uni-ball One Relaxing Summer Limited Edition Gel Pens (0.38mm): A Delightful Seasonal Palette

Introduction

The uni-ball One Relaxing Summer set is a limited edition, six-color collection of gel pens available in both 0.38mm and 0.5mm tip sizes. Priced at $11.50 in the 0.38mm size from specialty stationery retailers, it offers a soft, playful palette aimed at summertime journaling and doodling.

The shade names are Goldfish Bowl, Puppy, Sheep Cloud, Morning Glory, Cotton Candy, and Kitten. After swatching the full set and comparing it against several earlier uni-ball One collections, this new lineup stands out as a brighter and more vibrant palette than previous releases, which felt like a welcome and much-needed shift.

Who This Set Is For

This set suits journalers, doodlers, and stationery enthusiasts who enjoy soft, dreamy colors rather than bold primaries. The shades are fun and playful, and they genuinely spark joy when used for journaling or doodling. If you like building a color library across seasonal limited editions, this collection slots in neatly alongside earlier sets.

Ink Performance and Writing Feel

In day-to-day use, the ink formulation feels slightly different from older uni-ball One pens, in a positive way. These pens write ever so slightly smoother and juicier than the shades already in many collections, which can feel a touch drier after longer periods of storage. It is worth noting this impression may partly come down to pen age, so it will be interesting to see whether the difference holds after a few months of use.

Color Swatch Notes and Comparisons

The six shades each hold their own against earlier uni-ball One collections, with remarkably little overlap.

• Goldfish Bowl is a vibrant yet muted coral that dances between red and orange. It differs clearly from similar past shades: low quat fruit from the Miyabi set leans more orange and almost peachy, poppy red from the Fika bundle is softer, cooler, and dustier, and cherry puree from the Night Cafe collection is slightly pinker and less vibrant.
• Puppy is a soft yellowish beige reminiscent of a golden retriever’s coat, warm without leaning orange. No earlier shade really matches it, which is refreshing.
• Sheep Cloud is a delicate sky blue that evokes a clear summer sky. It contrasts strongly with nemophila blue from the Fika bundle, which is deeper, dustier, and more muted.
• Morning Glory is a soft periwinkle purple reminiscent of wildflowers. Bellflower from the Miyabi set is lighter, milkier, and slightly bluer, while plum purple from the Fika bundle is a deeper dusty plum.
• Cotton Candy is a warm carnation pink with a slight orange tone, clearly pinker than poppy red or cherry puree.
• Kitten is a soft neutral gray, evoking the calm of sheets drying on a clothesline on a warm day. Mid fuku from the Miyabi line is a warmer gray with a purplish hue.

The one near-overlap is Kitten and sesame gray from the Fika set, which look extremely similar; sesame gray may be just slightly deeper if you look hard enough. That small overlap aside, the collection still feels worth picking up, especially if you were disappointed by earlier sets where multiple shades looked nearly identical.

Things to Consider Before Buying

The biggest annoyance is that the limited edition pens do not have stickers or shade names on the bodies. As your collection grows, it becomes hard to remember which pen is which, so labeling them yourself with a fine marker is a practical workaround.

Also worth knowing: this collection has no green. Given how strongly summer evokes lush grass and leaves, a green would have tied the palette together. If green is essential to you, you may want to pair this set with a separate pen.

Buying Advice

If you already own several uni-ball One sets, this collection earns its place through genuinely distinct shades and a noticeably smooth, juicy writing feel. If you are new to the line, the 0.38mm size is a good choice for precise journaling, though a 0.5mm version exists if you prefer a bolder line.

At $11.50 for six pens, the price is reasonable for a limited edition set, and the palette’s variety means you are unlikely to end up paying for near-duplicates of pens you already own, with sesame gray versus Kitten being the one borderline case.

Conclusion

The uni-ball One Relaxing Summer limited edition set delivers a charming, summery palette of six mostly distinct shades with a slightly smoother writing feel than earlier releases. Missing shade names on the pen bodies and the absence of a green are small blemishes on an otherwise delightful collection, and for fans of soft seasonal colors it is an easy recommendation.