Arrtx Top Valve Action Marker Pen Set Review: Are They Worth It?

Finding the right acrylic paint markers can be a frustrating process, especially when you need a set that combines vibrant colors, ease of use, and versatility across multiple surfaces. This search has been ongoing for me, as my latest project requires markers that not only perform well but also offer a wide color range. While I’ve reviewed the Shuttle Art 36 Colors Dual Tip Acrylic Paint Markers previously, and they had some strong points, I’m still on the lookout for markers for my ongoing illustration project.

Many acrylic markers, despite promising professional-grade results, fall short when it comes to ink consistency, coverage, or durability. Some sets provide plenty of colors but lack variety in key shades like red or skin tones. Others, like the ones I’ve tested before, suffer from tip wear or inconsistent ink flow, making them unreliable for detailed work or in alternative surfaces. 

Recently, I decided to try the Arrtx Top Valve Action Marker Pen Set and see if it could finally get the balance I’ve been seeking. In this “Arrtx Top Valve Action Marker Pen Set Review: Are They Worth It?” article, I’ll walk you through my experience with this 24-color set, compare it to the Shuttle Art and/or Posca markers when pertinent, and explore its pros, cons, and performance on different surfaces. Let’s dive in.

Last update on 2024-09-23 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Note: I am not sponsored by Arrtx; I purchased these markers on my own and I am in no way affiliated to them.

Overview of Arrtx Top Valve Action Marker Pen Set

Arrtx offers a variety of acrylic paint markers, and the Top Valve Action Marker Pen Set is one of their most innovative options. This set stands out from traditional paint markers due to its unique valve mechanism, which aims to make ink flow more controlled and precise. With 24 vibrant colors, this set is designed to offer versatile application across multiple surfaces.

Top Valve Action Design: Easy Ink Flow Control

One of the most distinctive features of the Arrtx Top Valve Action Markers is the top valve mechanism. Instead of pressing the nib to activate the ink flow, as is common with many other brands, you press a button at the top of the marker. This design is intended to reduce wear on the nib, protecting its durability while ensuring the ink is dispensed smoothly. The 1-6 mm nylon brush tip is soft and flexible, allowing for a range of line widths, ideal for detailed work as well as filling in larger areas.

24-Color Set

The set includes 24 vibrant colors, providing a rich palette for a wide range of artistic projects. The colors are advertised as bright, vivid, and long-lasting, with metallic gold and silver markers included for a shiny finish. According to the brand, the paint provides excellent coverage and is designed to remain bright and waterproof once dry. The windowed pen body allows you to see the ink level, ensuring you won’t run out unexpectedly during a project.

Multi-Surface Compatibility

Arrtx promotes these markers as being compatible with a variety of surfaces, including wood, fabric, stone, glass, metal, and canvas. The water-based acrylic ink is advertised to adhere well across both porous and non-porous surfaces. The markers are advertised as designed to provide durable and waterproof results.

Water-Based and Non-Toxic Formula

The markers use a water-based, non-toxic ink formula, making them safe for adults and students alike. The ink is quick-drying and environmentally friendly, adhering to surfaces without the strong odor or toxic chemicals found in solvent-based markers. Arrtx also highlights the high-coverage and quick-dry properties of their markers, promoting them as a versatile tool for various art and craft projects.

Packaging

Arrtx shows these markers on their website as coming in a two-tier design box for easy organization and storage. Although this is not the case, the packaging is still good quality and can hold the markers appropriately, and the cover is held by a blue rubber band that looks very nice.

Pros & Cons

In the next section of this article we will discuss in detail the pros & cons of these acrylic markers. However, we have created this handy table for ease to make a quick comparison.

	Pros	Cons
Color range	Vibrant 24-Color Set – Includes bright, vivid colors and metallic options like gold and silver.	Limited Color Range – Some colors may not be as diverse as other marker sets, with fewer skin tones and shades.
Marker’s Design	Exclusive Top Valve Mechanism – Provides controlled and smooth ink flow without pressing the nib.	Inconsistent Ink Flow – Some users find it challenging to manage, leading to uneven ink distribution.
Surface compatibility	Multi-surface compatibility – Works well on various surfaces including wood, fabric, glass, and metal.	Inconsistent performance – Performance may vary, with uneven results on surfaces like glass compared to other brands.
Brush Tip	Durable Nylon Brush Tip – Soft and flexible with variable line width from 1-6 mm, suitable for detailed and broad strokes.	Brush Tip Wear – The brush tips may wear out faster with heavy use, especially on rough surfaces.
Ink and Application	Water-Based and Non-Toxic – Safe for both adults and children, with a quick-dry, environmentally friendly formula.	Potential for Ink Leaks – Issues with ink leakage, especially in the yellow marker.
Packaging	N/A	Misleading image on webpage – Images appear to show a two-tier design box.
Identification	Transparent Barrel for Ink Level Visibility  – Allows users to monitor remaining ink easily, as well as proper identification on cap.	N/A

