Which whiteboard do I need? Sizes, magnetic boards and kids’ boards explained

A small whiteboard is one of those things that quietly earns its place: the week’s meals on the fridge, a to-do list by the desk, spelling practice in a child’s room. The choice is not complicated, but there are three things worth getting right before you buy – the size, whether the surface is magnetic, and what you will clean it with. Here is a plain guide.

Which size?

Whiteboards in this range run from 20 x 30 cm up to 35 x 50 cm, and the right one depends on where it will live.

• 20 x 30 cm – roughly A4. Fits a fridge door, a locker or the side of a filing cabinet. Enough for a shopping list or a week of dinners.
• 25 x 35 cm – a little more room for a child’s drawings or a short task list without crowding.
• 30 x 40 cm – about A3. The sweet spot for a home desk or a kitchen wall: a full week planner with space to spare.
• 35 x 50 cm – the largest here. Good for a family planner where several people add notes, or for a child who likes to draw big.

Measure the space first. A board that is too big for its wall ends up propped on a shelf, and a board that is too small gets abandoned when the list runs off the edge.

Magnetic or not?

“Magnetic” means the dry-wipe surface sits over a thin steel layer, so magnets stick to it. That matters more than it sounds. A magnetic board holds the eraser on its face, pins a school letter or a recipe card without tape, and keeps a marker clipped where it belongs. The kids’ double-sided whiteboard in this range has a magnetic front, and the magnetic erasers are made to stay put on it.

Double-sided kids’ boards

A children’s board is a different product from an office one. The double-sided board here has the smooth magnetic dry-wipe surface on the front and a printed picture chart on the back – animals on the green-framed boards (20 x 30 and 25 x 35 cm) and the alphabet on the blue-framed boards (30 x 40 and 35 x 50 cm). Turn it over and it is a learning chart; turn it back and it is a drawing board. For younger children the smaller green boards sit comfortably on a lap or a low table; the blue ones suit a desk or a wall at child height.

Erasers: the part people forget

A whiteboard without an eraser gets wiped with a sleeve, and a sleeve leaves a grey film that builds up week by week. The erasers in this range are EVA foam blocks with a soft felt pad, about 10.7 x 5.5 cm, with a magnet in the back so they live on the board. They come as a single eraser (colour picked at random) or in packs of 2, 3 or 4 – two or three of one colour, or an assorted pack of four. If several people share a board, a pack means nobody walks off with the only one.

Looking after a dry-wipe surface

• Use dry-wipe markers only. A permanent marker on a whiteboard leaves a ghost that ordinary wiping will not shift.
• Wipe within a day or two. Ink left for weeks dries harder and needs more effort to remove.
• Clean the eraser. A felt pad full of old ink spreads grey across the board. Tap it out or rinse and dry it now and then.
• Keep it off the floor in a child’s room. A board that gets stepped on cracks at the frame.

Clipboards are a different job

If what you actually need is somewhere to write on paper – a checklist on a site visit, a sign-in sheet, homework at the kitchen table – a clipboard is the better buy, and this range has A4 foldable clipboard folders in packs of 3 and cartoon clipboards with a ruler edge in packs of 4. The clipboard and folder guide covers how to choose between them.

What to buy

• Kids’ double-sided whiteboard – magnetic dry-wipe front, picture chart on the back, 20 x 30 to 35 x 50 cm
• Magnetic whiteboard erasers, packs of 2, 3 or 4 – felt pad, sticks to the board
• Single magnetic eraser – one spare, colour picked at random
• Browse the full whiteboards and clipboards range

Frequently asked questions

Will any magnet stick to it? Yes, on the magnetic-fronted boards. Ordinary fridge magnets and the magnetic erasers both hold.

Can I use a permanent marker if I am careful? Better not. It leaves a shadow that dry wiping will not remove.

What size is best for a fridge? 20 x 30 cm fits most fridge doors with room for the handle. Go to 25 x 35 cm only if the door is clear.

Is the kids’ board safe to lean on? It is a rigid board with a plastic frame, fine on a lap or a table. It is not designed to be stood on.