Amazon Basics Markers: Cheap, Badged, and Badly Reported
Amazon Basics holds 23 marker listings here and 21 of them carry an Amazon's Choice badge, the highest badge density of any brand with 20 or more products in this catalogue. Its fine-tip permanent marker is the second most-reviewed permanent marker on the whole site. Its drying-out complaint rate is 82% negative. All three facts belong on the same page.
Amazon Basics carries 40 searches a month across 8 keywords, the smallest brand cluster on this site by a wide margin. Nobody searches for it by name; they arrive at it from a category page or a search result and buy on price. It files under whiteboard and office markers, where its dry erase line lives, and it deserves the same scrutiny as a brand people do search for.
Twenty-Three Listings, Nearly All Badged
23 Amazon Basics products sit in this catalogue. By title, nine read as dry erase markers, seven as permanent, four as washable, two as liquid chalk and one as a fabric marker. Amazon files eight as Whiteboard Marker, six as Permanent Marker, two as Chalk Marker and one as Paint Marker.
| Listing | Ratings | Rating | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fine Tip Permanent Markers, 12-Count | 55,112 | 4.5 | $5.44 |
| Dry Erase Whiteboard Markers, Chisel Tip, Low-Odour, 12-Pack | 26,508 | 4.5 | $6.39 |
| Low-Odour Dry Erase Whiteboard Markers, Chisel Tip, Black, 12-Pack | 10,186 | 4.6 | $6.95 |
| Retractable Permanent Markers | 5,450 | 4.1 | $7.87 |
| Low Odour Ultra Fine Tip Dry Erase Whiteboard Markers | 4,699 | 3.8 | $8.16 |
| Vibrant Fabric Markers for T-Shirts and Tote Bags, 8-Pack | 3,425 | 4.4 | $10.78 |
21 of the 23 listings hold an Amazon's Choice badge. That is a 91% density, the highest of any brand with 20 or more products in this catalogue: Sharpie sits at 67%, EXPO at 57%, Crayola at 46% and Arteza at 37%. Nine listings name low odour, two carry a manufacturer non-toxic claim and none names an ACMI or AP certification.
Median price is $10.78 against a site-wide median of $13.99, so the brand is $3.21 below the field. The range is $4.31 to $18.47 — the narrowest span of any brand on these pages, because there is no premium tier at all. Median rating is 4.5, a tenth below the site median of 4.6, and the mean is 4.417 against a field mean of 4.501.
Where It Actually Places
Amazon Basics is second in permanent markers by buyer volume. Counting deduplicated product families, Sharpie holds 601,924 ratings across 131 families and Amazon Basics 63,188 across four. Its 12-count fine-tip permanent set at 55,112 ratings is the second most-reviewed permanent marker in this entire catalogue, behind Sharpie's 58,828.
In dry erase it is fourth, on 42,399 ratings across five families, behind EXPO on 486,456, Volcanics on 60,053 and Staedtler on 47,941. In washable markers it is a distant fifth behind Crayola's 209,447.
That second place in permanent markers is a real result from four listings, and it is the strongest thing this page has to say for the brand. It comes from one product doing enormous volume at $5.44 rather than from a range.
What the Ink Does
| Marker type | Paper | Whiteboard | Chalkboard | Glass | Wood | Metal | Plastic | Ceramic / mug | Rock / stone | Fabric | Skin | Car window | Cardboard |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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. |
Dry erase ink carries an oily release agent that stops pigment bonding, which is why it wipes off melamine and glass and fails everywhere porous. Whiteboard is the intended surface at 10,880 searches a month and glass works at 4,280. Paper fails at 300 because there is no release surface, chalkboard fails at 430 because porous board ghosts permanently, and cardboard fails at 250. Fabric fails at 510 and skin at 130.
The permanent line answers the opposite set: metal works at 1,000 searches a month, cardboard works, and whiteboard and chalkboard both fail because the ink bonds and will not lift. Between the two lines, this small catalogue covers the everyday office cases, which is what it is for.
