While growing up, an eraser is one of the first essential tools for learning, after the pencil and paper, which kids get to know and quickly learn to use. As far as development goes, the eraser has come a long way from the wad of pink, gummy rubbers used back then in the elementary schools—you know, the ones that leave rubbery smells on the fingers and occasional pink residue on papers. Nowadays, you get erasers in different shapes, materials, and more importantly, with improved performance.
Back in the day, most often than not, you were more likely to end up with an eraser that leaves your homework book all smudged and embarrassingly hole-filled, giving the impression that you’ve been clumsy with your work or project. And if you’re an artist drawing on your
easel, it’s imperative to have a finished work that looks spotless and doesn’t give away the numerous little mistakes that you must have had to erase out before getting it just right.
Make no mistakes, there are still lots of erasers out there that can make a mess of your work; that’s the reason we’ve decided to review this commonplace item. A good eraser should effortlessly lift granite (the material from which pencils are made) off papers without much energy expended or time wasted.
As you outfit your kids for school with new lunch boxes and
school bags, be sure to get them the best erasers to save them stress and embarrassment—and prolong the life of their books. Another good point to ponder is the fact that great erasers last for a long while. They don’t reduce easily and, depending on frequency of usage, one medium-sized eraser can last for an entire academic session or through several art works.
Before buying an eraser, it’s recommended to consider the age of the user, as there are erasers in
fun toy shapes for toddlers in the market. Other factors to consider include the type, material, count, design, and of course, the price. Relax and read on, as we treat these factors in detail shortly.
Price
Erasers are mostly affordable, but nonetheless, the really good ones usually cost a tad more than average ones. One important factor that affects the price of an eraser is the type. A pen and pencil eraser is sure to cost more than a pencil-only eraser. So, depending on what you want the eraser for, you should make your choice accordingly.
Generally, erasers fall within the price range of $1.00 and $8.00, and our featured products cover this range so you can take your pick according to your budget. In the course of our research, we came across several cheap erasers, but what’s the point of going for an eraser that will just crumble and leave smears all over your book when you can easily get a good-quality eraser at a great price?
Features
Buying an eraser may not be an easy feat after all, but if you put the following factors on your checklist and cross them off one after the other, you’ll most definitely end up with the best-quality eraser. These factors are:
- Type of eraser
- Design features
- Count
- Material
Construction and Design
Type
An eraser is more commonly known for its ability to clean out pencil marks on papers and other surfaces, but in recent times, there have been other erasers manufactured to clean both pencil and ink marks. This, in effect, means that in terms of what they can erase, there are two types of erasers: a pencil eraser and an ink and pencil eraser. Whichever one you choose should be based on who is using the eraser and what writing medium (pen or pencil or both) is being used.
Style
Another means of classifying erasers is based on their style. The most common style are the rectangular-shaped tablet erasers, while some brands go a step further to make their erasers in a pencil form. The latter style is often used for precision erasing and may be battery-operated in some cases.
Count
To get more value for your money, most brands design their erasers in packages of multiple erasers so you end up with more for less. If you have a large family and almost everyone needs an eraser, it will make more financial sense to go for a brand with two or more erasers in a set. This also ensures that you always have a handy spare for when you need an emergency replacement in case someone misplaces his eraser.
Performance and Ease of Use
Materials
Erasers can be made from a number of materials including rubber, plastic, vinyl, or gum. Most rubber erasers are like kneaded putty and quite soft. They don’t crumble and work by absorbing the color of the graphite from the paper surface. With this type, there is no need to rub; you just press and lift the eraser off the graphite and you’ll need to fold the eraser on itself to expose the cleaner surface to erase with. Plastic/vinyl or gum erasers, on the other hand, work by forming crumbs composing the graphite and eraser bits which are then blown off from the paper.
Efficiency
When purchasing an eraser, you should consider how fast the eraser erases by ensuring that minimal effort is required to produce the best cleaning effect. This in turn determines whether or not there will be paper trauma with regards to roughening up your paper and perhaps tearing holes in them.
An ideal eraser should form residual crumbs that stick together and are easily blown off. You wouldn’t want an eraser that forms lots of powdery crumbs that fill your paper and leave you red in the face trying to blow them all off your paper—or worse still, having the eraser crumbs sticking to your work. Also, erasers that form lots of powdery crumbs are likely to wear down quickly which means you’ll have to be looking for a replacement in no time.
Color
Generally, erasers come in a white or pink color, but there are some that are black and others in bright colors, especially those that come in specialty shapes for kids. Most of them, especially the traditional rectangular-shaped ones, have wraps around them that serve to protect your fingers in case of sensitive skin. They also prevent the eraser from getting too dirty and unsightly due to frequent handling.
Safety
Whatever you do, be sure to check that the eraser you’re going for is phthalate-free. Most brands indicate this on their erasers, but it doesn’t hurt to check to be certain!
There’s no doubt in our minds that you have at your disposal, factors gleaned from our buying guide that’ll help you in your search for that great eraser. Keep your eyes open as you go through our list of top-performing erasers and we promise you’ll see one or more that will fulfil your needs and then some.
Thank you for going through our review. We hope you’ve finally made your choice, and if so, hurry now and place your order right away!
