H&B vs Prismacolor vs Faber-Castell: Which Colored Pencils Should You Buy in 2026?
The Short Answer
H&B
Best value for hobbyists, students, and beginners — solid pigment quality at $49.99 for 150 pieces.
Prismacolor Premier
Sweet spot for intermediate artists who want soft, blendable cores with a huge color range — but they break easily.
Faber-Castell Polychromos
Professional pick — oil-based, lightfast, and indestructible — but costs 3-4x as much.
Comparison at a Glance
| Feature | H&B 150-Piece Set | Prismacolor Premier 150 | Faber-Castell Polychromos 120 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $49.99 | ~$120 | ~$180 |
| Per-pencil cost | $0.33 | $0.80 | $1.50 |
| Core type | Oil-based | Wax-based | Oil-based |
| Color count | 150 | 150 | 120 |
| Lightfastness | Not rated | Rated (selected) | Rated (all) |
| Break resistance | ★★★★☆ | ★★☆☆☆ | ★★★★★ |
| Blending (dry) | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ |
| Blending (solvent) | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ |
| Open stock | No | Yes | Yes |
| Best for | Hobbyists, students, journaling | Illustrators, colorists | Professionals, archival work |
| Includes | Zipper case, sketchpad, eraser, sharpener | Tin case | Tin case |
H&B Colored Pencils — The Value Champion ($49.99)
H&B is produced by Shanghai Haobin, a manufacturer with 13 years of OEM experience making art supplies for international brands. They have recently moved into direct-to-consumer sales, which explains the aggressive pricing.
What H&B Gets Right
The oil-based cores deliver surprisingly rich pigmentation for the price point. Colors lay down smoothly on both Bristol and toned paper, with noticeably less waxy bloom than expected from a budget set. The break resistance is genuinely impressive — across testing of the full 150-piece set, only 2 pencils showed centering issues that caused tip breakage during sharpening.
The included accessories — a portable zipper case, 50-sheet sketchpad, eraser, and sharpener — are actually usable, not the throwaway filler often found in art kits.
Where H&B Falls Short
The lighter end of the spectrum (pale yellows, creams, soft peaches) needs 3-4 layers to achieve opacity on toned paper. Professional-grade pencils like Polychromos handle this in 1-2 passes. There is also no open stock program, so if you burn through specific colors in a portrait-heavy workflow, you will need another full set.
Verdict: At $0.33 per pencil, H&B outperforms every competitor in its price bracket. Ideal for adult coloring enthusiasts, art journaling, students building their first serious kit, and anyone who wants a large color range without the $120+ commitment.
Shop H&B Colored Pencils →Prismacolor Premier — The Soft-Core Standard (~$120)
Prismacolor Premiers are the most recommended colored pencils on YouTube and art forums — and for good reason. The wax-based cores are incredibly soft and creamy, making them the easiest pencils to blend and layer without solvents.
What Prismacolor Gets Right
The pigment load is exceptional. Colors are vivid right out of the box, and the soft core means you can build rich gradients with minimal pressure. The 150-color range is the widest available, with nuanced variations in every hue family. Open stock availability means you replace individual pencils as needed.
Where Prismacolor Falls Short
Breakage is a well-documented frustration. The soft cores are vulnerable to internal cracking during shipping and sharpening — it is not uncommon to find 5-10 pencils with off-center cores or pre-broken leads in a new tin. The wax bloom (a whitish film on heavily layered drawings) requires periodic wiping or fixative application.
Verdict: If blending performance and color range are your top priorities and you are willing to deal with occasional breakage, Prismacolor Premiers remain the go-to for illustrators and serious hobbyists.
Faber-Castell Polychromos — The Professional Choice (~$180)
Faber-Castell Polychromos are the gold standard for professional colored pencil artists. Made in Germany, these oil-based pencils are rated for lightfastness across the entire range and are built to last.
