The Best Puzzle Tables, Puzzle Boards & Puzzle Mats
Do you want to turn your puzzle round, tilt it towards you or put it away between sessions? There are tables, boards and mats for each of these jobs. Start by checking your puzzle’s finished dimensions — the piece count alone won’t tell you whether it fits.
I’m Geoff, a former Director of Product Development with over 20 years of puzzle experience at Gibsons Games, including developing their Puzzle Board. See my recommended puzzle tables, boards and mats below. Or, if you really want to, make your own from an IKEA kitchen door!
This website is supported entirely by my kind readers - thank you so much for visiting! There are no paid display adverts, and I don't accept any payment for reviews or sponsorship of any product. Links marked * are affiliate links. If you buy something through one of them, I earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you do choose to buy through my links - a genuine big thank you!
Table, board or mat?
I need my dining table back. What should I use?
A removable board such as ALL4JIG lets you lift the puzzle off the dining table and keep it flat on another surface or under a bed, if it fits. A portfolio case such as PortaPuzzle closes around it for carrying and flat storage. A roll-up mat such as Jumbo Puzzle & Roll needs less flat storage space, but rolling can disturb pieces. For a simple option without drawers or a cover, consider a foam board.
Can I put a puzzle table under my bed?
It depends on the gap beneath your bed and how easily you can move the table. The Fold-and-Go measures 37¾ × 26½ × 2½ inches when folded and weighs 24 lb. Allow clearance for handles and anything underneath the bed. Something that fits may still be awkward to lift or pull out, especially with an unfinished puzzle on it. For flat storage without a separate table, consider a portfolio case.
Would tilt or rotation help me reach?
Tilt, as on the Becko PTZ005, changes the working angle by raising the far edge; rotation, as on ALL4JIG, brings different parts of the puzzle towards you. A tilted felt surface helps hold pieces in place, but makes sliding assembled groups harder. A rotating board needs room to turn without catching nearby objects. Think about how you like to move pieces as well as how far you can reach. The Picker-versus-Slider advice explains the difference in surface feel.
Will my 1,000-piece puzzle fit?
Look at the finished dimensions on the box, not just the piece count. The seven-brand size reference shows how much sizes vary. White Mountain’s New York New York has 1,000 pieces and measures 30 × 24 inches. It fits both tables here, but leaves little spare room on the Fold-and-Go and is very tight on the Becko. The fit comparison shows the results for ten puzzles on these two freestanding tables, not on the boards and mats.
Would a roll-up mat be easier to store?
A rolled mat such as Jumbo Puzzle & Roll takes up less flat storage space than a board or portfolio, but you still need a table or another flat surface while puzzling. Pieces can shift when you roll it, so follow the instructions for the tube and straps. If you would rather keep the puzzle flat and enclosed between sessions, a portfolio may suit you better.
How I chose these: I helped develop the Puzzle Board at Gibsons, so I look at more than the advertised piece count. Will your puzzle fit? Can you move groups of pieces easily? And where will it go when you need your table back?
Freestanding puzzle tables
Choose the Bits and Pieces Fold-and-Go if folding the table away matters most, or the Becko PTZ005 for height adjustment, tilt and wheels.
Bits and Pieces Fold-and-Go
The folding legs and felt-covered side panels make this a good choice when a permanent puzzle table would get in the way. This is SKU 48130: a pine table with a 34 × 25-inch assembly area. The sorting panels lie flat or angle upwards; that is not a tilting main puzzle surface.
The panels close over the workspace, with metal clips and a carrying handle. Folded, it measures 37¾ × 26½ × 2½ inches. Allow room for the panels when open, and follow the closure instructions before moving a puzzle in progress; a handle alone does not secure loose pieces.
The drawback is its listed 24 lb (about 10.9 kg) weight. If it is too heavy to lift or too awkward, consider a puzzle board or a puzzle table with wheels instead. Check your chair against the manufacturer’s approximately 30-inch table height. Do not shorten the legs to create a tilt.
Becko PTZ005
The PTZ005, ASIN B0936DSFBS, combines a lower shelf, loose cover mat and four castors. The brand lists five tilt settings, up to 30 degrees, and height adjustment from 29.5 to 37.4 inches. Its stated working area is 35.04 × 24.8 inches (89 × 63 cm).
The flannelette surface helps resist sliding when tilted, but makes sliding groups of pieces less easy than on a smooth board. Listed weight is 26.5 lb (12 kg). The cover rests over the puzzle; it is not a fastening transport case.
