Grabie Watercolor Set Reviews, Price & Alternatives: Is This Kit Actually Good?

Key Takeaways

• Grabie watercolor sets suit beginners and hobbyists with vibrant color payoff and easy blending, though the pigments fall short of the purity and lightfastness professional-grade paints require
• The 100-color set with brush typically lists around $49.99, with pocket and 50-color sets costing less and the 168-color set costing more
• Reviewers praise the color range and value but flag muddy mixing at heavy saturation, weaker extras, and missing lightfastness data
• Painters ready to step up from beginner sets can look toward Sakura Koi for portability or Paul Rubens for artist-grade pigment purity
• Tobio's Watercolor Kit provides a complete, portable alternative for beginners who want everything bundled into one box

Picking a first watercolor set can feel overwhelming, especially with dozens of brands promising the same thing: vibrant colors, easy blending, and a beginner-friendly price. Grabie has become one of the more talked-about names in that space, showing up on Amazon bestseller lists and in countless unboxing videos. This piece breaks down what each Grabie set includes, how the pricing stacks up by size, what real reviewers say after using the paints, and where a few alternatives might serve certain painters better.

Is This Beginner Set Worth Buying?

Yes, the Grabie Watercolor Set works well for beginners and hobbyists looking for an affordable way to start painting. Most first-time buyers judge a set by color count alone, since that number is printed right on the box in bold letters. That measure misses the point, though, because two sets with the same number of colors can behave very differently the moment water hits the pan.

Pigment quality reveals itself during layering and glazing, not in the first wet stroke. Grabie's modern pigments blend smoothly and reactivate quickly, which explains why beginners gravitate toward them, but that same ease can turn heavy, saturated mixes muddy after repeated washes. A closer look at how beginner watercolor kits perform once new painters move past their first few pages helps set realistic expectations before spending money. Understanding this tradeoff upfront helps a new painter decide whether artist-grade purity matters yet, or whether a forgiving, easy-to-use set is the smarter starting point.

What's Inside Each Grabie Set

Grabie builds its lineup around a simple idea: give painters more colors and more tools as the set size grows. Each tier targets a slightly different kind of painter, from someone who wants a pocket-sized palette for weekend sketching to a hobbyist who wants a desk-ready studio setup.

Pocket to Premium: Size Options

The lineup spans five main configurations, each suited to a different painting style or setting.

Available in themed palettes like Scenic, Ocean, and Forest, this compact option includes a water brush pen, four premium 140lb (300gsm) watercolor paper sheets, and a swatch sheet, making it a natural pick for travel or plein air sketching.

• 50-Color Set: A mid-range option in Grabie's All-In-One Premium line, including 50 essential watercolors, five detail paint brushes, a medium water brush pen, an art sponge, a waterproof fineliner, and a 140lb watercolor paper pad with a pre-printed swatch sheet.
• 100-Color Set with Brush: One of the most popular listings on Amazon, this set includes three water-brush pens, a 140-lb watercolor paper pad with a swatch sheet, and a waterproof fineliner pen, forming a functional all-in-one starter kit.
• 100-Color All-In-One Premium Set: This version pairs 100 vibrant watercolors with three premium water brush pens, a 140lb watercolor paper pad with a pre-printed swatch sheet, and a waterproof fineliner pen.
• 168-Color Set: The most expansive option, containing 84 regular, 48 metallic, 12 fluorescent, and 24 macaron colors, along with 10 cotton paper coloring books, three water cups, a soft sponge, drawing pencils, a sharpener, and a metal palette.

The pocket sets stay genuinely travel-friendly, while the 100- and 168-color sets run bulkier, closer to something left on a desk than carried around all day. Anyone who wants a set that stays pocket-sized regardless of color count may want to weigh that tradeoff before choosing the largest option.

Grabie Pricing at a Glance

Pricing stays in the budget-to-mid-range category no matter which size a shopper chooses. The 100-color set with brush, one of Grabie's most popular listings, carries a list price of around $49.99, though Amazon prices often dip lower during promotional periods, so checking the current listing before buying pays off.

