Your Complete Guide to Bingo Daubers

Bingo Daubers, Explained

Bingo daubers — also called bingo dabbers, dabbers, markers, or ink blotters — are the colorful ink pens players use to mark called numbers on bingo cards. A typical dauber is a sealed plastic bottle topped with a foam tip. When you press the tip on the paper, a clean, bright dot of ink appears over the number, making it easy to spot a winning pattern at a glance and keeping the game moving.

Most modern halls and home games rely on disposable paper bingo sheets, which is why daubers replaced beans, chips, and pencils as the marker of choice. They are fast, neat, and visible from a distance, and the wide range of colors lets every player choose a marker that stands out on the card.

What bingo daubers are used for

The main job of a dauber is marking called numbers on a bingo card. Beyond that, players use them to teach kids early numeracy, to mark off habit-tracker and reading bingo cards, and even for craft projects like dot art and stamping worksheets. If you are new to the game, our guide on what bingo daubers are covers every variant — jumbo, mini, scented, glitter, and more.

Types of bingo dauber ink

Bingo dauber ink is generally water-based, fast-drying, and pigmented for high opacity. You will mainly find three families: standard non-toxic ink, washable ink designed to come out of fabric, and specialty inks like glitter, neon, or scented formulas. If you play with kids or worry about laundry, our washable dauber guide walks through which brands wash out cleanly and which ones stain.

Are bingo daubers safe?

Most major brands — Bingo King, Daub-O-Ink, Dab-O-Ink, MaxMark, and Arrow — sell daubers labeled non-toxic and certified to ASTM D-4236, the standard for art and craft materials in the United States. That makes them safe for everyday use by adults and supervised use by children, but the ink is still a dye and can stain skin, clothing, and porous surfaces. We dig into the testing standards, ingredients, and stain risks in our full safety review on whether bingo daubers are toxic.

Where to buy bingo daubers

You can pick up bingo daubers at Walmart, Dollar Tree, Walgreens, Michaels, party-supply stores, and dedicated bingo retailers like Bingo King and Arrow International. Online, Amazon and the manufacturers' own sites offer the widest selection and bulk packs at the lowest per-unit price. Our where-to-buy guide compares prices, pack sizes, and shipping across the most popular stores.

How to use a bingo dauber properly

Hold the dauber upright, press the foam tip squarely on the number, and lift — do not drag, or the ink will smear and bleed across neighboring squares. Store daubers cap-down between sessions so the foam stays saturated, and keep them away from heat to stop the ink from drying out. For pro tips, troubleshooting a dry dauber, and refilling techniques, see our walkthrough on how to use bingo daubers.

Alternatives to bingo daubers

If a dauber is not the right fit, classic alternatives include translucent bingo chips, magnetic wands with metal-rim chips, dry-erase reusable cards, and digital bingo apps. Each has trade-offs: chips are reusable but slow, magnetic wands are tidy but pricier, and digital apps remove the tactile fun many players love. If you are exploring options, our deep dive on the history of bingo daubers shows how each marker evolved and where daubers still win.