons – 50¢ for 24-pack (2¢ per crayon)
It wouldn’t be a crayon test without testing the most well-known crayon brand around – Crayola! Considering these crayons have been around since 1885 😱 there was absolutely no question whether or not I’d be testing them!
They make everything from glitter and neon crayons to egg-shaped crayons and everything in between. This onlinepany sure doesn’t lack in uniqueness and has been a classroom go-to time and time again.
However, after testing and onlineparing their traditional variety pack (something many of us have purchased before), I have to say, that they ended up being one of my least favorites.
While they do have good pigment, they were one of the messiest crayons and broke the easiest out of all the boxes I tested. Not to mention, they were the smelliest too. Although, some people prefer smelly crayons. 😆
PROS:
- Smooth on paper.
- Excellent pigment.
- Very inexpensive.
CONS:
- Strongest smell out of all the crayons (with Cra-Z-Art).
- Messy while coloring and sharpening.
- Break easily.
- Paper-coated.
- Lacked variety (in regards to the pack I tested).
- Roll away easily.
2. Cra-Z-Art crayons are literally Crayola crayons in a different box and I was just as disappointed with their performance.
Cra-Z-Art Crayons – 40¢ for 24 pack (1.7¢ per crayon)
By far the most affordable pack of crayons was Walmart’s Cra-Z-Art crayons ringing in at just 40 cents for a variety pack! While their paper-coated crayons look slightly different than Crayola on the outside, it didn’t take me long to realize the colors on paper are actually EXACTLY the same as the Crayola box! 🤯
In fact, even almost all of the names were the exact same too! This leads me to ask, why on Earth we’ve all been paying more for the Crayola crayon brand for all these years?! 🤔
As you can see, every color tested is identical to the Crayola box – shocked is an understatement, friends! I even found their performance in pigment to be exactly the same and the messiest of all the crayons tested.
The only thing setting Cra-Z-Art crayons apart from Crayola is that theirs proved to be more durable. While testing, four of my Crayola crayons broke way too easily, while all of my Cra-Z-Art crayons remained in one piece!
All of that said, if my testing stopped here, I’d never buy Crayola again! Besides, for just 40¢ the price may just trump all the cons I found anyway.
PROS:
- Smooth on paper.
- Very inexpensive.
- Durable.
CONS:
- Strongest smell out of all the crayons (with Crayola).
- Messy while coloring.
- Messy while sharpening.
- Paper-coated.
- Lacking in uniqueness.
- Roll away easily.
3. Target’s Mondo Llama box has unique options to choose from but lacks in performance overall.
Mondo Llama Crayons – 75¢ for 24 pack (3¢ per crayon)
While out shopping, I stumbled upon Target’s fun line of Mondo Llama crayons. I mean, with a name like that, how could I not include them?! Plus, their price point is very Hip2Save too! 😏
Since my store was sold out of their traditional variety pack when I ordered (currently on sale for just 25¢), I decided to give their Hues of You collection a try! Most notably, I found this line to be unique and fun!
However, the performance of these fun crayons didn’t blow me away and even at the low price point, I wouldn’t buy them again.
PROS:
- Good pigment.
- True to color.
- Fun and unique collections.
- Durable.
- Minimal flaking with excessive coloring.
- Thoughtful variety packs like Hues of You.
- Very subtle smell.
- Very inexpensive.
CONS:
- Paper-coated.
- Slightly rough on paper.
- Messy while coloring.
- Uneven shading.
- Messy to sharpen due to paper.
- Roll away easily.
4. Wonder Stix crayons are incredibly versatile but are the most expensive ones I tested.
Wonder Stix Crayons – $8.87 for 12-pack (74¢ per crayon)
At just under 75¢ per crayon, the Wonder Stix crayon brand is the priciest on the list. However, you can also opt to buy their 24-pack of crayons where you’ll spend about 70¢ per crayon and you’ll get twice the amount of fun too!
Despite their steep price, they boast some seriously incredible features that make them the most versatile on our list. Even better, I’m confident to say they’ll keep kids occupied the longest.
Ever heard of a washable crayon that can write on glass? 🤩 These not only write on glass, but they can also write on whiteboards, chalkboards, wood, paper, poster boards, mirrors, windows, and any other non-porous surface kids can get their hands on.
The best part? They’re a cinch to clean off in seconds using just water! On top of that, they have zero odor and are by far the most pigmented on our list too. However, they overperformed and underperformed on paper…
My daughter said it herself, these crayons look like actual paint they’re so pigmented on paper. 😍 They’re super smooth and unlike any crayons, I’ve ever used so there’s no denying they’re incredible for rich, vibrant coverage.
