Compasses

Need to draw neat circles? No? You might be in the wrong place, then. We can’t be much help with finding North. Your phone probably has a compass app, which is more useful for that. But it’s not very good at drawing circles on paper.

But drawing circles? We can help with that. Most compasses are probably just as you imagine them - two legs, with an adjustment between them so you can set the size of the circle. Some hold a piece of lead at the end, while some hold a pen or pencil to do the drawing - many can do either. Beyond that, your choice probably comes down to how many circles you draw - if it’s just an occasional thing, you probably don’t want to spend much, and basic features will be fine. If you draw quite a few circles, perhaps as part of your art, craft or just doodling for fun, you might want something a bit more reliable and solid.

There are a few oddities below, too, with different ways of drawing circles - make sure something can do the sizes you need, but some of these can be quicker and easier if they do, or maybe more pocketable or just more decorative.