BIC PrevaGuard Media Clic #2 Mechanical Pencil, Medium Point (0.7mm), 12-Count, Smooth Writing, Contains Built-In Protection on the Pencil

This pencils work good. They good to keeps germs at bay. Good product.

They’re like any other mechanical pencil but they’re so chic! My son love them. They’re stylish and durable!

This is a rather basic mechanical pencil. It is light-weight and doesn't feel as substantial as most of my other mechanical pencils + the clip feels cheap, but the tapered round barrel is a good size and feels comfortable in my hand. The 0.7 mm tip is supposed to be a medium tip, but I think it provides quite a fine line; the lead does write smoothly. There is a good sized eraser. The price seems okay for a pencil designed to be used for a short time and then discarded...As far as the Prevaguard feature, during this pandemic, of course everyone is concerned about microbes. But this feature really seems to be more of a marketing ploy than anything else -- what is the nature or efficacy of the presumed antimicrobial protection? It protects the pencil but not the user? If the presence of potentially harmful microbes are reduced on the writing instrument, wouldn't it then follow that chance of transmission to a new user (host) would then be lessened providing at least some level of indirect protection? Since there is no way to judge or rate the antimicrobial claims, I just ignored them for the sake of this review.

I generally try to keep cheap pencils and pens all over the house so that one is available whenever or wherever I need it. These fit that bill. I put them in my woodworking workshop for marking layouts.The 0.7mm lead is a good thickness and the lead writes smoothly. The eraser works well when needed.I consider cheap pens and pencils to be disposable. The lead can be replaced from the tip, but I rarely try to do that. Easier to just get another pencil!I wasn't aware that BIC pens and pencils had a problem with mold growing on them until I saw that there have an additive to protect them from mold growth. I have some old Sears Craftsman screwdrivers whose handles grow mold so I know there is a potential problem. What I object to with these is that the description is written as if the additive is to protect the user! I think that is misleading and a gimmick to take advantage of Covid fears!All in all, they do what I expected them to do

The listing says "includes three 0.7 mm #2 graphite leads." This is not true. There is only one, the one that is preloaded in each pencil. In fact, there is no way that I can discern to even take the pencil apart to replace the lead, even if extras were included. This makes it an environmental waste. It doesn't last close to as long as a regular #2 pencil, then you throw away a hulk of plastic. Cheaper and more environmentally friendly to just buy regular wooden pencils. As for the antibacterial coating, that's all well and good, until you read the fine print on the side of the box: "This product does not protect user or others from disease causing bacteria, viruses, or germs." Antibacterial coating with a huge caveat, I suppose.