Melissa & Doug Deluxe Standing Easel
by Melissa & Doug
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List Price: Our Price: $33.49 You Save: $46.50 (58%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $32.95 (click here) Category: Toy See more product details |
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Toys and Games Reviews of Melissa & Doug Deluxe Standing Easel
Customer Review: Sturdy & Has All the Little "Perks" to be GREAT
Summary: 5 Stars
We got this for my 3 yr old daughter at a great price for christmas. She loved it. She had a hand-me-down one from her older brother but it was constantly folding up or falling over (it was a wooden one as well). This one is great b/c of all the little features....
*height is adjustable so she's not stretching to reach up but it'll grow
with them as well
*the trays to hold the chalk, eraser and paint are very large and well
positioned
*the clips are nice to just clip some paper onto the paint board
*unlike another reviewer, I think the chalkboard was great. It didn't feel like a normal chalkboard to begin with, but she's only used the chalk that came with the board and it writes and, more importantly, erases great (with no sanding needed).
*again, it is super sturdy and was relatively easy to put together.
The only thing I would recommend is buying washable paints. I purchased the accessory kit to go with this b/c I wanted the no spill paint cups and paper roll, but after reading some reviews about the paint staining things as it's not washable, I just purchased different paint.
It has been a hit and is perfect for her to stand or sit b/c of the adjustable height. I would highly recommend this product-great Melissa & Doug quality once again.
Customer Review: Used every day since last X-Mas -- LOVE IT
Summary: 5 Stars
We gave this to my niece (then 5) last Christmas, and she LOVES it. It has been set up in their kitchen ever since, which is huge because my sister-in-law likes everything to be put away ASAP. My niece writes "good morning" and "goodnight" messages to her siblings and parents every single day without fail -- great writing practice! It is well-made and durable -- all wood, no plastic -- and it stays looking nice. (No signs of wear after 335 days of constant use.) My sister-in-law says that we have now spoiled her for all lesser easels, and that if I hadn't already been her favorite aunt, I would've secured that job title by this gift alone. :-) The only negative is that the non-retail packaging, while better for the environment, was super plain and ugly, not even giving any indication of what was inside (how much would that cost a company? a few cents -- print a black and white line drawing of the product on the big side of the box, for Pete's sake!) -- which meant we had to assemble the whole thing before attempting to wrap it on Christmas morning. Just something to keep in mind if you're thinking of the impact on a child of opening a present and getting.... a big, plain cardboard box! I'd go for the less environmentally friendly but much more kid-friendly retail packaging if I had to do it over again.Customer Review: Deluxe Easel
Summary: 4 Stars
I read through all the reviews of this before purchasing, and ultimately decided to get it because it had the largest writing surfaces of all the kid's easels, and I loved that it was fully adjustable for my growing little ones. I was ready to have to spray paint the chalkboard with chalkboard paint to get it to work...and was pleasantly surprised to find that it worked beautifully on it's own! I love the easel paper that fits on the rolling dispenser too, very convenient.
We haven't tried the dry erase board yet as the paper is draped over that side, so I can't comment on the shadowing problem that some people had with the dry erase markers. The wood legs aren't the sturdiest on their own, but once the whole thing is put together it isn't wobbly at all and is sturdy enough unless someone were to run headlong into it.
While I was assembling, one of the brightly colored nuts actually broke apart...granted I was turning it pretty tightly as I couldn't get it to screw on! I called Melissa and Doug and they were happy to send out a new one. Also helped me with an assembly question I had. So great customer service! Very happy with this company and their easel. It's not perfect and it's a little pricey, but a lot better than those plastic molded things - I think it's worth it!
Customer Review: One of my top 5 favorites
Summary: 5 Stars
I love this toy.
The kids love this toy.
I love the trays and the different height options and its built pretty well. I like the paper holder and the clips it comes with and just generally everything about this.
I do NOT like that when I was putting it together a couple of plastic knobs broke in my hands as I was tightening them. It uses metal bolts covered with plastic. The metal part is still fine and the plastic still covers it enough (I used the broken ones for the paper holder) but I just wish it hadnt broken.
I don't like that I need to buy the supplies and paper and cups and everything all from this same place. I did get the starter set which is really nice but I guess I would like to see a starter kit come with it. Who wants to buy a product and then find out batteries are not included. I had paint and paper that I could make work but the little trays are designed to fit cups that the company makes (which are really nice). I just used some paper cups and my own paint until those came and it worked out fine but the ones they provide are quite a bit nicer. I just would have liked to see an initial supply of everything coming with it. Thats not a downfall to the product... just an annoyance.
Customer Review: Not durable, too easily disassembled
Summary: 2 Stars
Whiteboard stains easily, both from whitebaord markers and from spilled "washable" paints. Chalkboard is thinly applied and disappointing to my kids. This was mostly used for holding roll paper. Clips are fragile and I had at least one break in my hand while trying to clip on paper. I eventually replaced all of them with repurposed trouser hangers. We have since replaced it with an Ikea Mala easel.
My kids loved taking it apart, often while it was in use with a full paint tray, or in use by the other child, so it fell over on the other child. It is too easy to take off the screw knobs, which hold everything together (especially the cross braces that keep the easel from flattening itself out under its own weight), and the roll holder is a simple dowel, which makes an attractive weapon in sibling fights if mom turns her back.
Height is adjustable, but doing so is so inconvenient - it requires complete disassembly of one side of the easel to adjust the tray and board height - that it is not really worth it.
DANGEROUS. My kids got so many bruises and pinches from this easel that we put it away well before we replaced it.
Screw knobs are just small enough to fit in a mouth and block an airway.