Expo Low Odor Chisel Tip Dry Erase Markers, 12 Colored Markers(80699)

by Expo

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 7.2 x 1.2 inches ; 8.2 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0004F7GUI
• Item model number: 80699
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #207 in Office Products (See Top 100 in Office Products)
  • #8 in Office Products > Educational Supplies > Writing & Correction Supplies > Markers & Highlighters > Dry Erase & Wet Erase Markers
• Date first available at Amazon.com: January 9, 2006

Product Description

Dry-erase Markers,Chisel Point,Nontoxic,12/PK,Assorted [1 each of Black, Blue, Red, Green, Pumpkin, Orange, Brown, Purple, Plum, Pink, Lime and Aqua]

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Inconsistent Quality Among Colors - UPDATED, August 18, 2005

By 

JoseMonkey (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Expo Low Odor Chisel Tip Dry Erase Markers, 12 Colored Markers(80699) (Office Product)

UPDATE 10/14/05: I previously reported that these markers were of inconsistent quality. As it turns out, this was partially due to user error. I had been storing the markers vertically (in the supplied box) with the tips pointing up. This significantly degrades the marking quality.

I am now storing the markers upside-down, and it has improved the quality of most of them, most notable the orange marker.

I'm keeping my original review intact for posterity. It appears unaltered below.

--

I use whiteboards a lot. In fact, my co-workers know that I can hardly explain anything without whipping out a few dry-erase markers and making a quick diagram. I'm also a big fan of using various different colored markers when whiteboarding complex ideas.

For a long time I've felt constrained by the traditional four marker colors that seem omnipresent in the workplace: blue, red, green and black. Four colors simply isn't enough for big ideas! When my wife bought me this 12-pack of markers, I didn't hesitate to crack them open and put them to good use.

Sadly, I was somewhat disappointed in the results. My complaint is two-fold: First, the quality of the markers varies from color to color; some markers make bold, crisp lines while other yield faint and washed-out scribbles. Second, the variety of colors is somewhat lacking.

Let's break it down by color. I believe it's possible to break them down into three groups of four markers, which I'll review below:

OLD RELIABLES

This 12-pack includes the traditional red, blue, green, and black, of course. These tried and true markers do not disappoint, making clean, crisp lines that can be easily read.

THE EXPANSION SET

Expo has made a handful of other colors for a while, though they are seen far less often. I think of these colors as "expansion" colors. You know, sort of like NFL expansion teams? Even though they've been around for years, everyone still thinks about them as being "new." So, how do these relative new comers stack up?

Brown - Good color, but overall not very dark. Hard to see from a distance. Real potential here, but the implementation is lacking.

Yellow - The yellow marker is much better than you might expect. You might think it would be too light, but it's actually quite readable. The color is nice and bright, too.

Purple - Excellent marker. The purple is bold and very readable. This "secondary" color holds its own against the old school gang of four.

Orange - Awful. The orange marker is possibly the worst of the bunch. It's too light, for starters. Also, the orange isn't the bold, construction cone orange I was hoping for. It's more like watered-down tang.

THE "NEW" GROUP

This 12-pack claims to include four "new" colors: turquoise, aqua, lime, and pink. The last three of these aren't really new, as they have been previously marketed, along with orange, as part of a "Caribbean Colors" set. Let's take a look at each color:

Turquoise - Clearly the most successful of the "new" colors, turquoise is starting to pop up as part of a 6-pack where it joins orange and the old reliables. Nice job, rookie! Sadly, turquoise is kind of a let down. It's more like light blue than turquoise, making it not different enough from blue to be that useful, except maybe when good old blue isn't handy.

Aqua - Okay, this color is nearly indistinguishable from the color made by the green marker. What a waste.

Lime - This marker, called "Keylime Green" in the Caribbean set, is not too bad. The color is exactly what you'd expect from a marker called "lime." A little light, but it's not bad. But honestly, did we really need more green?

Pink - This marker makes nice bold strokes, but the color is horrible. The pink is gray-ish and ugly. I can't even believe they had the nerve to call this "Paradise Pink" in the Caribbean set! If paradise is as dreary as this marker, I'll pass.

Overall, I was a little disappointed in this set of markers. My advice is to stick with the old reliables and try to pick up a purple and a yellow if you can. I think Expo makes an 8-pack which includes those six plus orange and brown -- that's probably your best bet.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Product at a Great Price!!, February 12, 2012

By 

Julia Haller - See all my reviews

This review is from: Expo Low Odor Chisel Tip Dry Erase Markers, 12 Colored Markers(80699) (Office Product)

My daughter's 6th grade english teacher always has a wishlist with Expo markers on it. I was so pleased to find them on Amazon at an amazing price and to receive them 2 days later for free with my Prime membership! What a great deal!!

1.0 out of 5 stars Good if all of them worked, February 9, 2012

By 

M Cat (IL) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Expo Low Odor Chisel Tip Dry Erase Markers, 12 Colored Markers(80699) (Office Product)

Received the markers in a timely fashion. Problem was that 3 out of the 12 markers did not work. One marker was dry and the other two were missing the tips. Don't understand how this could have happened. The package was sealed.

The ones which worked were vibrant in color and were easy to erase. If only, all the markers worked!