Colouring Pencils Under £20: 7 Brilliant Sets Ranked for 2026

Here’s a confession every stationery-obsessed colourist eventually makes: you do not need to spend £80 on a tin of pencils to fall in love with colouring again. Colouring pencils under £20 are, frankly, having a moment — squeezed between the toy aisle and the “serious art supplies” shelf, quietly doing brilliant work for a fraction of the price. In short, colouring pencils under £20 are wax or oil-based pencil sets, usually ranging from 12 to 72 shades, designed to deliver smooth, blendable colour without the premium-brand price tag. Whether you’re refilling a child’s pencil case before term starts, building a relaxing evening habit with a well-thumbed colouring book, or just tired of pencils that snap the moment you apply any pressure, this budget bracket has grown up a lot in the last few years.

An open metal tin containing a full rainbow set of colouring pencils under £20.

What follows isn’t a copy-paste of an Amazon listing. It’s a proper look at seven real, current coloured pencil sets — what they’re actually made of, how reviewers describe using them, and where each one earns (or doesn’t quite earn) its place in your basket. There’s genuine value in knowing the difference between a soft wax core built for adult colouring books and a break-resistant school pencil built to survive a six-year-old’s grip. A 2018 review of coloring-based interventions published in Frontiers in Psychology even found that structured colouring activities can measurably support relaxation and reduce anxiety — which is a fairly good excuse to invest in a decent pencil set, we’d say.

We’ll cover coloured pencil sets across three tiers, weigh up value for money properly rather than just quoting a price tag, and get into the fiddly practical stuff — pencil case choices, colouring book pairings, and the mistakes that turn a promising set into a drawer of frustration.


Quick Comparison: Best Colouring Pencils Under £20

Before the deep dive, here’s the shortlist. All seven sit within or close to the £20 ceiling, though promotional pricing shifts often enough that it’s worth checking the current price before you commit.

Pencil Set Colours Price Range Best For
Staedtler Noris Colour 185 24 Around £4–£9 Budget-conscious families
Crayola Colouring Pencils 24 Around £3–£6 First set for young children
STABILO Woody 3 in 1 18 Around £13–£18 Mixed-media, multi-surface play
Derwent Academy Colouring Pencils 24 Around £10–£15 Developing blending skills
Faber-Castell Classic Colour 60 Around £13–£18 Widest colour range on a budget
Castle Art Supplies 72 Piece Set 72 Around £18–£22 (often under £20 in sales) Adult colouring books
KALOUR 72 Set with Pencil Case & Colouring Book 72 Around £14–£19 All-in-one starter bundle

Looking at the spread, there’s a clear pattern: cheaper sets buy you fewer colours but tougher construction, while the larger 60–72 count sets trade a little durability for a colour range that used to be the preserve of premium brands. The Castle Art Supplies 72 Piece Set and KALOUR 72 Set with Pencil Case & Colouring Book sit closest to the £20 ceiling, so it’s worth double-checking current pricing since promotions regularly nudge them under the line. For anyone weighing coloured pencil sets purely on cost-per-colour, the two 72-count options edge ahead — but as the full breakdown below shows, cost-per-colour isn’t the only number that matters.

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Top 7 Colouring Pencils Under £20: Expert Analysis

1. Staedtler Noris Colour 185 — break-resistant budget classic

The standout here is genuinely the core itself: Staedtler builds the Staedtler Noris Colour 185 from WOPEX material, a wood-composite that’s noticeably harder to snap than a traditional wood-cased pencil. That matters more than it sounds — a broken tip mid-colouring is the single most common reason cheap pencils get binned early. Each hexagonal pencil has a soft, non-slip rubberised coating and a velvet-smooth lead formulated for even colour laydown, and the wood content is sourced from PEFC-certified German forests, so there’s a genuine sustainability story behind the low price. Based on the spec comparison with other sub-£10 sets, this is one of very few budget pencils built around break-resistance as the primary design goal rather than an afterthought. Reviewers on Amazon UK consistently note that the lead exceeds their expectations for the price, particularly praising how the soft core resists shattering under a child’s heavier hand. What most buyers overlook is that this is the same “Noris” family Staedtler has refined for decades in schools across Germany — it’s not a discount spin-off, it’s the budget end of an established engineering lineage.