Pros of Arrtx Top Valve Action Marker Pens

Vibrant 24-Color Set

The Arrtx Top Valve Action Marker Pen Set includes 24 colors that are noted for their vibrancy and saturation. While the range might seem limited compared to some larger sets, the colors provided are rich and bright, offering a solid palette for various artistic projects. The colors deliver strong coverage and vivid results, enhancing the overall quality of your artwork.

Exclusive Top Valve Mechanism

One of the standout features of these markers is their top valve mechanism. Unlike traditional front valve markers, the Arrtx markers use a top valve to control ink flow. This design aims to protect the brush tip from wear and tear, ensuring a longer lifespan. Although it can be a bit tricky to master the pumping process, once you get the hang of it, it can provide a consistent and controlled ink flow.

Multi-surface compatibility

Arrtx markers are designed to work on a wide range of surfaces, including paper, wood, fabric, metal, glass, Halloween pumpkins and more. In practice, they perform exceptionally well on paper and wood, offering excellent coverage and vibrant results. While they do not adhere as effectively to metallic surfaces or perform as well on glass compared to some other brands, they still offer considerable versatility for different artistic applications. We will discuss more on this topic on a section below.

Durable Nylon Brush Tip

The markers feature a nylon brush tip that provides flexibility and durability. With a variable line width of 1-6 mm, the brush tip is suitable for both detailed and broad strokes. This feature supports a variety of artistic styles, allowing for precise and smooth application.

Water-Based and Non-Toxic

Arrtx markers use water-based ink that is both non-toxic and environmentally friendly. This makes them safe for use by both adults and children, and suitable for a range of DIY projects. The ink is also waterproof and quick-drying, which enhances its utility and ease of use.

Transparent Barrel for Ink Level Visibility

The Arrtx Top Valve Action Markers feature a transparent barrel that allows you to easily monitor the ink level. This design helps ensure that you’re never caught off guard by a dry marker. Additionally, each marker is well-identified with a number on the cap, making it easy to select the desired color and track usage efficiently.

Cons of Arrtx Top Valve Action Marker Pens

Limited Color Range 

The Arrtx markers are available in a set of 24 colors, which I found somewhat limited compared to larger sets from other brands. While the available colors are vibrant and provide a decent palette, the selection may not be sufficient for those needing a wider range. The webpage promotes the markers as having “24 multiple colors to complete all of your creations,” but this smaller range can constrain artistic flexibility.

Inconsistent Ink Flow 

The top valve mechanism, while intended to be user-friendly, led to significant issues with inconsistent ink flow. It took considerable effort—over 30 minutes of shaking and pumping for the whole set—to get all the markers working properly. 

The instructions suggest shaking with the cap on and pressing the top valve, but this process was cumbersome and did not always produce a steady ink flow. In some markers, the nibs never got all the ink they needed to function properly (this happened to me with the black marker; no matter how much I shook and pressed the button, a quarter of the nib did not receive the pigment).

The webpage claims that the markers “flow without flooding or jamming,” but my experience indicates otherwise, with the ink flow being erratic and sometimes splattering.

Inconsistent performance

Performance varied significantly between markers. Some worked smoothly, while others had issues such as excessive leaking and inconsistent coverage. This variation in performance contradicts the webpage’s assertion that the markers have “high covering” and are “long-lasting” with “never fade” properties. The markers did not always meet these expectations, leading to some frustration and uneven results.

Brush Tip Wear 

The brush tips, while initially soft and flexible, showed signs of wear more quickly than anticipated. Although the webpage emphasizes the durability of the brush tip due to the top valve design, one of my markers had its tip damaged prematurely. This wear impacted the marker’s performance and precision, contrary to the durable brush tip feature highlighted online.

Potential for Ink Leaks 

Ink leakage was a frequent issue, with some markers, particularly the yellow, leaking excessively. This problem often required using a napkin to clean up excess paint, which was not ideal. The webpage mentions that the markers “flow without flooding or jamming,” but in practice, I encountered significant leakage problems, especially when the valve was over-pressed.

