--- title: "Pilot Juice+: Pilot's Cheaper Synergy Tip Gel Pen" canonical: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/pilot-juice-plus/" description: "Pilot Juice+ (Juice Plus) explained: a 0.4 mm Synergy Tip gel pen for students, 142 mm and 9.8 g, 8 colors, LP3RF refills, and how it differs from Juice Up." category: "Pens" type: "Gel pen" published: 2026-10-22 updated: 2026-10-24 author: "Ellis Penhale" publisher: "Stationery Times" sources: 6 products: - name: "Pilot Juice+ 0.4 mm gel pen" brand: "Pilot" brand_origin: "Japan" made_in: "Not stated" material: "Resin barrel and clip with rubber; metal Synergy Tip; water-based pigment gel ink" released: "2025-12-24" price_band: "$ (under $5 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count), typical US retail, October 2026)" manufacturer: "Pilot Corporation (Japan)" model: "LJL-14" mpn: "LJL-14-B" gtin: "4902505688966" url: "https://webcatalog.pilot.co.jp/products/DispDetail.do?volumeName=00004&itemID=t000100005622" --- # Pilot Juice+: Pilot's Cheaper Synergy Tip Gel Pen > The Pilot Juice+ (Juice Plus, LJL-14) is a 0.4 mm retractable gel pen that Pilot launched in Japan on December 24, 2025. It puts the Juice Up's Synergy Tip and LP3RF refill in a lighter, plainer white body at a lower price: ¥165 (about US$1.00) instead of ¥275 (about US$1.70). It is 142 mm long and weighs 9.8 g. - URL: https://stationerytimes.com/guides/pilot-juice-plus/ - Category: Pens - Author: Ellis Penhale - Published: 2026-10-22 - Updated: 2026-10-24 ![White Pilot Juice+ 0.4 mm gel pen drawn to scale at 142 mm, with an inset of the Synergy Tip](https://stationerytimes.com/images/raster/pilot-juice-plus-16x9.png) *The Juice+ in black ink, 142 mm long (drawn at 1 mm = 5 px).* Original drawing (SVG): . Drawings © 2026 Stationery Times, reusable with credit under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). ## Product facts | Product | Brand | Brand origin | Made in | Material | Released | Price range (typical US retail, October 2026) | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Pilot Juice+ 0.4 mm gel pen | Pilot (by Pilot Corporation (Japan)) | Japan | Not stated | Resin barrel and clip with rubber; metal Synergy Tip; water-based pigment gel ink | 2025-12-24 | $: under $5 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count) | - Made in (Pilot Juice+ 0.4 mm gel pen): Not stated. Pilot's Japanese press release and web catalog for the Juice+ don't state a country of manufacture. ### Pilot Juice+ 0.4 mm gel pen colors - Ink colors (8 standard, 0 special edition): Black; Red; Blue; Orange; Sakura; Mint; Nemophila; Lavender. - Per Pilot Japan (https://webcatalog.pilot.co.jp/products/DispDetail.do?volumeName=00004&itemID=t000100005622), checked 2026-10-24. Names transliterated from Pilot Japan's LJL-14 lineup: ブラック, レッド, ブルー, オレンジ, サクラ, ミント, ネモフィラ and ラベンダー. Tints were sampled from the knock, which shows the ink color, in Pilot Japan's product photos. Shops stock different colors; check the listing. ## Key takeaways - Pilot launched the Juice+ in Japan on December 24, 2025, at ¥165 (about US$1.00) including tax. - It comes only in 0.4 mm, which Pilot says writes a 0.2 mm line, in 8 colors: black, red, blue, orange, sakura, mint, nemophila and lavender. - Pilot lists it at 142 mm (5.6 in) long, 10.5 mm across and 9.8 g, against 11.6 g for the Juice Up 04. - It takes the same LP3RF12S4 refill as the Juice Up, which Pilot labels for both pens. - Japanese stationery-shop staff voted it the ballpoint winner of the Bungu-ya-san Taishō 2026. ## What is the Pilot Juice+ (Juice Plus)? **The Juice+ is Pilot's budget Synergy Tip gel pen: the fine point of the Juice Up in a simpler, lighter body for students.** Pilot launched it in Japan on December 24, 2025, at ¥165 (about US$1.00), and pitched it with the slogan "イイコト、プラス" (add something good). Pilot's launch release says a survey of students found that writing feel ranked first when they buy a pen and that most wanted a pen in the 100-yen range, so the Juice+ aims at both. It is a distinct model, LJL-14, not a new color of the [Pilot Juice Up](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/pilot-juice-up/). Japanese stationery-shop staff named it the ballpoint winner of the [Bungu-ya-san Taishō 2026](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/bungu-ya-san-taisho-2026-winners/) awards. ## Pilot Juice+ specs | Spec | Value | |---|---| | Maker | Pilot Corporation, Japan | | Model | LJL-14 (black: LJL-14-B) | | Type | Retractable gel pen, water-based pigment gel ink | | Ball / line | 0.4 mm ball, 0.2 mm line | | Length × diameter | 142 mm × 10.5 mm (5.6 × 0.4 in) | | Weight | 9.8 g | | Refill | LP3RF12S4 (shared with the Juice Up) | | Colors | 8 | | Japanese list price | ¥165 (about US$1.00) | Figures are from Pilot's November 18, 2025 release and its web catalog page for the black pen. ## What is the Synergy Tip? **A tip that combines a thin pipe point for fine writing with the strength of a cone tip.