Coloring books for adults are a great pastime, as they offer both stress-relief, creative outlet, and a chance to hone your dexterity. You can even learn about color theory or a specific subject. In this article, we'll cover our 10 favorite coloring books for adults. There's also a buying guide at the end that will help you find the best choice for you.
If you're having trouble choosing a book for yourself or a gift, check out our list of favorites. We love Blue Star Coloring's Stress-Relieving Patterns for its variety of patterns, which makes this a coloring book suitable for beginner to advanced levels. We've also included many other fun choices, so take a look below!
To find the best coloring book for adults, we considered the following criteria:
Check out our buying guide below for a more detailed dive into what makes the best coloring book for adults.
Image | ![]() Blue Star Coloring, Adult Coloring Book Teams | ![]() Sasha O'Hara | ![]() ColorIt, Hasby Mubarok | ![]() Steve McDonald | ![]() Random House | ![]() Kerby Rosanes | ![]() Johanna Basford | ![]() Caffeinestar Publishing | ![]() Coloring Book Cafe | ![]() MantraCraft |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Name | Stress Relieving Patterns | Calm the F*ck Down | Blissful Scenes Adult Coloring Book | Fantastic Cities | The Splat: Coloring the 90s | Mythomorphia | Secret Garden | Drinking Animals Coloring Book | 125 Mandalas | Stress Relieving Animal Designs |
Features | Best Coloring Book for Stress Relief | Best at Humor and Sass | Best for Relaxing Scenery Coloring | Best for the Cityscape Lover | Best for the 90s Kid | Best for an Advanced Challenge | Best for an Intricate Challenge | Best Coloring Book That Doubles as a Recipe Book | Best for Coloring Mandalas | Best for Animal Lovers |
Price | $9.95 | $4.99 | $19.99 | $10.39 | $13.49 | $12.59 | $9.99 | $8.97 | $9.99 | $5.54 |
Theme | Relaxing, stress-relief | Stress relief, humor | Relaxation, scenery | Relaxation, imagination | Nickelodeon | Fantasy, mythology | Stress relief, detailed coloring | Stress relief, recipes | Mandalas | Stress relief |
Number of designs | 45 | 21 | 50 | 58 | 47 | 53 | 96 | 24 | 125 | 50 |
Difficulty level | All | All | All | Beginner, intermediate | Beginner | Advanced | Intermediate, advanced | Beginner | Beginner, intermediate | All |
Best for | Colored pencils, crayons, markers | Colored pencils, gel pens, markers | Colored pencils, crayons, markers | Colored pencils, gel pens | Colored pencils, gel pens | Colored pencils, watercolor pencils | Colored pencils, gel pens, markers | Colored pencils, gel pens | Colored pencils, gel pens, markers, watercolor pencils | Colored pencils, gel pens, markers |
Features | Perforated pages, single-sided | Single-sided | Blotter included, perforated pages, single-sided, spiral-bound | Double-sided | Single-sided | Double-sided | Double-sided | Single-sided | Single-sided | Single-sided |
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We have put together a 10 best list with attention to the types and complexity of illustrations, the paper quality, and the entertainment factor. Read on to find your perfect coloring book!
$9.95
Theme | Relaxing, stress-relief |
---|---|
Number of designs | 45 |
Difficulty level | All |
Best for | Colored pencils, crayons, markers |
Features | Perforated pages, single-sided |
$4.99
Theme | Stress relief, humor |
---|---|
Number of designs | 21 |
Difficulty level | All |
Best for | Colored pencils, gel pens, markers |
Features | Single-sided |
$19.99
Theme | Relaxation, scenery |
---|---|
Number of designs | 50 |
Difficulty level | All |
Best for | Colored pencils, crayons, markers |
Features | Blotter included, perforated pages, single-sided, spiral-bound |
$10.39
Theme | Relaxation, imagination |
---|---|
Number of designs | 58 |
Difficulty level | Beginner, intermediate |
Best for | Colored pencils, gel pens |
Features | Double-sided |
$13.49
Theme | Nickelodeon |
---|---|
Number of designs | 47 |
Difficulty level | Beginner |
Best for | Colored pencils, gel pens |
Features | Single-sided |
$12.59
Theme | Fantasy, mythology |
---|---|
Number of designs | 53 |
Difficulty level | Advanced |
Best for | Colored pencils, watercolor pencils |
Features | Double-sided |
$9.99
Theme | Stress relief, detailed coloring |
---|---|
Number of designs | 96 |
Difficulty level | Intermediate, advanced |
Best for | Colored pencils, gel pens, markers |
Features | Double-sided |
$8.97
Theme | Stress relief, recipes |
---|---|
Number of designs | 24 |
Difficulty level | Beginner |
Best for | Colored pencils, gel pens |
Features | Single-sided |
$9.99
Theme | Mandalas |
---|---|
Number of designs | 125 |
Difficulty level | Beginner, intermediate |
Best for | Colored pencils, gel pens, markers, watercolor pencils |
Features | Single-sided |
$5.54
Theme | Stress relief |
---|---|
Number of designs | 50 |
Difficulty level | All |
Best for | Colored pencils, gel pens, markers |
Features | Single-sided |
When choosing a coloring book, it's important to keep in mind what coloring tools you plan to use and what you hope to achieve through coloring.