This one needs assembly and space to stay out. The listing gives a 36.61 × 26.38-inch footprint, but conflicting overall heights and no confirmed folded size. Allow room for the shelf, wheels and your chair. If you need to fold a table away, look at the Fold-and-Go instead. An adjustable table won’t necessarily prevent aches, so keep moving — especially when you are engrossed in your puzzle and time flies!
Check Becko PTZ005 availability — Amazon US*
Puzzle boards and cases
A board uses a table you already have. Make sure the whole board is supported, with room to open any drawers. If it rotates, allow space to turn it without knocking your cup off!
Drawers give you separate sorting spaces, while a cover can help stop pieces going astray (or being eaten by your cat!). A loose cover does not hold the pieces in place. Before moving a board, check that its drawers stay closed and allow for its weight, handles and the doorways it needs to pass through.
If you buy a separate stand, check that it supports your board securely. A board with drawers is not necessarily designed to tilt.
ALL4JIG rotating board with drawers
For puzzling on your own table, this wooden board brings the far edge round to you and keeps sorted pieces in six drawers. It rotates rather than tilts. Choose the six-drawer version, ASIN B0BXS2XY1W, sold as the 1500-piece size.
The listing gives conflicting dimensions, so it is not clear how much usable area lies inside the edges. Ask the seller for that measurement to find out whether your puzzle will fit. Listed weight is 4.4 kg (about 9.7 lb).
The translucent cover keeps the puzzle covered between sessions, but it does not fasten the pieces in place. Leave room to turn the board and pull out the drawers, and keep it level when carrying unfinished work.
Check ALL4JIG six-drawer availability — Amazon US*
UK — Amazon: ALL4JIG six-drawer*
Puzzle Ready tilting board with drawers
Want to tilt your puzzle towards you? This Puzzle Ready board sits on your own table and has four removable colour-coded drawers, a felt surface, a loose felt cover and a carrying handle. It needs a firm, stable surface underneath. The felt helps stop pieces sliding when tilted, though it also makes groups of pieces harder to move around.
Puzzle Ready lists a 30 × 24-inch working surface for the 1000-piece version (about 76 × 61 cm) and 36 × 27 inches for the 1500-piece version (about 91 × 69 cm). These are the manufacturer’s figures; I haven’t measured the boards myself. A 30 × 24-inch puzzle would use all the smaller board’s stated space, so ask Puzzle Ready to confirm the measurement inside the edges if yours is a close fit. You will need more room than this to store the whole board.
Leave space to pull the drawers out. Keep the board level when carrying an unfinished puzzle — the loose cover won’t hold the pieces in place. Check delivery to your country and the shipping cost before ordering.
Jumbo PortaPuzzle Standard
Choose the PortaPuzzle Standard 10715 if you want to close unfinished work inside a case. Its main limitation is puzzle size: Jumbo specifies approximately 68 × 49 cm (26.8 × 19.3 inches), while the US retailer gives 26 × 19 inches. Check the supplied version if your puzzle is near either limit.
Its lined centre and removable inserts hold the puzzle when the flaps are closed with hook-and-loop fastenings. Clear pieces from the side panels before folding them in, following Jumbo’s instructions. There is no tilt or rotation mechanism.
Allow approximately 82 × 58 × 3 cm closed and 165 × 58 cm open, as described by the UK seller. Regional listings differ, so confirm the supplied case if storage is tight. These are case dimensions, not the usable puzzle area.
USA — Puzzle Warehouse: PortaPuzzle 10715 — out of stock when checked on 20 October 2026; contiguous-US shipping only. UK — The Yorkshire Jigsaw Store: PortaPuzzle 10715 — listed in stock on the same date. These are non-affiliate links.
Roll-up puzzle mats
A roll-up mat can be great for carrying - much easier than a rigid board. Do read the instructions very carefully though for the exact mat, tube and straps. I found out to my cost that some straps and rolls are better than others - when the pieces fell out!
Jumbo Puzzle & Roll
The two Jumbo sizes below leave different amounts of room for your puzzle. The fabric includes rolling margins, so it is not all usable puzzle space.
- 17690: fabric approximately 118 × 66 cm; stated puzzle/storage limit about 90 × 60 cm. Includes a three-part tube and two fastening straps. Jumbo’s UK model page and published storage limit.
- 17691: fabric approximately 150 × 100 cm; stated puzzle limit about 122 × 85 cm. Includes a cardboard rolling cylinder and three straps. Jumbo’s model page and published puzzle limit.
A 30 × 24-inch puzzle is 76.2 × 60.96 cm: it exceeds the smaller 17690’s 60 cm limit, even turned round. It falls within the larger 17691’s stated area. Do not choose the smaller mat on its “1500-piece” label alone.
Neither mat offers tilt or rotation. Roll the felt around the tube and secure the straps for storage; an empty mat can pack down differently from one holding a puzzle. Felt can make sliding groups of pieces harder. The links above give the model details.
