Quick answer: A glassboard is a writing board made from toughened safety glass, available in magnetic and non-magnetic versions, in a wide range of colours and sizes. Magnetic glassboards require a steel backing and heavy-duty magnets. Low-iron (ultra-clear) glass produces the truest colour on coloured boards. Glassboards never ghost, never stain, and are the most durable writing surface available, making them the right choice for boardrooms, design studios, reception areas, and any space where appearance matters as much as performance.
What is a glassboard?
A glassboard is a writing and display surface made from toughened safety glass, typically 4 mm to 6 mm thick. The glass is tempered, which means it is heated and rapidly cooled during manufacture to give it four times the strength of standard glass. If it breaks, it shatters into small, blunt fragments rather than sharp shards, making it safe for use in offices and schools.
The writing surface is the smooth front face of the glass. Ink from a standard dry-erase marker sits on the non-porous surface and wipes away completely with a dry cloth. Because glass has no microscopic pores for ink to penetrate, glassboards are the only writing board format that is entirely immune to ghosting and staining. A well-maintained glassboard looks identical after ten years of daily use to how it looked on day one.
Glassboards are frameless as standard, which gives them a clean, contemporary appearance that integrates well with modern interiors. They are fixed directly to the wall using concealed point fixings, leaving the edges of the glass visible. This flush, borderless look is part of why glassboards are so popular in boardrooms and reception areas.
Magnetic vs non-magnetic glassboards
Whether your glassboard is magnetic depends entirely on what is behind the glass. Glass itself is not magnetic. To make a glassboard magnetic, manufacturers bond a thin steel sheet to the back of the glass. The magnetic field passes through the glass to the steel layer, allowing standard whiteboard magnets to grip the surface.
There are two important things to know about magnetic glassboards:
- Standard whiteboard magnets may not hold. The steel layer is thin and the glass adds distance. You will typically need heavy-duty or extra-strong magnets for reliable grip. Check the product specification, as some boards are better than others at this.
- The steel backing affects colour on dark boards. On white or light-coloured glassboards, the steel backing is invisible. On black, dark grey, or deep-coloured boards, the backing can show through as a slight variation in tone. This matters more for coloured boards than white ones.
Non-magnetic glassboards have no steel layer. They are lighter, slightly less expensive, and the glass colour is unaffected by any backing material. If you do not need to attach documents or materials to the surface, non-magnetic is a sound choice. Our Silk Wall glassboard and Mood Wall glassboard are popular options in both configurations.
What is low-iron glass?
Standard float glass contains iron oxide, which gives it a slight green tint. You can see this green tinge most clearly when looking at the edge of a piece of glass, or when light passes through it at an angle. On white glassboards, this tint is barely noticeable. On coloured boards, it can shift the perceived colour significantly, making a pale blue appear slightly grey-green, for example.
Low-iron glass (also called ultra-clear or extra-clear glass) is manufactured with a much lower iron oxide content, reducing the green cast almost entirely. The glass appears water-clear and lets true colour through without distortion. For coloured glassboards, particularly light or pastel shades, low-iron glass is strongly recommended if accurate colour reproduction matters to you. It is also the better choice for printed or custom graphic glassboards, where the print needs to be seen exactly as intended.
Low-iron glass costs more than standard glass, but the colour difference is visible at a glance on coloured boards. For white boards, standard glass is usually sufficient.
Glassboard colours and finishes
Glassboards are available in a wide range of colours because the tinted or painted layer sits behind the glass, protected from the writing surface entirely. Unlike painted whiteboards, where the colour layer is exposed to markers and cleaning, a glassboard's colour never chips, scratches, or fades in normal use.
Common options include:
- White – the most popular choice; gives maximum contrast for black, blue, and coloured dry-erase markers.
- Black – works with chalk markers for a blackboard aesthetic; very effective in design studios, restaurants, and creative spaces.
- Coloured (standard range) – grey, green, blue, red, and other corporate-palette colours; choose standard float or low-iron depending on accuracy needed.
- Bespoke / RAL – many manufacturers can produce a board to a specific RAL or Pantone reference for brand-matched installations.
Our Premier Coloured Magnetic Glass Wipe Board is available in a selection of colours and is magnetic across the full surface, making it one of the most versatile glassboards in the range.
