Best One Color Coloring Books: An Honest Comparison by Someone Who Makes One

Caroline C. Eskew · Founder, Mono Moment
Tests every pen, paper and design she recommends — most evenings around 10:30pm.
Published October 6, 2026 · 10 min read

TL;DR. The best one color coloring books differ on six things: paper weight, binding, how large the shapes are, how the fill zones are marked, how many designs you get for the price, and where they ship. If you want the most designs on 160gsm paper with a spiral, look at our own One Color Coloring Book (65+ designs). If you want single-sided pages in a smaller format, Still&Slow is the better fit. If budget matters most, the Amazon paperbacks from Figgy Designs and Coloring Lane cost much less, with less information about the paper.

Last checked: October 2026. Prices, page counts and shipping terms below are what each product page displayed on the day I looked. They change, so confirm on the page before you buy.

One thing first. I'm the founder of Mono Moment, and we make one of the books in this comparison. So weigh my view accordingly. I've tried to earn your trust in the only way I can: every fact about another brand comes from that brand's own product page, and where a page doesn't state something I've written "not stated" instead of guessing. Every book here, ours included, gets one honest limitation.

What a one color coloring book is

A one color coloring book is an adult coloring book designed to be completed with a single pen. The artwork is bold black line art, and the book shows you which areas to fill, usually with small dots, marks or a light pattern. You fill those areas in one color, most often black, and leave the rest white. The picture appears through contrast.

You'll see the same format called a monochrome coloring book, a single color coloring book or, in the UK and Australia, a one colour colouring book. They are the same thing. I've written a longer explainer on what monochrome coloring is if you want the background, and a guide to monochromatic coloring books that covers the idea of working in tints and shades of one hue.

How I compared them

I compared each book on eight criteria, in this order of importance for the way these books are used.

1. Paper weight and bleed-through. One color coloring puts a lot of ink on the page. A stated weight in gsm tells you more than any adjective. I also noted whether pages are printed on one side or both.
2. Binding. A spiral lets the book lie flat. A glued paperback spine needs holding open.
3. Size of the shapes. Large shapes are quicker and kinder to tired eyes. I can only report what a listing says about this, since I haven't held every book.
4. How the fill zones are indicated. Dots, marks, a pattern, or nothing.
5. Number of designs.
6. Price per design. The displayed price divided by the stated number of designs.
7. Pens. Whether any are included, and what the maker recommends.
8. Shipping. Which regions the page says it serves.

I didn't use ratings or review counts. They move daily and they say little about paper.

One color coloring books compared

A note on the Amazon prices: I checked from Europe, and Amazon.com showed me the price converted to euros. A shopper in the US will see a dollar figure. Both our page and the Still&Slow page showed a higher crossed-out price next to the selling price. I've listed only what you would pay.

Not sure this format is for you? Start with how to choose an adult coloring book.

The books, one by one

One Color Coloring Book, Original Edition (Mono Moment)

Best for: the most designs on thick paper, and anyone starting out. This is ours. The One Color Coloring Book lists 65+ designs on 160gsm paper with a spiral binding, at $24.90 on the day I checked, with free worldwide shipping. That works out at about $0.38 per design, the lowest of the spiral-bound books here. The designs are bold shapes with small marked zones showing what to fill. We also make a New Chapter Edition with 50+ designs for people who have finished the first book.

Honest limitation: the pages are printed on both sides. Our page states no bleed-through on this paper, but you can't remove a finished page without losing the design on its back. Pens aren't included, and our product page doesn't state the page size, so I've held us to the same "not stated" rule as everyone else.

Cats and Dogs Special Editions (Mono Moment)

Best for: pet lovers. The Cats Special Edition and Dogs Special Edition use the same paper, spiral and marked zones, with 50+ animal illustrations each. Both were listed at $24.90 and described as a limited first print run. All four books sit in our one color coloring books collection.

Honest limitation: you get fewer designs than the Original Edition for the same price, about $0.50 per design, and a single subject. If you aren't devoted to cats or dogs, the Original Edition is better value. The double-sided printing applies here too.

One Color Coloring Book, Original Edition (Still&Slow)

Best for: single-sided pages and a book that travels. Still&Slow's Original Edition lists 35+ scenes on 160gsm paper, printed on one side, spiral bound, in a 10 x 7 inch format the brand describes as travel-sized. Tiny dots show where to color. It was $24.90 on the day I checked. Single-sided printing is a real advantage: nothing can show through onto another drawing, and you can take a page out to frame. The brand also has the widest range of themes I found, with seasonal and subject editions such as Animal, Ocean and Flowers. The Animal Edition page I opened listed the same specifications.

Honest limitation: with 35+ designs per book the price per design is about $0.71, the highest of the 160gsm spiral books, and the page says shipping is free on eligible orders without defining them on the product page.

Mindfulness: Monochrome Coloring Book for Adults (Lay it Flat)

Best for: US buyers who want a spiral binding and a full letter-size page. Lay it Flat's Mindfulness title lists 30 pages at 8.5 x 11 inches, the largest page of the spiral-bound books here, at $31.67. The page describes a range from bold, minimal designs to more intricate line work, which may suit you if you find the simplest books too quick. Shipping was listed as $4.99 standard, free over $59.99.

