The Best & Worst Crayons – Surprising Winner Is the Cheapest

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 rated them all so you can buy the best crayons with confidence.

In past years, BIC crayons were my top pick for quality and value, but lately they’ve become harder to find and noticeably more expensive. They’re still available on Amazon—just not Prime-eligible and slow to ship—and sold out at most other retailers, making them far less budget-friendly or accessible.

How I conducted my crayon brands test on other top brands:

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 best crayons to suit your needs.

Here’s how each crayon brand performed:

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1. Crayola crayons are a traditional must-have pick, and are one name brand that’s become cheaper with inflation.

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 company sure doesn’t lack in uniqueness and has been a classroom go-to time and time again.

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. 😆

That said, I was surprised to see that this name brand is the cheapest pack of crayons on our entire list, making them such a budget-friendly buy for school.

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2. Cra-Z-Art crayons are literally Crayola crayons in a different box, and I was just disappointed with their performance and price.

Walmart’s Cra-Z-Art crayons, or no doubt affordable at just 86¢ for a variety pack, however, I was shocked to learn that what used to be a more affordable brand than Crayola is now almost double the price!

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, almost all of the names were the exact same, too! This leads me to ask, why on Earth would someone pay extra when you can get the name-brand, Crayola with the same results?!

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 have proved to be slightly 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!

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3. Target’s Mondo Llama box has unique options to choose from, but lacks in performance overall.  

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, still ringing in at under a dollar! 😏

Since my store was sold out of their traditional variety pack when I ordered (currently just 75¢), 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.

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4. Wonder Stix crayons are incredibly versatile, but are the most expensive ones I tested. 

At just 90¢ 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 69¢ 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.

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5. Brilliant Bee’s box is made of beeswax and is triangle-shaped, so they don’t roll away either.

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 compared 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. That said, given the unique shape of these crayons, they would still be a top contender for younger kiddos. Plus, chances are, younger kiddos are applying less pressure when using them.

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6. Prang is made by the Ticonderoga pencil company, which ranked as the best #2 pencil.

If you previously 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 company, I had to give it a try!

I was immediately impressed with Prang on paper. They’re very smooth and have very minimal flaking when compared to the Crayola and Cra-Z-Art crayon brands. However, they’re pricier than the two other popular picks combined.

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.

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While each crayon brand had its own strengths and weaknesses, the “best” really depends on what matters most to you—whether that’s affordability, pigment, durability, or unique features.

If you want the most budget-friendly option, Crayola is surprisingly the cheapest right now. For versatility beyond paper, Wonder Stix can’t be beat. Brilliant Bee is a charming, eco-friendly pick for little hands, and Prang offers a smooth, durable everyday crayon. No matter your priority, this list should make it easy to find the best crayons for your needs so you can stock up with confidence.

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