What Buyers Report Going Wrong
| Topic | Reports | Products | Negative | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 3,601 | 18 | 1,135 | 32% |
| Quality | 1,205 | 10 | 600 | 50% |
| Functionality | 690 | 9 | 289 | 42% |
| Drying time | 436 | 9 | 335 | 77% |
| Drying out | 374 | 1 | 308 | 82% |
| Colour variety | 284 | 2 | 128 | 45% |
| Erasability | 251 | 3 | 154 | 61% |
| Writing performance | 232 | 3 | 109 | 47% |
Every one of those rates is worse than its site-wide equivalent. Quality at 50% negative is the worst quality rate on any brand page in this batch — Sharpie runs at 10%, Posca at 6%, Ohuhu at 12%. Drying time at 77% is well above the site-wide 56% across 46,577 reports. Erasability at 61% is nearly double the site-wide 33% across 18,792 reports.
The reports say the same thing over and over, and it is not about ink formulation.
"These were all dried out from day one- and I bought two packs. Maybe they were old or maybe the way they were packaged but def not worth any money." Amazon Basics Retractable Permanent Markers
"These markers were dried up when I tried to use them. Unfortunately, the return window closed. Save your money, and don't buy them." Amazon Basics Low-Odour Dry Erase Whiteboard Markers, Chisel Tip
"item received those on August 27th and they were also dried out and barely wrote. There were only 4 that actually had some ink that it would write." Amazon Basics Low Odour Ultra Fine Tip Dry Erase Whiteboard Markers
"Dried out. Stopped working. I needed a fine tip for my kids to do math problems. Not bad to start off with. But within 3 months they are worthless." Amazon Basics Low Odour Ultra Fine Tip Dry Erase Whiteboard Markers
Four reports, four descriptions of pens arriving dead or dying within months. The 3.8-star ultra-fine listing carries two of them and is the lowest-rated product on any brand page in this batch. Across all 337 dry erase markers in this catalogue the drying-out topic runs at 705 mentions and 79% negative, so the category is genuinely bad at this — and Amazon Basics sits at the wrong end of a bad category rather than being uniquely poor.
Two further complaints are specific and fixable.
"Do not buy. The variety of colors was inconsistent. Of the 24 markers, 4 were orange, 2 were brown, 2 were yellow, and 3 were green." Amazon Basics Washable Markers for Kids, Round Tip, Assorted Colors
"These dry erase markers are poor quality. They are difficult to erase and leave behind residue." Amazon Basics Low-Odour Dry Erase Whiteboard Markers, Chisel Tip
The first is a packing fault, the second the erasability figure in words.
What Buyers Report Going Right
The value reports are genuine and they carry the brand.
"These are very awesome dry erase markers. Great price, low odor (I don't smell anything), vibrant colours. U get a bang for your buck with these." Amazon Basics Dry Erase Whiteboard Markers, Chisel Tip, Low-Odour, 12-Pack
"Barely bleed through papers and they last a good amount of time! An amazing value!" Amazon Basics Ultra Fine Point Permanent Markers for Drawing and Writing
"Love the fine tip, great for a lined small space board. However most colors (even darker shades) do not show up well. Most seem to be dried out." Amazon Basics Low Odour Ultra Fine Tip Dry Erase Whiteboard Markers
Tip quality is the one attribute where the brand beats the field: 168 reports at 18% negative, against a site-wide 23% across 11,073 reports. The nibs are fine, and the ink behind them is the problem.
Value for money at 32% negative is the number that decides whether this brand is worth buying. Two thirds of buyers who mentioned price were happy at a $10.78 median, and a third were not, and the third who were not are the ones who received a dead pack.
