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Updated August 4th, 2025
There are many different types and sizes of easels on the market, and deciding which one is ideal for you might be challenging.
Whether you’re a novice or a seasoned artist, we’ve done the work for you and hand-picked the best painting easels that will meet your needs.
We will also be covering a few types of easel stands and their functionality, and guide you on how to pick the right type that will best meet your needs.
So, scroll down to learn more.
Featured image by Freepik
Table of contents
Best Painting Easels for Beginners
- Miratuso A-Frame Painting Table Easel
- DJAR Beginner A-Frame Easel
- VISWIN Inclinable A-Frame Easel
- MEEDEN Forward Tilt Floor Easel-HJ-2A with Storage Drawer
- Blick Studio Light-Duty H-Frame Easel
- U.S. Art Supply Solana Table Easel
- Bob Ross 2-in-1 Studio Easel
Best Professional Artist Easels
- U.S. Art Supply Medium H-Frame
- Mont Marte Tilting Large H-Frame
- MEEDEN Versatile H-Frame
- Blick Studio Convertible Easel
Best Easel Stands for Plein Air Painting
- MEEDEN 149pcs Art Supplies with French Easel
- U.S. Art Supply Coronado Large French Style
- Mabef Sketch BX Backpacker Studio Easel
• Good to Know: Types of Easels
• How Do I Choose the Best Easel for My Painting?
• Other Resources
Best Painting Easels for Beginners
1. Miratuso A-Frame Painting Table Easel
You can paint with ease with this Miratuso Table Easel. It is designed with an A-frame structure for added stability, while the legs are fitted with anti-slip rubber pads. This portable table easel folds up nicely and is suitable for artists of all skill levels.
The height of this easel stand can be adjusted to accommodate canvases up to 21″ (53 cm) and is made of high-quality German beech wood that is environmentally friendly.
What we like about this easel:
• Very sturdy and multi-functional
• Space saving and portable
• No assembly required – just pull it out of the box and start using.
2. DJAR Beginner A-Frame Easel
The DJAR Easel is the best A-frame wooden easel for beginners we found on Amazon. It makes an ideal gift for your artistic friend or family member too.
The easel is height-adjustable and allows you to paint comfortably whether you’re sitting or standing. It can support larger canvases too, without any wobble!
Self-assembly can be a bit tricky. We’d recommend you watch the easel assembly video, as it’s easier to follow along.
But once fully assembled, it stays stable and secure, even during long painting sessions.
What we like about this easel:
• Foldable and space-saving
• Made from premium German beech wood
• Versatile easel – ideal for painting and art displays.
3. VISWIN Inclinable A-Frame Easel
If you’re a beginner artist who paints almost every day, this VISWIN Inclinable A-Frame Easel has storage and convenience features you will love.
It is designed with height-adjustable and forward-tilting features, making it perfect for glare-free mixed media paintings.
The tray features a double-layer with 3″ (75mm) deep storage. It is also heigh-adjustable of up to 15″ (38cm), keeping your art supplies organized and easily accessible while you’re seated or standing.
Its foldable design makes it easy to transport and store compactly.
What we like about this easel:
• Made from good quality solid beech wood
• Space-saving – folds flat for convenient storage
• Tilt-feature allows for comfortable and glare-free painting.
4. MEEDEN Forward Tilt Floor Easel-HJ-2A with Storage Drawer
MEEDEN calls this a back-to-basics light-duty easel.
This new MEEDEN Studio H-Frame easel has vertical tilting feature that allow sconvenient adjusting of the canvas panel to suit different canvas sizes and viewing angle!
Also suitable for beginner to aspiring artists, this easel can also fit in a small studio. It is fairly simple to put together (with an assembly video included) and has a nice built-in deep storage drawer to keep your art supplies together.
Customers who bought it are extremely pleased with the quality of the easel and the new tilting feature as it brings the canvas to a closer viewing angle.
What we like about this easel:
• Well designed
• Made from solid beech wood with fine finish
• The smooth sliding canvas panel that’s easy to adjust.
MEEDEN 72-Piece Acrylic Painting Set
From $99.95 – Buy from MEEDEN
MEEDEN Oil Paint Set, 24 Tubes
From $25.95 – Buy from MEEDEN
MEEDEN 48-Color Solid Watercolor Set
From $26.95 – Buy from MEEDEN
5. Blick Studio Light-Duty H-Frame Easel
The Blick Studio Light-Duty H-Frame easel offers a versatile design that allows you to adjust the height of the mast up to 99″ (2.5m) and tilt it back up to 8°.