** Pilot says the back of the pipe is thicker, which strengthens the point and widens the ink path, so a 0.4 mm ball starts writing quickly and doesn't skip. Pilot first used the Synergy Tip on the Juice Up in 2016. The Juice+ is, in Pilot's words, a Synergy Tip pen at a price students can more easily buy. ## How is the Juice+ different from the Juice Up? **Same tip and refill, different body and price: the Juice+ is lighter, plainer and cheaper, with fewer colors and one size.** ![Pilot Juice+ and Juice Up 04 drawn to scale: 142 mm and 142.8 mm long, 9.8 g and 11.6 g](https://stationerytimes.com/images/pilot-juice-plus-vs-juice-up.svg) *Nearly the same length; the Juice+ is 1.8 g lighter.* | | Juice+ | Juice Up 04 | [Pilot Juice](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/pilot-juice/) | |---|---|---|---| | Model | LJL-14 | LJP-20S4 | LJU-10EF (0.5 mm) | | Tip | Synergy Tip | Synergy Tip | Cone | | Sizes | 0.4 mm | 0.3, 0.4, 0.5 mm | 0.38 to 1.0 mm | | Weight | 9.8 g | 11.6 g | 9.9 g (0.5 mm) | | Refill | LP3RF12S4 | LP3RF12S4 | LP2RF-8EF | | Japanese list price | ¥165 (about US$1.00) | ¥275 (about US$1.70) | ¥132 (about US$0.80) | Juice Up and Juice figures come from their guides and Pilot's catalog. Which to buy? Choose the Juice+ if you write in black or a few colors at 0.4 mm and want the lightest, cheapest Synergy Tip pen. Choose the Juice Up for 0.3 or 0.5 mm, pastel and metallic inks for dark paper, or a wider color range. Choose the original Juice for bold 0.7 and 1.0 mm lines. Because the Juice+ and Juice Up share a refill, any LP3RF12S4 color you like can go into either body. ## What colors and sets are there? **Eight colors: black, red, blue and orange, plus four new flower and plant shades, sakura, mint, nemophila and lavender.** The body is white, with a frosted clear clip and a knock that shows the ink color. Pilot also sells an 8-color set at ¥1,320 (about US$8.40) and launched a limited 3-color set at ¥495 (about US$3.10) with a green body and a clip plate designed by Ayano Shibayama. ## Can you buy the Juice+ in the US? **Only as an import: Pilot doesn't sell it in its US range.** In October 2026 we found Japan-import 8-color sets on Amazon.com, and the refills are the same LP3RF type JetPens stocks for the Juice Up. For a fine gel pen sold in US stores, the [Pilot G2](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/pilot-g2/) 0.38 mm is the easy alternative; our [best gel pens](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/best-gel-pens/) compares more. ## Where is the Pilot Juice+ made? **Pilot doesn't state it in the release or catalog pages we read.** We list the country as not stated until we can check a package. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is the Pilot Juice+ the same as the Juice Up? No. They share the Synergy Tip and LP3RF refill, but the Juice+ (LJL-14) has its own white body, weighs 9.8 g against 11.6 g, comes only in 0.4 mm and 8 colors, and lists at ¥165 (about US$1.00) against ¥275 (about US$1.70) for the Juice Up 04. ### What does the plus in Juice+ mean? Pilot's slogan is "イイコト、プラス" (add something good): it pitches the pen as adding comfort and value to students' days. ### What refill does the Juice+ use? The LP3RF12S4 in 0.4 mm, which Pilot's catalog labels as the refill for both the Juice Up and the Juice+. It lists at ¥132 (about US$0.80) in Japan. ### What colors does the Pilot Juice+ come in? Eight: black, red, blue and orange, plus four new flower and plant colors, sakura, mint, nemophila and lavender. Pilot also sells an 8-color set. ### Is the Pilot Juice+ sold in America? As an import. Pilot doesn't sell it under its US range; we found Japan-import 8-color sets on Amazon.com in October 2026. ### Is the Juice+ good for left-handed writers? Pilot doesn't make a quick-dry claim for it. A fine 0.4 mm line puts down less ink than a bold one, but we haven't smear-tested it yet. ## Sources - [Pilot Japan press release: ゲルインキボールペン『Juice+（ジュース プラス）』発売 (November 18, 2025; on sale December 24, 2025; 142 mm, 10.5 mm, 8 colors, sets; read October 22, 2026)](https://www.pilot.co.jp/press_release/2025/11/18/content_18.html) - [Pilot Japan web catalog: LJL-14-B Juice＋ (JAN, ¥165, 0.4 mm ball, 0.2 mm line, 9.8 g, pigment gel; read October 22, 2026)](https://webcatalog.pilot.co.jp/products/DispDetail.do?volumeName=00004&itemID=t000100005622) - [Pilot Japan web catalog: LP3RF12S4-L ゲルインキ ジュースアップ、ジュースプラス専用替芯 0.4 (refill for both pens)](https://webcatalog.pilot.co.jp/products/DispDetail.do?volumeName=00004&itemID=t000100002729) - [Pilot Japan web catalog: LJP-20S4-B ジュースアップ 04 (11.6 g, ¥275)](https://webcatalog.pilot.co.jp/products/DispDetail.do?volumeName=00004&itemID=t000100000942) - [Amazon.com: Pilot Juice Plus 0.4 mm 8-color set LJL-14-8C (Japan import)](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FYNM3H1S) - [The Gentleman Stationer: the Juice Up, the Juice Plus and Pilot's Synergy Tip (April 18, 2026)](https://www.gentlemanstationer.com/blog/2026/4/18/pen-review-the-juice-up-the-juice-plus-and-pilots-synergy-tip)