10 Best Art Easels for Painting in 2024

For artists working with large canvases, making sure you pick one of the best art easels out there can significantly enhance your work.

Whether you’re a newbie to the art world or have artwork hanging in galleries, you’ll find using the best art easel can take you far.

Creating spectacular artwork is often a messy process, and unlike tables, easels offer artists the freedom to make a mess. And for those building a workspace, looking at the best art desks can also enhance your creative process immensely.

 

 

Best Easels for Paintings Compared

What is the best art easel for artists? The US Art Supply Medium Wooden H-Frame is our top pick overall. That said, we’ve also listed some alternatives that may be more suitable for your art needs.

 

Top 10 Best Art Easels for Paintings 

1. US Art Supply Medium Wooden H-Frame (Editor’s Choice)

The best art easel overall

Weight: 9.73 Pounds | Height: 6 feet | Color: Tan | Material: Wood | Features: Storage tray | Portability: No

For a sturdy and adjustable painting solution, the US Art Supply Medium Wooden H-Frame is the best art easel overall. With three knobs to secure and adjust the easel angle, this h-frame easel works well for heavier artwork.

Despite the more portable options out there, this easel is one of the more popular choices.

It also has a reasonable price point and an appealing design. This makes the US Art Supply Medium Wooden H-Frame an excellent choice for any art studio.

With multiple height choices and a trigger lock height system, it’s easy to use regardless of canvas size. This one has both a top and bottom handle for canvases ensuring your artwork is fastened to the frame of your easel.

Pros	Cons
➕ Good Price Point	➖ Not very portable
➕ Excellent build quality and height adjustability
➕ Comes with a storage tray for brushes or paints

 

Latest Price on Amazon:

 

2. T-Sign 66″ Reinforced Artist Easel Stand

Best lightweight and portable art easel

Weight: 2 lbs | Height: 66 inches | Material: Aluminum | Features: Carry bag | Portability: Yes

When it comes to an affordable easel that is portable, the T-sign 66” is an impressive easel to work with. One of the most popular options currently available, this easel comes at a low price but also has a lightweight design-build.

With its aluminum build, The T-sign is an art easel you can carry with you while not burning a hole in your pocket. It’s worth mentioning that the easel is quite adjustable, making it suitable for tabletop, floor level, and regular positions. Capable of being adjusted on uneven grounds as well, the T-sign is the best art easel when it comes to affordability.

Pros	Cons
➕ Outstanding price	➖ The legs are slightly flimsy
➕Lightweight build
➕ Capable of staying level on uneven ground

 

Latest Price on Amazon:

 

 

3. U.S. Art Supply Large Wooden H-Frame Studio Easel

Best studio art easel for storage space

Weight: 15.52 lbs | Max Canvas height: 36 inches | Material: Wood | Features: Storage drawer, paintbrush holder | Portability: No

Another excellent option, the Large Wooden H-Frame Studio Easel, has impressive adjustability. While most easels allow for limited tilt backward, this one allows users to tilt the canvas forwards. This easel’s adjustability can come in handy when working with specific light settings.

Unlike most of the art easels on the market, this one comes with a reasonably large pull-out shelf. Also, the drawer on this easel is large enough to store quite a few paint tubes and several palette knives. When it comes to brushes, these can be laid out on the grooves on top of this storage space.

While this easel does require a bit of assembly, it does come with a screwdriver and detailed instructions to keep things easy. With a sturdy build created with durable beech wood, this multifunctional option is the best art easel for storage capacity.

Pros	Cons
➕ Sturdy build	➖ Slightly on the smaller side
➕ Impressive storage space
➕ Has forwards tilt

 

Latest Price on Amazon:

 

4. U.S. Art Supply Antigua Adjustable Wood Table Sketchbox Easel

Best tabletop art easel

Weight: 2.94 Pounds | Height: 27 inches | Color: Tan | Material: Wood | Features: Storage tray | Portability: Yes

The U.S. Art Supply Antigua Adjustable Wood Table Sketchbox Easel is our top recommendation for a tabletop easel. It’s a classic French easel carefully crafted from beechwood. Don’t be fooled by its compact size: it can accommodate canvas heights up to 21 inches.

This lightweight easel only measures 10.6 x 14.2 x 3.76 inches when folded, perfect for travel. It’s a straightforward design at an affordable price.

We highly recommend this easel because it’s robust and can store all of your art supplies. 

