EXPO Magnetic Dry Erase Markers: The Magnet Is Not the Problem
EXPO makes six magnetic dry erase markers in this catalogue, and their buyers agree about them with unusual clarity. The magnets hold, at a 5% negative rate on the largest magnetic topic. The ink is pale, at a 58% negative rate on colour quality. If you are choosing these for a whiteboard people read from a distance, that second number is the one that matters.
There are six EXPO magnetic dry erase listings in this catalogue and their buyer reports divide with unusual cleanliness. One attribute is praised almost unanimously and another is criticised more than the type average. Knowing which is which decides whether these are the right markers for your board. The full brand comparison sits at every expo marker verdict in one place.
The magnets work
The clearest signal in the data. On the eight-count built-in eraser listing, the magnetic topic draws 122 mentions with only 6 negative — a 5% negative rate, which is lower than any attribute recorded for the dry erase type as a whole. Other magnetic listings show the same shape: 44 mentions with 6 negative, 48 with 4, 21 with 2.
"The bonus, was the fact that they were magnetic. No need for a tray or anything else. Just got them attached right to the side of my calendar." EXPO Magnetic Dry Erase Markers with Built-In Eraser, Fine Tip
"I bought these specifically for their magnetic feature so that I could store them horizontally. This serves to extend the life of the pens." EXPO Magnetic Dry Erase Markers with Eraser, Assorted Colors
That second buyer has found a second-order benefit worth naming. Storing markers horizontally keeps ink along the barrel rather than draining away from the nib, and drying out is the type's worst-reported attribute at 705 mentions across 9 products with 554 negative, a 79% negative rate. A magnet that holds a pen sideways on a board is doing storage as well as tidiness.
Not every board cooperates. "Does not magnetize to my magnetic marker board like my eraser and old markers did. They don't feel even remotely compelled to hang on," one buyer wrote, and across the type as a whole magnetic strength is a broader topic at 1,895 mentions across 7 products with 811 negative, at 43%. The EXPO listings sit at the strong end of that range; other brands pull the type average down.
The colours are pale
This is the finding that should change a purchase. On the same eight-count listing, colour quality draws 180 mentions with 105 negative — a 58% negative rate, against the dry erase type's own colour quality average of 46%. A second magnetic listing records 60 colour mentions with 38 negative, at 63%.
"Not dark enough." EXPO Magnetic Dry Erase Markers with Built-In Eraser, Fine Tip
"Only the black marker is visible on my white board. The blue, green, and red marker are barely visible. Not worth buying the colors." EXPO Magnetic Dry Erase Markers with Eraser, Fine Tip, Low Odor
"It’s not black It’s like grey poor quality" EXPO Magnetic Dry Erase Markers with Eraser, Black, Fine Tip
Most of these listings are fine-tip pens, and a narrow nib lays down less ink, so some of this is nib width rather than formulation. Either way, the effect is the same on a board read from the back of a room. Visibility across the type draws 895 mentions with 546 negative, at 61%, and these listings sit inside that pattern rather than outside it. The wider board comparison is at dry erase markers.
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.
The six listings
| Listing | Tip | Count | Price | Rating | Ratings | Per pen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| With Built-In Eraser, Assorted | Fine | 8 | $4.08 | 4.5 | 5,313 | $0.51 |
| With Eraser, Assorted | Chisel | 8 | $8.99 | 4.6 | 1,374 | $1.12 |
| With Eraser, Assorted | Chisel | 4 | $7.99 | 4.7 | 2,730 | $2.00 |
| With Eraser, Black | Chisel | 4 | $9.12 | 4.8 | 2,692 | $2.28 |
| With Eraser, Black | Fine | 4 | not listed | 4.6 | 3,366 | — |
| With Eraser, Low Odor Ink | Fine | 4 | not listed | 4.6 | 1,679 | — |
Prices are read from live listings at build time and go stale. Two of the six carry no live price at the time of writing, which is stated rather than filled in with an estimate.
The unit prices repeat a pattern this brand shows everywhere: pack size moves the number far more than the feature does. The eight-count works out at $0.51 a pen, which is the same unit price as EXPO's standard eight-count ultra fine assorted pack. On that comparison the magnet costs nothing at all; on the four-count comparison it appears to cost a great deal. What is really being priced is the pack.
The magnetic markers that reach the ranked table
Worth stating plainly: the two magnetic dry erase markers that clear this site's ranked threshold of 4.3 stars with at least 1,500 ratings and a live price are not EXPO. They are a Dealkits eight-pack at $7.99, rated 4.4 across 23,843 ratings, and a LivDeal fine tip set at $9.99, rated 4.4 across 22,385 ratings. Both carry more independent feedback than any EXPO magnetic listing here.
That does not make them better markers. It means the rating counts behind them are larger, and this site ranks on evidence rather than on brand.
| 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 |
Where the ink works
Dry erase works on whiteboard at 10,880 searches a month and on glass at 4,280. It is conditional on painted steel at 90, on gloss laminate at 10, and on car glass at 40. It fails on paper at 300, chalkboard at 430, fabric at 510, skin at 130 and cardboard at 250. A magnet changes none of that. The erasability counts behind it are at erasability: what buyers reported.
| 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. |
The demand behind this page
One keyword sits behind this page: "expo magnetic dry erase markers" at 200 searches a month, keyword difficulty 0, growing 62.0% year on year, with commercial, transactional and branded intent.
Sixty-two percent growth on a branded product term is strong, and it fits what the reviews describe: magnetic markers solve a problem every whiteboard has, which is that markers go missing. The honest caveat for that growing audience is the colour figure above. Buy them for the magnet, and keep a standard black in the tray for anything that has to be read from the back of the room.
Magnetic marker questions, answered
Do EXPO magnetic markers actually stick?
On the evidence here, yes. The largest magnetic topic on an EXPO magnetic listing runs to 122 mentions with only 6 negative, a 5% negative rate. Across the type, magnetic strength draws 1,895 reports across 7 products with 811 negative, at 43%.
Why are EXPO magnetic markers so pale?
Colour quality on the eight-count built-in eraser listing draws 180 mentions with 105 negative, a 58% negative rate, which is well above the type's 46% average. Buyers describe black reading as grey and colours as barely visible on a whiteboard.
Which EXPO magnetic pack is cheapest per pen?
The eight-count with built-in eraser at $4.08, which works out at $0.51 a marker. The two four-count packs run $2.00 and $2.28 a pen. Pack size moves the unit price here far more than the magnetic feature itself does.
Are magnetic dry erase markers worth it?
For a board that loses markers, yes. Buyers repeatedly name the same two benefits: nothing rolls off a desk, and no tray is needed. The trade is ink density on the EXPO listings, so pair a magnetic set with a standard black for anything read at distance.
Do magnetic markers erase as well as normal ones?
Erasability is not where these fail. The complaints concentrate on colour density and on the small cap-mounted erasers, which several buyers describe as too hard or too small. The ink itself is the same low-odour dry erase formula.