35 of the best adult colouring books for 2023!

Colouring in isn't just for kids. It's been proven to help soothe the mind and destress people of all ages. The act of colouring in can be both meditative and therapeutic hence why we're huge fans of it here at Gathered.

So to help you feel more relaxed, we've rounded up the best adult colouring books on the market! Treat yourself or a loved one to one of these adult colouring books and start feeling more relaxed. We've also rounded up the best pens for adult colouring so you can buy the full package and start colouring straight away.

To get you started on your colouring journey, check out these free colouring sheets and these free cats colouring papers. Before you begin, you might also want to take a look at our best colouring pencils guide. And make sure you have a good daylight craft lamp to illuminate your sofa or workstation!

Best adult colouring books to buy

1. Amna Mogul's colouring books for adults

Best for: Mindful colouring

Amna Mogul's adult colouring books include 50 unique handmade designs for you to get creative with.

2. Millie Marotta's beautiful birds adult colouring book

Best for: Nature lovers

Millie Marotta's beautiful birds and treetop treasures will make a fab birthday or Christmas gift. Colouring books for adults have never been so beautiful!

• Buy now from Etsy (£4.99)

3. Papeterie Bleu's colouring books for adults

Best for: Calming colouring

The best adult colouring books have both images and quotes which is why we love Papeterie Bleu's mindful mandala book.

4. Anna Vavrova's poetry colouring books for adults

Best for: Those wanting a more dynamic colouring experience

After experiencing the end of a relationship, Anna created 13 poems alongside her illustrations in order to express her emotions. She's collected these adult colouring pages and popped them into a book that will take you on a journey of love, loss and heartbreak.

• Buy now from Etsy (£7.00)

5. Jade Summer's inspirational colouring books for adults

Best for: Growing confidence

Jade Summer's adult mindfulness colouring books radiate good vibes and positivity. Pick up her book and colour yourself happy.

6. Curly Mango Gifts Personalised Baking colouring books for adults

Best for: Gifting to a friend

Curly Mango Gifts make the best adult colouring books to give as gifts because they're personalised! Simply type your name in when you order and your name will be printed on every page among all the sweet treats.

• Buy it now from Etsy (£10.99)

Looking for gift inspiration? Take a look at the best sewing gifts and the best llama gifts.

7. Johanna Basford's colouring books for adults

Best for: Those wanting detailed colouring in

Johanna Basford is the queen of adult colouring books and has published over 10 collections. This whimsical World of Flowers edition will have you feeling relaxed in no time.

8. Ellie Marks' haiku colouring books for adults

Best for: Those wanting printable colouring pages

Ellie Marks has paired her gorgeous floral illustrations with 26 short haiku poems - one for each letter of the alphabet. Her colouring books for adults are just stunning!

• Buy it now from Etsy (£9.01)

9. Sabbuu Editions botanical colouring books for adults

Best for: Adults

Sabbuu Editions have brought out a beautiful botanical adult colouring book. There's 50 illustrations inside just waiting for you to start colouring them.

10. Cocodro's waves and mountains

Best for: Colouring on the go

Cocodro's 15 page adult colouring book is great because it fits into a handy envelope making it an ideal birthday gift.

• Buy it now from Etsy (£9.64)

11. GillianCrossArt's songbird colouring book for adults

Best for: Quick colouring

Adult mindfulness colouring books don't get more relaxing than GillianCrossArt's songbird collection. Her adult colouring pages are available for instant download.

• Buy it now from Etsy (£7.20)

12. Animal colouring book for adults

Best for: Value for money

Relax with colours using Colour Therapy's adult colouring book. This detailed animal collection will have you feeling very satisfied when you've completed it.

13. Posh Pink Pretty adult colouring pages

Best for: Anxiety relief

This African American colouring book is 14 pages of adult colouring pages for black women. It's designed to relax and destress you. Plus you'll be supporting a small business by purchasing!

• Buy it now from Etsy (£9.52)

14. Jade Summer's intricate

Best for: Detailed designs

Jade Summer's Intricate Patterns adult colouring book has loads of detailed designs which help you focus, relax, and improve your colouring skills.

15. Josephine Dellow's adult colouring book

Best for: Adults and children

Josephine Dellow's gorgeous Etsy shop sells everything from tote bags to adult mindfulness colouring books. We love this house and shops collection.

• Buy it now from Etsy (£6)

16. Ruth Shanley's Autumn Adult Colouring Book

Best for: Autumn crafting

Embrace Fall with Ruth Shanley's Autumnal adult colouring book. There's everything from amazing acorns to pretty pumpkins.

17. L.J.Knight's Geometric Patterns adult colouring Book

Best for: Repeating patterns

L.J Knight's new adult colouring book for adults includes 50 original pattern designs to soothe the mind.

18. De-ann Black's adult colouring book

Best for: Affordable colouring

Scottish author and artist De-ann Black has created 14 of the best adult colouring we've ever seen and this one is rooted in her Scottish heritage. Whether you're a Scot or not you're going to love this book.