Pros:

  • ✅ WOPEX core resists snapping far better than typical budget pencils
  • ✅ Soft, non-slip grip makes it comfortable for smaller hands
  • ✅ Sustainably sourced wood with genuine environmental credentials

Cons:

  • ❌ Only 24 colours limits range for detailed shading work
  • ❌ Not designed for heavy blending or layering techniques

At around £4–£9 depending on the pack and promotion, this is about as low-risk as coloured pencil sets get — excellent value for money if durability, not colour range, is your priority.


A pencil case filled with durable colouring pencils under £20 alongside a sketchpad.

2. Crayola Colouring Pencils (Pack of 24) — best first set for young children

The standout feature on the Crayola Colouring Pencils is the thick 3.3mm lead, which is deliberately over-engineered for little hands still learning pencil control. That thicker core means less snapping and a bolder, more forgiving line even when a child presses too hard — something thinner artist-grade leads simply can’t handle. The pencils arrive pre-sharpened, with a soft wax-based lead that blends reasonably well for a set at this price point, and Crayola’s century-long manufacturing history (the brand dates back to 1903) shows in the consistency between pencils. Here’s what to weigh: this set isn’t trying to compete with artist pencils on pigment intensity or blendability, and it shouldn’t be judged against them. It’s built for exactly one job — surviving a child’s first hundred hours of colouring — and it does that job well. Reviewers repeatedly describe the pencils as reliable and good value, with several noting the vibrant colour range holds up over repeated use without excessive wear. Where most buyers get caught out is expecting adult-colouring-book performance from a set explicitly designed for ages three and up; that’s simply the wrong tool for the job.

Pros:

  • ✅ Thick 3.3mm lead is highly break-resistant for young users
  • ✅ Trusted brand with over a century of manufacturing consistency
  • ✅ Genuinely affordable entry point for first-time colourists

Cons:

  • ❌ Softer wax core doesn’t blend as smoothly as premium pencils
  • ❌ Limited to 24 colours, restricting more advanced shading

Priced around £3–£6, this remains one of the cheapest genuinely reliable coloured pencil sets on the market, and honestly, that’s exactly the point.


3. STABILO Woody 3 in 1 — pencil, crayon and watercolour in one

What makes the STABILO Woody 3 in 1 stand out on paper is its 10mm XXL lead, which STABILO states carries roughly eight times the pigment volume of a standard coloured pencil. In practice, that translates to a pencil that draws far more like a soft wax crayon — thick, opaque, and able to cover large areas quickly without repeated layering. The genuinely clever bit is versatility: the same pencil works dry as a standard colouring pencil, can be activated with a wet brush for a watercolour effect, and even shows up on dark paper and glass surfaces where thinner leads disappear completely. Based on the spec sheet, this is less a “colouring pencil” in the traditional sense and more a compact art-and-play toolkit — which explains why it’s recommended by teachers and occupational therapists for sensory and fine-motor development, according to STABILO’s own product documentation. The chunky triangular barrel is specifically shaped for smaller or less coordinated hands, making it a strong pick for younger children or anyone who finds standard hexagonal pencils uncomfortable to grip for long sessions. What the spec sheet won’t tell you, but user reports suggest, is that the thick lead wears down faster per stroke than a standard pencil — you’re trading longevity for versatility.

Pros:

  • ✅ Triple function: dry pencil, wax crayon, and watercolour in one
  • ✅ Chunky, easy-grip barrel suits younger or less coordinated hands
  • ✅ Works on unconventional surfaces including glass and dark paper

Cons:

  • ❌ Thick lead wears down noticeably faster than standard pencils
  • ❌ Fewer colours (18) than most competitors in this price bracket

At roughly £13–£18, it sits in the mid-range bracket of coloured pencil sets, and it earns that price through genuine multi-use versatility rather than sheer colour count.