Glassboard sizes and mounting
Glassboards are available in standard portrait and landscape sizes from around 600 × 400 mm up to 2400 × 1200 mm and beyond. Many suppliers manufacture to bespoke dimensions, and because glassboards are frameless, custom sizes integrate into a wall particularly well, allowing precise fit to an alcove or between two structural elements.
Standard size guidance:
- Home office or small meeting room: 900 × 600 mm to 1200 × 900 mm
- Medium meeting room or boardroom (6–12 people): 1500 × 1000 mm to 1800 × 1200 mm
- Large boardroom or open-plan area: 2000 × 1200 mm upwards; some installations use multiple panels side by side for a continuous writing wall effect
Mounting is via concealed point fixings, typically four standoffs positioned near the corners of the board. These go into wall plugs or a timber batten behind the plasterboard. Installation is straightforward for a competent DIY fitter, but for anything over 900 mm wide, having two people is essential, and for very large or very heavy boards, professional installation is the safest approach. Presentation Spaces can advise on installation requirements for specific boards.
Wall-mounted vs mobile glassboards
Wall-mounted glassboards are the most common format. Once fixed, they do not move, which is ideal for boardrooms, teaching spaces, and any installation where the board is always used in the same position.
Mobile glassboards are mounted on wheeled floor stands and can be repositioned around a room or moved between spaces. They are useful in agile offices, training rooms used for different purposes, and open-plan layouts where a fixed wall position is not practical. Mobile units are generally double-sided, giving you two writing surfaces from a single board.
The trade-off with mobile boards is that the stand adds visual weight. The clean, floating look of a wall-mounted glassboard is lost. For settings where aesthetics are a priority, wall-mounted is almost always the better choice.
Frequently asked questions
What is a glassboard?
A glassboard is a writing surface made from toughened safety glass. The glass is frameless and mounted directly to the wall using concealed fixings. The non-porous glass surface is completely resistant to ghosting and staining, and it wipes clean with a dry cloth. Glassboards are available in white, black, and a wide range of colours, and in both magnetic and non-magnetic configurations.
Are glassboards magnetic?
Not all glassboards are magnetic. Magnetism depends on whether the board has a steel backing bonded behind the glass. Magnetic glassboards do hold magnets, but you will typically need heavy-duty magnets rather than standard whiteboard magnets because the glass adds distance to the steel layer. Non-magnetic glassboards have no steel layer and are lighter in weight. Always check the product specification before purchasing.
What is low-iron glass and does it matter?
Standard glass contains iron oxide, which gives it a slight green tint. This tint shifts the perceived colour of coloured glassboards, particularly light or pastel shades. Low-iron (ultra-clear) glass has a much lower iron content, giving it a water-clear appearance with no green cast. For coloured or custom-printed glassboards, low-iron glass is recommended if accurate colour reproduction is important. For white boards, standard glass is usually adequate.
How do I clean a glassboard?
Dry-erase marker ink wipes off a glassboard with a dry cloth or foam eraser. For a thorough clean, a soft damp cloth is sufficient; a small amount of glass cleaner or specialist whiteboard cleaner can be used for heavy build-up. Avoid abrasive pads or scouring agents. Unlike melamine or painted steel whiteboards, glassboards do not require periodic deep cleaning to prevent ghosting because the glass surface simply does not absorb ink.
How are glassboards mounted to the wall?
Glassboards are mounted using concealed point fixings, typically four standoffs positioned near the corners of the board. Each standoff passes through a pre-drilled hole in the glass and screws into a wall plug or timber batten. The board sits slightly proud of the wall, giving it a floating appearance. For boards wider than around 900 mm, two people are needed to hold the board during installation. Contact us on 01382 913 913 or email info@presentationspaces.co.uk if you need guidance on installation requirements for a specific board.
What sizes do glassboards come in?
Standard glassboards range from around 600 × 400 mm (small home office) up to 2400 × 1200 mm and beyond. Many suppliers, including Presentation Spaces, manufacture to bespoke dimensions for a precise fit to alcoves, walls, or multi-panel writing wall installations. Because glassboards are frameless, bespoke sizing integrates very cleanly into most interiors.
Browse our full glassboards collection, including the Mood Wall, Silk Wall, and Premier Coloured Magnetic Glass Wipe Board, or contact our team to discuss size, colour, or installation requirements. →
