Choosing a pen case largely comes down to personal preference. The quality of pen cases sold by reputable manufacturer and quality vendors is generally quite high and while prices vary wildly, almost everything we’d landed on in the past few years has been pretty OK. What really makes the difference and sets some pen cases apart from the rest is design, features, and value.
Here are some of our favorite pen cases sold today…
This list covers our favorite general-use, pen cases. These are cases that most professionals and students would want for day-to-day use — going to work, going to school, going to university, etc. We will do another article about the top high-end pen cases which are designed to store more expensive, more delicate pens and pencils.
Lihit Lab Compact Pen Case
This small pen case from Lihit Lab uses a clamshell design in order to safely store about 4 pens. You can add in a few more, up to 8, but you will sacrifice on scratch prevention, as some of the pens will inevitably be touching on another. The material is similar to a school backpack — which is a common choice for a pen case — and the price is very reasonable at under $10, often under $8.
We love the lie-flat design and padded back. This is an excellent way to safely bring a few pens to school or work — including nicer pens — without having to spend a ton on fancy leather case.
Price: $8 on Amazon
Lihit Lab Double Zipper
The Lihit Double is a full-size pen case that can store about 15-20 pens. It’s similar in build and not much more expensive than Lihit’s Compact case, but you get less protection for each pen. On the upside you get net bags that are good storage for miscellaneous stuff, like lead, spare caps, erasers, etc.
This is a more of a general case for students and artists than it is a dedicated pen case. Even so, it’s one of our favorites because it’s affordable and highly versatile.
We very much prefer this case to the Lihit Triple Zipper case, which is rather bulky.
Price: $12 on Amazon
Kokuyo Shellbro Pen Case
This is a versatile case with an amusing name. It’s a general open space for pens, sort of a pouch, not really aimed at protecting pens but rather storing a good amount. There is a net container for miscellany and it’s large enough to store scissors and other non-pen-shaped items.
This pen case has two key strengths: a mildly amusing name and the fact that is can lie open on your desk, making it a handy and quickly-accessible pen cubby.
Price: $13 on Amazon
Why Is This List So Short?
Unsharpen is a relatively new, self-financed pen site. The products we review and the ones we’ve actually bought for our own usage. We don’t have unlimited budget for reviews and not all products we buy make it to lists like this, so the lists can be shorter then we’d like.
The good news is that our lists get updated regularly so check back and there should be some new items. If you have a favorite, please send over suggestions.