BIC Markers: One Category Won, Honestly Counted
This site is called bicmarkers.com, so the BIC numbers get stated rather than buried. 205 BIC markers, a median price of $12.98 against a site median of $13.99, and a median rating of 4.6 that ties the field exactly. BIC is cheaper than average and it is not the cheapest. It leads one category out of ten.
BIC carries 2,260 searches a month across 228 keywords, which is small: Sharpie's cluster is 28,270 and Posca's 73,310. The domain is a name rather than an argument, and the page files under markers for skin and body because that is the one root where BIC's catalogue genuinely leads. Everything below is measured against the same site medians every other brand here is measured against.
The Two Numbers, Stated First
BIC holds 205 products in this catalogue at a median price of $12.98 and a median rating of 4.6. The site-wide medians are $13.99 and 4.6.
So: BIC is $1.01 cheaper than the middle of this market. That is a real advantage and a small one. It is not the cheapest brand here — EXPO's median is $12.61, Sharpie's is $12.89 and Amazon Basics sits at $10.78. Three brands undercut it.
On rating it ties exactly. Median 4.6 against median 4.6. Taking means instead of medians, BIC is 4.535 against a field mean of 4.501 across 4,346 rated products, a gap of three hundredths of a star. No recommendation can rest on that.
605,447 buyer ratings back those figures, which places BIC fourth in this catalogue behind Sharpie's 1,088,963, Crayola's 850,149 and EXPO's 661,150.
What Is Actually in the Catalogue
118 of the 205 BIC listings name a marker. 33 name a highlighter and 31 name a ballpoint, gel or Cristal pen, and those non-marker lines carry the brand's biggest buyer numbers: the Round Stic ballpoint holds 71,853 ratings and the Brite Liner highlighter 43,686 at $1.97.
By marker type, 47 listings read as permanent markers, 41 as dry erase, three as body markers, two as paint and one as washable. Amazon files 63 as Permanent Marker, 38 as Whiteboard Marker, 31 as Highlighter and four as Paint Marker.
Tips run fine 76, chisel 48, bullet nine, round six, dual six, ultra fine five, brush three and broad two. 67 listings hold an Amazon's Choice badge, 54 name an ACMI or AP certification, 50 carry a non-toxic claim and 45 name low odour.
Where BIC Does Not Lead
This is the section a brand page usually skips, and skipping it is why brand pages are not trusted.
BIC does not lead permanent markers. Sharpie does, with 601,924 deduplicated buyer ratings across 131 product families. BIC's strongest permanent listing, the Intensity Fashion 12-count at 3,743 ratings, ranks 49th among 369 deduplicated permanent families in this catalogue.
BIC does not lead dry erase markers. EXPO does, with 486,456 ratings across 78 families. BIC's strongest whiteboard listing, the Intensity Advanced Colorful bullet-tip 12-count at 9,488 ratings, ranks 30th among 295 deduplicated dry-erase families.
It does not lead wet erase, where EXPO is first again. Not alcohol, where Ohuhu holds 137,571 ratings. Not acrylic, where Posca holds 101,361. Not paint markers, where ARTISTRO is first. Not liquid chalk, where Chalkola leads. Not fabric, where Zenacolor's single product holds 20,257 ratings. Not washable, where Crayola holds 209,447. Not dot markers, where Do A Dot Art! leads.
That is nine categories lost.
The One Category BIC Leads
Skin. BODYMARK, made by BIC, is the most-reviewed body marker in this catalogue: 18,870 ratings at 4.5 stars for the 8-count Colour Collection at $8.39. Across the whole body-marker type of 12 products, BODYMARK holds 27,512 deduplicated ratings, BIC's own three body listings hold 1,050, and the only other brand present holds 58.
The certification count says the same thing. 16 products in this 4,486-product catalogue carry a skin-safe or cosmetic-grade claim in their title, bullet points or description. Ten of those 16 are BIC's — seven under BODYMARK and three under BIC. No other manufacturer holds more than one.