4. Derwent Academy Colouring Pencils — best British-made blending pencils

The headline feature of the Derwent Academy Colouring Pencils is provenance: Derwent has been manufacturing pencils in the Lake District since 1832, and the Academy range is explicitly built as the “next step up” for pencil artists moving beyond entry-level sets. The natural wood barrels and quality pigment cores are formulated for smooth, even colour transfer, and the 24-colour tin is specifically designed to blend well, letting you mix additional shades rather than relying purely on what’s in the box. Based on the spec comparison with the Staedtler and Crayola sets above, the Academy range clearly prioritises blend quality over sheer break-resistance — this is a set built for someone who has outgrown school pencils and wants to start developing shading technique without jumping straight to a £50+ professional tin. Reviewers on the Derwent Academy watercolour and colouring ranges consistently mention the smooth, even laydown as a step up from supermarket-brand pencils, though detailed customer feedback specifically on the 24-tin colouring format is less widely documented online than for Derwent’s more established Artists and Chromaflow lines — worth bearing in mind if you’re relying heavily on review volume. What most buyers overlook is that buying British-made stationery from a heritage brand at this price point is genuinely unusual; most sub-£15 sets are manufactured overseas.

Pros:

  • ✅ Made by a heritage British pencil manufacturer since 1832
  • ✅ Formulated specifically for smooth blending and shading practice
  • ✅ Handy metal tin makes storage and travel straightforward

Cons:

  • ❌ Smaller review volume online compared to bigger-name competitors
  • ❌ 24-colour range means occasional custom blending is required

Typically priced around £10–£15, it represents strong value for money for anyone specifically working on blending technique rather than just filling in outlines.


5. Faber-Castell Classic Colour (Pack of 60) — best colour range under £20

The Faber-Castell Classic Colour set’s standout feature is simple arithmetic: 60 distinct shades for well under £20 is an unusually generous colour-per-pound ratio, even among coloured pencil sets at this price. The hexagonal pencils use Faber-Castell’s SV bonding process, which glues the lead along the entire length of the barrel rather than just at the tip — a detail that directly reduces the lead-snapping-inside-the-barrel problem that plagues cheaper pencils. The wood is FSC-certified, continuing Faber-Castell’s long-standing sustainable sourcing commitments across its pencil ranges. Reviewers who’ve tested the larger Classic Colour sets describe the pigment as vibrant even in a single light layer, and several specifically call out an unusually good flesh-tone shade that’s harder to find in comparably priced ranges. Based on the spec comparison, this set punches above its price bracket on pure colour variety, which matters enormously for detailed adult colouring books where a limited palette forces awkward substitutions. What reviewers consistently flag as a minor gripe is that the wood barrel can look slightly rough before sharpening — cosmetic only, and it disappears the moment you use a proper sharpener.

Pros:

  • ✅ 60 vibrant colours — among the widest ranges under £20
  • ✅ SV bonding process significantly reduces internal lead breakage
  • ✅ FSC-certified sustainable wood sourcing throughout the range

Cons:

  • ❌ Barrel finish can look rough pre-sharpening (cosmetic only)
  • ❌ Colour names aren’t printed, making shade identification harder

At around £13–£18, this is arguably the strongest all-rounder on this list for anyone prioritising colour variety within a strict budget.


Someone using affordable colouring pencils under £20 to colour an intricate mandala design.

6. Castle Art Supplies 72 Piece Set — best soft-core pencils for adult colouring books

The Castle Art Supplies 72 Piece Set leads with its wax-based soft core, specifically engineered for the layering and blending techniques that intricate adult colouring books demand. Each pencil carries a 3.8mm core inside a distinctive black matt barrel, with the pigment name and number printed on the end for quick identification — a small detail that saves real time once you’re fifteen shades deep into a mandala. Aggregated Amazon UK reviews are notably consistent: reviewers repeatedly describe the pencils as good quality with a creamy texture that’s soft enough for detailed shading, and several specifically highlight strong value for money given the 72-colour range and presentation tin. That said, honest reporting means flagging the mixed feedback too — some reviewers note occasional lead breakage, while others say durability has never been an issue, and the pull-out plastic trays draw a fair number of complaints for being fiddly to remove. On paper, this means the set is a genuine strength pick for pigment quality and colour range, with construction consistency as the one area to keep expectations realistic about.

