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Our Customers Top 10 Favourite Stationery Items
Cartridge People recently ran a fun competition as part of National Stationery Week over on our Instagram page where one lucky winner scooped an amazing stationery bundle worth over £150! This bundle was created especially for the competition. If you’re a business looking to run a giveaway of your own, our sales team would be happy to help you put together a great-value prize bundle – just get in touch to find out more.
Stationery lovers from across Instagram took part by completing the sentence: “My favourite stationery item is ____ because…”
Our lucky winner chose the humble Post-it® Note, saying: “My favourite stationery item is definitely the Post-it note because it’s the stick-in-your-eyeline, don’t-forget solution.”
Here at Cartridge People, we couldn’t agree more — Post-it notes are a lifesaver when it comes to jotting down important reminders and tasks.
But what other stationery items proved popular? We analysed all the competition entries to find out and have listed the top 10 favourite stationery items below. The stationery lovers have spoken!
10) Tenth Place – A Nine-Way Tie!
In tenth place, we had a tie between the following stationery essentials: red pens, A4 notepads, paperclips, index tabs, calculators, pencil sharpeners, colouring pencils, A4 wallets, and black biros.
All of these popular picks proved that even the simplest stationery staples still play a big role in everyday organisation and productivity.
Tenth Place Top Picks
9) Ninth Place – Another Multi-Product Tie
In ninth place, we have another tie, with the following stationery favourites all receiving the same number of mentions: coloured gel pens, diaries, staple removers, paper, erasable pens, and rollerball writing pens.
From smooth-writing pens to everyday desk essentials, this mix proves there’s no single favourite when it comes to must-have stationery.
Ninth Place Top Picks
8) Eighth Place – A Joint Tie
In eighth place, we have a joint tie between two popular stationery staples: staplers and gel pens.
One Instagram user, @janeorford, shared:
“My favourite stationery item is a stapler — it keeps my paperwork in check.”
Another entrant, @sharonmaryhadalittlejam, chose gel pens, saying:
“My favourite stationery item is currently gel pens as they write without much pressure, which helps with my peripheral neuropathy!”
Two very different essentials, but both clearly loved for how practical and reliable they are.
Eighth Place Top Picks Staplers & Gel Pens
7) Seventh Place – Fineliner Pens
Seventh place went to fineliner pens, a firm favourite among artists and illustrators.
One Instagram user, @lockdowncomicbookcompany, shared:
“My favourite stationery item is my pack of Uni Pin fineliners because they’re unbelievably cheaper than Rotring Tikky Graphic or Sakura Micron pens, but give the same exceptional performance. I use them on all my artworks!”
A great example of how quality doesn’t always have to come with a premium price tag.
Seventh Place Top Picks – Fineliner Pens
6) Sixth Place – The Four-Colour Retractable Pen
In sixth place, we have the ultimate stationery essential when it comes to pens — the four-colour retractable pen.
One Instagram user, @petalfoxdesigns, summed up the struggle perfectly:
“It’s mean to get people to choose just ONE item of stationery! Any true stationery addict would get anxiety trying to choose one thing. My favourite stationery item is a new notebook (preferably with a motivational quote on the front, but I love notebooks regardless) because every single blank page has unlimited potential for creation, hope, dreams — everything. I do love a Bic 4-colour retractable pen though.”
A true multitasker, the four-colour pen is a classic for anyone who loves organisation, colour-coding, or simply having everything in one place.
Sixth Place Top Picks – Retractable Pens
5) Fifth Place – Fountain Pens
Fifth place goes to a true classic for lovers of traditional writing and calligraphy: the fountain pen.
One Instagram user, @bakesbikesandboys, shared:
“My favourite stationery item is a fountain pen as it makes my writing flow beautifully and looks much friendlier and nicer when writing a letter or card.”
Elegant, timeless, and a joy to write with, fountain pens remain a firm favourite for those who appreciate the art of handwriting.
Fifth Place Top Picks – Fountain Pens
4) Fourth Place – Post-It®/ Sticky Notes
In fourth place — and in agreement with our prize-draw winner — is the ever-reliable Post-it® Note.
One Instagram user, @chocaholic.ginlover, shared:
“I would have to say Post-it notes are my favourite, because you can stick them anywhere! Whenever I need to remember something, I just write a note and put it where I’m going to see it. For instance, if I hear a song I like on the radio, I just write a Post-it so that I have a reminder to add it to one of my playlists.”
Simple, practical, and endlessly useful, it’s no surprise Post-it notes remain a stationery essential.
Fourth Place Top Picks – Sticky Notes / Post-it® Notes
3) Third Place – Highlighter Pens
Highlighter pens claimed third place, with plenty of people naming them as their favourite stationery essential. Here are just a few of the reasons they proved so popular:
@shaz4bri shared:
“My favourite stationery item is a highlighter pen because I use different colours to highlight different things on the calendar. Then at a glance I can see if we are having our friends’ dogs, going to the dentist, hospital, and such like. I also use it to highlight TV programmes of interest in the TV mag.”@weetraceyb21 said:
“Highlighter pens as they are nice and bright like us.”@kelly6791 commented:
“My favourite stationery item is the highlighters because I can keep everything colour coordinated.”@jadejones.97 added:
“My favourite stationery item is my highlighter pens. They are so helpful with revision and crossword puzzles.”Bright, practical, and perfect for organisation, it’s easy to see why highlighters made the top three.
Third Place Top Picks – Highlighter Pen
2) Second Place – The Pen
In second place is a true stationery staple: the pen.
One Instagram user, @debz0727, beautifully summed it up:
“My favourite stationery item is a pen, because having a good pen that writes fluidly just makes your words dance across the page.”
Another entrant, @heroeslovecake, kept it simple and heartfelt:
“My pens — they bring me happiness.”
Whether it’s for note-taking, journaling, or everyday writing, a reliable pen is an essential that never goes out of style.
Second Place Top Picks – Cartridge People Retractable Ballpoint Pens
1) First Place – The Notebook
aking the top spot as the number one favourite stationery item is the notebook — and it’s easy to see why. Our Instagram stationery lovers shared plenty of reasons why this classic essential earned first place.
@chloeschronicles_of_illness said:
“My essential stationery item is a notebook because I have to log all my input/output plus sats and obs for the district nurse and my doctors.”
@childrens_writer_amandahubbert shared:
“My favourite stationery item is notebooks because I’m a children’s author and you can never have too many notebooks.”
And @seirahc90 added:
“My favourite stationery item is my notebook because I put all my important notes there. As someone who is sometimes forgetful, I make sure to write everything down just in case I forget it.”
From creativity and organisation to memory-keeping and planning, notebooks truly do it all — making them a well-deserved number one.
First Place Top Picks – Notebooks
Follow us on Instagram for more fun competitions to win great prizes!
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