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Promotional Products Blog

Make no mistake, we think our erasers are great – and we’re here to prove it.

Yes, our erasers look cool and all that space for your design makes them great promos. Since looks aren’t everything, though, we wanted to clear up whether our erasers really work. Pencils at the ready, the test begins now.

A collage showing different erasers against a blue background with the Quality Logo Products watermark. There is a rectangular eraser, erasers attached to the ends of pencils, an eraser in a plastic tube, and erasers attached to pencil sharpeners.

How Erasers Work

A GIF showing a scribble of pencil on a piece of white paper being erased with a pink eraser on the end of a yellow pencil.

Good news: We have a whole blog post about erasers, so you can find more details about how erasers are made and how they work there. Suffice it to say, when you rub erasers against paper, you generate heat, which turns the eraser sticky enough to pull the pencil markings from the page to the eraser. At the same time, the outside layer of the eraser crumbles so that you avoid smudges and get a nice fresh surface every time.

Method


  1. We collected four types of paper:

    • A photo showing a notebook with 30 pencil scribbles in a grid.

      Notebook paper (15lb to 16lb)

    • A photo showing a piece of white printer paper with 30 pencil scribbles in a grid.

      Printer paper (20lb)

    • A photo showing a newspaper with 30 pencil scribbles in a grid.

      Newspaper (30lb to 40lb)

    • A photo showing a piece of blue construction paper with 30 pencil scribbles in a grid.

      Construction paper (76lb)

  2. On each piece of paper, we used a 2B pencil to shade in 30 approximately 0.5” x 0.5” squares. (“Squares” is a generous description, they’re more like squiggles.)

  3. We collected 28 of our finest promo erasers plus the one on the end of the 2B pencil.

  4. We rubbed each eraser against one square on each type of paper. Each eraser got 10 strokes per square. We also left the last square blank as a reference point.

  5. We blindly ranked how well each square had erased out of 3, with 1 being the worst and 3 being the best. Each eraser got four scores, one for each type of paper.

  6. We calculated the average score for each eraser, with 3 being the highest.

Video

Key Takeaways

Pencil Erasers are as Good as Standalone Erasers

Despite being tiny and sort of an afterthought, the erasers on the ends of pencils performed the same as the erasers that are just erasers. (Or sometimes erasers that are also pencil sharpeners.) That means you can get all the effective eraser action without having to carry an extra eraser.

A collage on a yellow background, showing three pencil sharpeners (blue, red, and green) with erasers attached, and a close-up of a white eraser at the end of an orange pencil.

Three of our Erasers Scored Full Marks

There were three erasers in our test that scored top marks on all four of our paper types, giving them the highest possible average score of 3. They were:

All of these did a great job of erasing cleanly without leaving big smudges or leftover pencil marks. Two of them combine an eraser with something else – a pencil and a pencil sharpener respectively – which makes them doubly useful.

However, my personal favorite was the Push Stick Eraser, which has a very satisfying erasing action and comes in a plastic tube that’s easy to hold. Although I scored the squares without knowing which eraser they belonged to, I wasn’t surprised when I learned that this one did so well.

The Notebook Paper was Easiest to Erase On

Our erasers were most effective on newspaper: 14 out of 29 scored full marks on this paper type. However, they were almost too effective, since most ended up removing the newspaper print as well as the pencil – not ideal if you’re doing the crossword or sudoku. (But maybe you do those in pen, you intellectual.)

A collage showing a corner of notebook paper set against a corner of newspaper. Both have small pencil scribbles with eraser marks on them. The eraser marks are cleaner on the notebook paper.

While the mean score for the erasers on newspaper was 2.28 out of 3, the score on notebook paper was a very close 2.07. As the person doing the erasing, the notebook paper was a much smoother erasing experience than the newspaper, and resulted in fewer smudges or leftover marks than on the printer and construction paper.

A photo collage showing a green plastic tube eraser, a blue square eraser, and a color-changing pencil with a yellow eraser on the end.

Three Erasers Didn’t Work at All

Hot take incoming: There were two erasers in our test that I would have awarded four zeros each.


I suppose I actually could give them zero, since I’m the one who invented the ranking system. OK, new scores: the Flexi Stick Eraser (Q69916) and the Square Transparent Eraser (Q69917) now get a clean sweep of zeroes. (This lowers the newspaper mean to 2.21 out of 3, and the notebook paper mean to 2 out of 3, for anyone keeping track.)

