I have three plastic bento boxes that I use for color sorting, edge pieces and words. I also have four different trays I found at Goodwill, one of them is from IKEA and I LOVE it! And I also bought four trays from the dollar tree, but I use those last, they dont lay flat and are slippery.
I have always used foam boards. They are light weight and stack well. Easy to slide puzzled sections into place onto the main board, too. It is so nice that there are so many available options for puzzlers to choose that will work best for them!
I use the cookie sheets from the dollar tree . I stack them and I can always put en empty one on top to cover to keep away from the doggie. They are heavy but it is my go to. I did get the Ravensburger sort ones for Christmas. Might use them for a long term puzzle
I use the plastic trays that come with my puzzling table. They have ridges so my pieces don't move around a lot. Downside is that they are pretty shallow.
I have been using box tops which do not stack and store well. I was excited to see that the Hobby Lobby trays are available and immediately ordered a couple of sets.
Foam boards for me, they are light weight, cheap stack well with and without puzzle pieces on them and you can get them in any size and black or white. They also scale well for doing big 5000+ piece puzzles. I do like that there are more and more products for puzzles being released though. These trays do look great, it's just that foam boards already are a near-perfect solution. The only downside is that with heavy use they do get worn down.
I use foamboards too! I made a few of mine a little fancier with colored self adhesive fabric. It makes them a lot more durable as well! I did a reel on them on instagram if you are curious!
I use two large cookie sheets.They stack on top of each other and I can build on them and then shift the pieces onto the foam puzzle boards.They do take up a bit of space and aren't light.I just replenish the pieces.The fun part is when I am down to the last tray.I do like the colored trays you liked.Thanks for the review.
I love using foam board! I have a set of dollar tree cookie trays which worked pretty well but they warped pretty easily and then wouldn't lie flat on my table. Whenever I went to grab a piece it kept making knocking noises. I think getting sturdier cookie sheets would have been better.
I use the cafeteria trays and you'll probably save money by looking for them as cafeteria trays instead of marketed as puzzle trays (it's the same thing with other repurposing...like the dollar tree will have 6 foam sponges in with crafts for the same prices as a pack double the size that you can find in the car section for the same exact product...things repurposed for scrapbooking also have higher price tags than the same item found for general purpose). I really like them, so much that I bought a slightly larger set a couple of months ago after using the ones I bought at the end of 2023 for the entire year. The smaller set (I think they're about 10x12in) work perfectly for laying out a 1k puzzle in 6 trays with just a few pieces overlapping in each tray. How I used them was to make sorting and picking out sections to work on easier...by the time I had a couple of distinct things pulled out from all of the trays, they all fit without any overlapping. I found that they sped my puzzling up significantly. The ONLY complaint is that I can't find multiples in single colors (like I'd get some white, some grey and some black) which I'd prefer over the rainbow assortment. There is actually a seller on Amazon that has those same cafeteria trays (I think a 6 pack) in larger size than I've ever seen but marketed for puzzling, but they're selling price is INSANE. They're $40 for 6 that are 12x17in, meanwhile I have a 20 pack (2 ea of 10 colors) that are about 10x15in that I paid the same $40 for. I like the 10x15 but they are a bit more cumbersome to deal with at my puzzling area...the smaller ones I have fit a bit nicer without overlapping the sides of the puzzle as much (my puzzle space is 32x48, I believe...it is a desktop from Ikea that was only sold for about a year...called the MALVAKT or something like that). It took me AGES to land on a good bundle deal (they end up being $5+ ea if you look for single colors, but they can drop down to $2 and under each if you get a large quantity) and also on the exact type of tray I wanted to use. There are other cafeteria trays that I've seen people use that nest versus stack, which means they don't leave a gap where puzzle pieces wouldn't get smooshed by the bottom of the next tray when nested. Since the bottoms aren't flat, I always worried the nesting variety would potentially leave imprints on pieces, so I specifically sought out the stacking variety...only to discover that I don't stack them, I tend to rotate them as I stack them to be able to have an open space to grab them versus having to pinch the sides and pick them up. I still think I'd prefer them over the nesting variety, though.
I use the cookie sheets from the dollar tree . I stack them and I can always put en empty one on top to cover to keep away from the doggie. They are heavy but it is my go to. I did get the Ravensburger sort ones for Christmas. Might use them for a long term puzzle. Great video
I loved this video! A topic I really enjoy and the video felt like a new style of quality. Great job! I like 10x10 trays and 14x10 larger trays. I sometimes line my trays with oversized paper that I cut to size to add friction.
Have a homemade variation of the Nariola ones. Have them covered with decor film so they're all white. For larger puzzles I also use cafeteria trays of white plastic. I don't sort, so full flip on trays. Deep tray would just be annoying, and I can stack the trays, making them so easy. When combining two half empty trays, pieces just slide off, but never on their own.
Very nice. I didn't know there were so many options for trays. I currently use the trays that came with my puzzle board. When I'm doing a 1000 piece puzzle, sometimes I wish I had more places to put the pieces. Love your puzzle image. Thanks for sharing.
I use the hobby lobby trays 12x16... love them.. I do not sort. I flip all the pieces over then pick out sections as needed, this way I can see all the pieces at once.... I do not do more than 1000 count so this works well for me.... sorting boggles my mind trying to decide which pile to put a piece in... glad to see lots of options so everyone can pick what works best for them....
Thank you for doing the review! I use the buffalo ones and really hate them but didn’t want to waste more money on testing other trays again. Added the Nariolar ones to my cart, and it worked out great because I’ve been looking for a puzzle folder however they always show sold out until I found out Nariolar sells them too!!
I have 2 sets of the white Tidyboss trays from Amazon and I like them. They are stackable, plastic and measure 8 x 8. You get 8 of them. Thank you for your puzzle sorting tray review, very informative!
Great video! Thx! I'm new to puzzling and bought the buffalo games sorting trays cuz of the price. They work well for me since I have a small workspace. I just did a 2000 piece puzzle with them, but also used the box tops as well. If I had more room, I'd love to use larger trays for sure and see how that would change things for me. I definitely think the larger trays would help me for shape sorting. But so far I avoid puzzles where I have to do alot of that.
@achild4363 Well, I have to say that a 2000 piece is never my first choice. However, I really wanted to do a Christmas puzzle and it was the only one who had an image I absolutely loved. So I had to have it. It was cookie town by Buffalo Games. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Ravensburger has a similar puzzle that's 1,000 pieces. But it wasn't gonna arrive until end of January. However, I do like the BG one better cuz there is scenery that goes down the middle of it. So, it broke up the monotony of the cookie town. Thanks for asking! 😊
I have a puzzle board that came with puzzle trays no splinters with them I also got Grateful house puzzle tray that is no longer available & I got TIDYBOSS Trays 8x8 inch
I recently used flexible cutting board (Dollar Tree)and jumbo paper clips to move sections of my 1st Advent Calendar puzzle (and 1st 1000+ puzzle). I don't have a lot of space. Recently added the cardboard from a 2025 wall calendar to my other sorting trays (box tops & cookie sheets). The cardboard was perfect for doing a section on top of the puzzle and them moving them into place. I'd love have some sorting that are the same size as my box tops so I'll be checking the links.
This was a great video and I have enjoyed your others as well. This may be a small thing but the brand ravensburger is pronounced raven like the black bird . Cheers
Thanks for the feedback. I am someone who always uses the speed feature on UA-cam and watch things on 1.5 or 2x speed, so I always sound slow to me when I’m watching in real time. You are always welcome to slow me down with that feature.
I have three plastic bento boxes that I use for color sorting, edge pieces and words. I also have four different trays I found at Goodwill, one of them is from IKEA and I LOVE it! And I also bought four trays from the dollar tree, but I use those last, they dont lay flat and are slippery.
I have always used foam boards. They are light weight and stack well. Easy to slide puzzled sections into place onto the main board, too. It is so nice that there are so many available options for puzzlers to choose that will work best for them!
Foam boards are such a classic option! I use those all day he time too!
I use the cookie sheets from the dollar tree . I stack them and I can always put en empty one on top to cover to keep away from the doggie. They are heavy but it is my go to. I did get the Ravensburger sort ones for Christmas. Might use them for a long term puzzle
That's a great idea using the cookie sheets!
I have the nariolar trays in that size and the larger size as well. I love them. Thanks for the great video!
I use the white cafeteria trays to sort and build my puzzles.
Hello I use trays from dollar tree and form boards. Thanks for sharing 👏
Dollar Tree is always a great source!
I use the plastic trays that come with my puzzling table. They have ridges so my pieces don't move around a lot. Downside is that they are pretty shallow.
I am new to puzzling thank you for great items to try.