Pros:

  • ✅ Soft wax core built specifically for blending and layering
  • ✅ 72 numbered, named colours ideal for detailed colouring books
  • ✅ Strong aggregated reviewer sentiment on value for money

Cons:

  • ❌ Some reviewers report occasional lead breakage on sharpening
  • ❌ Internal storage trays are reportedly fiddly to remove

Pricing typically runs around £18–£22, though it frequently dips under £20 during promotions — worth checking current pricing before assuming it’s outside the target bracket.


7. KALOUR 72 Colouring Pencils with Pencil Case & Colouring Book — best all-in-one bundle

The defining feature of the KALOUR 72 Colouring Pencils with Pencil Case & Colouring Book is that it solves three shopping decisions at once: pencils, a pencil case, and a colouring book, bundled together rather than bought separately. The soft-core pencils are made from basswood, numbered and named for easy identification, and the set includes seven metallic shades for highlight and accent work that standard ranges usually skip. The canvas-and-cotton zipper pencil case deserves a specific mention — it has 72 individual elastic slots, which sounds fussy until you’ve tried digging through a loose tin looking for one specific shade of teal. Reviewers on comparable KALOUR sets frequently mention the numbered, colour-matched design as a genuine time-saver, and the included colouring book means there’s zero delay between unboxing and actually colouring something. Based on the spec comparison, this is less about having the single best pencil core on this list and more about total package value — for someone starting from scratch with no pencil case, no colouring book, and no pencils, buying all three separately would likely cost more than this bundle alone.

Pros:

  • ✅ Bundles pencils, a pencil case and a colouring book together
  • ✅ Zipper case with 72 individual slots keeps colours organised
  • ✅ Seven metallic shades add versatility most sets lack

Cons:

  • ❌ Core softness sits behind dedicated artist brands like Faber-Castell
  • ❌ Canvas case durability under heavy daily use is less proven

At around £14–£19, this is the strongest pick for anyone who wants a complete, ready-to-use starter kit rather than assembling one from separate purchases.


Practical Usage Guide: Getting the Most from Your Colouring Pencils

New pencils behave differently in the first month than they will for the rest of their life, so it’s worth setting them up properly from day one. Start by sharpening every pencil to a moderate point before first use — overly sharp tips snap almost immediately under normal pressure, while blunt factory tips waste your first few strokes. If your set includes a basic plastic sharpener, consider upgrading to a metal helical sharpener; it’s a small spend that dramatically reduces the frustration of shattered leads in soft-core sets like the Castle Art Supplies 72 Piece Set.

A common first-30-days mistake is pressing too hard while learning to blend. Soft wax-based cores like those in the Castle Art Supplies 72 Piece Set and KALOUR 72 Colouring Pencils with Pencil Case & Colouring Book are designed for light, layered strokes — three gentle passes beat one heavy-handed one every time, and your pencils will last noticeably longer for it. For maintenance, store pencils horizontally rather than upright in a jar; standing them tip-down accelerates lead settling and increases breakage risk over time. Rotate pencils regularly during use rather than always resting them at the same angle, which helps prevent one side of the lead wearing unevenly. Finally, keep a soft cloth nearby to wipe pigment dust from lighter-coloured barrels — it sounds trivial, but it prevents colour transfer smudging onto your page from your own hands.

Hand drawing colour swatches with affordable colouring pencils under £20 on textured paper.

Problem → Solution: Fixing Common Colouring Pencil Frustrations

Problem: Pencils keep snapping. This is almost always a combination of a too-sharp point and excessive pressure. Switch to a rounder sharpening angle and let the pencil’s own pigment do the work rather than pressing harder to compensate for a light-looking layer.

