Compiled from 6 sources; we haven't tested this product ourselves yet. How we research
Quick answer
The Pilot FriXion Light is an erasable highlighter: rub the line with the pen's rubber end and friction heat turns the ink clear at 60 °C (140 °F), leaving no crumbs. Pilot Japan lists the SFL-10SL at 139.4 mm (5.5 in) long and 9.8 g, with a 3.3 mm line. Erased marks can return near −10 °C (14 °F).
On this page9 sections
The FriXion Light at 139.4 mm, drawn at 1 mm = 5 px (clip and rubber by eye).
Product facts
Product
Pilot FriXion Light erasable highlighter (SFL-10SL; US pastel 5-pack item 46543)
$under $5 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count)
Ink colors
Yellow
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Notes on these facts
Made by Pilot Corporation (Japan); sold in the US by Pilot Corporation of America. Country of manufacture not stated: Pilot's Japanese catalogue page and the US Amazon listing don't state a country of manufacture. Some US and European retailers list Japan, but we didn't read a reliable page that says so, so check the pack. Price: example listing.
Colors: names per Pilot Japan, checked October 24, 2026. Pilot Japan's SFL-10SL lineup, with names transliterated from the katakana: six fluorescent colors, six soft colors (ソフト) and six Natural colors (ナチュラルカラー: red, coral pink, pale orange, light green, sky blue and gray), which aren't fluorescent. Tints were sampled from Pilot Japan's product photos. Tints are representative, not measured. Shops stock different colors.
Price bands are typical US retail, checked October 2026. Conversions to US dollars are approximate, at October 2026 rates (US$1 = ¥158 = ₩1,330 = NT$32.5 = CN¥6.7 = SEK 9.9 = DKK 6.7 = ₺49.6 = C$1.41 = A$1.43 = CZK 21.7; €1 = US$1.12; £1 = US$1.32; CHF 1 = US$1.21).
Key takeaways
Pilot Japan lists the FriXion Light SFL-10SL at 12.6 × 139.4 mm (0.5 × 5.5 in) and 9.8 g, with a 3.3 mm maximum line width.
Pilot says the ink turns colourless above 60 °C (140 °F), and erased marks may return at around −10 °C (14 °F).
A single pen is ¥132 (about US$0.80) with tax in Japan; barrel and cap are recycled resin.
The US pastel 5-pack (Pilot item 46543) had 4.4 stars from 20,847 Amazon ratings and ranked #20 in Liquid Highlighters on October 22, 2026.
Pilot's Natural colors, six muted shades, aren't fluorescent, so Pilot calls them line markers rather than highlighters.
What is the Pilot FriXion Light?
It’s the highlighter version of Pilot’s erasable FriXion pens: its ink turns clear when you rub it, so a wrong line disappears instead of staying on the page. Pilot launched FriXion pens in Europe in 2006 and Japan in 2007, as our Pilot history explains; the Light uses the same heat-sensitive ink idea in fluorescent and muted colors.
On Amazon US, the pastel 5-pack ranked #20 in Liquid Highlighters on October 22, 2026, with 4.4 stars from 20,847 ratings. It was also in the top 30 of the overall highlighter list.
Pilot FriXion Light specs
Spec
Value
Model
SFL-10SL (Pilot Japan); US pastel 5-pack item 46543
Size
12.6 mm max diameter × 139.4 mm (0.5 × 5.5 in)
Weight
9.8 g
Line
Chisel tip, up to 3.3 mm wide
Type
Cap type; single-use per MonotaRO (no refill listed)
Ink
FriXion ink: clear above 60 °C (140 °F); may return around −10 °C (14 °F)
Barrel and cap
Recycled resin
Price in Japan
¥132 (about US$0.80) with tax
Price band
$ (under $5 per pen in US packs)
Made in
Not stated by Pilot
All sizes, weights and temperatures are from Pilot’s Japanese catalogue; MonotaRO adds that the pen carries Japan’s Eco Mark. The yellow pen’s JAN barcode is 4902505375057.
The pen and its line to scale, and the two temperatures that matter.
How does the FriXion Light erase?
Friction from the rubber tip heats the ink past 60 °C, where Pilot says it becomes colourless. Nothing is scraped off the paper, so unlike an eraser there are no crumbs, and Pilot says less of a trace is left than when you erase pencil.
The catch is temperature. Pilot warns that below about −10 °C erased marks may come back, and that above 60 °C everything written with the ink can vanish. Don’t use it on certificates, addresses or anything that has to stay legible.
What colors does the FriXion Light come in?
Fluorescent colors, Soft colors and six Natural colors. Pilot Japan lists the Natural set as red, coral pink, pale orange, light green, sky blue and grey, and notes that these aren’t fluorescent, so it calls them line markers.
Japanese sets come in 3 and 6 colors, for example the 6-color SFL-60SL-6C. In the US, Pilot Corporation of America sells packs such as the 5-color pastel set (46543); colors and pack names vary by market.
FriXion Light vs Mildliner and Sharpie Tank: which should you choose?
Choose the FriXion Light if you change your mind often, the Mildliner for muted colors with a fine second tip, and the Sharpie Tank for bright, cheap bulk highlighting.
Pilot doesn’t state it on the pages we read. Pilot Corporation is based in Tokyo, and the US packs are sold by Pilot Corporation of America.
Some retailers list Japan as the origin, but we couldn’t confirm that on a page we trust, so check the pack.
Frequently asked questions
How do you erase a FriXion highlighter?
Let the line dry, then rub it firmly with the rubber tip on the pen's end. The friction heats the ink past 60 °C, where Pilot says it turns colourless, so nothing needs brushing away.
Why did my erased FriXion highlighting come back?
Cold. Pilot says erased marks may reappear at around −10 °C (14 °F), for example in a car or a freezer. Warming the page, or rubbing again, clears them.
Can heat erase a whole page of FriXion highlighting?
Yes, by accident. Pilot warns that the ink turns colourless above 60 °C, so keep pages away from hot cars, laminators and irons, and don't use it on anything that must stay legible.
Do FriXion Light highlighters bleed?
They're felt-tip highlighters with a wet ink line, so test thin pages first. We haven't measured bleed-through yet; it's in our hands-on plan.
Are FriXion Light Natural colors highlighters?
Pilot sells them as line markers rather than highlighters, because the six Natural shades (red, coral pink, pale orange, light green, sky blue and grey) aren't fluorescent.
Is the FriXion highlighter refillable?
No. MonotaRO lists it as a single-use pen, and Pilot Japan's catalogue page lists no refill for it.
Is the FriXion Light made in Japan?
Pilot doesn't say in the sources we read. Pilot is a Tokyo company, and the US packs come from Pilot Corporation of America.
What colors does the Pilot FriXion Light come in?
Pilot Japan lists 18: six fluorescent colors (yellow, pink, green, orange, blue and violet), six soft versions of the same, and six non-fluorescent Natural colors such as coral pink, sky blue and gray.