Both these erasers made the pencil marks worse on all the paper types. The Flexi Stick Eraser is a lot of fun to play with, because it’s essentially a flexible plastic tube, but don’t try to use it as an eraser.

Meanwhile, the Color Change Pencil (Q88130) got 1 on all four paper types. Unlike these other low scorers, it didn’t create massive smudges – which is why I think the zero score is a fair distinction. It just didn’t do a great job removing pencil markings. However, the barrel does change color, so focus on that (and check out our color-change test).

Crumbs Were Mostly Consistent

By crumbs, I mean the tiny bits of eraser that get left on the page. There was no correlation between crumb production and eraser effectiveness. For example, two out of three of our erasers that scored full marks produced crumbs on all types of paper, and one of them (the Push Stick Eraser) didn’t produce crumbs at all.

A collage showing close-up photos of four visibly used erasers. Three are on the ends of pencils, one is the end of a mechanical eraser that is pushed through a plastic tube.

Crumb production might say more about the paper type than the eraser. The paper type that saw the most crumbs was the notebook paper – the easiest to erase on. Maybe the reason it was such a smooth experience was because it made the erasers crumble with very little resistance. In contrast, fewer erasers produced crumbs on the construction paper and printer paper, the two toughest paper types to erase on.

All that said, most of the erasers didn’t make that much mess. Only the Wooden Hex Golf Pencil with Eraser (Q6051), which had an almost-perfect average rating of 2.75, consistently made a noticeable amount of mess on all paper types, so avoid that one if you’re an eraser neat freak.

Eraser Buying Guide

A collage showing three of the same pencil with a pink eraser at the end, in three different colors (red, turquoise, and dark blue.) They all have YOUR DESIGN HERE printed on the side in white.

If You Want a Pencil Eraser

Hex Pioneer Pencil (Q2364)

For people who want a built-in eraser that works, the most effective pencil-end eraser in our test was the Hex Pioneer Pencil (Q2364). It’s a classic wood pencil that comes with lots of barrel colors, costs around 50 cents per pencil, and happens to have a very good eraser on the end.

A collage with a background that looks like a wooden desk. On the left is a plastic tube with a white eraser core and white writing on the side. On the right is a round blue eraser with a logo in black printed on it.

If You Want a Standalone Eraser

Push Stick Eraser (Q6007)

Rase-A-Round Eraser (Q10418)

Some people don’t like to multi-task, we understand. The Push Stick Eraser (Q6007) is an eraser in a plastic tube that you push out bit by bit (like a mechanical pencil, but with an eraser core.) It scored a perfect 3 on all our paper types and was my favorite. However, if you just want a traditional, no-frills piece of synthetic rubber, the Rase-A-Round Eraser (Q10418) has an impressive mean score of 2.75 out of 3 – and costs about half as much.

The Bottom Line

Some erasers are more effective at removing pencil markings than others, and most can even do it without generating lots of eraser crumbs. Pencil erasers can be just as good as standalone erasers. The paper type makes a difference, with notebook paper being the easiest to erase on, and construction and printer paper being more prone to smudges. Three of our erasers performed poorly across all paper types, so erase those from your wishlist.

A photo showing a classic pink and blue parallelogram eraser on a white background next to a small pile of pink shavings.