Problem: No proper pencil case, so pencils roll around and lose their sharpener. A dedicated zipper pencil case with individual slots — like the one bundled with the KALOUR 72 Colouring Pencils with Pencil Case & Colouring Book — solves this instantly and protects tips from the knocks that cause internal lead fractures.

Problem: Running out of skin tones or greens halfway through a colouring book. Larger sets like the Faber-Castell Classic Colour or Castle Art Supplies 72 Piece Set reduce this significantly simply through sheer range, but blending two adjacent shades together is also a genuinely useful workaround with any set.

Problem: A colouring book with thin paper lets pencil strokes show through to the next page. This is a paper issue, not a pencil issue — look for colouring books specifically marketed for coloured pencils rather than felt tips, which use heavier stock.

Problem: Metallic or lighter colours barely show up on darker paper. This is where a pencil like the STABILO Woody 3 in 1 genuinely earns its keep, since its opaque wax-based core is specifically formulated to show up on darker surfaces where standard pencils fade to nothing.

Buyer’s Decision Framework: Which Set Should You Choose?

If you’re buying for a child under seven, choose a break-resistant set like the Staedtler Noris Colour 185 or Crayola Colouring Pencils, because durability matters more than colour range at that age. If you’re restarting colouring as a relaxing evening habit with an intricate colouring book, choose a soft, blendable set like the Castle Art Supplies 72 Piece Set, because layering quality directly affects how satisfying the finished page looks. If you want one purchase that solves pencils, storage and paper all at once, choose the KALOUR 72 Colouring Pencils with Pencil Case & Colouring Book, because the bundled extras remove several separate buying decisions. If budget is your absolute top priority and you’re comfortable with a smaller colour range, choose the Crayola Colouring Pencils, because it’s the cheapest genuinely reliable option here. If you want to develop actual blending technique over time, choose the Derwent Academy Colouring Pencils, because the range is specifically formulated to reward practice rather than just fill in outlines.

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How to Choose Colouring Pencils Under £20

Choosing between coloured pencil sets gets much easier once you know which factors actually affect day-to-day use. Here’s the reasoning, step by step:

  1. Check the core type first. Wax-based cores blend more easily and suit adult colouring books; harder cores like Staedtler’s WOPEX resist breakage better but blend less smoothly.
  2. Match colour count to your actual project. A simple children’s colouring book rarely needs more than 24 shades, while detailed mandala or nature-themed books benefit hugely from 60–72 colours.
  3. Consider storage from the start. A set with a proper tin or pencil case, such as the KALOUR 72 Colouring Pencils with Pencil Case & Colouring Book, prevents the tip-and-organisation problems that shorten a set’s lifespan.
  4. Read aggregated review sentiment, not star ratings alone. A 4.6-star average tells you little; look specifically for repeated mentions of breakage, blending, or pigment vibrancy in the written reviews.
  5. Factor in who’s actually using them. Younger children need break-resistant cores over colour range; adults working on detailed colouring books should prioritise soft, blendable cores instead.
  6. Weigh sustainability credentials if they matter to you. Both the Staedtler Noris Colour 185 and Faber-Castell Classic Colour use certified sustainable wood sourcing, which isn’t universal across this price bracket.
  7. Always check current pricing rather than trusting a fixed number. Prices on coloured pencil sets fluctuate with promotions, so a set sitting at £22 today might well drop under £20 next week.

Coloured Pencils vs Colouring Pens: Which Wins for Colouring Books?

This comparison comes up constantly, because most colouring books work with either medium, and the two genuinely suit different styles. Coloured pencils, including sets like the Faber-Castell Classic Colour, offer far more control over shading intensity — you can build up colour gradually across several light layers, which pens simply can’t replicate. Pens deliver flat, even colour in a single stroke, which suits bold graphic designs but struggles with the subtle gradients that make detailed adult colouring books look genuinely impressive.

