When your Year 8 son comes home complaining his teacher “can’t read his writing again,” it’s tempting to think nothing helps. But sometimes the most effective solutions aren’t flashy – they’re reliable, affordable tools that work while your teenager feels good using them.
This post is the EcoBall pen review. It will explore whether a budget-friendly, eco-conscious pen might be exactly what your teen needs to turn those teacher comments around.
This September's Mystery Pen: EcoBall
Every month in the Get Set Write Club students are sent a mystery pen. This month it was the EcoBall.
Quick Facts
- Pen Name: EcoBall
- Brand: Pilot
- Pen Type: Ballpoint
- Grip Style: Textured
- Best for: Any age. Good for someone who likes a non smooth area for their fingers to the hold when writing.
- Price Range: Low - £1.50 each
Why I Chose This Pen (The OT Perspective)
Every month I choose a different pen and this month is a ballpoint pen. I chose the EcoBall knowing that many of the Get Set Write club students are eco aware. To me, I thought it also looked quite cool, mimicking a water bottle design. Trying to find pens that the students had not seen before is always the aim and I knew this would definitely do that.
Thinking about the grip, I liked how the area where the fingers sit to control the pen movements was indented and not smooth. Some people find pens with a smooth area close to the tip too slippery to hold.
What Our Students Said: The Real Truth About The EcoBall Pen
- Overall Rating: 7.3/10 stars
"I like to know how things work, so seeing the inside of the pen was good"
Year 8 Student
"Really Good"
Year 9 Student
"9/10, I have it in my pencil case"
Year 8 Student
"My fav pens are zebra ones and these are similar"
Year 7 Student
I had thought that some of the environmental credentials of the pen would have made more of an impact. However I suppose I have done my job well if the students are choosing their pens based on the comfort and ink choice.
Some of the challenges with it is that four students said that the ink smudges. One student said it was a bit “chunky” and another said it was “uncomfortable” to hold. Only one person said “it gets sweaty after a little bit of usage”. This could have happened due to over gripping the pen when writing.
The Parent's Guide: Is The EcoBall Pen Right for Your Child?
✅ Consider This Pen If Your Child:
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Tends to grip too close to the pen tip during long writing sessions – The EcoBall’s built-in indentations should prevent a cramped hand. Thus helping to avoid the “death grip” that leads to hand fatigue during GCSE mock exams or lengthy coursework.
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Fidgets with or dismantles pens during lessons – This pen’s durable design withstood our student testers’ clicking, twisting, and dismantling habits.
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Struggles with pen control due to hypermobility or coordination issues – The textured grip surface and slightly fatter width will help students maintain greater pen control when writing.
❓ You Might Want to Try Something Else If:
- Your teenager prioritises neat presentation for coursework portfolios – While the EcoBall pen ink flows smoothly, many said smudging was an issue. This will affect the overall presentation of any school work.
- Alternative suggestion: Try a gel pen with quick-dry ink instead – it offers similar smooth flow but dries faster to prevent smudging, though you’ll need to replace it more frequently than this long-lasting ballpoint. Gel pens cannot be used in GCSE exams.
💡 Pro Tips for Success:
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Test the smudging factor first – Give your teen a sheet of lined paper and have them write a paragraph, then immediately run their non-writing hand across it. If significant smudging occurs, this confirms it won’t work for their writing style.
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Introduce during homework time, not exams – Let them use it for a week of regular homework before any important assessments.
- Just check they do not say it feels a bit “chunky” or “slippery to hold” as some of the club members. If this happens, stop using it.
The Verdict on the EcoBall Pen
OT Recommendation: The EcoBall pen would be good for those who are seeking the eco credentials of what they are using before they work on their handwriting. It would also be good as a back up pen in a GCSE exam as the ink is known to last a long time.
Student Verdict: Feel one of the students summed this up brilliantly “Alright, but not the best”
Parent Takeaway: It is a budget friendly pen that is unlikely to do anything to enhance the handwriting legibility or speed.
Coming Up Next Month
Our next mystery pen will be an erasable pen. I’m particularly excited to test a pen by a German manufacturer that many of the students will not have tried before. Everyone knows about Frixion pens but they are not the only erasable pen on the market.