This flexibility enables you to personalize the easel to suit your preferred medium and painting style.
The easel can accommodate canvas sizes ranging from small to medium, with a maximum height of 48″ (1.2m).
You can paint with ease on this easel whether standing up, or sitting down. It’s especially great for beginners who want to start with smaller canvases and gradually work their way up to larger canvas sizes.
Assembly is required, but it will be easy when you follow the instructions and watch the accompanying video.
What we like about this easel:
• Easy to assemble
• Space-saving and can hold large canvases
• Made with good quality beechwood with fine finish.
6. U.S. Art Supply Solana Table Easel
The Solana Adjustable Desk Table Easel by U.S. Art Supply is great for use by kids, students, as well as for advanced artists and professionals.
The easel is made with hand sanded high quality aged beechwood from Germany.
It has a three-compartment storage drawer ideal for keeping art supplies organized while you paint, draw or sketch on the easel.
This sturdy, lightweight tabletop box easel can be set to four various angles and will hold canvas paintings and prints up to 11″ x 14″ (28cm x 36cm).
What we like about this easel:
• Sturdy and space-saving
• Budget-friendly
• Suitable for everyday use.
7. Bob Ross 2-in-1 Studio Easel
Ever wonder what easel did Bob Ross use as seen on the Bob Ross Netflix series? Well, it’s the Bob Ross 2-in-1 Studio Easel.
Made entirely of white baked enamel steel, this easel provides an incredibly strong and stable base.
Apart from the brand popularity of this easel, some artists who bought it shared that their brush strokes improved significantly thanks to it’s four-legged base.
The easel has a long bottom shelf where you can place all of your art supplies including a bucket of water to clean your brushes.
The top canvas holder can be adjusted to any angle, including forward or backward. It is also removable and portable, which you can use as a tabletop easel.
What we like about this easel:
• Easy to assemble
• Very sturdy stand
• Very spacious bottom shelf
• The detachable canvas holder that doubles as a tabletop easel.
Best Professional Artist Easels
1. U.S. Art Supply Medium H-Frame
Recommended by most professional artists, the U.S. Art Supply Medium H-Frame Easel is the best easel available on the market today in terms of quality and pricing.
It sits on a robust, square base with lockable castors and is made of high-quality beechwood.
This easel can hold a canvas up to 48″ (1.2m) tall. It has a tilting flexibility beyond 90°. It’s also simple to tilt and adjust, and can be folded flat when not in use.
There’s also a deep 22″ storage tray to hold your art tools while you paint. The wheels makes it easy to move the easel around your studio and can be locked in place.
The easel is easy to assemble. Just read the instructions carefully; and you will have the easel up and ready to go!
What we like about this easel:
• Stable lockable wheels
• Comes with 100% lifetime satisfaction guarantee
• Made of high-quality beechwood, this easel is very sturdy.
Other art supplies you may like
Winsor & Newton Winton Oil Colour Paint Set
From $69.99 – Buy on Amazon
KALOUR Pro Charcoal Drawing Set
From $15.99 – Buy on Amazon
KALOUR Pro Charcoal Drawing Set
From $33.00 – Buy on Amazon
Arteza Palette Knives 8-Pack
From $20.55 – Buy on Amazon
Winsor & Newton Synthetic Acrylic Brush Set
From $14.00 – Buy on Amazon
golden maple Professional Watercolor Brush Set
From $23.99 – Buy on Amazon
2. Mont Marte Tilting Large H-Frame
The Mont Marte Tilting Large H-Frame easel is especially suitable for artists who like to create large scale artworks.
The easel itself can accommodate canvas sizes up to 78″ (approx. 2 meters) tall. It’s made of high-quality durable, solid wood with a natural oil finish.
It has a sturdy base made from brass plated steel that keeps the easel firmly grounded. The adjustable central column and a trigger action height adjustment allow easy tilting for best working angle.
If you want to get more comfortable with some of your artwork or add a layer of varnish to your painting, you can do all of that with this easel without having to worry about taking the surface off the easel.