USA — Puzzle Warehouse: Puzzle & Roll 17690
UK — Jigsaw Puzzles Direct: Puzzle & Roll 17690. These are non-affiliate links for the smaller 17690 mat. Check stock and delivery before ordering.
What Size of Jigsaw Puzzle Board do I need?
You need the right-sized board for your puzzle. How much room you have to sort pieces depends on your puzzle’s actual finished dimensions and the board’s usable area inside any raised edges. Allow room for your hands and any sorting trays too.
The table gives reference sizes from puzzle examples by seven brands, checked against manufacturer pages on September 23, 2026. Please check the size of your own puzzle on the box. Puzzle companies can change sizes, and some puzzles are panoramic (especially Eurographics) or even square!
Cobble Hill’s 500-piece and White Mountain’s 1000-piece examples here need a larger puzzle table or board than many others such as Ravensburger at the same piece count. This is probably the most important thing to remember when choosing a table, board or mat.
If in doubt, I would go for a larger working area. A board sold for 1500 pieces can give you useful sorting space around a 1000-piece puzzle. Just make sure you have room for it and can lift and store it easily.
These are examples, not sizes for every puzzle from a brand. Centimetre and inch values are rounded where needed; check the dimensions printed on your box. I know during my time at Gibsons that puzzle sizes do change!
| Brand | 500 pieces | 1000 pieces | 1500 pieces | 2000 pieces |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ravensburger | 49 × 36 cm (19.3 × 14.2 in) | 70 × 50 cm (27.6 × 19.7 in) | 80 × 60 cm (31.5 × 23.6 in) | 98 × 75 cm (38.6 × 29.5 in) |
| Buffalo Games | 54 × 38 cm (21.25 × 15 in) | 68 × 50 cm (26.75 × 19.75 in) | 80 × 60 cm (31.5 × 23.5 in) | 98 × 67 cm (38.5 × 26.5 in) |
| Cobble Hill | 68 × 49 cm (26.625 × 19.25 in) | 68 × 49 cm (26.625 × 19.25 in) | Not confirmed | 100 × 68 cm (39.25 × 26.625 in) |
| Pomegranate | 61 × 46 cm (24 × 18 in) | 74 × 51 cm (29 × 20 in) | 99 × 51 cm (39 × 20 in) | 94 × 69 cm (37 × 27 in) |
| White Mountain | 61 × 46 cm (24 × 18 in) | 76 × 61 cm (30 × 24 in) | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Eurographics | 67 × 49 cm (26.5 × 19.25 in) | 67 × 49 cm (26.5 × 19.25 in) | Not confirmed | 96.8 × 67.6 cm (38.11 × 26.61 in) |
| Gibsons | 48 × 34 cm (19 × 13 in) | 68 × 49 cm (27 × 19 in) | Not confirmed | 98 × 68 cm (39 × 27 in) |
Buy a larger board if you want to sort on the same surface, otherwise buy a puzzle tray sorter.
Example: a 30 × 24-inch puzzle
It fits the stated working areas of both tables above. On the Fold-and-Go, that leaves 4 inches in one direction and 1 inch in the other, shared between the opposite edges.
Example: a 36 × 25-inch puzzle
It is too large for either table above, even turned the other way round. You need a larger working area — a “1500-piece” label is not enough to go on.
These are size examples, not specifications for a particular puzzle brand’s whole range. Before buying, note the product’s overall size, storage size and the clearance needed for drawers, legs or rotation.
What about 2,000-piece puzzles?
They often need more space, but there is no universal 2,000-piece size. For example, Ravensburger’s Cove Manor Echoes (17464)
Check the latest price at Ravensburger US * measures approximately 98 × 75 cm (38.6 × 29.5 inches, converted). It does not fit either table here, in either orientation. Choose a documented working area larger than the puzzle if you also want sorting room.
Will my puzzle fit? Published-size examples
Here are ten puzzles to compare with the two tables above. The Fold-and-Go has a stated 34 × 25-inch assembly area; Becko gives 35.04 × 24.8 inches. I have compared the published measurements both ways round, rather than tried the puzzles on the tables. On a phone, scroll the table sideways to see both results.