And the matrix backs the category rather than the brand. Body markers hold the only works verdict on skin, at 4,290 searches a month, because cosmetic-grade ink is the only chemistry formulated for skin contact. Paint markers fail on skin at 1,000 searches a month and alcohol markers fail at 900. Between them that is 1,900 searches a month getting a no.
| Marker type | Paper | Whiteboard | Chalkboard | Glass | Wood | Metal | Plastic | Ceramic / mug | Rock / stone | Fabric | Skin | Car window | Cardboard |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Permanent Solvent dye ink. Bonds to porous surfaces, sits on top of non-porous. | ◐If… 250/mo Bleeds through anything under 100 gsm. 24,394 buyer reports mention bleed resistance, 51% of them negative. | ○No 30/mo Bonds to the board. Needs a dry-erase marker over the top or solvent to lift. | ○No 10/mo Permanent on a porous chalkboard. It will not come off. | ◐If… 560/mo Sits on top and scratches off with a blade. Not weatherproof. | ◐If… 30/mo Feathers along the grain on bare wood. Seal it first. | ●Works 1,000/mo The classic use. Bonds well and survives handling. | ◐If… 200/mo Adheres, but rubs off under friction on smooth polypropylene. | ◐If… 80/mo Sits on the glaze. Wipes off with alcohol; not dishwasher safe. | ◐If… no measured demand Absorbs into porous stone and dulls. Paint markers are the honest choice. | ◐If… 4,360/mo Permanent, but stiffens the weave and bleeds on thin cotton. | ○No 160/mo Solvent ink. Not formulated for skin contact. | ○No no measured demand Will not come off tempered glass without solvent. | ●Works 30/mo The labelling default. Bleeds through single-wall, which rarely matters. |
| Dry erase Oily release agent keeps pigment from bonding. Wipes dry off non-porous only. | ○No 300/mo No release surface. It smears and never dries. | ●Works 10,880/mo The intended surface. 33% of 18,792 erasability reports are still negative — ghosting is real on older boards. | ○No 430/mo Porous board ghosts permanently. Use a liquid chalk marker. | ●Works 4,280/mo Glass boards erase cleaner than melamine. Streaks more with cheap ink. | ○No no measured demand Absorbs into the grain and stains. Use a paint marker. | ◐If… 90/mo Works on a painted steel board, not on raw metal. | ◐If… 10/mo Only on a gloss laminate. Matte plastic holds the pigment. | ◐If… no measured demand Works on glazed tile. Wipes with a dry cloth. | ○No no measured demand Porous stone stains. Use an acrylic or paint marker. | ○No 510/mo Stains. 510 searches a month ask this; the answer is no. | ○No 130/mo Not formulated for skin. Use a body marker. | ◐If… 40/mo Erases dry but runs in rain. Use a chalk or washable marker. | ○No 250/mo Absorbs and never dries. Use a permanent marker. |
| Wet erase Water-soluble paste. Stays put until wiped with a damp cloth. | ○No 40/mo Water-soluble paste never dries on paper. Use a permanent or fine-tip marker. | ●Works 120/mo Stays put under a sleeve or a hand. Needs a damp cloth. | ◐If… no measured demand Works on a sealed chalkboard, ghosts on a porous one. | ●Works 10/mo The menu-board standard. Damp wipe removes it cleanly. | ○No no measured demand Bare wood drinks the paste. Seal it, or use a paint marker. | ◐If… no measured demand Only on a sealed or painted surface. | ●Works no measured demand Excellent on laminated overlays and sleeve protectors. | ●Works no measured demand Wipes off glaze with water. | ○No no measured demand Porous stone absorbs it. Use an acrylic or paint marker. | ○No no measured demand Runs in the wash. Use a fabric marker. | ○No no measured demand Not formulated for skin. Use a body marker. | ◐If… no measured demand Rain removes it, which may be the point. | ○No no measured demand Soaks into the board and never dries. Use a permanent marker. |
| Alcohol Alcohol-carried dye. Blends, but soaks and feathers on absorbent stock. | ◐If… 1,820/mo Feathers and bleeds on anything but marker paper. 1,820 searches a month are people looking for the right stock. | ○No 10/mo Stains melamine permanently. Use a dry erase marker. | ○No no measured demand Porous board absorbs the dye and stains. Use a liquid chalk marker. | ◐If… 90/mo Beads on glass and wipes off with alcohol. Not a glass marker. | ◐If… 170/mo Absorbs into bare wood like a stain. Some people want that. | ○No 60/mo Beads and rubs off. Use an oil-based paint marker. | ◐If… 270/mo Streaks on gloss. Works on primed styrene for models. | ○No no measured demand Beads on the glaze. Use a paint or acrylic marker. | ○No 10/mo Soaks in and dulls. Use an acrylic marker. | ◐If… 900/mo Bleeds into the weave and is not wash-fast. | ○No 900/mo Alcohol dye, not cosmetic grade. Use a body marker. | ○No no measured demand Wipes straight off tempered glass. Use a chalk or washable marker. | ◐If… 10/mo Bleeds heavily unless the board is coated. |
