Magnets for magnetic glass boards

Not just any magnet will do for magnetic glass boards.

The weak magnetism of glass boards, paired with their smooth surface, means you need particularly strong magnets. That's why it's essential to spend two minutes reading this post and familiarize yourself with the magnets that will work, as we've created a guide to ensure you have the best experience with magnets for your glass board.

Essential knowledge before purchasing

Never place magnets close to each other on glass boards since the magnetic field between the magnets is stronger than that from the glass board, and the glass surface is slippery. Magnets moving at high speed can damage both the glass and the magnets. In other words: the magnets are more easily attracted to each other on glass boards and will smash into each other if not spaced well apart. At best, you end up with a big lump of strong magnets that need to be separated. At worst, the magnets break.

Our recommendations for strength selection

Power magnets with strength from 2.5 kg to 12.0 kg.

Hook magnets with strength from 10.0 kg to 32.0 kg.

Try our magnet calculator further down the page.

Power magnets:

When you want to hang paper or similar items on a glass board, we recommend neodymium magnets with a strength of at least 2.5 kg. The stronger the magnet, the more papers you can hang. But beyond 12 kg, it becomes difficult to handle the magnets on your glass board.

Hook magnets:

As glass boards vary so much, we can't offer a general guide. However, our recommendation is to use hook magnets with at least 10 kg of strength. This is suitable for a small bunch of keys or jewellery. Magnets over 32 kg become dangerous to handle because the glass plate is fragile. The need for high strength in hook magnets is due to the indirect pull combined with the smooth surface and the distance to the metal plate behind the glass. Consider a rubber cap for hook magnets, so they don't slip as easily.

Why you need strong magnets

The glass itself is not magnetic; it's the metal plate behind it. This means the magnetic field must penetrate a thick layer of glass.

Furthermore, there is a significant difference in the quality of magnetic glass boards available for purchase. The quality depends on both the thickness of the glass and the magnetism of the metal plate behind it (magnetic flux density).

The thicker the metal backing of your glass board, the stronger the magnetism of the glass board.

ALWAYS read our warning info before buying magnets. If magnets are ingested, seek medical attention immediately due to the risk of choking and damage to the intestines. This applies to both pets and humans.

Which board do you have?

Cheaper, low-quality glass boards require stronger magnets than higher-quality boards, which are often much more expensive.

A good rule of thumb is that cheap magnetic glass boards require magnets with a carrying capacity of at least 2.5 kg, while

you can "get by" with a carrying capacity of down to 1.5 kg for the more robust glass boards.

Since there are so many different magnetic boards on the market, we chose to test on the Danish-designed Chatboard.

The magnets below can be used for Chatboards and other strong magnetic glass boards. The carrying capacity determines how heavy/thick the items you can hang with the magnet are; the higher the carrying capacity, the stronger the magnetic field. Click on the images to proceed to the product cards.

Tired of your supermarket glass board?

Don't give up on your glass board if it doesn't seem very magnetic. You just need the right magnets. Unfortunately, the magnets that come with the glass board package are not always the best. But that's because glass board manufacturers are good at making boards... but maybe not as skilled with the actual magnet part, which is more technical. So before you completely give up and use the glass board as a writing board, try some magnets with a strength of 2.5 kg or more.

Our best selling magnets for glass boards

The sizes we sell the most are 10x10 mm (rod) and 10x10x10 mm (cube). These sizes also fit the cheaper glass boards.

Try out our calculator below: