Melissa and Doug Deluxe Standing Easel Reviews

• Great Product, Great Price!

  
  By A1CFQKYX2UYGJT on 2005-05-27
  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.
  
  

• Great easel; not so great chalkboard

  
  By AP0LDGQBRBZN0 on 2006-08-04
  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.
  
  

• Form and Function

  
  By A3GD48ZSFDDBPE on 2005-06-08
  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+.
  
  

• Your Child Will Need A Power Sander To Use The Chalk Board!!!!!

  
  By A2B9LI0HT9URQN on 2007-04-27
  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!!!
  
  

• Perfect easel for perfect price!

  
  By AOYNG5FEU4CIR on 2005-11-03
  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!
  
  
• great buy
  By A2M6HEZ2NIKGUO on 2005-09-14
  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.
  
  
• Product shipped with parts missing
  By A1EHYK5YRKK2HV on 2005-09-28
  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.
  
  
• Poor Quality... yes the price is OK
  By A1QTHVA826XEOS on 2007-07-06
  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.
  
  
• Nice Easel - but Amazon Shipping is Too Expensive
  By A5ZUCLRHA3VEY on 2005-12-29
  We bought this for our five year old, and it has made art projects much more enjoyable for him. Melissa & Doug make a variety of very traditional children's products and their easel is perfect. It wasn't too hard to put it together (30 minutes), it is sturdy and has nice features. The ability to use a paper roll (paper not included) and to easily tear off pictures is very nice. The one complaint we have is that Amazon charges over twenty dollars for standard shipping. If you take a few minutes to look around on line, you can find the same easel and have it shipped for about a third the cost. In summary, the easel is worth every penney, but you should try to avoid over paying on the shipping.
  
  
• Perfect
  By A1JC7IEB0KJ0X on 2006-07-09
  I bought this item for my 3 year old daughter and had the same problem with the chalkboard (not working so well). I call the 800 number on the back of the box and the people in customer service sent me a new chalkboard. I was amazed at how helpful they were and the desire they had to make me happy. I will buy Melissa and Doug toys for years to come.
  
  
  
• M and D Will Replace Defective Chalkboard for Free
  By A5QOHK368FO0G on 2006-11-15
  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.
  
  
• kids love to takke apart
  By A1P2D1AIGBVRV4 on 2005-11-13
  My kids who are 3 and 1 1/2 years old love this product; however, they love to unscrew the colorful screws that hold it together even more. I now have to try to size and buy new screws at a hardware store to keep it together. It is a great product for development of large motor skills which will lead to the development of fine motor skills necessary for writing. My suggestion is to either buy a different product or know that it will need to be closely supervised.
  
  
• Chalk board stinks
  By A1MFIRRVVS55GS on 2006-06-20
  After priming the board as the instructions indicated...it is still useless. The chalk actually cuts into the chalkboard so now, my daughter who loved chalk and drawing can't use that side of the easel. I wouldn't recommend this for anyone if they are looking for a product that does what it is supposed to do. I wonder if the makers even tried to use it...why would someone make a product that doesn't work and then expect people to buy it...very disappointing.
  
  
• Chalkboard is horrible and pieces come off easily
  By AM5R8VVYLCUK9 on 2006-11-22
  My 2 1/2 yr old son actually loves this product but he loves to take it apart as well. We tighten the little colored pegs and a few weeks later he's taking them off again. So far he's brought me pretty much everything that can come off including bolts with small washers. Thank goodness he's past the stage of sticking everything in his mouth. Also like everyone else we've had the same problem with the chalk board scratching just from writing on it with chalk. I've always liked the Melissa and Doug products we've purchased but I wouldn't reccomend this easel at all.
  
  
• Great for 3+ Years old
  By AFJHCWF178G3G on 2006-04-10
  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.
  
  
• Easy to build & use, and parents need to pay attention!!
  By A1NVKAL8J7V81I on 2005-12-07
  I have no negatives on this product - like most I found it to be sturdy, useful, convenient.
  
  My point in writing this: please note in the slightly negative reviews nelow, the only negative is the small parts that children like to take apart, even though their children were below the stated recommended age for the product (their children were ages of 1 1/2. etc.)
  
  Please allow me to clarify my only point for this review: READ RECOMMENDED AGES FOR EVERYTHING YOU BUY FOR YOUR KIDS, UNLESS YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT THEM. For this, it is even repeated at least twice for you in case you missed it.
  
  Manufacturer's age: 4 years and up
  Our recommended age: 4 - 10 years
  
  Thank you for paying more attention to these recommendations in the future. Your kids will appreciate not having to go to the hospital as often as they otherwise will due to your lack of attention.
  
  
• Excellent design, poor manufacturing
  By A19BTA52UFEXK6 on 2007-02-11
  This art easel is a great design. My three girls love it. However, I perhaps got a lemon.
  
  1. The chalkboard just "doesn't work." As another reviewer mentioned, I think it needs a coat of chalkboard paint. I don't think I should have to go out and buy chalkboard paint, though. I'd hoped it would work out of the box...
  
  2. The chalkboard and dry erase board on our unit overlap the easel legs on one side by about 1/2 inch. This created a problem wherein the red side pieces would not fit properly because they must clear the chalkboard / dry erase board in order to be properly attached.
  
  3. This morning, the hinged wooden pieces gave way where the hinge screws go in to the wood. The easel was just standing there, minding its own business, when it collapsed and the screws went flying.
  
  4. The holes where the bottom leg sections attach to the top hinged leg sections do not line up properly. Our unit ended up assembled with the bolts going through at an angle as a result.
  
  I would not tell anyone to not purchase this product... but I would recommend checking it over for manufacturing defects once you get it.
  
  Hopefully, the one we got was just a lemon. I cannot imagine that the Melissa and Doug crew would look at this particular unit and say "everything's fine... ship it."
  
  
• chalkboard not functional
  By A2U67I0VL2L6UN on 2006-06-13
  not sure why the chalkboard does not work and this high quality "melissa & doug" brand. a couple of other feedbacks note the same problem. my daughter loves to draw with chalk so we are really bummed that only half of the easel is useful. we primed it just as the instructions state but no luck there.
  
  
• Melissa & Doug
  By A5X0KF0CY8C4N on 2006-06-08
  Great concept..Awesome bright colors. I too had a problem with the chalkboard. I prepped the chalkboard exactly as the directions instructed and now it has a chip in the board and the chalk actually does cut into the board like another consumer wrote,there are lots of scratches all over the board. Unfortunately they don't make chalkboards like they used to. I called Melissa & Doug, because they need to be aware of this issue. M&D really do try to please you and they stand behind the quality of their products. They have great customer service and they are sending me out a new chalkboard.All is not lost on this easeal. My favorite feature on this easel is that it can be adjusted to 2 different heights at once. The chalkboard can be at the tallest height, while the dry erase can be set at the lowest height, especially helpful if you have 2 children of different ages/heights using it at the same time. We love the paint and chalk trays. The paper roll is awesome and the easel is really sturdy.I wish I could have scored this higher, but the chalkboard issue just can't be ignored.
  
  
• This easel is making me crazy!
  By A14DMADXYHLLLC on 2007-10-25
  I love Melissa and Doug stuff, so choosing this particular easel was a no-brainer. But it has a major flaw in my opinion. It is held together with screws that have bright-colored, easily turnabe little tops on them. So, my very inquisitive three-year-old son is constantly taking it apart. He takes the green ones out, and the tray that holds the paint falls. He takes the yellow ones off and the red ones off, and the thing literally collapses! I am so tired of coming into the kitchen and finding it half assembled! And it makes me mad at him. But frankly, the way it's made, it's just begging for little hands to turn those bright colored plastic tops! Boo, Melissa and Doug!
  
  
• I LOVE melissa and doug products!!!
  By A8MMR4U8YLYQD on 2007-03-18
  I bought this for my son who is a little over 2 years old. From the moment we put it together (which took a bit of time but no problems!) he has used it every day! This is such a good deal for it being an easel/ dry erase board/ chalkboard and there is not one thing I could think of to improve it! I would suggest buying the melissa and doug no spill paint cups because in the tray they fit in the holes perfectly! Another great one from Melissa and Doug.....
  
  
• chalkboard
  By A1PJY54Z57T5O3 on 2006-03-16
  i love the easel. but does anybody else have the same problem i have? the chalkboard isn't very good. everytime my little boy tries to write on the chalkboard it doesn't show up very well. i primed it like the directions said but it doesn't matter. the chalk still doesn't show up very well. it is very frustrating...any suggestions?
  
