Sanford Expo 2 Dry Erase Marker Chisel Point Black

My classroom has more than 100 square feet of whiteboard space. And I use it. Sometimes it's using my background as a cartoonist, sometimes simply explaining relationships between groups, frequently modeling what I expect the students to be doing with their assignments. When I do that with seven successive periods, a bad dry erase marker can ruin the flow of my day. After experimenting with markers from Rose Art and Bic, I returned to my old standby--the Sanford Expos.

I've bought the exciting packs of 20-something dry erase markers from Expo before, but find that they're difficult for students to see, especially from a distance. So when it comes down to it, I generally stick with the Expo classic four-pack: black, blue, red and green.

All four colors are bright enough and apply thickly enough on a white board that they're easily visible and legible, even from the furthest points in my classroom. The chisel tip allows writing or drawing of varying thicknesses, and is more durable than other felt-tip dry erase markers I've used. They don't get "mashed down" too easily, and don't scratch the surface of the whiteboards.

The Expo Markers generally last me for a period of about three months, meaning that I need to replenish my supply three times each school year. At under four dollars a pack, that's a great bargain for an item I use daily.

This set of markers is billed as "low odor," and while that means different things to different companies, I appreciate it. I "test drove" some dry erase markers for Bic earlier this school year, and after writing a few words on the whiteboard, I'd have to open the door and window in my classroom to ventilate it. And that's from someone who likes the smell of dry erase markers. The chemical/alcohol smell for these is definitely present, but not overpowering. The person using the markers will smell them, but the other people in the classroom (or conference room, wherever...) probably won't.

The last thing I like about the Expo markers is that they erase more cleanly than other brands. This seems like a no-brainer, that dry erase markers would erase cleanly, but it's not the case. The super-stinky Bic and the too-dim Rose Arts both required more elbow grease than should have been necessary to erase them. The Expos, whether fresh out of the package or older, erase with a simple swipe.

I've been using the Expo dry erase markers for several years now, and I've always been satisfied. Some packages come with a small bottle of cleaner, a rack to affix the markers to the whiteboard, or an eraser--I generally just buy the four-pack.

If you're shopping for dry erase markers, whether for school, office or home, Expo is the best way to go. They're unbeatable for the price--and there's a reason they're the market leader. They're the best.