Chart Stands vs Whiteboard Easels for Anchor Charts
Posted by Today's Classroom Team on 30th Jul 2026
Browse teacher forums or social media groups, and you'll find teachers sharing all kinds of ways to display anchor charts. Some use clothing racks, others build PVC pipe stands, and many come up with their own DIY solutions. The common thread is that classrooms need a practical way to display and move anchor charts, especially when wall space is limited. All of this happens because the actual product category, chart stands vs whiteboard easels for anchor charts, never gets explained clearly, so teachers improvise instead of buying the tool that was built for the job.
That confusion is understandable because chart stands and whiteboard easels have more in common than many buying guides explain. A chart stand isn't simply another name for a teacher easel, and a whiteboard easel isn't automatically the wrong choice for anchor charts. The right option depends on how teachers use anchor charts throughout the week.
This guide clears up what each product is actually built for, corrects a common misunderstanding about chart stands, and gives you a straight answer for which one belongs in your room.
One correction before we start
You may have read that a chart stand has no writing surface at all. That is true for some basic models, but not for the Copernicus Deluxe Chart Stand, which is the model most schools actually buy. It has a full double-sided magnetic dry-erase whiteboard built in, alongside the hooks for hanging chart paper. The real difference is not writing surface versus no writing surface. It is what each product is specifically equipped to hold.
What a chart stand is actually built to do
The Copernicus Deluxe Chart Stand (approximately $200 to $400) combines the features of a teacher easel and a chart stand. It includes a double-sided 24 x 33-inch magnetic dry-erase whiteboard for writing and teaching, along with telescoping hooks for pocket charts up to 49 inches wide and snap-on hooks for standard chart paper pads. If you regularly switch between writing on the board and displaying charts, it can do both without needing separate equipment.
One side can display an anchor chart or pocket chart while the other is used for writing during the lesson, so teachers don't have to choose between the two. The adjustable height, from 50 to 69.5 inches, also makes it suitable for younger students sitting on the rug as well as older students working at tables or desks.
The warranty tells you how it is meant to be used
The Copernicus Chart Stand includes a lifetime warranty on the frame and a 5-year warranty on the whiteboard surface. That difference reflects how the product is designed. The frame is built for long-term classroom use, while the dry-erase board, which naturally wears with regular writing and cleaning, has its own warranty period.
What a whiteboard easel is actually built to do
A standard teaching easel, such as the Copernicus PTE78 or BE1, is designed primarily as a writing surface. The PTE78 features a large 40 x 28-inch magnetic dry-erase board, giving teachers more space for live instruction, worked examples, and class discussions. Unlike a chart stand, it isn't designed to hold pocket charts or chart paper, making it a better choice for classrooms where writing and teaching happen more often than displaying prepared materials.
Choose a teaching easel when writing is the priority. It's a better fit for small-group instruction, solving problems with the class, and building anchor charts during the lesson. Because it isn't designed to hold pocket charts or chart paper, the frame is typically lighter and simpler than a chart stand.
The confusion this category creates, and why it happens
A common question in teacher communities is how to store anchor charts and keep them easily accessible throughout a unit. That's why so many teachers improvise with clothing racks, PVC pipe stands, and other DIY solutions. A dedicated chart stand is designed for exactly that purpose, making it easier to display, organize, and reuse charts throughout the school year.
The confusion is not really about product quality. Copernicus makes a well-built chart stand. The confusion is about category naming. A whiteboard easel vs chart stand search returns results that use the words interchangeably half the time, which leaves buyers guessing at what actually separates the two. Type in a search for the best easel for anchor charts and you will get an even messier mix of both product types ranked together, since most retailers do not distinguish the two clearly on their category pages either.
Chart stand or whiteboard easel: a direct comparison
Rather than treat this as an abstract debate, here is what each product actually gives you side by side, since a chart stand or whiteboard easel choice made on assumption rather than spec sheet is exactly how schools end up with the wrong tool in the room.
| Feature | Copernicus Chart Stand (CS700) | Copernicus Teaching Easel (PTE78) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $200 to $300 | $100 to $200 |
| Writing surface | Double sided, 24" x 33" each face | Single-sided, 40" x 28" |
| Chart paper hooks | Yes, snap-on hooks included | No |
| Pocket chart hooks | Yes, up to 49" wide | No |
| Height range | 50" to 69.5", adjustable | Fixed at standard height |
| Warranty | Lifetime frame, 5yr whiteboard | Standard frame warranty |
In many cases, the chart stand costs about $100 more than a standard teaching easel. That extra cost pays for features like hanging hardware and a wider height adjustment. If your classroom rarely uses pocket charts or hanging chart paper, a standard teaching easel is often the better value.
