Chalkola 6 White Dry Erase Chalk Markers - Chalk Pens for Blackboard, 3mm

Six white Chalkola liquid chalk markers, every one with a 3mm fine point. About $15, rated 4.4 stars from 313 reviews.

3mm is the everyday size. It's thick enough that ordinary handwriting reads clearly from a few feet back, and thin enough to fit a week's meal plan on a fridge board. If you only own one size of liquid chalk marker, this is a sensible one to own.

When you'd want something else

Go thinner if you write a lot of small text. Chalkola's 1mm pack handles price lists and tiny labels better.

Go bigger, or mixed, for signs. Block headlines on a storefront window or a sidewalk board look better with a 6mm tip, and the 1mm, 3mm and 6mm set gives you all three for the same price as this one.

Glass yes, some chalkboards no

Liquid chalk is ink. On glass, mirrors and other non-porous surfaces it erases with a dry or damp cloth. On porous surfaces like wood, Chalkola says it's permanent.

Chalkboards are where people get caught out. Porcelain and sealed boards are fine. Many painted chalkboards are porous, and liquid chalk can leave ghost lettering behind or stain the board outright. Test a corner first: write, let it dry, wipe. If it doesn't come off cleanly, that board is for stick chalk.

A safe match is the Chalky Crown magnetic fridge board, which ships with liquid chalk markers. The Loddie Doddie framed board doesn't say whether it takes them, so test before you commit. The chalkboard guide lists boards that do.

What Chalkola claims

The listing pitches these at teachers, students, artists, offices and restaurant owners, for wedding signs, menus, milestone boards, LED boards, contact paper and car windows. It also claims the tips stay fray-free under heavy use, which is a common weak spot on cheaper chalk pens. With 313 reviews behind it, that claim has less evidence than Chalkola's bigger sets.