By The ARTnews Recommends Editors
Oh, the places you’ll go, and the places you’ve been. Show off your travels or plan a future excursion with a set of brand-new map pins. Not that you need to limit yourself to maps: Available in a wide range of colors, head styles, and lengths, map pins can also be used to hang pictures or secure items to bulletin boards. (Ever seen those corkboards on true crime shows? Yeah. Map pins can help with that.) The best ones should leave little trace if removed. Whether it’s for studio needs, detective work, or plotting a road trip, our picks below will help you find the best map pins for your creative needs. Magnetic Push Pin
Have a large, complex project and need pins that really pop? For the largest selection of colors, choose this pack of 500 pins, which come in 10 contrasting hues. Packed in a clear plastic container with a compartment for each color, these durable steel needlepoint pins are 0.6 inch in length, and their rounded plastic heads come in two sizes: 1/5 inch and 1/8 inch. Pick the best size for your project and get pinnin’ with these sturdy and sharp tools.
Want to label your map? This pack of 300 sturdy stainless steel pins have plastic flag-shaped ends in seven bright colors. The flag heads are small—just 0.7 inches wide—but there’s still room on there for small notes or symbols. At 1.38 inches long, these pins are a bit longer than standard map pins. That extra length allows them to extend farther from the pinned surface or be staggered in height.
Now these are cute. This highly decorative pin’s bold-red, bulb-shaped wooden head is reminiscent of the icon used by a very famous map app. The pin tip itself is short—it makes up less than half the overall length—and the product comes in just a 40-pack, but there’s no doubt you’ll put these very attractive pins to good use. They’re lightweight, dimensional, and of the moment. Could this be the world’s most approachable map pin? Only one way to find out.
If you hate creating holes—no matter how large—boy, do we have the map pin for you. Those with material to set up on a whiteboard or other magnetic surface (here’s looking at you, teachers!) should claim this very paper-friendly option. These 0.4-inch-long magnetic “pins” come in red, blue, green, and white in a 40-count pack. Just note that in close quarters, these little magnets do what magnets are made to do: either attract or repel one another. They’re best used when nicely spaced out.
Completists, come one and all: Now you can own a set of map pins corresponding to every U.N.-recognized country in the world. The glossy plastic heads depict state flags in all their boldly colored glory, and the makers have thoughtfully included a directory sheet in case you have trouble telling Belgium from Germany. It’s a gift that doubles as a time capsule, given that flags and nations will no doubt change over time. Now, for the downside: You get 194 pins, and therefore just one flag for each country. If you’re seeking a handful of pins to retrace your rumspringa in Suriname, you’ll need to buy multiple sets.
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