Pros	Cons
➕ Compact size	➖ Designed only for enthusiasts
➕ Can store paints with ease

 

Latest Price on Amazon:

 

 

5. Melissa & Doug Deluxe

The best easel for kids 

Material: Wooden frame | Size: N/A | Product dimensions: 27 x 26 x 47 inches 

Are you searching for the best art easel for your kids? If so, Melissa & Doug Deluxe is the best pick for you. As it is made of wood, the art easel is durable enough for long-term uses. Since the easel is flexible, you can easily adjust the height in three dimensions. Due to these features, you can modify it as per your child’s age and height. 

Along with the two removable trays, the art easel also provides you with the paper-roll holder with easy-to-turn knobs, etc. Meeting all the quality standards, it is safe to use an easel for kids that can be considered as long-lasting. 

Pros	Cons
➕ Versatile	➖ Does it work for professionals
➕ Best for kids

 

Latest Price on Amazon:

 

6. Mont Marte Heavy Duty Tripod Easel

 

 

Best portable wooden art easel

Weight: 7 lbs | Height: 226 cms | Material: Wood | Features: Storage tray | Portability: Yes

This classic A-frame easel can be used at home, in your studio, or even outdoors. This beechwood easel is comparatively light when compared to most wooden easels on the market. The lightweight build and the fact that it can be folded in on itself for better portability helps it stand out.

For the most part, this easel requires no assembly. However, users are required to attach the storage tray and metal screws for fastening it. This Monte Marte easel can be adjusted in several angles and positions, making working with it practical.

The closest comparison to this easel would be a french box easel, however, this one takes up less space when it comes to width. With a balanced design and portable build, this art easel is a great option to opt for.

Pros	Cons
➕ Lightweight with foldable design	➖ The top clamp does not come with a groove to help secure your board
➕ Easy to set up
➕ Durable build

 

Latest Price on Amazon:

 

 

7. ATWORTH French Easel

Best premium studio easel

Weight: 19.86 kilograms | Height: 72 inches | Color: Natural | Material: Wood | Features: Storage tray | Portability: No

This ATWORTH French Easel easel is made of red beech wood, is moisture-proof and sun-proof, and may be used for advertising, sketching, oil painting, and other types of artwork. 

Four-corner Support Frame with Flat Laying Function, Stable and Firm, and Easy Adjustment. The Paint Film Is Smooth and has Moderate Hardness, Strong Durability, Excellent Wear Resistance, and Environmental Protection.

Pros	Cons
➕ Premium design	➖ Expensive
➕ Durable build
➕ Reasonable height

 

Latest Price on Amazon:

 

7. RRFTOK Artist Easel Stand

RRFTOK Artist Easel Stand. Image credits: AmazonA best premium outdoor easel

Weight: 2 pounds  | Height: 17 to 66 inches | Material: Aluminum | Features: Storage Tray | Portability: Yes

This RRFTOK Artist Easel Stand is portable, easy to use, and features a black bag for portability. It can hold up to 36″ panels and is readily adjustable for shrinkage. It can be utilized for home party displays, store advertising, or school painting projects.

Lightweight aluminum alloy, a very strong and durable material, is used to make the field easel. The best display easel for dry-erase marker boards, whiteboards, chalkboards, posters, and paintings has a height adjustment range from 21 to 66 inches.

It can hold a huge pad of paper. Artists can use it in the studio, outside in the field, or to display art or canvas paintings, or play Pictionary. It can also be used as a tabletop painting easel. The height of the aluminum easel may be changed from 21 to 66 inches, and the board can be set up to 38 inches. The easel is simple to use and store and can support up to 10 pounds.

Pros	Cons
➕ Easy to use	➖ Flimsy
➕ Lightweight

 

Latest Price on Amazon:

 

8. U.S. Art Supply 66″ High Showroom Black Aluminum Display Easel 

Best easel for art shows

Weight: 2.25 lbs | Height: 66 inches | Material: Aluminum | Features: | Portability: Yes

While not the most sturdy art easel, the U.S. Art Supply 66″ is a great choice for art shows and exhibitions. As artists, getting sales can be daunting if you don’t have a strong social media presence. So for artists that work the more old-fashioned way, the US Art Supply Easel presents a great option.

One of the more affordable ones out there, these make an excellent choice when displaying multiple art pieces in a manner that is cohesive. Weighing only 2 pounds but capable of supporting up to 25, the legs for these are retractable, and the easel itself is easy to store.

Besides art shows, this does also make for a reasonable choice for painting. That said, it can be difficult to steady the legs at first.

Pros	Cons
➕ Affordable price	➖ Difficult to steady the legs
➕ Lightweight build
➕ Minimalist design

 

Latest Price on Amazon:

 

9. Miratuso Sketchbook Art Easel

Most Budget-Friendly Tabletop Easel

Weight: 1.44 kilograms | Height: 20 inches| Material: Beechwood | Portability: Easy

Miratuso Sketchbook Art Easel is known for its trendy fashion products and classy art supplies. In search of a budget-friendly art easel, this beechwood art easel stands as a unique choice with its reasonable price. Miratuso’s easel, made of brass hardware and solid beech, is corrosion-resistant and durable.

