🏆 Editor's Choice
Reviewed by Marcus Knapman, BSc (Hons) Computing ·
Researched from 100+ Amazon customer reviews
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Is there a more reliable way to buy yourself twenty minutes of peace than handing a small child a box of felt tips? Possibly not. But the wrong box ends with a sofa that looks like a crime scene and a child who has decorated their own face. That's the real question with any marker set for kids: not just 'will they draw well?' but 'what happens when they inevitably draw on something they shouldn't?'
The Crayola SuperTips Washable Markers (24 pack) are built around that second question. The headline feature is right there in the name: the ink washes off skin and clothing. Add a £4.99 price tag and you have a product that doesn't need to try very hard to justify itself.
I've been through the spec sheet, the product claims and the sort of feedback families tend to leave on markers like these. My bottom line is simple. For the money, this is one of the easiest recommendations I can make in the kids' craft aisle. It isn't perfect, and I'll get to the quibbles, but if you've got a child aged three or over and a household you'd quite like to keep stain-free, this pack is very hard to argue with.
Let me start with the arithmetic, because it's the first thing that struck me. £4.99 for 24 markers works out at roughly 21p a pen. That's cheaper than a lot of single felt tips you'd pick up from a high-street stationer. For a household with more than one child, or one child with a tendency to lose every lid within a fortnight, that kind of pricing matters. You can buy a second pack without having to think about it.
The assorted range means you get the full spread of colours a young artist wants: enough variety that nobody's squabbling over the one decent green. Twenty-four is also a sensible number. Twelve feels stingy the moment two children are drawing at once, whilst bigger tins start to feel like an investment you'd rather not make for a toddler.
Every marker set for kids will tell you it's safe and easy to use. What sets these apart is the explicit promise that the ink comes off skin and clothing. In my view, that's the feature that should drive your decision, and it's the reason Crayola's washable range has such a loyal following with parents.
Here's where I'll add a sensible caveat. 'Washable' in marker terms means the ink is designed to come out with ordinary washing, but it works best when you deal with it promptly. A fresh smear on a school jumper is one thing; a stain that's been left to bake into fabric for a week is another. I'd treat the claim as strong protection against the everyday mishaps, not a licence to ignore a marker-covered sofa cushion. Anything porous or unfinished, like raw wood or some types of upholstery, is worth keeping them away from altogether.
Cheap felt tips have a habit of squeaking, dragging and skipping, which is deeply irritating when you're three and just want a flat block of red. The product spec specifically points to smooth, intense colour laydown with no squeaks or drags, and that tallies with what you'd hope for from a brand that's been doing this for over a century.
The colour payoff matters more than adults tend to realise. Children get frustrated quickly when a pen produces a weak, streaky line, and a marker that lays down bold colour in one pass keeps them engaged for longer. That's an underrated bit of value in a pack this cheap.
The SuperTips name refers to the tip design, which lets you vary your line. Press lightly or use the edge for fine detail, press flat for broad strokes. It means a child can colour in a big area and then go back and add small details with the same pen, which is handy for school projects and for older children who want a bit more precision.
It's worth being realistic here. This isn't a technical drawing instrument, and nobody's going to produce fine-liner quality detail. But for the age range it's aimed at, three and up, the versatility is genuinely useful. It also means you're not buying a separate set of thick and thin pens, which saves money and desk space.
Right, the negatives, because there are always some. First, washable markers are, by their nature, a bit less intense than permanent ones. You're trading some vibrancy and longevity for the ability to clean up afterwards. On paper the colours look good, but they won't have the punch of a permanent pen, and the ink isn't designed to be fade-resistant if you want to display artwork in a sunny window for years.
Second, markers dry out. It's the same story across every felt tip ever made: leave the lid off and you'll be bin-bound before long. With 24 pens and small children, I'd expect a few casualties along the way. That's not a flaw specific to this set, but it's worth knowing before you start treating them as an heirloom.
Third, 'washable' doesn't mean 'wipe-away on any surface'. It's about skin and clothing. Furniture, walls and carpets are a different matter, so keep an eye on where the drawing is happening.
If you've got children in the three-to-eight range, or you're stocking a classroom, a nursery, a holiday activity box or a rainy-day drawer, this is a very sensible buy. The age rating of 3+ makes it suitable for early years, and the price makes it painless to replace.
If you're after markers for serious art, adult colouring, or anything you want to last or look archival, look elsewhere. These are children's workhorses, not art-shop staples, and they're priced and built accordingly.
I keep coming back to the £4.99 figure because it reframes the whole product. Nobody's expecting miracles at that price, so the fact that you get 24 colours, smooth laydown and a washability promise from a recognised brand feels like a good deal. The Crayola SuperTips Washable Markers aren't trying to reinvent the felt tip. They're trying to be the one you can hand over without flinching, and in that, they largely succeed.
For £4.99, the Crayola SuperTips Washable Markers are an easy recommendation for any household with children aged three and up. They're smooth, colourful and forgiving of mess, which is exactly what you want. Skip them if you need permanent, fade-resistant colour or something suitable for more serious art work.
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