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Last updated on February 7th, 2026 at 09:12 pm
Highlighter markers are an essential school supply in any classroom! Both teachers and students use them, and their uses are many. Teachers use them to highlight important data on printed reports, highlight the most important information on material sent home to families, and to highlight teacher manuals, to name a few. Students use them to highlight important information in consumable textbooks or on worksheets, when notetaking, or when doing wordsearches. If your students are anything like mine, they LOVE when the highlighter markers come out! And the more colors to choose from, the better!
However, just like with most school supplies, all highlighters are not created equal. This post will highlight (all pun intended 😂) the pros and cons of common highlighter brands. These brands will be ranked, worst to best, so you can make an informed decision when purchasing highlighters for your classroom. Because when you’re teacher, every dollar counts!
Worst: Promarx Glowline Highlighters
This is a brand you can find at your nearest Dollar Tree. I’ve had some of these in my classroom before. Typically, they are brought in when the supply list sent out asks for highlighters. They dry out very quickly and the tips are not durable. If you’re on a tight budget and only need to use them for a small period of time, they will work. In this case, the price definitely reflects the quality of the product.
Below Average: Amazon Basics Highlighters
These highlighters are ranked below average because of their reviews. I do not have experience with the Amazon Basics brand of highlighters, and am very reluctant to try them. While they have a lot 5 star reviews on Amazon, the 3 star and below reviews have me questioning their worth. The price is great for a 24 pack of highlighters and they have a decent variety of colors. Reviews for these highlighters, however, say they bleed through the paper and have a harder tip leading to ripping through the page on occasions. The reviews, also, say they smudge print a little bit. If you have any insight on these highlighters, please comment below.
Average: BIC Brite Liners Thin Chisel Tip Highlighters
BIC highlighters get the job done. They can highlight one line at a time, which is what I am looking for in a highlighter. What I dislike about these highlighters is that they often bleed through the page. So when used in a workbook or a two-sided worksheet, you can see the color through the backside. If you’re not picky about that and find a good deal, these aren’t a bad choice.
Good: Duchong Chisel Tip Highlighters
Duchong highlighters are a decent highlighter. Their regular price is a little bit lower than some other highlighters. They come in a nice variety of colors. Duchong highlighters are quick drying, so they don’t smear on the page. There is very little bleed through, so they can be used on paper that is printed on both sides. Their ink will last the year when stored properly.
Best: Sharpie Narrow Chisel Tip Highlighters
Sharpies are the BEST highlighters for the classroom! This is the only kind I use and I prefer these for my students, too. What makes them the best? They don’t smear or go through the page. Sharpie highlighters are, also, skinny enough to be able to highlight only one line of text at a time. They come in a variety of colors, without the ink being too dark on the page. And as long as the caps are on correctly, they last a long time! I’ve used the same Sharpie highlighters over multiple years, which makes them budget-friendly. Look for sales at Back-to-School time and during the holidays to get the best price!
Conclusion
As you can tell from above, I don’t recommend purchasing thick highlighter markers. The thicker highlighters of any brand make it difficult to highlight only one line of text at a time, especially for students. They can be useful if you want to highlight key words on an anchor chart created on large paper from an easel pad. Of course, the best brand are the Sharpie tank chisel tipped highlighters.
If you enjoyed this highlighter markers ranked post, be sure to check out my post on Dry Erase Markers Ranked: Worst to Best to see my recommendations for the BEST dry erase markers!