This easel can be folded flat and ideal for indoor and outdoor use. You can paint in various mediums as well. Reasonably priced, it’s a worth while investment for experienced artists.
What we like about this easel:
• Very sturdy
• Handles large canvases very well
• Made from high-quality and very solid wood.
Other art supplies you may like
JarryStart Art Storage Rack
From $89.99 – Buy on Amazon
SOCROTO Metal Art Drying Rack
From $76.99 – Buy on Amazon
UNZERO Art Storage Stand
From $37.99 – Buy on Amazon
3. MEEDEN Versatile H-Frame
This versatile MEEDEN Versatile Studio H-Frame Easel is made from finely handcrafted smooth beechwood finish. Artists who bought the easel are claiming that the wood quality and finish is superb.
You don’t necessarily need a studio to use this wooden H-Frame easel. When it’s time to move or store the easel, the robust base offers stability, yet the back support neatly folds up for easy transport and storage.
It can accommodate a variety of canvas sizes. Three sliders allow for canvas heights of up to 77″ (approx. 2 meters) to be accommodated.
You can easily change the angle of this H-frame easel from vertical to horizontal or any angle in between.
This MEEDEN easel is also suitable for beginner and intermediate artists.
What we like about this easel:
• Very easy to assemble with simple to understand instructions
• Versatile with adjustable height and angel
• Space-saving and easy to move around
• Made from high-quality beechwood and very sturdy.
4. Blick Studio Convertible Easel
The Blick Studio Convertible Easel can handle any painting mediums and painting techniques. It’s also suitable for painting while standing up.
The easel can be adjusted at various angles to accommodate oil, watercolor, acrylic painting and pastel work. Its quick-release hinges make it easier for you to do the angle adjustments.
You can work with larger canvases on this easel too, as it can accommodate up to 61” (1.55 m) in height and 22” (0.55 m) in width. Some assembly is required and we’d recommend a 2-person assembly for first time buyers.
If you’re a professional artist who work with a variety of mediums, this convertible easel will be a convenient and useful tool for you.
What we like about this easel:
• Versatile and sturdy
• Foldable and space-saving
• Made with good quality beechwood with fine finish.
Best Easel Stands for Plein Air Painting
1. MEEDEN 149pcs Art Supplies with French Easel
MEEDEN easels are among our favorite and this is a fantastic find on Amazon. This is a complete art supply kit for artists of all levels!
The French easel is handcrafted from solid European beech wood, features a fine finish and anti-rust metal.
It is fully height-adjustable and features a two-layer storage drawer that provides ample space for your art supplies, along with convenient shoulder straps and a leather handle for easy carriage.
The entire set comes with 96 vibrant paint colors and 30 paintbrushes in different sizes for acrylic, oil, watercolor, and gouache painting, canvases for mixed media painting, paint palettes and many more.
See below for a complete list of what’s included in the kit. If you find any missing parts or supplies, feel free to reach out to MEEDEN customer service.
What’s included:
- 1 French easel
- 12 x 22ml basic acrylic paints
- 12 x 22ml metallic acrylic paints
- 24 x 22ml oil paints
- 24 x 12ml watercolor paints
- 24 x 12ml gouache paints
- 10 oil paintbrushes
- 10 watercolor paintbrushes
- 10 acrylic paintbrushes
- 2 detail paintbrushes
- 1 canvas pad
- 1 disposable palette pad
- 1 watercolor sketchbook
- 1 stretched canvas & panels set
- 1 wooden palette
- 1 plastic palette
- 1 color wheel
- 2 palette knives
- 1 drawing pencil
- 1 eraser
- 1 plastic box
What we like about this easel:
• The French easel is beautifully crafted with ample storage
• A comprehensive kit suitable for artists of all levels
• Comes with wide variety of good quality MEEDEN paints, brushes and canvases for mixed media painting.
3. U.S. Art Supply Coronado Large French Style
If you fancy a French style easel for outdoor usage, then you will love this one by U.S. Art Supply. This Coronado Large French Style Easel adjusts to a maximum height of 72″ (1.8m), when it’s set up.
This easel can accommodate a wide range of art projects as it can hold canvases up to 34″ (86cm) tall. There’s also a leatherette handle and canvas shoulder strap for comfortable carrying. However, because of it’s large size, it’s a bit heavy if you’re going to take a long hike to paint with it.