The pocket sets and the 50-color option generally sit below that 100-color price point, making them a lower-commitment entry for anyone testing the waters before investing further. The 168-color set, with its wider range of metallic, fluorescent, and macaron shades, costs more than the standard 100-color option. Across the board, the pricing pattern is straightforward: more colors and more accessories mean a higher price, with the sweet spot for most beginners landing somewhere between the 50-color and 100-color sets.

What Reviewers Love and Question

Customer feedback on Grabie watercolor sets leans mostly positive, though a handful of recurring complaints show up across reviews. Reading both sides gives a clearer picture of what to expect once the box actually arrives.

Praise for Color and Value

Reviewers frequently point to the vibrant color payoff, the ease of blending, and the sheer number of colors included at an accessible price. The 100-color set with brush draws consistent praise on Amazon for arriving as a complete, ready-to-use kit that doesn't require extra purchases before a first painting session. Many buyers also mention how forgiving the pans feel, since dried paint reactivates easily with just a few drops of water, making the set feel long-lasting even with regular use.

Complaints About Mixing and Lightfastness

The critical feedback clusters around a few consistent points. Some reviewers note colors turning chalky or muddy when mixed heavily, especially in darker, saturated blends. A few of the extra inclusions, such as the sponge and sharpener, are described as less useful in practice than the paint itself. Non-standard color names also make it harder to follow traditional mixing charts that experienced painters often rely on.

On the paint chemistry side, experienced painters point out that the pigments lack the lightfastness and single-pigment purity found in professional-grade watercolors, a detail that matters most for anyone focused on archival or gallery-ready work. A portion of reviews also mention shipping delays and mixed experiences with customer service, worth keeping in mind for anyone ordering close to a deadline or gift date.

When to Consider Other Brands

Grabie earns its reputation as a strong beginner option, but certain painting goals call for a different set. Portability, pigment purity, and archival quality each point toward different alternatives worth knowing about.

Portable Everyday Sketching Picks

Sakura Koi Watercolor Field Sketch Sets come from a long-established name in the watercolor space and use water-soluble pigments that deliver smooth, consistent blending and reliable mixing. That reliability is part of why the line appeals to intermediate painters and art students who sketch frequently. The field sketch sets come in several sizes, including 12, 24, and 48 colors, and each includes a water brush, keeping them portable without giving up paint quality. They do sit at a higher price point than Grabie, which reflects Koi's long track record and consistent results across color batches.

Stepping Up to Artist-Grade Pigment

Paul Rubens Artist Watercolor Paint Sets sit closer to the professional end of the spectrum than Grabie. The current artist-grade line is rated good to excellent for lightfastness and is built mostly on single pigments, which keeps color mixes cleaner during layering. Their sets are noted for deep color saturation and smooth layering, qualities that matter more as technique develops beyond the beginner stage. For painters who have outgrown beginner sets and want paint that behaves more like traditional artist-grade material, Paul Rubens offers that step up at a lower price than many professional brands charge.

For beginners who would rather skip comparing individual supplies altogether, Tobio's Watercolor Kit bundles paint, paper, palette, and brush into one ready-to-use box built around a first-timer's needs, with 12 tube watercolors, a travel water brush, a cotton paper sketchbook, a walnut wood palette, an absorbent wristband, and a guided workbook, all in a compact case designed for painting at home or on the go.

Grabie Suits Beginners, Not Archival Work

Grabie's sets deliver strong color and easy blending at a price that makes sense for beginners and hobbyists, even though the pigments won't satisfy painters chasing archival-quality permanence. The real decision comes down to what matters most to an individual painter: color range, portability, or having every supply sorted before the first brushstroke.

Painters who prioritize color variety and an accessible price point will likely find Grabie's larger sets satisfying for everyday practice. Those who travel often may prefer the compact Koi field sets, while painters ready to focus on technique and lightfastness will get more mileage from Paul Rubens. Whichever direction fits best, starting with a set matched to actual painting habits, rather than the biggest color count available, tends to make the learning curve far more enjoyable. For a straightforward starting point, consider a complete watercolor starter kit that brings paint, paper, and palette together in one box.

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