19. Laura Bronte's quirky adult colouring book

Best for: Unique illustrations

Laura Bronte is a super talented illustrator who now has her own adult colouring book. Filled with quirky designs, this colouring book is affordable and pocket-sized.

• Buy it now from Etsy (£4)

20. SevsInks adult colouring pages

Best for: Printing your own colouring

If a whole colouring book feels a bit too much then why not try a colouring page? SevsInks has beautiful individual adult colouring pages that you can print at home.

• Buy it now from Etsy (£1.83)

21. Quarantine adult colouring book

Best for: gifting to a stressed pal!

LavishbyTalia's adult colouring book is a nod to quarantine/lockdown and will give you a good laugh as you colour.

• Buy now from Etsy (£20.81)

22. Creative Coloring's goldfish colouring book for adults

Best for: Fish fans

Adult mindfulness colouring books don't always have to feature positive quotes and mandalas. Featuring 31 gorgeous fish designs, Creative Colouring has channelled the fish's peaceful energy into their colouring book for adults.

23. MightyKaciArt's Color Me Curvy adult colouring book

Best for: Body positivity

Celebrate all bodies with Mighty Kaci Art's plus-sized colouring book. Featuring 24 beautiful women, this adult colouring book is as empowering as it is calming.

• Buy it now from Etsy (£7.02)

24. Under the Sea adult colouring pages

Best for: Families

Imperium By Alanna's adult colouring pages will have you exploring all different types of sea creatures.

• Buy it now from Etsy (£3.53)

25. Paperland's adult colouring book

Best for: Funny colouring

Can you name a better combination? Paperland's funny and adorable colouring book for adults includes all your favourite cocktail and coffee recipes alongside some very cute dogs!

• Buy it now from Etsy (£17.19)

26. Beatrix Potter adult colouring book

Best for: Nostalgic colouring

This lovely Beatrix Potter adult colouring book is a great one for nostalgia. There is also a Wizard of Oz and Roald Dhal adult colouring book too.

27. Angelea Van Dam's Winter adult colouring book

Best for: Festive colouring in

Start feeling Christmassy with Angelea Van Dam's festive adult colouring book. There's everything from enchanting snowy scenes to woolly mittens and hats for you to get creative with.

• Buy it now from Hobbycraft (£5.99)

28. Moomin adult colouring book

Best for: Childhood colouring in

Throw back to the magical work of Moomin's with this gorgeous adult colouring book. The best adult colouring books are always a little big nostalgic right?

29. Siobhan Ferguson London's colouring book

Best for: Scenic colouring

If you're a fan of Britain's capital then pick up this gorgeous colouring book for adults. Each scene was photographed by Siobhan Ferguson and then drawn by Lucy Hester so you can colour in the sites.

30. Arteza doodle adult colouring book

Best for: Artistic illustrations

Arteza has a huge range of adult colouring books and this edition includes 72 unique and complex doodle designs.

31. Soul Coats mindful adult colouring book

Best for: Reflective colouring

Rohadi's Soul Coats contains scenes and verses from the entire Bible including the garden of Eden. This adult colouring book also comes with a free reflection guide so you can work on yourself and your mind.

• Buy it now from Etsy (£13.19)

32. Hipster adult colouring book

Best for: Modern colouring pages

Plants, cameras, glasses and more are all featured in Kaisercraft's hipster adult colouring book.

33. Igloo Books' adult colouring book

Best for: Positive colouring

Igloo Books have created a lovely adult colouring book which is full of positive, cheery and wonderful quotes and illustrations.

34. Marjory Tait's Celtic

Best for: Traditional colouring in

Marjory Tait has created two 40 page adult colouring books inspired by Scottish folklore. From wild deer to Celtic queens, these colouring books will have you feeling relaxed in no time.

• Buy it now from Etsy (£18)

35. Molly Suzanne's botanical adult colouring book

Best for: Botanical colouring

We love adult mindfulness colouring books that include flowers and this one not only includes flowers but it's also educational! Molly's book includes 30 pages of healing plants, along with tips and information on each page.

• Buy it now from Etsy (£25)

Best pens for adult colouring

Now that you've found all the best colouring books for adults, it's time to pick up some pens! Here are our recommendations for the best pens for adult colouring.

Dual tip brush pens

Dual tip pens are a good all-rounder since they can be used for both bigger sections and smaller sections of your design. This set has a 1-2mm brush tip and a 0.4mm fine tip meaning they're still a little too delicate for tiny hands but for adults they're perfect.

Fine Liners pens

Fine liners are great for colouring in intricate designs thanks to their thin, precise nibs. These pens aren't suitable for kids as the nibs can be fragile and too much pressure can cause them to snap. For adult colouring though they're great! This pack by Jansroad comes with 24 colours and are made from acid-free ink with a 0.3mm nib.

Watercolour brush pens

Watercolour pens are a great purchase for anyone wanting to add a more natural feel to their colouring. You can achieve a beautiful gradient effect with watercolour pens without the hassle of messy paints. Simply pour some water into the premade brush, insert the coloured pen you want and get creative.

We hope you've enjoyed our best pens for adult colouring and adult mindfulness colouring books round up! For more fun projects check out our craft subscription box round-up and our five minutes crafts!