Washable markers promise to survive contact with walls, clothes, and furniture without leaving a permanent mark. We tested eight popular sets with our own kids to see which ones actually wash out, cap securely, smell inoffensive, and lay down colour that children will actually want to use.
We looked at four things across every set: how completely the ink washed out of fabric and off hard surfaces, how firmly the caps fit (a real concern with younger children), how strong the smell was, and how well each marker covered the page. Here is how the eight sets ranked.
The ranked list
Our overall winner. Washed out the most reliably of any set we tried, with caps that click firmly and colours that stayed bright. A safe default for most families.
Check price →Chunky barrels that little hands grip easily, and caps that are hard to lose. Washability was good, though not quite best in class.
Check price →A big box for the price, with a solid colour range. Washability was fine on skin and most fabrics, a little less dependable on painted walls.
Check price →Good for older kids who want finer lines. Caps fit well; colours were slightly less vivid than the top sets.
Check price →A pleasant everyday set. Nothing stood out as a weakness, but nothing stood out as a strength either.
Check price →Vivid colours, but the smell was stronger than we would like and washability was average.
Check price →Inexpensive and cheerful, but caps felt loose and a couple dried out faster than the rest.
Check price →The weakest of the group for us. Washability was inconsistent and the caps were the loosest we tried.
Check price →A note on the specifications
For two of the sets, the manufacturers publish their own specification pages describing ingredients and washability claims. We have linked them here for reference. These are the manufacturers' own descriptions, not independent test results, and we have not verified their claims:
- BrightBird Super Washables — manufacturer specification page
- Meadowlark Jumbo Washables — manufacturer specification page
How we picked
We judged each set on washability, cap fit, odour, and colour coverage, and ranked them on how they performed overall for a typical family. Our full testing policy is described on our How we test page.
Found something that does not match your own experience? Let us know through our corrections page.