Misleading image on webpage 

The packaging described on the webpage as a “unique two-tier design box” does not match the actual product, which features a simple cardboard box with an inner layer for marker organization. This discrepancy can be misleading, as the advertised packaging suggested a more sophisticated design that was not present in the product I received. The actual box, while functional and complemented with a nice blue band to hold the cover, does not align with the promotional imagery. Although this is not part of the reasons why I bought this specific set, the discrepancy did get my attention.

Surface-Specific Performance

These markers are advertised to work on various surfaces like stone, fabric, wood, glass, and paper. While the Arrtx markers do offer good coverage and vibrant colors on certain surfaces, their performance can vary significantly based on surface type and marker condition. 

Glass

When using the Arrtx markers on glass, the results varied depending on the marker. Markers with a consistent ink flow performed well, providing a good finish—although some bubbling did seem to appear in one of the tests I did (see image below, the long green stripe of color). When the ink did not flow properly, the application looked uneven and patchy. The webpage states that the markers are suitable for various surfaces, but my experience showed that they did not perform as well on glass compared to other brands like Posca, which provided more reliable coverage.

Metallic Surfaces

On metallic surfaces, the markers initially dripped a little, but the coverage once dried was quite satisfactory. This performance contrasts with the webpage’s claim that the markers work well on multiple surfaces, including metal. While the coverage was good overall, the initial dripping suggests that the markers may not adhere as smoothly to metallic surfaces as advertised. Therefore, if you plan to paint on metallic surfaces, I recommend using masking tape to help manage the application.

Paper

The markers excelled on paper, where they provided strong, even coverage with just one layer. This aligns with the webpage’s description of the markers offering “great coverage” and “quick dry” properties. The performance on paper was consistent with the claims made online.

Wood

The Arrtx markers worked impressively on wood, even over a pre-painted surface. The coverage was robust and vivid, matching the “bright and vivid colors” mentioned on the webpage. This surface-specific performance demonstrates that the markers deliver as promised when used on wood.

Fabric

On fabric, the markers showed varied results depending on the individual marker’s performance. When the marker was functioning well, it applied nicely on cotton and pre-painted fabric. However, when the marker had issues, the application was subpar. The webpage indicates that the markers work well on fabric, but my experience suggests that the effectiveness can be inconsistent, depending on the marker’s condition. However, this is the case no matter what surface you want to work on.

Final Words

Cost

The Arrtx Top Valve Action Marker Pen Set is priced at $23.99 on Amazon, which equates to nearly $1 per marker. While this price point is a bit on the higher side, the vibrant colors and strong coverage offered by the markers do provide good value. 

However, considering the issues with ink flow and leakage, this cost may not justify the purchase for everyone, especially if you need consistent performance across all markers. It is yet to be seen how long these markers will last after all the leaks I’ve suffered in only two weeks.

Eco-Friendliness

While the Arrtx Top Valve Action Marker Pen Set uses water-based, non-toxic ink, which makes them a safer option compared to solvent-based alternatives, their eco-friendliness is somewhat limited. Acrylic markers, in general, contain synthetic pigments that can contribute to environmental waste. 

However, one positive aspect is that you can purchase individual replacement markers, though they may not have the same top valve mechanism as the ones in this set. 

This reduces waste by allowing you to replace specific colors as needed, rather than buying an entirely new set. While the ability to buy replacements is helpful, the potential for ink leakage and premature wear on the brush tips does still affect the overall sustainability of the product.

Final Recommendation

While researching for new acrylic paint markers, and deciding to write “Arrtx Top Valve Action Marker Pen Set Review: Are They Worth It?”, I found that these markers offer vibrant colors and impressive coverage, particularly on paper and wood. Despite their strengths, I have experienced significant issues with at least five markers leaking extensively, which makes them cumbersome to use for projects where ink spill can be problematic. 

Although I used them for one illustration and will continue using them for now, I am unsure if I will repurchase this set in the future. I will perhaps try another Arrtx model, as I am not sold on the effectiveness of the pump feature and I will relegate these markers for crafts.

 The performance inconsistency and leakage issues make these markers less ideal for detailed or high-stakes work, so if you require a reliable and hassle-free option, you might want to consider other more reliable brands like Posca that, although would cost double per marker, you would definitely get consistency, which is something that other brands have lacked during my latest project.

Sources

• Amazon: Arrtx Top Valve Action Marker Pen, Set of 24 Colors Simptap Acrylic Paint Pens
• Arrtx: Arrtx Simptap Acrylic Marker 24 Colors Top Valve Action Paint Pen
• Static Wool: MORE Acrylic markers??? || Arrtx Simptap