I have been using box tops which do not stack and store well. I was excited to see that the Hobby Lobby trays are available and immediately ordered a couple of sets.
I love those ones and they’ve held up great over the years.
Foam boards for me, they are light weight, cheap stack well with and without puzzle pieces on them and you can get them in any size and black or white. They also scale well for doing big 5000+ piece puzzles. I do like that there are more and more products for puzzles being released though. These trays do look great, it's just that foam boards already are a near-perfect solution. The only downside is that with heavy use they do get worn down.
I use foamboards too! I made a few of mine a little fancier with colored self adhesive fabric. It makes them a lot more durable as well! I did a reel on them on instagram if you are curious!
I use two large cookie sheets.They stack on top of each other and I can build on them and then shift the pieces onto the foam puzzle boards.They do take up a bit of space and aren't light.I just replenish the pieces.The fun part is when I am down to the last tray.I do like the colored trays you liked.Thanks for the review.
I love using foam board! I have a set of dollar tree cookie trays which worked pretty well but they warped pretty easily and then wouldn't lie flat on my table. Whenever I went to grab a piece it kept making knocking noises. I think getting sturdier cookie sheets would have been better.
I use the cafeteria trays and you'll probably save money by looking for them as cafeteria trays instead of marketed as puzzle trays (it's the same thing with other repurposing...like the dollar tree will have 6 foam sponges in with crafts for the same prices as a pack double the size that you can find in the car section for the same exact product...things repurposed for scrapbooking also have higher price tags than the same item found for general purpose). I really like them, so much that I bought a slightly larger set a couple of months ago after using the ones I bought at the end of 2023 for the entire year. The smaller set (I think they're about 10x12in) work perfectly for laying out a 1k puzzle in 6 trays with just a few pieces overlapping in each tray. How I used them was to make sorting and picking out sections to work on easier...by the time I had a couple of distinct things pulled out from all of the trays, they all fit without any overlapping. I found that they sped my puzzling up significantly. The ONLY complaint is that I can't find multiples in single colors (like I'd get some white, some grey and some black) which I'd prefer over the rainbow assortment. There is actually a seller on Amazon that has those same cafeteria trays (I think a 6 pack) in larger size than I've ever seen but marketed for puzzling, but they're selling price is INSANE. They're $40 for 6 that are 12x17in, meanwhile I have a 20 pack (2 ea of 10 colors) that are about 10x15in that I paid the same $40 for. I like the 10x15 but they are a bit more cumbersome to deal with at my puzzling area...the smaller ones I have fit a bit nicer without overlapping the sides of the puzzle as much (my puzzle space is 32x48, I believe...it is a desktop from Ikea that was only sold for about a year...called the MALVAKT or something like that).
It took me AGES to land on a good bundle deal (they end up being $5+ ea if you look for single colors, but they can drop down to $2 and under each if you get a large quantity) and also on the exact type of tray I wanted to use. There are other cafeteria trays that I've seen people use that nest versus stack, which means they don't leave a gap where puzzle pieces wouldn't get smooshed by the bottom of the next tray when nested. Since the bottoms aren't flat, I always worried the nesting variety would potentially leave imprints on pieces, so I specifically sought out the stacking variety...only to discover that I don't stack them, I tend to rotate them as I stack them to be able to have an open space to grab them versus having to pinch the sides and pick them up. I still think I'd prefer them over the nesting variety, though.
Thanks for sharing your experience, those cafeteria trays are a great value!
I use the cookie sheets from the dollar tree . I stack them and I can always put en empty one on top to cover to keep away from the doggie. They are heavy but it is my go to. I did get the Ravensburger sort ones for Christmas. Might use them for a long term puzzle. Great video
That's a great idea using the cookie sheets to keep it away from your doggie!
Hi Emilee, I have the Galison ones. They work well as I only do 500 and 1000 piece. Love Oliver/Loki at the end of the video 🐱
Thanks for sharing!! That was Oliver!
I loved this video! A topic I really enjoy and the video felt like a new style of quality. Great job! I like 10x10 trays and 14x10 larger trays. I sometimes line my trays with oversized paper that I cut to size to add friction.
That's a great idea!
Have a homemade variation of the Nariola ones. Have them covered with decor film so they're all white. For larger puzzles I also use cafeteria trays of white plastic. I don't sort, so full flip on trays. Deep tray would just be annoying, and I can stack the trays, making them so easy. When combining two half empty trays, pieces just slide off, but never on their own.
