A team of passionate artists helping fellow creatives find the perfect tools for their craft
Best Easel Australia was born from a simple frustration: finding reliable, unbiased information about artist easels in Australia was nearly impossible. When our founder, a professional oil painter based in Melbourne, spent weeks researching easels only to end up with one that wobbled at the slightest brushstroke, she knew there had to be a better way.
That was in 2024. Since then, we've grown into a dedicated team of artists, art educators, and equipment enthusiasts who share one common goal: helping Australian artists make informed decisions about their tools.
We're not just reviewers who unbox products and read specifications. We're practising artists who understand the difference between a canvas holder that works in theory and one that holds steady when you're applying thick impasto layers or delicate glazes. We know the frustration of a French easel that seemed perfect in the store but became a nightmare to set up at dawn on a windswept beach.
Every easel we feature has been used in real painting sessions. For studio easels, we test stability with large canvases (up to 2 metres), check the smoothness of adjustment mechanisms over hundreds of uses, and evaluate how well the wood or metal construction handles the Australian climate—from the humidity of Brisbane to the dry heat of Adelaide.
Our plein air testing is equally rigorous. We've painted in coastal winds, set up in the red dust of the Outback, and worked through Melbourne's famous four-seasons-in-one-day weather. We test pochade boxes on hiking trails and French easels on crowded city streets. We know which aluminium tripods actually stay put and which ones become frustrating when the legs sink into soft sand.
For children's easels, we partner with parents, art teachers, and after-school programs to see how these products hold up to enthusiastic young artists. We check for pinch points, stability during energetic painting sessions, and whether the surfaces actually clean up as easily as manufacturers claim.
We've partnered with Amazon Australia because we believe it offers the best combination of price, selection, and buyer protection for Australian artists. The ability to easily return a product that doesn't meet your expectations is crucial when buying an easel online, and Amazon's return policy provides that peace of mind.
We do earn a small commission when you purchase through our links—this helps us keep the lights on and continue testing new products. However, this never influences our honest assessments. We've given negative reviews to products from brands that offered us promotional opportunities, and we've enthusiastically recommended budget options over premium alternatives when they genuinely performed better.
Our commitment is to you, the artist. We remember how hard it was to find trustworthy information when we were starting out, and we're determined to be the resource we wished we'd had.
The artists and experts behind Best Easel Australia
Founder & Lead Reviewer
A professional oil painter with 15 years of experience, Sarah specialises in Australian landscapes and seascapes. She founded Best Easel Australia after her own frustrating search for the perfect studio easel.
Plein Air Specialist
Marcus has painted in every Australian state and territory. His expertise in outdoor painting equipment comes from decades of experience working en plein air in challenging conditions.
Art Educator & Kids Specialist
With 12 years of experience teaching art to children, Emma brings invaluable insight into what makes a kids' easel truly practical, safe, and inspiring for young artists.