| Acrylic Water-based pigment with binder. Opaque, dries to a film. | ●Works 570/mo Opaque on black card, which is what 570 searches a month are asking about. | ○No 100/mo Dries to a permanent film. Use a dry erase marker. | ●Works 370/mo Opaque on black. Needs alcohol to remove. | ●Works 460/mo Dries to a durable film. Bake ceramic-safe ranges to set. | ●Works 90/mo Sits on the surface without feathering. | ●Works 250/mo Adheres and stays put. | ●Works 410/mo The standard choice for 3D prints and models. | ◐If… no measured demand Needs baking to survive washing. Check the range. | ●Works 90/mo The rock-painting default. | ◐If… 1,690/mo Stiffens the weave. Heat set and expect a hand feel. | ○No 310/mo Not cosmetic grade. Use a body marker. | ◐If… no measured demand Permanent on paint. Only on glass, and only with care. | ●Works 10/mo Opaque and does not bleed. |
| Paint Pigment paint, water or oil based. Opaque on dark and non-porous. | ●Works 250/mo Opaque, no bleed. | ○No 30/mo Dries to a permanent film. Use a dry erase or wet erase marker. | ●Works 390/mo Opaque on black. Water-based ranges wipe with a damp cloth. | ●Works 3,870/mo 3,870 searches a month. Water-based wipes off, oil-based stays. | ●Works 270/mo No feathering, full opacity. | ●Works 990/mo Oil-based is the industrial standard. | ●Works 610/mo Adheres to most plastics without primer. | ◐If… 120/mo Not dishwasher safe unless the range is bake-set. | ●Works 290/mo Weatherproof once sealed. | ◐If… 3,160/mo Stiff and only semi wash-fast. | ○No 1,000/mo Not cosmetic grade, despite 1,000 searches a month asking. | ◐If… 2,350/mo 2,350 searches a month. Water-based only, on glass only, never on paint. | ●Works 10/mo Opaque and clean. |
| Liquid chalk Water-based pigment. Wipes off non-porous, stains porous. | ○No 130/mo Soaks and buckles the sheet. Use a paint or acrylic marker. | ◐If… 1,060/mo 1,060 searches a month. It works but needs a damp wipe, not a dry eraser. | ◐If… 2,370/mo 2,370 searches a month. It stays put and needs a damp cloth plus scrubbing on porous board. | ●Works 3,430/mo 3,430 searches a month. The intended surface. Damp wipe removes it. | ○No 30/mo Stains bare wood. Seal it, or use a paint marker. | ◐If… 160/mo Only on sealed or painted metal. | ◐If… 10/mo Only on gloss. | ●Works no measured demand Wipes off glaze. | ○No no measured demand Stains porous stone. Use an acrylic or paint marker. | ○No 160/mo Stains the weave. Use a fabric marker. | ○No 10/mo Not formulated for skin. Use a body marker. | ●Works 1,170/mo 1,170 searches a month. The car-window standard. Washes off with soapy water. | ○No no measured demand Soaks into the board. Use a permanent or paint marker. |
| Fabric Textile dye or pigment, heat-settable. | ◐If… 100/mo Works but bleeds; the ink is made for fibre. | ○No no measured demand Stains melamine permanently. Use a dry erase marker. | ○No no measured demand Stains porous board. Use a liquid chalk marker. | ○No no measured demand Beads off glass. Use a paint or chalk marker. | ◐If… 10/mo Absorbs unevenly along the grain. Seal it first. | ○No 20/mo Will not adhere. Use an oil-based paint marker. | ○No no measured demand Rubs off under friction. Use an acrylic marker. | ○No 120/mo Beads off the glaze. Use a paint marker. | ○No no measured demand Absorbs and dulls. Use an acrylic or paint marker. | ●Works 24,430/mo 24,430 searches a month, the largest single cell in the matrix. Heat set it or it fades in the wash. | ○No no measured demand Textile dye, not cosmetic grade. Use a body marker. | ○No no measured demand Textile dye beads off tempered glass. Use a chalk or washable marker. | ◐If… no measured demand Absorbs into the flute and spreads. Fine for a label, not for artwork. |
