The Highlight Of My Stationery Collection (Stabilo Boss Highlighter)

Member Name: cazkins

Product:	Stabilo Boss Highlighter
Date:	25/09/09 (54 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Classic design that's easy to use, strong colour that glides easily without smudging

Disadvantages: A bit pricey

I've been out buying stationery bits & pieces recently as I start my next course with the Open Uni next month. It's strange going back to education after being in full-time work, and there seems to be so much variety when it comes to stationery now that I was spoilt for choice!

Stabilo are a prestigious brand, originally founded back in 1955, and are a very popular choice when it comes to stationery. It's a make that's easy to come across in stores, big and small, and is identifiable not just by name but by the Swan motif.

I personally didn't think there would be much difference between highlighters; surely a highlighter is a highlighter, they should all work the same and give the same results. But no. I've bought some lesser known brands in the past because they were cheap and found that they smudged easily or were just so dry that barely any colour was visible.

Stabilo are a brand that I can trust to have reliable products that are good quality, though for that you do have to pay a bit more. That said, there are some good offers on their products, so it's worth keeping an eye out for discounts and stocking up if you know you'll need them in the future.

The Stabilo Boss original is a highlighter that's been on the market since 1972, and I believe was originally invented by this company. It's probably the most popular choice when it comes to a highlighter, and has a classic, distinctive design.

There are prettier highlighters now available, ones with funky designs and shapes, but this one retains its classic appeal. It is roughly rectangular in shape, meaning it wont roll off the table when you put it down, and has a sturdy feel to it.

Although there's no finger grip, meaning you hold it around the wide part of the plastic, it sits comfortably between your fingers and is easy to use.

The black top clicks on well, so you don't need to worry that the lid isn't fitted properly. Even if you do leave the cap off for quite some time, however, it seems to stay fresh so the ink/nib doesn't dry out too quickly.

The tip is fairly wide, covering 2 line widths, and gives a good, thick coverage over what it is you wish to highlight. If you want to cover a thinner area, you can always use the point to do so.

I find this highlighter glides over the page well, giving good coverage and isn't at all scratchy. This is really important, because it's very frustrating when you buy a rubbish highlighter that only partially covers your text or scratches across it.

The colour on the page is vivid and strong, and as it's water-based, it's suitable for paper, copy or fax. It doesn't seem to smudge what you're highlighting either, which is a big bonus.

Stabilo Boss is available in 9 fluorescent colours, including the 5 most popular: Orange, yellow, green, blue & pink. It depends where you go as to which colours you get to choose from, but each are attractive and vibrant.

These, as I've said, are quite expensive, at around £1 each depending on where you go. A pack of 4 should cost around £4, and the multipacks are easy to come across should you want to buy them.

I would definitely recommend these, even if there are cheaper alternatives, because they do the job very well. They're easy to use with smooth application, have vibrant colours and are reliable; therefore, these are definitely worth the extra few pennies.

Summary: A good all-round highlighter that's worth the extra few pennies