Choosing a Whiteboard

Looking for the best whiteboard and wondering what dry erase surface to choose? Look for a board that always performs at its best and that lasts the longest.

Whiteboards have come a long way since their initial development in the 1960’s. In their early years, the boards were difficult to clean, especially since dry erase markers had not yet been invented.

Whiteboard material options include melamine, porcelain, glass. You want to make sure your presentations are always free of background staining, when you want cleaning to be easy, and when the lowest overall cost of use is important.

Good

Economical Light-use whiteboards

• Made of melamine, (a type of resin covered paper) or similar material
• Requires cleaning after each use
• Ideal for cubicles, small offices, or occasionally used small conference rooms, & low traffic spaces
• Least expensive and most common
• Susceptible to scratching but easily cleaned of ink markings
• Melamine or plastic whiteboards can come with a non-magnetic surface or with a steel backing that allows it to accept magnets. The primary benefit to melamine is its inexpensive cost, so if you are searching for a dry erase board that is budget-friendly then melamine is the way to go. Melamine is also lightweight, making it easy to mount and a good choice for home office use.

Better

Moderate Use

• Surface resists ghosting and staining.
• Requires occasional cleaning
• Perfect for personal workspaces, conference or training rooms and reception areas.
• Porcelain or ceramic whiteboards are a more expensive option but offer greater durability and resistance to scratches and stains. Like melamine, porcelain boards are easy to write on and often magnetic, but because porcelain is less porous than melamine plastic, the surface of your board won’t succumb to what is commonly known as ‘ghosting’. Ghosting occurs when markers leave stains on your board that cannot be easily wiped off by an eraser. Although porcelain is more durable and easier to clean than melamine, it is also much heavier, so mounting may require multiple people.
Durable Heavy-use Board
• Made of Glass
• Will not stain.
• Ideal for daily use in offices, conference or training rooms, busy work floors and classrooms

Best

Glass whiteboards are the next step up, as they are not porous at all, preventing unwanted ghosting and staining even more effectively than porcelain. Markers erase easily without smudging, so you can count on smooth, long-lasting use. On top of that, glass marker boards are often frameless, creating a truly eye-catching, modern look. Glass whiteboards can also be magnetic, but they can reflect a double image in poor lighting which may make them difficult to read in some instances.