| Body Cosmetic-grade ink formulated for skin contact. | ◐If… no measured demand Works, but it is an expensive way to draw on paper. | ○No no measured demand Stains melamine. Use a dry erase marker. | ○No no measured demand Stains porous board. Use a liquid chalk marker. | ○No no measured demand Beads off. Use a paint or chalk marker. | ○No no measured demand Absorbs into the grain. Use a paint marker. | ○No no measured demand Beads off. Use an oil-based paint marker. | ○No no measured demand Rubs off. Use an acrylic marker. | ○No no measured demand Beads off the glaze. Use a paint marker. | ○No no measured demand Soaks into the stone. Use an acrylic marker. | ◐If… no measured demand Will mark clothing and is not wash-fast. Use a fabric marker and heat set it. | ●Works 4,290/mo 4,290 searches a month. Cosmetic-grade ink, the only type formulated for it. Durability is the weak point: 378 reports, 170 negative (45%). | ○No 10/mo Textile dye beads off tempered glass. Use a chalk or washable marker. | ◐If… no measured demand Absorbs into the flute and spreads. Fine for a label, not for artwork. |
| Washable Water-soluble dye designed to release from skin and fabric. | ●Works 40/mo The kids-and-coloring default. | ◐If… 500/mo 500 searches a month. Works on the board, needs a damp wipe. | ○No no measured demand Stains porous board. Use a liquid chalk marker. | ●Works 1,480/mo 1,480 searches a month. Washes off with water, which is the whole point. | ○No no measured demand Absorbs and stains the grain. Use a paint marker. | ◐If… 260/mo Rubs off with handling unless the surface is sealed. | ◐If… 80/mo Wipes off gloss, but stains matte plastic. | ●Works no measured demand Rinses off glaze. | ○No no measured demand Soaks into porous stone and dulls. Use an acrylic marker. | ◐If… 1,360/mo 1,360 searches a month. Washes out of most cotton, not out of everything. | ●Works 750/mo 750 searches a month. Designed to come off skin with soap. | ●Works 500/mo 500 searches a month. Rinses off with a hose. | ◐If… 410/mo Absorbs into the flute unless the stroke is light. |
| Dot / dauber Water-based dye in a sponge applicator. | ●Works no measured demand The intended surface for toddlers. | ○No no measured demand Pools and smears on a non-absorbent board. Use a dry erase marker. | ○No no measured demand Stains porous board. Use a liquid chalk marker. | ○No no measured demand Pools and runs off. Use a chalk or washable marker. | ◐If… no measured demand Absorbs into bare wood and blooms. Seal it first. | ○No no measured demand Pools and never dries. Use a paint marker. | ○No no measured demand Pools on the surface. Use an acrylic marker. | ○No no measured demand Pools on the glaze. Use a paint marker. | ◐If… no measured demand Absorbs unevenly unless the stone is sealed. | ◐If… 10/mo Not wash-fast. | ◐If… no measured demand Washable formulas only; check the label. | ○No 10/mo Pools and runs off tempered glass. Use a chalk or washable marker. | ●Works no measured demand Absorbs cleanly. |
What Buyers Report Going Wrong
| Topic | Reports | Products | Negative | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quality | 9,210 | 49 | 1,643 | 11% |
| Colour | 6,866 | 35 | 1,477 | 22% |
| Value for money | 4,838 | 55 | 648 | 13% |
| Writing performance | 3,930 | 37 | 450 | 11% |
| Durability | 2,354 | 35 | 742 | 32% |
| Bleed resistance | 1,754 | 24 | 739 | 42% |
| Drying time | 1,688 | 23 | 614 | 36% |
Quality at 11% and writing performance at 11% are strong. Durability at 32% is better than the site-wide durability rate of 49% across 59,409 reports. Bleed resistance at 42% is better than the site-wide 51% across 24,394 reports. Drying time at 36% is well under the site-wide 56% across 46,577.
On every one of those three failure attributes BIC is measurably better than the field average, and none of them makes it a category leader, because leadership here is decided by buyer volume and BIC's marker lines do not carry it.
"These were awesome for like the first 2-3 months. Vivid color, fine tip, everything I wanted. But then they started leaking SO BAD!" BIC Intensity Advanced Colorful Dry Erase Markers, Bullet Tip, 12-Count
"The color is nice, but they are NOT FINE tip in anyway. This 'bullet tip' they describe doesn't write anywhere close to fine tip." BIC Intensity Advanced Colorful Dry Erase Markers, Bullet Tip, 12-Count
"Just fyi it does bleed through. Otherwise colors are vibrant. An does dry fast." BIC Brite Liner Grip Highlighter, Chisel Tip, Assorted Colors, 5-Count
"So smooth to color with, beautiful colors. The only down side is they bleed through the paper. Put something under it. Will definitely buy them again." BIC Intensity Permanent Markers, Ultra Fine Tip, 36-Count, Assorted Fashion Colours
Both complaints on the whiteboard line are about the same product, which is BIC's strongest dry-erase listing. Leaking after three months and a bullet tip that is not fine are specific, reproducible faults, and they sit alongside a 4.6 rating and 9,488 ratings. That is what an above-average, non-leading product looks like in the reports.