Being a tabletop art easel, it fits both indoor and outdoor sketching. These easels are widely applicable for studios, painting classes, and travel art. The spacious storage compartment and the 0 to 90-degree adjustable frames help artists with easy adjustments. Louise Maelys Art Easel is best suited for both beginners and professionals.

 

Pros	Cons
➕ Budget-friendly	➖ Not suitable for bigger art pieces
➕Corrosion-resistant
➕ Spacious internal storage
➕ Adjustable frames
➕ Portable

 

Latest Price on Amazon:

 

10. MEEDEN Tabletop Easel

The best compact easel for tabletop. 

Material: Wooden | Weight: 3.3 pounds | Product dimensions: 4.13″D x 14.57″W x 10.63″H

Do you want an easel that works well for all types of users? The MEEDEN table top easel is a solution. Being lightweight is an impressive factor of this easel so that you can move it from one place to another. Since it is an easel that fits on a tabletop, you can sit down and work conveniently in your posture. 

Since Daler-Rowney is a popular supplier, users can trust the quality of the easel. As it is versatile, the easel can help you to work efficiently. 

Pros	Cons
➕ Budget-friendly easel	➖ Assembly could be better
➕ Easily adjustable
➕ Strong and sturdy

Latest Price on Amazon:

 

 

How to Pick the Best Art Easel

Most easels come with distinct features that can enhance the way you work with certain types of art mediums. Other than this, your creative process and art style can also be affected by your art setup. That’s why, to make things easier, we’ve compiled a list of things you’ll need to keep an eye out for.

Build and Design

For many artists, the aesthetic and reliability of their space are of utmost importance. The importance of build quality can be seen when artists work deep edge canvases. To delve into this more, deep-edge canvases or canvases that are larger than 3 feet (height or width) tend to pull or weigh the easel down.

Other than this, when painting outdoors, the breeze can knock over your painting, causing smudges or even tearing your canvas! So to prevent this from being an issue, making sure your easel is slightly on the heavier side is a smart move to make.

Aesthetically speaking, art easels come both in metal and wooden builds. There are distinct differences, but it’s not that significant. At the end of the day, your preference will determine which one you’ll get.

Customizability and Storage

Customizability in canvases depends on your ability to adjust the height on the lower handle and top handle. This helps secure your painting and prevent any tumbles that can occur with your canvas. This, along with the adjustability of your easel’s rear leg, is something to keep in mind.

When it comes to storage, it’s more a question of priorities. For all artists working with a wide range of paints, mediums, and brushes, having an art table is mandatory. However, these days, some easels come with slots to store your brush washbowl and even hold brushes.

Storing paints or brushes on your easel also has several limitations. It’s not something you should pay too much attention to. That said, If you’re looking for an art table, you should check out our Top 10 Art Desks article.

Size 

For size, it’s all a question of what canvas size you feel comfortable working with or whether you like to work standing or seated. If you’re someone looking to sell art professionally, buying a larger easel is something you should consider.

However, working with a more medium-sized easel is a safe spot to begin with. Once you feel more familiar with working with canvases, you can always switch to a larger-sized canvas.

Other than this, some artists feel more comfortable working on ground level, and easels offer them a good angle. In these cases, there are several smaller easels that can get the job done quite well.

Price

The price of most easels ranges from anywhere from $10 to even $1,000. For the artist with more budget, we’d strongly recommend you stick around the $100 price range. Despite some easels being sturdy and fancy, at the end of the day, build quality and adjustability are what it boils down to. For those with a limited budget, there are several $50 options that fair quite well.

Within the price range of $100 – $200, artists can meet both their aesthetic and functional needs.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

Related:

• Best Software for Digital Art
• Best Laptops for Digital Artists
• Best Cameras for Artwork
• Best Printer for Art Prints
• Best Color Palette Generators
• Best Desks for Designers
• Best Tablets for Graphic Design
• Best Art Desks for Artists

 

10 Best Art Easels for Paintings and Artwork in 2024

For most artists, easels are usually bought once every few decades. While paints, palettes, and brushes are replaced regularly, your easel, along with your set-up, stays the same.

And although it may seem like an exaggeration, there’s a good chance your art easel will stay with you for the majority of your life. That’s why it’s quite an important decision to make. As an artist, you should make sure you pick the easel that suits your art style best. Do you agree with this list? Let us know in the comments below!