[Pen/Pencil Review] Zebra Spiral Ball Point 0.7mm

This is another pen from my last Office Depot spree, and I found this in the Clearance section – so I hope they’re not discontinuing them completely, just changing packaging or will be available in other retailers. This is the Zebra Spiral Ball Point pen in a Fine point 0.7mm black ink.

This is an interesting pen because it take ergonomics and frivolity and puts them into one pen. The need for ergonomic comfort comes at all ages, but only now are the pens designed to relieve writing fatigue getting some style to them. The Zebra Spiral takes the style to a whole new level. Where the Dr. Grip Full Black is sleek and classic, the Spiral is fun, flirty and colorful.

I bought (shocker) the lime green version of the Spiral. The barrel has a soft rubber grip area with a comfortable amount of squish and rounded contours going to the point. The diameter is that nice middle ground where you don’t feel like you’re strangling your fingers, but no so wide as to feel like you’re using a kindergarten crayon. Where it gets interesting is in the resting part of the barrel. That is translucent color to match the grip with enough clear to see the white mechanism housing. This is where the pen gets its name. The barrel is twisted into a spiral pattern that gives a smooth groove where it rests in the thumb web – for both righties and lefties. It’s well balanced and feels sturdy for plastic.

This pen comes with a 0.7mm black ink insert that is smooth and dark (and fine line to make me so very happy). The pen is refillable with the Zebra F-Refill (which does come in a 0.7mm blue ink). The clip is plastic, but sturdy feeling – you’ll have to work hard to snap it. The grip is nice, but not QUITE as squishy as the Dr. Grip – but with a much nicer price point, in my opinion.

I really like this pen – so much so, I went and bought the blue one just to have a spare in case they are going away (which I really, really hope not). If you write a LOT and want a spiffy yet comfortable pen – please check this one out.
The numbers:

1. How does it work? – 1 – It works well. The ink flows well with minimal smearing. The retraction mechanism is solid. It’s well balanced and solid feeling
2. Grip and feel – 1 – This is surprisingly comfortable. You’d think with the twist to the barrel something would dig in to fingers, but it doesn’t. It’s a good diameter with a really good feel.
3. Material – 0.5 – For a plastic barrel pen, it’s pretty well-made. The barrel is really solid yet smooth. The mechanisms work well. The ink is great. For a pen that is designed to reduce writing fatigue and promotes ergonomics, there might not be ENOUGH squish in the grip. It could be a bit softer – like the Dr. Grip…
4. Overall Design – 1 – It’s an amazingly good design. It does what it says – it’s comfortable, it has good ink, and it is suitable for long-term writing. What makes it super cool is the attention to making it DIFFERENT. The spiral part not only makes it comfortable, it makes it CUTE.
5. Price Point – 1 – This one isn’t as expensive as the Dr. Grip. It sells on the Zebra website for $6.44 – which for an ergonomic pen that’s refillable isn’t bad at all. It’s fun, it’s useful, and is actually probably appropriately priced for the amount of material in it. It’s a SOLID pen. Not HEAVY, but it doesn’t feel cheap. This should last a while.

That’s 4.5 of 5 bronze pencils.

Tags: Ballpoint, black ink, ergonomic, Fine Point, Spiral, writing fatigue, Zebra