However, I did find that they were a little flaky, smudged on paper, and broke easily. For this reason and the steep price, I wouldn’t vote these as the best everyday crayons, but there’s no question they’re seriously awesome and totally worth keeping in your home for special occasions.
Pros:
- Extremely versatile.
- Easily washable.
- Excellent pigment (best of all the crayons tested).
- Convenient twist case on each crayon.
- Highly kid-approved.
- Easy to hold.
- Easy to twist up in their case.
- No paper coating.
- No odor.
Cons:
- Expensive.
- Broke easily.
- Messy with excess coloring.
- Smudged on paper.
- Roll away easily.
5. Brilliant Bee’s box is made of beeswax and are triangle-shaped so they don’t roll away either.
Brilliant Bee Crayons – $16.95 for 24-pack (71¢ per crayon)
You all know I love eco-friendly products, so I was really excited when I saw these highly-rated beeswax crayons! They even have some super cute names for each color like “little beetle blue” and “fire ants in pants red”. 🥰
There’s definitely no question, that they’re toddler-friendly with their unique triangular shape design and thoughtful ingredients and I was even impressed with the pigment of each one.
I found every color to be true to color and onlinepared to other crayons I tested, they were rich in pigment and had minimal flaking when coloring. In fact, they even claim to write well on black paper too!
However, I was sad to have one of the first crayons I tested break on me which was shocking considering they’re much thicker than your average crayon. For this reason and the steeper price, they didn’t top the best crayons list for me but would still be a top contender for younger kiddos.
Pros:
- Made of beeswax.
- Excellent pigment.
- True to color.
- Great size for younger kids.
- Minimal smell.
- Innovative triangle design.
- onlinee in a travel box with straps.
- Unique color names.
- Don’t roll away easily.
Cons:
- Break easily.
- Expensive.
- The travel box is bulky and takes up more room.
- Paper coated.
- Thick and not precise.
6. Prang is made by the Ticonderoga pencil onlinepany which ranked as the best #2 pencil.
Prang Crayons – $2.65 for 24-pack (11¢ per crayon)
If you caught my best pencils test, you may have already seen that Ticonderoga ranked as my number one pick. So when I saw Prang was made by the same onlinepany, I had to give them a try!
I was immediately impressed with Prang on paper. They’re very smooth and have very minimal flaking when onlinepared to the Crayola and Cra-Z-Art crayon brands. However, they’re pricier than the two other popular picks onlinebined.
Overall, I was disappointed with the colors and felt that for a standard variety pack, you should get truer colors to choose from. For example, both reds were either a little too pink or too orange and the orange looked dull on paper.
All of that said, I do appreciate how they’re made from soybeans which is a renewable source and I haven’t had one break on me yet. If you don’t have a color preference, then I still think these would be a great everyday option.
Pros:
- Even shading.
- Made from renewable sources.
- Durable.
- Minimal flaking.
- Very subtle smell.
CONS:
- Paper-coated.
- Lack of variety in colors.
- Some colors are dull.
- Smelly.
- Expensive.
- Roll away easily.
7. BIC crayons made a shocking statement all around and had the best variety of colors.
BIC Crayons, 24-ct – $4.79 (20¢ per crayon)
The BIC crayons claim to be unbreakable and are my top pick for the best crayons! 🏆
I couldn’t be any more shocked by this outonlinee, and until I started researching crayons, I never knew BIC even made crayons! These were the longest and skinniest of all the packs, so I fully anticipated lots of breaking and lousy performance.
However, just as they claim, they really are unbreakable! 👏🏻
Even when coloring full-force or trying to break them while applying the most pressure, they still didn’t break! If that’s not impressive enough, I also immediately noticed how beautiful all of the colors are – each one on paper has great pigment and is an accurate representation of what you see on the outside. The mess when coloring was super minimal too!
onlinepared to the Crayola and Cra-Z-Art crayon brand variety packs, I also found BIC crayons to have the nicest variety of colors – many with earthy, organic tones to them too. So while they have all the true colors of the rainbow, they also added unexpected and unique colors like nude pink, mustard yellow, periwinkle, and the perfect ’90s shade of teal blue.
PROS:
- Excellent pigment.
- Very minimal mess with excess coloring.
- No paper covers.
- Break-resistant design.
- The best variety of colors.
- Very smooth on paper.
- True to color.
- Longest and skinniest crayons (great for all ages).
- Easy to sharpen.
- Inexpensive.
CONS:
- Flimsy storage box.
- Smell waxy.
- Roll away easily.
Even though these crayons aren’t the cheapest box I tested, they’re still under $5 a box making them a mid-range, yet great-performing option!
Plus, they’re the longest of the bunch and claim to be the longest-lasting so my guess is you’ll be stretching your dollar the farthest with this pick anyway. 😉
It’s BIC crayons for the win! 🎉