Honest limitation: the page doesn't state a paper weight or whether pages are single-sided, it ships within the United States only, and it is made to order, so allow extra time. At about $1.06 per page before shipping it is the most expensive book in this comparison.

Monochrome Coloring Book, Botanicals (Figgy Designs)

Best for: trying the format cheaply. Figgy Designs' Botanicals book is an Amazon paperback, 8.5 x 11 inches, 79 pages. The publisher's own site lists 36 illustrations. Areas to fill are printed with a simple pattern, and the listing suggests a black marker or any bold single-color pen. It was EUR 8.91 when I looked, about EUR 0.25 per illustration. It belongs to a series of four, so there is more if you like it.

Honest limitation: the listing states no paper weight and doesn't say whether pages are printed on one side. It is sold as a paperback, so don't expect it to lie flat the way a spiral does. I'd put a spare sheet behind each page and test my pen first.

Monochrome Woodland Papercut Style Coloring Book (Coloring Lane)

Best for: the tightest budget and a different look. Coloring Lane's Woodland book takes another approach: forest scenes and animals printed as bold black silhouettes, in the style of papercut art, with open areas left for you. The listing states 65+ pages in a square 8.5 x 8.5 inch paperback, 134 pages in total, at EUR 9.80 when I checked. That is about EUR 0.15 per design, the lowest here. Coloring Lane's website also says the sets are available there as free digital downloads, which is the cheapest way to test whether you enjoy the style.

Honest limitation: much of the black is already printed, so there is less to fill and the experience is closer to adding your own color to a finished print. Paper weight, single or double-sided printing and a recommended pen are not stated.

Which one to choose, by situation

• You're a beginner. Choose a book that marks the fill zones clearly and states its paper weight. Our Original Edition and Still&Slow's both do. Ours has more designs. Theirs has single-sided pages.
• It's a gift. A spiral binding and stated 160gsm paper make a book feel like an object worth wrapping. That points to Mono Moment or Still&Slow. Add a pen, since none of these books include one.
• Your eyes tire easily. Look for large shapes and a large page. Lay it Flat and Figgy Designs both use a full 8.5 x 11 inch page. Check the sample pages on any listing and avoid ones with many small sections.
• You love your cat or dog. Our Cats and Dogs Special Editions are the only single-subject pet books I found among the spiral-bound brands. Still&Slow has an Animal Edition with a wider mix.
• You're in the UK or the EU. Mono Moment and Still&Slow both state worldwide shipping. Lay it Flat's page says United States only. The Amazon paperbacks depend on your local Amazon store, which I didn't check country by country. Customs or taxes on imported orders aren't covered on the product pages I read, so ask before ordering.
• You have the tightest budget. Start with Coloring Lane's free downloads or one of the two Amazon paperbacks. If you find you color most evenings, a thicker spiral-bound book is worth the upgrade then.

What to check before buying any of them

Whichever book you lean toward, these checks take two minutes and prevent most disappointments.

Find the paper weight in numbers. "Thick" and "premium" aren't measurements. 160gsm is the figure the two dedicated brands state. If no weight is given, assume ordinary paperback paper and plan to use a blotter sheet.

Check single or double-sided. Single-sided is safer for wet pens and lets you remove pages. Double-sided gives you more drawings per sheet and relies on the paper being heavy enough.

Look at a sample page, not the cover. You want to see how large the shapes are and how the fill zones are marked. If the marks are hard to see in the photo, they will be hard to see in the evening.

Divide the price by the number of designs. It's the fairest way to compare a $10 paperback with a $25 spiral book, as long as you also account for paper and binding.

Read the shipping line for your country. "Worldwide" and "free on eligible orders" are both worth a second look at checkout.

Decide on the pen. None of the books above come with one. A broad water-based brush tip suits this format best. We sell a set of 3 dual-tip brush pens in black in our coloring pens collection, and Still&Slow sells black markers of its own. Any good black brush pen will do, and my guide to the best pens for adult coloring books compares the main types.

What I left out, and why

Amazon and Etsy list a large number of self-published monochrome titles and printable sets, with new ones appearing every month. I included only books whose pages I could open and whose basic facts were stated there. I left out one Amazon title because it showed as unavailable on the day I checked, and I left out several well-known adult coloring brands because I couldn't find a one color book in their ranges. If I've missed a book that belongs here, I'd be glad to add it at the next update.

My honest summary

If you asked me as a colorist and not as a founder, I'd say this. The format matters more than the brand. Any book with bold shapes, clear fill marks and paper that holds ink will give you the quiet twenty minutes you're looking for. The dedicated brands, ours and Still&Slow, tell you the most about what you're buying. The Amazon paperbacks cost the least and tell you the least. Pick the trade-off that suits you, buy one book, and use one pen.

Ready to try this tonight?

The One Color Coloring Book

65+ bold designs, one single color, zero decisions — on 160 gsm paper with a lay-flat spiral, engineered for the wind-down ritual described above.

★★★★★4.7 · 234 reviews · free worldwide shipping

Get the book, $24.90 →

Pair it with the 3 Dual Tip Brush Pens — $5 instead of $9.95 in the Book + Pens bundle.

Free worldwide shipping · Ready to ship in 24h

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