The Skin Reports Are Different
BODYMARK's own numbers are less flattering than the category win suggests, and they belong on this page rather than only on the BODYMARK one. Washability draws 318 reports across two products at 49% negative, and durability 378 at 45%.
"Cool concept but doesn't last long and definitely not up to 14 days." BODYMARK Temporary Tattoo Markers, 8-Count Colour Collection, Skin-Safe
"Kids love them! Fun for kids who like to color on themselves. Beautiful colors on the skin. BEWARE, IT DOES NOT WASH OFF EASILY." BODYMARK Temporary Tattoo Markers, 8-Count Colour Collection, Skin-Safe
Those two complaints contradict each other, which is the finding. Some buyers want it to last and it does not; others want it gone and it will not go. A cosmetic ink sitting on skin that sheds, sweats and washes is being asked to hold a fixed duration it cannot control, and no brand in this catalogue solves that.
The Skin Root Is Genuinely Thin
Skin and body is one of the smaller roots on this site at 19,540 searches a month, and this catalogue holds 12 body markers against 570 acrylic markers and 489 alcohol markers. That thinness is the context for BIC's win, and it should be stated alongside it rather than after it.
The boundary the root actually draws is the useful part. Body markers hold the only works verdict on skin. Washable markers also rate works there at 750 searches a month, which is why a child's Crayola set is a safer accident than an alcohol marker. Everything else fails, and the detail sits at skin safety.
The temporary-tattoo question that most of BIC's skin demand attaches to is answered at temporary tattoo markers, where the duration reports are counted in full rather than summarised.
The Whiteboard Line Is BIC's Second-Best Case
41 of BIC's 205 listings read as dry erase markers, and its Intensity Advanced bullet-tip 12-count is the brand's most-reviewed marker at 9,488 ratings and 4.6 stars. That is a real product with a real audience, and it ranks 30th among 295 deduplicated dry-erase families rather than first.
45 BIC listings name low odour, which matters in a classroom, and the category comparison sits at dry erase markers where EXPO's 77 low-odour listings and 486,456 buyer ratings set the standard. BIC is a competent second-tier choice there, priced below the field, and this page will not upgrade it to a first-tier one.
Why This Page Is Not a Puff Piece
The domain carries the name, and the temptation to make the brand the architecture was recorded and rejected before this site was built. BIC gets a brand cluster and nothing more, because 2,260 searches a month cannot organise a site that answers 971,870.
What the data supports is one honest claim: BIC leads skin, on product count, on certification count and on buyer volume, and it beats the field average on bleed, drying and durability while tying it on rating and undercutting it by a dollar on price. That is a good brand. It is not the best brand in nine of the ten categories this site scores, and the pages for those categories name the winner instead.
Frequently Asked
Five questions from the 228 keywords in the BIC cluster, answered against the same medians applied to every other brand here.
Are BIC markers cheaper than other brands?
Cheaper than the field, not the cheapest. BIC's median price is $12.98 against a site-wide median of $13.99, so it sits $1.01 below the middle of the market. EXPO is cheaper at $12.61 and Sharpie at $12.89. Amazon Basics is cheaper still at $10.78.
Are BIC markers any good?
They tie the field. BIC's median rating is 4.6 and the site-wide median is also 4.6. On the mean it is 4.535 against a field mean of 4.501, a difference too small to build a recommendation on. 605,447 buyer ratings sit behind those figures.
What is BIC actually best at?
Skin. BODYMARK, made by BIC, is the most-reviewed body marker in this catalogue at 18,870 ratings, and 10 of the 16 products here carrying a skin-safe or cosmetic-grade claim are BIC's. Body markers hold the only works verdict on skin, at 4,290 searches a month.
Are BIC markers low odour?
45 BIC listings name low odour, which is a large count and not the largest. EXPO names it on 77 of 109 listings. Across the whole catalogue odour draws 369 buyer reports at 51% negative, concentrated on solvent permanent and alcohol markers rather than on whiteboard ink.
How many BIC products are markers?
118 of the 205 BIC listings name a marker in the title. 33 name a highlighter and 31 name a ballpoint or gel pen. By type, 47 read as permanent markers, 41 as dry erase, three as body markers, two as paint and one as washable.