EASEL REVIEW
Deluxe Standing Art Easel
Melissa & Doug
Expansive work space; some quality issues.
MSRP: $79.99​
Mfr. Recommended Age: 3 Years+
Total score: 79 points
Assembly: Good (70 points)
Artistic potential: Excellent (83 points)
Quality: Average (53 points)
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THE SCOOP
The Fun​
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Large work spaces
The Frustration
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Chalk doesn't show well
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Quality concerns
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No magnetized surface
Overview
The Deluxe has a large work space so little artists can flex their creative muscle. The paper dowel and dry erase board work fairly well, but chalk doesn't take well to the chalkboard and colors end up looking washed out and faint. Does not include a magnetized surface. The easel presents some quality issues, including splintering wood and paint rubbing off the leg braces.
Assembly
Score: Excellent
Time
1 hour+.
Ease
The Deluxe easel comes with fairly good step-by-step instructions, though our reviewer found a couple places where a lack of clarity resulted in setup taking a little longer than it would have otherwise. Some of the holes in the chalkboard were not punched all the way through.
Artistic Potential
Score: Excellent
Features
The Deluxe easel has a chalkboard, a dry erase board, and a paper dowel. Unlike the other easels we reviewed, it does not include a magnetized surface.
How well it works
The Deluxe easel has a generous amount of workspace. The large chalkboard and dry erase board are second in size only to the Tri-Side, allowing little artists a large canvas on which to unleash their creativity.
Chalk did not take well on the Deluxe chalkboard. As you can see in the picture below, the markings are relatively faint and it's difficult to distinguish between colors. On the flip side, these relatively faint markings were easier to erase than the bolder colors of some of the other chalkboards. The dry erase markings were also a bit faint, though the vibrancy difference between the Deluxe and the other easels was far less noticeable than it was for the chalkboard.
The Deluxe includes a dowel, which is located about halfway down the easel between the chalkboard and the dry erase board. Paper feeds up and over the top of the easel. It can then be attached at the bottom with clasps. This system holds paper very securely in place.
Quality
Score: Average
Accessories
The Deluxe doesn't come with any accessories.
Components
The quality of the Deluxe isn't great. The wood splinters in places. Many of the bolts were banged up upon arrival. The red paint from the leg braces comes off fairly easily, as you can see in the picture of the red-stained wood below.
The Deluxe is height adjustable.