Q# Name Image + Video Average Rating Out of 3 View Product
Q309 Cost Buster Pencil
A photo of a silver pencil with a gold end and pink eraser. The barrel is printed with YOUR DESIGN HERE in black.
1.75 View Product
Q575 Natural Wood Pencils
A photo of an unsharpened pencil with a gold end and a pink eraser. The barrel is printed with YOUR DESIGN HERE in black.
2.25 View Product
Q969 Pencils
A photo of an unsharpened black pencil with a gold end and a pink eraser. The barrel is printed with YOUR DESIGN HERE in white.
1.75 View Product
Q1988 Mood Color Changing Pencil
A photo of an unsharpened blue pencil with a black end and a grey eraser. The barrel is printed with YOUR DESIGN HERE in white.
2.5 View Product
Q2364 Hex Pioneer Pencil
A photo of an unsharpened turquoise pencil with a gold end and a pink eraser. The barrel is printed with YOUR DESIGN HERE in white.
3 View Product
Q5018 Stay Sharp Mechanical Pencil
A photo of a blue mechanical pencil with a silver end, white tip, white eraser, and YOUR DESIGN HERE printed in white on the barrel.
1.5 View Product
Q6005 Frosty Grip Mechanical Pencil
A photo of a blue mechanical pencil with a clear white plastic end and tip, white plastic grip, white eraser, and YOUR DESIGN HERE printed in white on the barrel.
1.75 View Product
Q6006 Flat Eraser
A photo of a bright green eraser printed with YOUR DESIGN HERE in black.
2.5 View Product
Q6007 Push Stick Eraser
A photo showing a long white eraser inside a blue plastic tube.
3 View Product
Q6051 Wooden Hex Golf Pencil with Eraser
A photo showing a sharpened orange pencil with a gold end and a pink eraser, printed with YOUR DESIGN HERE in black on the barrel.
2.75 View Product
Q10341 Armadillo Mechanical Pencil
A photo showing a dark green mechanical pencil with a black end and grip, a silver tip and accent, and a white eraser. YOUR DESIGN HERE is printed in white on the barrel.
1.5 View Product
Q10418 Rase-A-Round Eraser
A photo showing a round red eraser with YOUR DESIGN HERE printed in black on it.
2.75 View Product
Q12044 Mood Color Changing Pencil with Colored Eraser
A photo of an unsharpened green pencil with a black end and a green eraser. The barrel is printed with YOUR DESIGN HERE in black.
2.75 View Product
Q48532 Pencil Sharpener with Eraser
A photo of a blue round plastic thing that is half pencil sharpener and half eraser. YOUR DESIGN HERE is printed in white on the front.
2.75 View Product
Q48998 Mood Shadow Pencil
A photo of an unsharpened black pencil with a black end and a green eraser. The barrel is printed with YOUR DESIGN HERE in white.
2 View Product
Q50710 Jumbo Eraser
A photo of a large pink trapezoid eraser printed with YOUR DESIGN HERE in black.
2 View Product
Q50712 Round Eraser
A photo showing a round red eraser with YOUR DESIGN HERE printed in white on it.
2.25 View Product
Q52002 Mood Eraser
A photo of a rectangular blue eraser printed with YOUR DESIGN HERE in white.
1.25 View Product
Q54609 Jo Bee Mood Pencil with Eraser
A photo of an unsharpened purple pencil with a black end and a black eraser. The barrel is printed with YOUR DESIGN HERE in white.
2.25 View Product
Q59674 Round Pencil Sharpener Eraser Combo
A photo of a white and red round plastic thing that is half pencil sharpener and half eraser. YOUR DESIGN HERE is printed in black on the front.
3 View Product
Q63399 Refillable Mechanical Pencil with Grip
A photo showing a black mechanical pencil with a blue clip and grip, a black tip, and a blue eraser. YOUR DESIGN HERE is printed in white on the barrel.
2 View Product
Q63402 Refillable Mechanical Pencil with Rubber Grip
A photo showing a mechanical pencil with a pink tip, grip, clip, and end, and a white eraser. YOUR DESIGN HERE is printed in black on the barrel.
2 View Product
Q69914 Flex Pencil
A photo showing a flexible yellow pencil with a silver end and white eraser, printed with YOUR DESIGN HERE in black on the barrel.
1.5 View Product
Q69916 Flexi Stick Eraser
A photo showing a green flexible eraser twisted into a pretzel shape, printed with YOUR DESIGN HERE in black on the barrel.
0 View Product
Q69917 Square Transparent Eraser
A photo showing a square light blue eraser printed with YOUR DESIGN HERE in white.
0 View Product
Q81910 Monk Color Changing Pencil
A photo of an unsharpened green pencil with a black end and a black eraser. The barrel is printed with YOUR DESIGN HERE in black.
2 View Product
Q88130 Color Change Pencil
A photo of an unsharpened red pencil with a gold end and an orange eraser. The barrel is printed with YOUR DESIGN HERE in white.
1 View Product
Q88907 Hammer Double Eraser Pencil
A photo of an unsharpened silver pencil with two pink erasers at the end in a hammerhead shape. The barrel is printed with YOUR DESIGN HERE in black.
1.5 View Product
Control Ticonderoga #2 HB Pencil
A photo of a sharpened yellow pencil with a green end and pink eraser. It's printed with Ticonderoga Soft 2HB.
2.25  

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Natasha Lavender

Natasha is an experienced writer and editor who has covered topics including technology, health and safety, business, and pop culture. Her work has been published by Good Housekeeping magazine, Forbes, Success, and more.

View all posts by Natasha Lavender