Customer Reviews

Melissa & Doug Deluxe Standing Easel

5 star:		(445)
4 star:		(121)
3 star:		(44)
2 star:		(25)
1 star:		(16)

 

 

This easel is a great buy! Very sturdy and high quality as most of mellisa and doug products. Colorful, kid friendly and easy to put together. Both the writing boards and the trays are adjustable for the height of your child. It folds up easy, but stands strong. This easel DOES have a place for a paper roll!! I did not think it did by the amazon description (I almost bought a more expensive one for the paper roll but decided to go with this and am so glad I did) ... the roll goes in the center between the boards and the paper comes up through the top and under a paper guide in front of the dry erase side. I can't image why you would spend more on another brand of easel, this one has everything I could think of wanting and is simple, solid wood, looks good and is super functional. This is the first review I have written, but wanted to pass on how happy I am with this product.

I bought this easel as part of the classroom I set up for my preschooler. I love the adjustable size, durability and ease of use. My only complaint was the chalkboard. Though I followed the priming instructions diligently, I found that even the good chalk scratched the board and did not write well. Melissa and Doug did reply immediately to my concern and were willing to do whatever necessary to correct the problem. On a whim, I decided to try some chalkboard paint instead. It now writes beautifully, and I love the black chalkboard, rather than the green it came as. It is perfect.

This easel works very well and is easy to put together, but is also much better looking than others I have seen for a comparable price. We gave this to my daughter at 20 months (younger than the suggested age) and she loved it right away. However, even at the lowest setting she can't draw to the top, which frustrated her unless she stood on a step stool -- guess that's why it's better for age 3+.

This is a nice looking easel, and is definitely sturdy, and it is definitely sturdy. It is so sturdy that an adult will not be able to even make a line on it. I wrote Melissa and Doug to ask what to do about the fact that the chalk board cannot be written on. I received a reply stating that the chalk board needed to be sanded, or primed before your child uses it, so I took it into my shop and first applied the recommended primer to remove that high gloss waxy finish. Well that didn't work, so then I tried a light sanding. Still did not work. Being a little on the obsessive compulsive side, I decided to step up my effort and use a power sander. After all this effort my two year old daughter still can only make a couple of light lines, gets frustrated and quits. As an adult male, weighing 170 lbs I find that I need to use allot of elbow grease to make a few lines on the chalk board. Now my daughter tries to draw on the walls. Very disappointing experience. Go out and get yourselves a vintage easel. Back in the old days you were able to actually write on a chalk board. Not like this mass produced " Made in China " junk of today!!!

Like many others, I was dismayed to find that the chalkboard scratches very easily. I bought mine in 11/06, and had hoped that the problem had been corrected. I called Melissa and Doug's customer service. They know there are problem chalkboards out there and offered to ship me a new chalkboard free of charge. It arrived and works great. Also, I was surprised to see that the wood on the easel was unfinished and had several red and green marks on it from shipping. We sanded the wood down and put a clear coat of polyurethene (sp?) on it and now paint/markers, etc clean off of it easily and it looks gorgeous. We love this easel! I originally gave this 3 stars, but that was before the new chalkboard arrived. I'd give this product 4 stars now.

My mom bought this for my little girl for her 2nd birthday.(they had it in our local Toys R Us store, although it now says it is only available online) It was not my first choice, but I am super glad we decided to go with this one! Although bought for the 2 year old, my 9 year old and her friends all love it too! SO, I guess you will get your money's worth! Assembly was not too bad, and the product is very sturdy! I am very very happy with this purchase! Not to mention, the price was wonderful compared to other similar items!

We were so excited when our order was delivered. My husband immediately layed out all the pieces (be prepared, there are many small screws, pins,)and began to build the easle. Much to our disappointment (and my husbands frustration, it was missing pieces, several! This is a quality control problem. I was a little shocked at just how much assembly is required of this item.

As for the easle itself, its strong, colorful, and perfect for a young child to creatively express themself. I especially liked the part of the easle that you can put a roll of paper through it so that the child can continue to draw just by pulling down the roll.

I bought this for my 18-month-old, and she took to it immediately. I had wanted something for finger painting, but the chalkboard is the biggest hit. It was very easy to assemble; it's sturdy; and it's cheaper than the other large easels I looked at. The lowest setting is just the right height for her. Highly recommended.

Update: the easel still has a place of honor in our living room, and is still in great shape. I disassembled it for a move, and it was easy to put back together. I haven't changed the height yet, but it's about time. It's definitely worth it to purchase the rolls of paper; it remains a real hit in our house.

My daughter received this for her third birthday. She loves it. I would have to agree with another insert that the chalkboard does not work so well. The dry erase, however is wonderful! I cannot wait to get the paper so that she can start painting next!

I would recommend this to three and above. There are some small pieces and the height could pose an issue for smaller children. But overall, GREAT Product!

Only downfall, is the they do not provide even a few sheets of paper to get you started and chalk/eraser etc.

Many reviews have noted "Great for the price!" but Ikea has one for thirteen dollars less and the same/better quality (although lacking the other tray) so my review will not be based on "Great for the price." The chalkboard had a HUGE gash on it straight out of the box. The way the box was packaged and intact it had to have happened before it was shipped.. somewhere on the assembly line. After reading many reviews prior to purchase I thought I might as well just buy the chalkboard paint and fix the gash myself. For anyone doing this themselves the chalkboard paint was kind of a fiasco from my experience since it came out all uneven (waited... sanded... sprayed again... ugh) .. but you may be a better spray-painter than I. Nevertheless my two star rating will not be based on my painting fiasco. Rather, it is based on the quality. Many places the cheap wood is badly cracked and came that way out of the box (mostly where the pre-drilled holes are). Some wood became cracked when the screws were tightened (believe me.. I didn't tighten that much). Just for reference, I can put a scratch in the wood with my fingernail. When you fold it up to store the product the red wood pieces on the side of the easel dig into the natural wood causing it to chip off.

Does my child love it? Yes YES YES!!!
Will it last more than a month or two? No.
My opinion: If you live near an Ikea you may want to check out theirs. At least if theirs breaks you won't feel as bad for the price.

Side note: The bundled easel paper Amazon is marketing with this easel is not the right width for this easel. My child is a bit older and is more controlled and careful with his art.. a younger child may end up painting all over the easel making clean up more of a chore.