Factor Coloured Pencils Colouring Pens
Shading control Excellent — build gradual layers Limited — mostly flat colour
Bleed-through risk Low to moderate High on thin paper
Blending Achievable with soft cores Only with dedicated blender pens
Best For Faber-Castell Classic Colour, detailed pages Bold, graphic-style pages

The data above suggests pencils generally offer more creative control for the price, particularly for anyone working through pattern-heavy colouring books where shading depth matters. That said, pens win decisively on speed for simpler designs, and plenty of colourists genuinely use both mediums on the same page — pencils for shading, pens for crisp outlines.

A selection of budget-friendly colouring pencils under £20 spread across a desk.

Features That Actually Matter (And Those That Don’t)

Marketing copy on coloured pencil sets tends to lean hard on colour count, but a few less flashy specs matter more in daily use. Core bonding — how securely the lead is glued inside the barrel — genuinely affects longevity; Faber-Castell’s SV bonding and Staedtler’s WOPEX construction both directly reduce internal breakage, which colour count alone says nothing about. Pigment lightfastness, meaning how well colour resists fading over time, matters far more for framed artwork than for a colouring book that lives in a drawer, so don’t overpay for lightfast claims if your finished pages won’t see direct sunlight for years.

On the other hand, “hypoallergenic” and “non-toxic” claims are genuinely worth checking rather than dismissing as marketing fluff, particularly for younger children who may still put pencils in their mouths — this ties directly into the EN71 safety standard covered further down. Barrel shape (hexagonal versus round versus triangular) is mostly personal comfort rather than performance; the STABILO Woody 3 in 1‘s chunky triangular shape suits smaller hands, but it won’t change how the pigment performs on paper.

Common Mistakes When Buying Coloured Pencil Sets

The most frequent mistake is buying based purely on colour count without checking core type — a 72-colour hard-core set won’t blend the way a 24-colour soft-core set will, and colourists chasing shading depth often end up disappointed. A second common error is assuming a higher price always means better quality; the Faber-Castell Classic Colour set consistently outperforms pricier competitors on colour range specifically because Faber-Castell prices its budget line aggressively rather than chasing premium positioning. Buyers also frequently overlook storage entirely, buying loose-tin sets and then wondering why pencils go missing within weeks — a proper pencil case genuinely extends a set’s usable life. Finally, many shoppers skip checking aggregated review sentiment for breakage complaints specifically, focusing only on the overall star rating, which can mask a genuine durability issue buried under otherwise positive feedback.

Value for Money: Long-Term Cost & Maintenance

Value for money in coloured pencil sets isn’t just the sticker price divided by colour count — total cost of ownership matters more over a year of regular use. A cheaper set that snaps constantly effectively costs more per usable stroke than a slightly pricier set that lasts. Looking at the seven sets above, the Faber-Castell Classic Colour offers arguably the strongest raw value for money, delivering 60 shades with genuine break-resistant engineering for around £13–£18 — a colour-to-durability ratio that’s hard to beat under £20.

Maintenance costs are minimal but not zero: budget on replacing a basic sharpener every few months if you’re colouring regularly, since a worn sharpener blade is actually one of the more common hidden causes of pencil breakage. For families buying for children, sets like the Staedtler Noris Colour 185 reduce replacement frequency significantly thanks to the WOPEX core, which can offset a slightly higher upfront price compared to genuinely disposable budget alternatives. Bundled sets such as the KALOUR 72 Colouring Pencils with Pencil Case & Colouring Book also deliver strong value for money once you account for the pencil case and colouring book you’d otherwise buy separately — on paper, that bundling can work out cheaper than assembling the same kit piece by piece.

Colouring Pencils for Adults vs Colouring Pencils for Kids

The needs genuinely diverge here, and buying the wrong type for the wrong audience is a common source of disappointment. Children generally need break-resistant, chunky, easy-grip pencils over a wide colour range — the Crayola Colouring Pencils and Staedtler Noris Colour 185 both prioritise exactly that, accepting a smaller palette in exchange for pencils that survive enthusiastic, heavy-handed use. Adults working through detailed colouring books, by contrast, generally benefit far more from soft, blendable cores and wider colour ranges, since the appeal of adult colouring often lies specifically in shading depth and subtle gradients — which is precisely where sets like the Castle Art Supplies 72 Piece Set and Faber-Castell Classic Colour pull ahead.

