I first discovered Pilot’s “Synergy Tip” gel pens a few years ago, when I picked up a pack of “Synergy Clicker” Frixion pens. This innovative tip format immediately improved my writing experience with the Frixion pens, reminding me of the smooth-writing liquid ink “V” rollerball series that I’ve always loved, with the added precision of the Hi-Tec-C gel ink. Of course, given the limitations of erasable Frixion ink, the pens weren’t quite as smooth or dark as I would’ve liked, so of course I kept looking. I soon discovered that Pilot also uses the Synergy Tip in their excellent “Juice” gel pen range, available in the U.S. as Japanese imports (including now from T.G.S.!). The two main options are the “Juice+” and the “Juice Up” lines, both of which use the same cartridge, with the primary differences being color range and barrel design.
The Pilot Juice+ / Juice Plus features a matte white barrel that’s lighter-weight than the heftier Juice Up.
Why I Like the Pilot “Synergy Tip” Gel Pens (Juice+ and Juice Up)
You get most of the precision of the Hi-Tec-C with the smoother writing experience of a conical metal tip like the G2 or the Signo DX. The difference is especially noticeable when writing at a lower angle, which is where the Hi-Tec-C can sometimes give me trouble. In my experience the Juice pens are much less prone to clogging and premature drying out than the Hi-Tec-C, which is the primary downside to Pilot’s classic needle-tip gel pen.
The Synergy Tip lays down a clean line, with none of the “blobbing” you can sometimes see in a standard Pilot G2 or standard Zebra Sarasa (not the “Sarasa Clip” series). The gel ink used in the Juice pens contains pigment that renders it “water-resistant”, per Pilot, so while it probably won’t survive a thorough soaking, it’s at least waterproof enough to withstand a splash from a spilled drink, and to allow you to highlight over the ink without smearing.
I love the bolder Juice colors and expanded range. Right now, I think my favorites are the “Glossy” series of five dark colors that you can find within the Juice Up line.
As you can see, the Juice Up highlights really well, with minimal smearing. The highlighter used here is the excellent Pilot Kire-Na.
Takeaways and Where to Buy
If you’re looking for a needle-ish tip gel pen that writes reliably and comes in a broad range of colors, I highly recommend both the Juice Up and Juice Plus (Juice+) line. We currently stock the .4mm and .5mm Juice Up pens, as well as the .4mm Juice Plus, in our own shop, and will be looking to add more as we grow. I did want to add a note on refill compatibility - you often see the Pilot Juice refills being advertised as “G2” compatible, meaning that they will fit pens that accept the Pilot G2 cartridge. While that may be true for the standard (conical-tip) Juice pens or older versions, the current Synergy refills appear to use a cartridge that is slightly shorter. For example, I was able to use a Glossy Red Juice Plus refill in a Sunderland MK1 (which accepts a standard G2) but I had to wrap a bit of washi tape around the end of the Synergy refill to add length. Otherwise the refill works perfectly with zero tip wiggle or other annoyances.
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All 15 Colors of the Pilot Juice Up!