  
• perfect easel!
  By AHWSW85Y91S7A on 2007-02-18
  this colorful easel is perfect for my son. he uses it almost every day. the only thing i would change would be to make the dry-erase part magnetic. when my son was only 24 months, he took apart his first easel, by undoing the nuts and bolts. he is 2.5 now and is trying to take this one apart, but he can't! he loves it and i love it!
  
  
• BUYER BEWARE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DANGEROUS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  By A2JRTIGNDP8YTA on 2007-07-27
  where do I start?
  1- bought christams 2006 , garbage man picked it up christmas 2007.
  2- wooden leg broke.
  3- pegs that hold unit together fall out all the time making unit unsafe.
  4- red wood cross link is not stable and ALWAYS falls out ( my son was crawling under the unit as it came crashing down on him) for REAL.
  5- the chalkboard when you write on it with chalk , the chalk DOES not translate to the board . I tried ALL kinds of chalk to no avail. the CHALBOARD IS USELESS.... I tried to sandpaper it and it DID NOT WORK.
  6 - DO NOT BUY THIS IT IS DANGEROUS> I dont want to SAY I TOLD YOU SO !!!!!
  
  
• My 4 year old daughter loves it!
  By AGFQLNELL2QAY on 2007-11-18
  We bought this last Christmas for my four year old daughter. She is very tall for her age (about the size of a typical 6 year old) but this art easel is just the right size for her and still has some room to grow. Plenty of space to hold her paints, crayons, dry erase markers, and chalk supplies. Very colorful and sturdy. She loves it and still spends hours painting and coloring on it! One of the few gifts she still uses on close to a day to day basis!
  
  
• The chalkboard gets permantly scratchy
  By A1KWNL23DV09RD on 2007-04-03
  I love the set up, it's very easy to assemble and it looks cute. I love the height adjustment, my daughter just turned 2 and can use it easily. She absolutely loves it. But, I am not to fond of the chalkboard b/c it gets so scratched up. You can actually still see the faces her grandmother was making the second day she had it. On the instructions it tells you that you must and how to prep the chalkboard before using it, which I did. I can't imagine what it would look like if I didn't prep it. Eventually I think I am going to get some chalkboard paint and do it over, b/c it always looks messy. If any one has any other suggestions to fix it please email me.
  
  
• Great but not so easy to fold away
  By AW6GEQEOIFPDQ on 2007-04-05
  This is a great product. My daughter (2.5) loves it. I had read bad reviews concerning the chalkboard, but found out that it works just fine when you use good chalks. The Melissa & Dough chalks are too hard and their colors too dark. When you use normal street chalks, the board is great! One concern, once the trays are in place, the easel doesn't really fold that flat...
  
  
• Love it!
  By A3FS6NKXQZPRFA on 2007-05-09
  This easel is an amazing value for the price. It's well put together, adorable, and just perfect for art time with your kids. My 6, 5 and 2 year old love it! We plan on using it for years to come. This product is perfect!
  
  
• She loved it!
  By A3386MZH0L30OR on 2007-08-23
  This was a gift for our 3 year old granddaughter who loves to paint and color. Right after she opened the gift her daddy had to put it up so she could use it. While she paints and draws on one side, her 1 1/2 year old brother 'draws' with chalk on the other. This is a great gift!
  
  
• Not very durable
  By A30NC54APNTDSC on 2007-09-21
  Looks nice, but my kids enjoy unscrewing the colorful knobs, which are needed to keep this standing. I've replaced most of the knobs with nuts & lockwashers & tightened so that they can no longer remove. This makes cleaning the paint tray difficult. Also, the swing bars could be helpful if you were going to collapse this all the time & lean up against a wall. We don't need to do this. The kids like to lift the bars & walk between the panels. But lifting the bar makes it unstable & it can fall on the children. Lastly, we had cracks in the wood along some of the screw holes & eventually returned it.
  
  In conclusion, it LOOKS nice, but isn't durable or safe enough for our household.
  
  
  

• Replacement Easel Paper Roll 18"
• Melissa & Doug Deluxe Easel Companion Set
• Paint Cups - Set of 4

• Melissa & Doug Deluxe Easel Companion Set
• Easel Paper Roll
• Melissa & Doug Deluxe Easel Paper (3 pack bundle)
• Replacement Easel Paper Roll 18"
• Melissa & Doug Easel Pad (17"X20")