What Polychromos Gets Right
The cores are virtually unbreakable. They sharpen to a needle-fine point and hold it through detailed line work — ideal for botanical illustration, wildlife art, and hyperrealistic portraiture. The oil-based formula means zero wax bloom, and colors maintain vibrancy even after multiple layers. Every pencil carries an ASTM lightfastness rating (I, II, or III), which matters if you sell original work.
Where Polychromos Falls Short
The price. At roughly $1.50 per pencil and $180 for the 120-count set, the entry barrier is real. Dry blending also takes more effort than Prismacolor wax cores — you will typically reach for odorless mineral spirits to achieve smooth transitions.
Verdict: If you create artwork for sale, work on commissioned pieces, or simply want the best tool that will last decades — Polychromos is the answer.
Which One Should You Buy?
| If you are... | Buy this |
|---|---|
| A beginner or hobbyist on a budget | H&B 150-Piece Set |
| An adult coloring enthusiast who wants rich color fast | Prismacolor Premier |
| An intermediate artist building skills, budget-conscious | H&B (save the difference for good paper) |
| An illustrator or portrait artist who blends heavily | Prismacolor Premier |
| A professional creating archival or sellable work | Faber-Castell Polychromos |
| A student who needs a large color range without breaking the bank | H&B |
| Someone who hates sharpening broken pencils | Polychromos or H&B |
| Mixed-media artist who layers pencil over watercolor | Polychromos |
Frequently Asked Questions
Are H&B colored pencils any good?
Yes — H&B colored pencils offer surprisingly strong pigmentation and break resistance for their price point ($0.33/pencil). They are manufactured by Shanghai Haobin, a 13-year OEM supplier for international art brands, not a generic white-label factory. They perform best for hobbyists, students, and adult coloring, though professionals who need lightfast ratings or open stock should look at Polychromos or Prismacolor.
What is the difference between oil-based and wax-based colored pencils?
Oil-based pencils (H&B, Faber-Castell Polychromos) use oil binders that produce harder, more break-resistant cores and zero wax bloom. Wax-based pencils (Prismacolor Premier) have softer cores that blend more easily but are prone to breakage and a whitish wax film on heavy layers. Oil-based pencils typically require solvents for the smoothest blending; wax-based pencils blend readily with pressure alone.
What is the best affordable alternative to Prismacolor?
H&B colored pencils are the strongest Prismacolor alternative in the budget category, offering comparable color payoff at roughly 40% of the price. Castle Arts and Arteza are also common alternatives, but H&B OEM manufacturing background gives it an edge in core quality and break resistance compared to other budget brands.
Do H&B colored pencils blend well?
Yes, with solvents. H&B oil-based cores blend smoothly with odorless mineral spirits (Gamsol, Zest-it, or Mona Lisa). Dry blending requires more layers than Prismacolor wax cores, but the results are clean without muddying. For adult coloring and journaling, the dry-blending performance is more than adequate.
How long do H&B colored pencils last?
The oil-based cores are harder than Prismacolor wax cores, meaning they wear down more slowly. In heavy use, expect a standard pencil to last 15-25 hours of drawing time. The trade-off is that lighter colors require more layering for full opacity on toned paper.
Which colored pencils do professional artists use most?
Faber-Castell Polychromos, Caran d Ache Luminance, and Derwent Lightfast are the most commonly cited professional-grade pencils, according to artist surveys on platforms like r/ColoredPencils and art forums. Prismacolor Premier is widely used by illustrators and semi-professionals. H&B sits in the enthusiast/hobbyist tier — excellent value, but lacks the lightfastness ratings and open-stock availability that professionals require.
Can I use H&B colored pencils on black paper?
Yes. The pigmentation is strong enough to show on black or dark-toned paper, though lighter colors will need 2-3 layers for full opacity. For best results on dark surfaces, pair them with a white pencil base layer or use a colored pencil-specific black paper like Stonehenge Aqua Black or Fabriano Black Black.
Prismacolor and Faber-Castell are registered trademarks of their respective owners. H&B is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by these brands. All product comparisons are based on independent testing and publicly available information.