| Puzzle example | Finished size | Fold-and-Go | Becko PTZ005 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gibsons: Streets of London (500) | 48 × 34 cm | FITS COMFORTABLY | FITS COMFORTABLY |
| Ravensburger: Evening in Paris (500) Check the latest price at Ravensburger US * | 49 × 36 cm | FITS COMFORTABLY | FITS COMFORTABLY |
| Pomegranate: Dracula in Dr. Seward's Library (500) | 24 × 18 in | FITS COMFORTABLY | FITS COMFORTABLY |
| Cobble Hill: Sugar Skull Cookies (1000) | 26.625 × 19.25 in | FITS COMFORTABLY | FITS COMFORTABLY |
| Eurographics: The Last Supper (1000) | 26.5 or 26.6 × 19.25 in | FITS COMFORTABLY | FITS COMFORTABLY |
| Pomegranate: Mystery of the Missing Migrants (1000) | 29 × 20 in | FITS COMFORTABLY | FITS COMFORTABLY |
| White Mountain: New York New York (1000) | 30 × 24 in | FITS — LIMITED SPARE ROOM | FITS VERY TIGHTLY |
| Buffalo Games: Places You Will Go (1500) | 31.5 × 23.5 in | FITS — LIMITED SPARE ROOM | FITS — LIMITED SPARE ROOM |
| Ravensburger: Whole Universe (1500) | 80 × 60 cm | FITS — LIMITED SPARE ROOM | FITS — LIMITED SPARE ROOM |
| Pomegranate: Wild World (1500) | 39 × 20 in | DOES NOT FIT | DOES NOT FIT |
How to read the labels: FITS COMFORTABLY means at least 4 inches left over in both directions; FITS — LIMITED SPARE ROOM means 1 to under 4 inches along the tighter direction; FITS VERY TIGHTLY means 0 to under 1 inch; DOES NOT FIT means it exceeds the working area both ways round. Spare room is the total across a dimension, not the space at every edge or guaranteed sorting room. I used the unrounded centimetre conversion where supplied.
Eurographics gives The Last Supper as 26.5 or 26.6 × 19.25 inches. Both versions fit comfortably: even the larger leaves 7.4 × 5.75 inches on the Fold-and-Go and 8.44 × 5.55 inches on the Becko. The discrepancy remains, but does not change the result. For the tight fits, check the box and working-area measurement yourself before ordering.
Puzzle Surface – Are you a Picker or Slider? Felt or Wood?
How do you like to puzzle?
Are you a ‘Picker’ who picks up and places each piece? Or are you a ‘Slider’ who slides the piece to its new home?
A ‘Picker’ may prefer a ‘carpet’ type of surface, such as felt, with some depth so you can get your fingers or fingernails under a piece. A ‘Slider’ may prefer a smooth surface and find felt too rough and slow. It is a personal preference, so check the finish of the exact model you are considering.
| Pros | Cons | |
|---|---|---|
| Felt | Provides a non slip surface that helps to hold puzzle pieces in place. | Can be difficult to slide pieces around - especially for wooden puzzles. |
| Soft texture can prevent damage to puzzle pieces. | Very prone to lint & puzzle dust. | |
| Wood or MDF | Smooth surface allows for easy movement of puzzle pieces. | Pieces might slip & slide around too easily, especially if the table is angled. |
| Doesn't crease & is more durable | Can be heavy and less portable than other materials. | |
| No lint or dust - can be easily wiped. | Can be a 'hard' surface to lay your palms on for a prolonged time. |
A simple foam board
Before buying a dedicated puzzle board, consider whether a plain rigid board on your existing table would solve the problem. A foam board is one option that has been used successfully but it does have two major limitations. The surface is very smooth (so not so easy to pick up a piece), and foam boards are brittle and can easily snap. If joining two sheets together to make a larger board, take extra care - or just don't do this!
A third (minor) disadvantage is the lack of raised edges to help keep the pieces on the board.
IKEA and other DIY ideas
IKEA’s puzzle-storage idea uses a panel and castors for under-bed storage. It is an Australian example, so check what components you can buy locally.
For a homemade board, plan the usable area before adding edging or a surface covering. Adding edges will reduce the usable space.
Keeping a finished puzzle
Puzzle glue is an option if you want to keep your puzzle assembled. Very popular in Japan and they are framed as well! Check the glue’s instructions and suitability for your puzzle’s material and finish. Protect the working surface and allow the stated drying time before moving it.
Adhesive sheets
Puzzle backing sheets are another option although I haven't used these before. Check their instructions, coverage and suitability before turning or lifting a finished puzzle!
What will work in your home?
Think about where you will puzzle, where it will go between sessions and how you will move it. Extra features are only useful if they make puzzling easier for you.
How this guide was researched
The seven-brand puzzle size examples were checked against manufacturer pages on September 23, 2026. Sizes can change, so check again before you buy.
The Bits and Pieces product page and Becko’s Amazon listing* supply the main comparison specifications. The ALL4JIG product family, Jumbo PortaPuzzle model page and PuzzleReady board family provide more details on the other options.