That's awesome!!
Very nice. I didn't know there were so many options for trays. I currently use the trays that came with my puzzle board. When I'm doing a 1000 piece puzzle, sometimes I wish I had more places to put the pieces. Love your puzzle image. Thanks for sharing.
I’m so glad you liked the image! I love that one.
I use the hobby lobby trays 12x16... love them.. I do not sort. I flip all the pieces over then pick out sections as needed, this way I can see all the pieces at once.... I do not do more than 1000 count so this works well for me.... sorting boggles my mind trying to decide which pile to put a piece in... glad to see lots of options so everyone can pick what works best for them....
That's usually how I am too. I seldom sort pieces, it ends up just being trays to store pieces.
I have a set that grateful house made. I am quite sad they don’t make them anymore
Thank you for doing the review! I use the buffalo ones and really hate them but didn’t want to waste more money on testing other trays again. Added the Nariolar ones to my cart, and it worked out great because I’ve been looking for a puzzle folder however they always show sold out until I found out Nariolar sells them too!!
You’re welcome! It’s such an experiment to get the right ones for your puzzling space!
I have 2 sets of the white Tidyboss trays from Amazon and I like them. They are stackable, plastic and measure 8 x 8. You get 8 of them. Thank you for your puzzle sorting tray review, very informative!
Nice! I saw those ones too!
Great video! Thx! I'm new to puzzling and bought the buffalo games sorting trays cuz of the price. They work well for me since I have a small workspace. I just did a 2000 piece puzzle with them, but also used the box tops as well. If I had more room, I'd love to use larger trays for sure and see how that would change things for me. I definitely think the larger trays would help me for shape sorting. But so far I avoid puzzles where I have to do alot of that.
I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Welcome to puzzling it’s a very fun hobby I love it I’m addicted puzzling and puzzles I love it
@@christee299 how did you enjoy 2k pieces what puzzle was it?
@@achild4363 thx!
@achild4363 Well, I have to say that a 2000 piece is never my first choice. However, I really wanted to do a Christmas puzzle and it was the only one who had an image I absolutely loved. So I had to have it. It was cookie town by Buffalo Games. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Ravensburger has a similar puzzle that's 1,000 pieces. But it wasn't gonna arrive until end of January. However, I do like the BG one better cuz there is scenery that goes down the middle of it. So, it broke up the monotony of the cookie town. Thanks for asking! 😊
I love the wooden ones
I like the tray options thanks for sharing
You're welcome!
@ I appreciate everything you share on your videos even the The time you put into making it
I have a puzzle board that came with puzzle trays no splinters with them I also got Grateful house puzzle tray that is no longer available & I got TIDYBOSS Trays 8x8 inch
That sounds like a great collection!
I use Tupperware the ones that have dividers them
Such a good choice!
The OG all4jig are the ones I use too and really like them!
I love how big they are!
@@thecasualpuzzler me too- they deff wouldn't be something you'd want to bring places but they are great for a 1k at home
I recently used flexible cutting board (Dollar Tree)and jumbo paper clips to move sections of my 1st Advent Calendar puzzle (and 1st 1000+ puzzle). I don't have a lot of space. Recently added the cardboard from a 2025 wall calendar to my other sorting trays (box tops & cookie sheets). The cardboard was perfect for doing a section on top of the puzzle and them moving them into place. I'd love have some sorting that are the same size as my box tops so I'll be checking the links.
I love using my dollar tree boards as well for putting puzzle pieces away. They come in handy. It's always good to just use what you have too.
This was a great video and I have enjoyed your others as well.
This may be a small thing but the brand ravensburger is pronounced raven like the black bird .
Cheers
I've met the brand before and they pronounce it the way I do. If you follow them on Instagram they share the different pronunciations.
@@thecasualpuzzler my apologies. I've only ever heard it said one way. thanks.
Hello 👋🏾 new subscriber here. Currently working on a puzzle while listening to this lol 🧩
Welcome to the channel! Glad you're puzzling along!
It's always tricky to find what works for trays
It's so true! I've tried so many, and everyone uses them differently
Hello Emilee
Emilee thanks for this video, but you need to slow down your speech. You are going too fast.
Thanks for the feedback. I am someone who always uses the speed feature on UA-cam and watch things on 1.5 or 2x speed, so I always sound slow to me when I’m watching in real time. You are always welcome to slow me down with that feature.