| Product | Tip | Pack | Rating | Ratings | Price | Per pen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXPO EXPO Dry Erase Markers, Low Odor Ink, Assorted Colors, Ultra… Amazon’s Choice Low odour | Fine | 8 | 4.6 | 97,594 | $4.09 | $0.51 |
| EXPO EXPO Dry Erase Markers Kit, Fine Tip, Assorted Colors, Eraser… Amazon’s Choice | Fine | 5 | 4.7 | 54,109 | $3.08 | $0.62 |
| Amazon Basics Amazon Basics Dry Erase Whiteboard Markers, Chisel Tip… Amazon’s Choice Low odour | Chisel | 12 | 4.5 | 26,508 | $6.39 | $0.53 |
| STAEDTLER Staedtler 351WP6 Bullet Tip Whiteboard Marker, Pack of 6 Amazon’s Choice | Bullet | 6 | 4.7 | 26,386 | $18.13 | $3.02 |
| Browill Magnetic Dry Erase Markers, (8 Pack) Dealkits Low Odor White… Amazon’s Choice Low odour | Fine | 8 | 4.4 | 23,843 | $7.99 | $1.00 |
| LivDeal Magnetic Dry Erase Markers - Fine Tip, Black Color, 12 Pack… Amazon’s Choice Low odour | Fine | 120 | 4.4 | 22,385 | $9.99 | $0.08 |
Drying out — 705 reports, 79% negative, across 9 products
After very little use and time open they were completely dry. It was a waste of money
EXPO Dry Erase Markers, Low Odor Ink, Bullet Tip, 4 Count…
cap (it fit, but too loosely so it let air in) leading to a dried out marker
EXPO Low-Odor Dry Erase Markers, Chisel Tip, Assorted…
4 more verbatim reports
On top of that, this may be old old stock. They are completely dried out and you can't return them because Amazon considers them flammable
EXPO Low-Odor Dry Erase Markers, Fine Point
These were AWFUL. Dry, barely made a mark on the board. 0/10 do not recommend. Better off paying the higher prices for ones that actually work
June Gold 39 Colored Dry Erase Whiteboard Markers, 13…
a month and they are constantly coming to me and telling me they are dried out... I test them and sure enough they are. Pretty disappointing
Keebor Dry Erase Markers Chisel Tip, 3 Assorted Colors…
was excited for a different brand of markers however they are dried out so can't use them
Volcanics Dry Erase Markers, Chisel Tip, 10 Colors, 10…
Ink durability — 445 reports, 78% negative, across 4 products
Right out of the box upon delivery at least one of the markers was dried out and useless. Also takes about 10lbs of pressure to get the caps off
Artline Magnum Whiteboard Markers, 10mm Jumbo Tip, 5109A…
the markers worked great at first now they have all become weak and dried out even though we make sure the caps are always on and stored tip down in
Shuttle Art Dry Erase Markers, 15 Colors Magnetic…
4 more verbatim reports
Just got these markers delivered yesterday. One was cracked and dried out before I even got to use it
EXPO Dry Erase Markers, Whiteboard Markers with Low Odor…
Bright solid colors- great! They are all either half dried out, or completely dried out now, I've been throwing them out as they died, the pink
maxtek Dry Erase Markers, 0.7mm Ultra Fine Tip, Low Odor…
Waste Of Money! Pens either barely had ink or were completely dried up. You cannot return them. Total Ripoff and complete Garbage product!!
Artline Magnum Whiteboard Markers, 10mm Jumbo Tip, 5109A…
day of giving out brand new markers a few had hard tips and were completely dry. Some markers bled a lot of ink when in use
Shuttle Art Dry Erase Markers, 15 Colors Magnetic…
Drying time — 2,419 reports, 71% negative, across 41 products
Several of these were dried out and unusable. Some of them worked fine. I would send them back, but it's too much of a pain this time
EXPO Dry Erase Markers, Low Odor Ink, Black, Chisel Tip…
Half of the markers were dried out and had no color. So disappointed
EXPO Low-Odor Dry Erase Markers, Chisel Tip, Fashion…
4 more verbatim reports
However, only a handful on them are usable. Some were dried out by the time I got them, not even by the time I wanted to use them, but by the time
EXPO Dry Erase Markers, Low Odor Ink, Assorted Colors…
should have returned these. They were dried out
Expo Low Odor Dry Erase Markers, Fine Point, Black Ink…
I like that they are easy to erase and do not leave their color behind. They also do not have a strong odor when being used
Low-Odor Dry-Erase Marker
Some of my markers came dried out. But the ones that came working, are great
ARTEZA Black Fine Tip Dry Erase Markers, 52 Pack for…
Visibility — 895 reports, 61% negative, across 21 products
Four of the 12 are dried up and unusable another 2 are usable but faint. Very unhappy with this box
EXPO Dry Erase Markers, Low Odor Ink, Green, Chisel Tip…
The markers work, but they are pale and hard to see. They are not bright and vivid like the Expo ultra fine dry erase markers I purchased previously
EXPO Dry Erase Markers, Low Odor Ink, Assorted Colors…
4 more verbatim reports
Excellent marker, easy to see, wipes off completely, arrived quickly BUT I ordered black markers and received blue markers
Artline 5109A Big Nib Whiteboard Marker - Black (Pack of…
The colors are vibrant and easy to see. Then after a couple of uses the quality of writing is so much worse and is barely visible
EXPO Neon Dry Erase Markers, Assorted, Bullet Tip, 5…
He uses them exclusively because of their readability
Artline Magnum Whiteboard Markers, 10mm Jumbo Tip, 5109A…
Pretty colors but, if used for a presentation, that are NOT vivid and other brands give better results
inamio 12 Dry Erase Markers Dual Tip, Ultra Fine & Broad…
Counts are Amazon “Customers say” topic summaries aggregated across every dry erase marker in the corpus. Quotes are printed exactly as buyers wrote them, including typos.
