A whiteboard marker that dries out after a week, or leaves ghost marks that won’t wipe off, wastes time in every meeting and lesson. This guide explains what to look for when buying whiteboard markers for schools, training centres and offices in the UAE, and which types suit which job.
Bullet tip or chisel tip?
Bullet tips (round) write an even line of about 2–3 mm. They are the best all-rounder for handwriting, diagrams and teaching young children to write on student boards.
Chisel tips (angled) let you write thin or thick lines with the same marker, from about 1.5 mm to 5 mm. They suit headings, flipcharts and large meeting-room boards that are read from the back of the room.
Fine tips (slim barrel, about 1 mm) are made for small A4 student whiteboards, where a normal marker would be too thick.
Refillable or disposable?
Refillable markers cost more at first, but a refill bottle or cartridge is cheaper than buying new markers, and you throw away less plastic. Liquid-ink markers such as the Pentel Maxiflo use a pump action to keep the ink flowing, so they give strong colour until the last drop. For a busy training room, refillable markers usually work out cheaper over a year.
Disposable markers make sense for classrooms where markers are often lost, or for one-off events.
Ink: low odour and easy erase
Choose low-odour, xylene-free ink for classrooms and small meeting rooms. Good whiteboard ink sits on top of the board and wipes off with a dry eraser. If marks are hard to remove, the board may need a whiteboard cleaner spray, or the ink has been left on the board for too long.
Colours
Black and blue are the easiest to read from a distance. Red and green work well for highlighting and corrections. Light colours such as yellow, orange and pink are hard to read on white boards, so keep them for small accents.
Which whiteboard markers to buy
- Offices and meeting rooms: a wallet of 4 colours (black, blue, red, green) per room, plus spare black and blue. The edding 361 wallet and Pilot whiteboard markers are reliable choices.
- Schools and classrooms: classroom boxes of 100 or 200 slim-barrel markers, such as Show-me and Berol drywipe markers, keep cost per pen low.
- Student A4 boards: fine-tip slim markers with a small eraser or cloth.
- Training centres: refillable liquid-ink markers such as the Pentel Maxiflo, also sold in a set with a magnetic eraser.
How to make whiteboard markers last longer
- Always replace the cap straight after use. Most markers dry out because the cap is left off.
- Store markers horizontally so the ink stays spread along the fibre.
- Don’t press hard. Heavy pressure pushes the tip into the barrel.
- Clean boards regularly with a whiteboard cleaner so markers glide and erase cleanly.
Whiteboard accessories
Complete the setup with magnetic erasers, eraser cloths, whiteboard cleaner spray and magnets. You can find them with our whiteboards and boards.
Setting up a classroom? See our back-to-school stationery list for the UAE.
Buy whiteboard markers in the UAE
SOL Trading stocks whiteboard markers from edding, Pilot, Pentel, BIC, Berol, Show-me and deli, in single colours, wallets and classroom boxes. We supply schools and offices across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and the rest of the UAE with a tax invoice and free delivery on bulk orders. Need other markers? See permanent markers and highlighters.