Choosing an easel for anchor charts based on how your room actually works
The honest starting point for choosing an easel for anchor charts is not the product spec sheet. It is your own weekly pattern. Do you build charts live with students, contributing ideas as you write, the way responsive classroom research recommends? Or do you print, laminate, and hang finished charts that stay up for a unit at a time? Most classrooms actually do some of both across a school year, which is exactly why the hybrid chart stand tends to be the safer, best easel for anchor charts default purchase unless the budget is genuinely tight.
Which one fits your classroom
Match these options to the way your classroom works before you decide.
| Your classroom needs this: | Best fit: |
|---|---|
| Hang pre-made chart paper pads or pocket charts for weeks at a time | Chart stand, built with hooks specifically for this |
| Write and build charts live with students during the lesson | Whiteboard easel, dry-erase surface for real-time work |
| Both, in the same room, without buying two separate units | The Copernicus chart stand, since it includes a magnetic dry-erase surface too |
| Small footprint, narrow classroom, limited storage needs | A basic single-sided teaching easel |
| Weekly rotation of large printed anchor charts across subjects | Chart stand with telescoping pocket chart hooks |
| Literacy centers with word building and student interaction | Whiteboard easel or a chart stand's dry-erase side |
Ordering and budget planning
Both products accept a school purchase order at checkout with no credit card required. If your district is running a broader classroom presentation easel comparison across multiple rooms or grade levels, browse the full chart stand listing alongside the teacher easels range to compare current models side by side before ordering.
Not sure whether your room needs a chart stand, an easel, or both? Tell us how your room uses anchor charts across a typical week, and we will recommend the right tool. Free, no purchase required. Call 877-909-9910.
Get a Free Classroom ReviewFrequently asked questions
The questions below focus on choosing a specific chart stand after you've already decided that a chart stand is a better fit than a standard teaching easel.
Can a chart stand hold a pocket chart and standard chart paper at the same time?
The Copernicus Deluxe Chart Stand includes separate hardware for both. Telescoping hooks support pocket charts up to 49 inches wide, while snap-on hooks hold standard chart paper pads. The double-sided design also lets teachers display a pocket chart on one side and use the dry-erase board on the other, making it easy to switch between activities without changing equipment.
Does the height adjustment on a chart stand work for both seated and standing instruction?
Yes. The Copernicus Chart Stand adjusts from 50 to 69.5 inches, making it suitable for both whole-group lessons on the rug and standing instruction. That wider adjustment range gives teachers more flexibility than many standard teaching easels. If the same easel will be used with different grade levels or in different teaching areas, an adjustable model is usually the better choice.
Is the whiteboard on a chart stand the same quality as a dedicated teaching easel?
The biggest difference is writing space. The chart stand has a 24 x 33-inch dry-erase board on each side, while the PTE78 offers a larger 40 x 28-inch writing surface. For classrooms that spend more time writing than displaying chart paper, the larger board is often the better fit.
Do the storage tubs on a chart stand hold the same amount as an easel's tubs?
The chart stand includes two open storage tubs, each holding up to 10 pounds of supplies, which is similar to most single-sided teaching easels. If storage is a priority, the Copernicus BE1 offers four tubs, giving it the most storage of the three options.
Keep reading
These guides cover the decisions that sit alongside this one.
- ●Teacher Easels for the Modern Classroom. The complete buying guide covering every easel type, size, and price point.
- ●Mobile or Wall-Mounted Easels for Classrooms. Both chart-stands and easels come in mobile configurations, and this covers when that mobility matters.
- ●Why Your Classroom Easel Sits Unused. What happens when the wrong tool, chart stand or easel, gets ordered for a room's actual routine.
Browse chart stand and teacher easels options, and see how school classroom furniture fits together as a full room plan, at Today's Classroom.
Not Sure Which One Fits Your Classroom?
Tell us how your room uses anchor charts across a typical week. We will recommend chart stand, easel, or both before you order. School purchase orders accepted.