But on the plus side, this easel has ample storage space. The large-capacity sketchbox can be divided into a four compartments with three removable dividing slats for adjusting compartment sizes. You can organize storage spaces for your brushes, paints, pencils and other tools. The drawer then shuts, locks in place, and folds for safe transportation.
It also looks beautiful as a standing easel in your room and can be converted into a tabletop easel in your studio. That’s why it’s our top pick.
What we like about this easel:
• Large storage space
• Beautifully designed and sturdy
• Comes with 100% lifetime satisfaction guarantee.
4. Mabef Sketch BX Backpacker Studio Easel
This is a high-quality MABEF easel that you will love. The Mabef Sketch BX Backpacker Studio Easel is a small size and lightweight easel that folds up as a carrying case.
If you’re a landscape painter, this easel is worth your every penny. It’s suitable for outdoor use and some artists claim that this long-lasting easel can even withstand the rigors of winter.
This easel comes with a compact and beautiful sketch box with 4 compartments, a sliding drawer, and a wooden palette that also serves as a cover when the easel is folded up for transporting.
The easel’s adjustable legs make it simple to arrange your canvas in the best possible position, allowing you to work flat, vertically, or anywhere in between.
One reminder: If you have decided on buying this easel, make sure to avoid the knock offs. The original version comes with a padded leather handle. So make sure you are getting that.
What we like about this easel:
• Portable and lightweight
• The adjustable canvas holder – from horizontal to vertical, you can draw or paint at any angle.
Good to Know: Types of Easels
There are several different easels to pick from.
So before making your purchase, it’s good to familiarise yourself with the following types.
Image source: Artsupply.com
Compact Art Easels
A-Frame
This is the most commonly used easel by beginner, students and intermediate artists. Its movable bar design can handle a wide range of canvas sizes and is a reasonably priced option for budget-conscious artists. Plus, when they’re not in use, they’re simple to store.
Bench Easel
The bench easel is commonly used in art classes and is great for both drawing and painting while viewing a subject. It’s a no-nonsense choice, but it will take up a lot of space on the floor.
Tabletop Easel
Looking a lot like a scaled down A-Frame, tabletop easels are ideal for small scale paintings and are best for artists who only paint on occasion or who live in small spaces. It is one of the most affordable options available.
Portable Easels
French Easel
There’s no doubting the usefulness of the classic French easel when it comes to painting on the go. French easels are ideal for artists who wish to paint outside their studio and fold them down to a tiny briefcase-style form.
Field Easel
Field easels are designed to be portable and used for en plein air painting. These easels are typically medium or modest in size, with telescoping or folding legs and a tripod design.
Heavy-Duty Easels
H-Frame Easel
H-Frame easels have a strong base and sturdy frame. They are usually the largest and sturdiest of all easels. They don’t normally fold up, therefore they take up a lot more room in storage than conventional easels.
An H-frame easel is a wonderful investment if you have a dedicated studio because they are more solid and allow you to paint on larger canvases than other studio easels. A crank handle on some H-frame easels allows you to easily move the canvas rest up and down.
It is best used for commissioned paintings because of it’s ability to accommodate huge canvases and includes a variety of features like non-skid grips, and trays.
How Do I Choose the Best Easel for My Painting?
Now that you know about the different types of easels, how do you choose the best one for your needs? You’ll be able to make a more informed decision if you can answer these questions:
- What kind of paintings would I like to make?
- Do I require any additional features, such as an adjustable canvas height or a supply tray?
- Am I doing a small or a large scale painting?
- Is a portable easel required for on-location work, or can a stationary easel suffice?
- When the easel is not in use, how much space do I have to keep it?
- What type of composition or material do I want when choosing my easel?
- What is my budget?
This is our best assessment of easels that are all currently available in the market.
We hope you liked reading this guide as much as we did researching and writing it. We also hope that it helped you choose the best easel to fuel your creativity and passion.
Other Resources
Last but not least and before you leave, we wanted to share the following articles that we think, will be an interesting read for you.
- 17+ Best Painting Canvas: How to Choose the Right One for Your Artwork?
- How Not to Fear AI and Keep Moving Forward
- Treasure Found: Cinthia James Shares Her Art Journey and Guides You to Uncover Your Creative Identity
Thanks for reading!
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