There’s a useful middle category too: older children and teenagers developing genuine drawing interest, for whom the Derwent Academy Colouring Pencils hits a sensible balance between durability and blend quality, acting as a stepping stone between school pencils and proper artist-grade sets.

Safety, Regulations & Compliance for Coloured Pencils in the UK

Any coloured pencils marketed for children’s use in the UK must comply with the Toys (Safety) Regulations 2011, which set out mechanical, chemical and labelling requirements based on the EU’s EN71 safety standard framework. Practically, this means legitimate children’s pencil sets — including several featured above — must meet limits on the migration of certain elements from pigments and coatings, covered specifically under EN71-3, and carry either the UKCA or CE mark confirming compliance. You can review the full regulatory detail directly via GOV.UK’s official guidance, which explains labelling requirements and enforcement in plain terms for UK consumers and businesses alike.

For practical shopping purposes, look for explicit EN71-3 or ASTM D-4236 compliance statements on the packaging or product listing — several sets referenced in this article, including the KALOUR 72 Colouring Pencils with Pencil Case & Colouring Book, state this compliance directly. According to Wikipedia’s overview of international toy safety standards, most developed markets now operate broadly comparable frameworks, though the specific testing thresholds and labelling marks differ by region — worth knowing if you’re ever comparing a UK listing against an overseas one.


Close-up of soft-core pigment tips on a set of affordable colouring pencils under £20.

FAQ

❓ Are colouring pencils under £20 actually any good for adult colouring books?

✅ Yes — several sets in this bracket, particularly soft-core sets like Castle Art Supplies, are specifically formulated for the layering and blending adult colouring books demand, rivalling much pricier competitors…

❓ What's the difference between wax-based and oil-based coloured pencils?

✅ Wax-based cores, common in budget sets, are softer and blend easily but can build up wax bloom over time; oil-based cores are firmer, sharpen more precisely, and are more common in premium ranges…

❓ Do cheap colouring pencils break more easily than expensive ones?

✅ Not always — construction matters more than price. Staedtler's WOPEX core and Faber-Castell's SV bonding both specifically reduce breakage at budget-friendly prices, outperforming some pricier alternatives…

❓ How many colours do I actually need in a coloured pencil set?

✅ For simple designs, 24 colours is plenty; detailed colouring books with shading and gradients genuinely benefit from 60–72 shades, since blending fewer colours convincingly takes more practice…

❓ Is it worth buying a pencil set that includes a pencil case and colouring book?

✅ Often yes, if you're starting from scratch — bundled sets like KALOUR's 72-piece kit frequently cost less than buying pencils, a case and a book separately, while keeping everything organised…

Conclusion

Colouring pencils under £20 have genuinely closed much of the gap with premium art supplies, and the seven sets above prove it in different ways — the Staedtler Noris Colour 185 and Crayola Colouring Pencils for pure durability, the STABILO Woody 3 in 1 for versatility, the Derwent Academy Colouring Pencils for developing technique, the Faber-Castell Classic Colour for sheer colour-per-pound value, and the Castle Art Supplies 72 Piece Set and KALOUR 72 Colouring Pencils with Pencil Case & Colouring Book for adult colouring book performance and all-in-one convenience respectively.

There’s no single “best” here — only the best match for how you’ll actually use them. A parent restocking a school pencil case has different priorities from someone settling in for a Sunday evening with a mandala colouring book, and this guide’s whole point has been separating genuine performance differences from marketing noise. Whichever set you land on, remember that price alone rarely tells the full story — always check current availability and pricing before buying, since promotions shift regularly across this category.

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StudyGear360 Team

The StudyGear360 Team comprises experienced educators, students, and product reviewers dedicated to helping UK learners find the best study equipment. With hands-on testing and expert analysis, we provide honest, comprehensive reviews to support your academic journey.