Why the Permanent Line Outperforms the Board Line
The 12-count fine-tip permanent set carries 55,112 ratings at 4.5 stars and $5.44, and it is the second most-reviewed permanent marker in this catalogue. The dry erase listings carry 4.4, 4.5, 4.6 and 3.8. That spread is not random.
Solvent permanent ink is chemically stable in a sealed barrel for years. Dry erase ink carries an oily release agent in a volatile carrier and is opened and closed dozens of times a week in a classroom. The site-wide figures confirm it: permanent markers report durability at 39% negative, the best of the eleven chemistries, while dry erase reports drying out at 79%.
An own-brand competing on price is therefore on much safer ground in permanent markers than on a board, and the ratings say buyers found that out. The category comparison sits at dry erase markers, and the permanent use case at markers for metal.
The Badge Is Not a Verdict
21 Amazon's Choice badges across 23 listings, including on a 3.8-star product with an 82% negative drying-out rate, is the clearest example in this whole catalogue of why a badge and a verdict are different objects. The badge tracks price, availability and return behaviour. It does not read the reviews.
What the data supports: buy Amazon Basics for a low-stakes office or classroom whiteboard where a dead pen is an annoyance rather than a problem, and check the pack immediately while returns are open. Do not buy it where reliability matters, because one buyer put the comparison better than this page can — "Not worth the money as they dry out very quickly and don't deliver near the quality of the Expo markers" — and EXPO's 486,456 buyer ratings in that category against this brand's 42,399 say most people agree.
Frequently Asked
Five questions from the 8 keywords in the Amazon Basics cluster, answered against 23 product records and 282,850 buyer ratings.
Are Amazon Basics markers any good?
They are cheap and heavily badged, and their complaint rates are the worst in this batch. Quality draws 1,205 reports at 50% negative and drying time 436 at 77%, against site-wide figures of far lower. The median rating is 4.5, below the site median of 4.6.
Do Amazon Basics dry erase markers dry out?
That is the defining complaint. A drying-out topic runs at 82% negative across 374 reports on a single listing, and drying time at 77% across 436. Across all 337 dry erase markers here, drying out runs at 79% negative, so the category is bad and this brand is at the bad end of it.
How cheap are Amazon Basics markers?
The median listing is $10.78 against a site-wide median of $13.99, so it is $3.21 below the field. The range runs $4.31 to $18.47, the narrowest of any brand in this batch. The best-selling listing, a 12-count fine-tip permanent set, is $5.44.
Why do Amazon Basics markers have so many Amazon's Choice badges?
21 of the 23 listings hold one, a 91% density against Sharpie's 67% and Arteza's 37%. The badge tracks price, availability and return rate rather than buyer complaint content, which is why a listing rated 3.8 with an 82% drying complaint can still carry one.
Are Amazon Basics markers as good as EXPO?
Buyers say no, in those words. One wrote: 'Not worth the money as they dry out very quickly and don't deliver near the quality of the Expo markers.' EXPO leads dry erase with 486,456 deduplicated buyer ratings against Amazon Basics on 42,399.