Of course, taking a look through the designs and getting an idea of what the coloring book aims to do is important, but remember to check details like paper quality and binding, especially if you plan to use heavier, wetter media or want to hang up your finished piece.
Perhaps you're looking for a way to clear your mind or you want to play around with colors. There are many reasons to start using coloring books, and there are coloring books to cater to those many reasons.
Mandala or pattern coloring books are great for those who want to color to practice mindfulness or meditate by coloring. The repetitive elements of the images gives your mind something pleasant to rest on while maintaining an aspect of activeness through the coloring, making them great for stress relief and relaxation.
No matter what you're into, there's likely a coloring book that caters to it. Disney fans can find a plethora of Disney-themed coloring books, just as those who love tattoos can find books where they can color in tattoo designs. Add keywords to your search to help you find a coloring book that will shower you with images of the things you like.
Furthermore, coloring books are a calming, often meditative activity, making it a great time to connect with your spiritual practice. Whatever your beliefs, coloring books with spiritual themes or subjects can be a nice way to help you reflect and connect with your spiritual side.
Coloring books may generally be looked at as a hobby, but they can also be a helpful and productive tool. Learning or studying with coloring books is great because it allows for the active association of information with color or structure.
Intricate designs may look pretty, but they require time and dexterity. That's why they might not be suitable for elderly adults or others with limited hand function. Moreover, if you don't have a lot of spare time to color, simpler designs may be better because they are quicker to finish. That way, you can enjoy your completed pictures!
When it comes to coloring utensils, basically anything goes. Different tools produce different effects and you can even mix and match tools to give your coloring pages more depth.
Colored pencils are a popular tool because of their versatility. You can easily shade, blend, and build colors, resulting in many possible effects. Coloring in intricate details is as easy as sharpening the pencil. Colored pencils are compatible with most coloring book paper and don't have a high risk of bleed-through.
However, those who want bright, saturated colors may find themselves a little disappointed when using colored pencils. They may also prove to be tedious when coloring in large areas.
Markers are a favorite for many coloring book enthusiasts. Bright, vibrant colors, as well as faster coloring, can be achieved with markers. Markers can have different tip shapes that make them effective for different goals such as filling in large areas or coloring in small patterns.
However, markers have a high risk of bleeding through to the next page because they are more saturated and wetter. It's important to do a test swatch before coloring in pages to see if there is any bleed-through.
You can choose between water- and alcohol-based markers. Water-based markers don't smell and are easy to use. And if they dry out, they can be reactivated by being dipped in water. However, their ink is prone to fading and they take longer to dry on the paper.
Alcohol-based markers are available in plenty of vibrant colors. They're quick-drying and transparent, which means they can be blended. Their ink is also more resistant to fading. The downsides are they may have a strong smell and can bleed through thin paper.
Gel pens are great for coloring in small patterns or adding cool effects like sparkles or metallics. They are also great to use for adding more detail over other coloring mediums like markers or colored pencils, but are not good for filling in big chunks of space on a coloring page.
Crayons may spark nostalgic memories of school, art projects, and of course, coloring books. Crayons are a classic coloring book tool that work well for coloring in large areas or capturing that childhood feel. However, they are difficult to use with precision, making them inadequate for realistic or detailed coloring books.
Alternatively, you can try oil pastels, which are made with a non-drying oil and wax. Their colors are bolder and easy to blend, but also break easily. They feel similar to crayons but may have a steeper learning curve. In return, you get bright and vibrant colors.
Coloring books vary in paper quality, binding, and size. Look through descriptions and reviews to ensure that you're choosing a coloring book that is as nice to handle as it is to color. For example, if you want a coloring book to fill your time in waiting rooms or on public transportation, you may find a large coloring book bothersome to bring.
Spiral-bound coloring books lie flat on surfaces, making it easier to color. If this is something that could potentially bother you, prioritize lay-flat or spiral binding. However, most coloring books aren't bound too tight, so they should be able to lie relatively flat.
Companies typically don't list the paper thickness (GSM) of their coloring books. That means you might have to look carefully at the product descriptions to figure out whether a coloring book is suitable for your coloring tools.
Paper that is too thin risks bleed-through and ripping, which is a problem especially if the coloring book is double-sided. If you plan on only using colored pencils, most coloring books should pose no problem.
And if you want to show off or display your finished work, look for a coloring book with perforated pages. That way, you can easily tear out the page when you've finished coloring it. Store it in a folder, take it with you, or frame it on your wall, the choice is yours.
Now that you know what coloring book you want, you'll need something to color it with. Check out the links below to get you started on finding the tools you need to create a beautiful piece.
If you want to explore more options, check out Amazon's best selling list of coloring books for grown-ups.
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