Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Using this for Pictionary at an upcoming family birthday party and bought it together with a 24x18 black framed dry erase board (Quartet, Dry Erase, Magnetic Board for $12 on Amazon). So, for less than $35, I have a great easel and drawing board that is both attractive and practical. Based on mixed reviews, I expected this might be a pain to assemble and not user friendly. But, to the contrary. It's fully pre-assembled except for the base that holds the bottom of your frame/canvas. And, I was bowled over by how well-engineered it is. There are 2 sets of recessed leg extensions in the 3 legs, telescoping style, and each extension is fixed or released by a flip-style lock that is plastic but seems plenty durable. The legs extended and contracted smoothly and I had zero trouble getting them to extend the same distance, because you can extend them in a straight parallel position first and verify by eye, before you splay the tripod. The top vertical bar (to support your frame in back) has a similar extension mechanism, but not telescoping, and a spring-styled clip that can be locked after you secure your item. Attaching the bar and deciding the height to screw it in was the most challenging, but after a couple trials and errors, also perfect. I could see the screws/stoppers stripping if you over-tighten, so take care on that score or have extras on hand. The feet and their adjustable angles are perfect for stabilizing this. With all its good engineering and stability, it's still a light-weight aluminum stand, so it will do better when treated carefully and not knocked around. Overall, there is a ton of adjustment available and easy to accomplish. If you are using the same frame/canvas and just want to adjust height, it's a snap, a matter of a minute or 2 to adjust the 3 legs. If you are swapping to a different canvas, it will be more effort to adjust height and the orientation of the bar, to ensure a good fit for your new piece. But, being versatile is hardly a negative. The ease with which the whole thing collapses and stores in the perfect zipper bag with a shoulder strap is another impressive feature. I expected so much less for $20 and got an incredibly quality piece that serves my current needs and will serve more. I'm a very rare reviewer, takes a lot to impress, so factor that into your appraisal of this item.