Large Dry Erase Calendar: Best Wall & Board Options

Okay so I just spent like three weeks testing every large dry erase calendar I could get my hands on because honestly my wall calendar situation was a disaster and I figured if I’m gonna recommend stuff to clients I should actually know what works.

The Wall-Mounted vs Board Situation

First thing you gotta figure out is whether you want something that sticks directly to your wall or an actual board. I know that sounds obvious but here’s the deal – the stick-on ones are HUGE space savers and look cleaner, but if your walls are textured at all? Forget it. I have that slightly bumpy wall texture in my office and the adhesive calendars just… they bubble up and look terrible. My dog kept trying to eat the corners that were peeling off which was not helpful.

The framed boards are heavier and you need to actually mount them properly (learned that the hard way when mine crashed down at 2am) but they work on any wall surface and you can move them around.

My Top Picks for Stick-On Wall Calendars

The Jumbo One Everyone Recommends

The WallPops Dry Erase Calendar is like 24 x 36 inches and honestly it’s pretty solid if you have smooth walls. I tested this one first because it kept coming up in searches. The material is this thick vinyl that actually writes really smoothly – I was using both fine tip and chisel tip markers on it and both worked fine.

What I liked: it comes with these little marker holders that stick to the wall next to it which is genius because otherwise where do your markers go. Also the monthly grid is pre-printed which saves you from having to draw lines every month like some kind of cave person.

What drove me nuts: the adhesive is supposed to be repositionable but after you stick it once and try to move it, it loses like 60% of its stick. I had to move mine twice because I’m bad at measuring and the second time I needed those 3M strips to keep the edges down.

The Giant Yearly One

Okay so this is gonna sound weird but I actually love the AT-A-GLANCE Horizontal Erasable Wall Planner even though it shows the whole year at once. It’s 48 x 32 inches so it’s MASSIVE. I put this in my home office and my husband was like “that’s insane” but joke’s on him because now he actually checks what’s happening before making plans.

The whole year view thing is actually super helpful for seeing patterns – like I noticed I was scheduling client calls too close together on certain days. The boxes for each day are small though, so you can really only fit like 2-3 things per day before it gets cramped. I use abbreviations a lot.

This one has a proper frame though so it’s not stick-on, you gotta mount it. The frame is plastic but it doesn’t look cheap which surprised me.

Actual Mounted Boards That Don’t Suck

Quartet Magnetic Option

The Quartet Magnetic Calendar Board changed my whole setup honestly. It’s a proper whiteboard material with a printed calendar grid and here’s the key thing – it’s magnetic. So you can use those little circular magnets to hold papers, or I use magnetic clips for bills I need to pay.

I got the 3 x 2 foot version and it fits a full month with enough space that I can actually write “dentist 2pm” instead of just “D”. The frame is aluminum and feels sturdy. Mounting it was annoying because it’s heavy – definitely need two people and you want to hit studs in your wall, not just drywall anchors.

The surface erases SO cleanly though. I’ve had it for like 8 months now and there’s no ghosting at all. I use Expo markers mostly but I tested some cheap Amazon basics markers and even those erased fine.

Oh and another thing – the magnetic feature means you can add those magnetic accessories. I bought these magnetic storage cups that hold my markers and erasers right on the board which keeps everything organized.

The Budget Pick That’s Actually Good

Wait I forgot to mention the Board Dudes Magnetic Dry Erase Calendar Board because it’s like half the price of the Quartet and honestly works almost as well. The surface isn’t quite as smooth and after about 4 months I’m starting to see some very faint ghosting in the boxes where I write the same stuff every week.

It’s 17 x 23 inches so smaller but that actually worked better for my client who has a tiny apartment kitchen. She mounted it on the side of her fridge using the magnetic backing – oh yeah, this one has a magnetic BACK too so it can stick to metal surfaces. Pretty clever.

The frame is plastic and feels a bit flimsy compared to the Quartet but for $18 or whatever it costs now, it’s solid. I recommended this to like five people and nobody’s complained yet.

The Premium Options for People Who Care About Aesthetics

Rustic Charm Vibes

Okay so funny story, I ordered the Barnyard Designs Decorative Hanging Wall Calendar thinking it would be too cutesy but I actually ended up keeping it in my kitchen. It’s got this rustic wood frame that somehow doesn’t look farmhouse-tacky. The calendar surface is only 16 x 20 inches but the whole piece with the frame is bigger and makes a statement.

The dry erase surface is glass which writes like butter and erases perfectly every time. Glass is definitely the premium option for surfaces – nothing sticks to it, no ghosting ever. But it’s also the heaviest and most breakable so maybe don’t put it where your kids play basketball indoors or whatever.

This one hangs from a rope/chain situation rather than mounting flush to the wall, so it has this floating look. My friend visited and immediately ordered one because it actually looks like decor instead of office equipment.

The Sleek Modern One

The U Brands Glass Dry Erase Board with their calendar stencil situation is what I use in my actual office where clients see it. It’s just a frameless glass board that mounts with these standoff hardware pieces so it floats off the wall about half an inch. Super modern looking.

You can buy their monthly calendar stencil that you put behind the glass, or honestly I just used a printed calendar I designed and stuck it back there. The glass is 35 x 23 inches and crystal clear.

This is gonna sound dramatic but writing on glass with a good marker is *chef’s kiss*. It glides. The erasing is perfect. I’ve had this for over a year and it looks brand new still.

The downside is cost – it’s like $80-100 depending on sales – and installation is fiddly because you need to get all four mounting points level or it looks crooked. I had to redo mine twice. Also not magnetic which I missed more than I expected.

Monthly vs Yearly Layouts

I keep going back and forth on this myself. Monthly calendars give you way more space to actually write stuff – you can fit your whole schedule plus meal planning plus whatever else. But then you lose the big picture view.

I ended up using both honestly. The yearly one in my home office for long-term planning and seeing the whole year, and then monthly ones in my workspace and kitchen for detailed daily stuff. Is that excessive? Maybe. Does it work? Yeah actually.

For most people I’d say start with a monthly layout because you’ll actually use it. The yearly ones end up being more reference than active planning tools.

Size Matters More Than You Think

Everyone thinks they want the biggest calendar possible but here’s what I learned – if it’s too big for your space it overwhelms the wall and you stop seeing it. Your brain just tunes it out as background.

I had a 4×3 foot calendar at one point and I literally stopped noticing it after two weeks. Moved it to a different wall where it fit the space better and suddenly I was looking at it again.

Measure your wall space but also stand back and think about sight lines. Where will you actually BE when you need to check this calendar? I put one behind my desk initially which was stupid because I never turned around to look at it.

The Marker Situation Nobody Talks About

Okay this is important – the calendar is only as good as the markers you use with it. I’ve tested probably 30 different dry erase markers at this point and here’s the real talk:

Expo is standard for a reason. They work, they erase clean, they last a decent amount of time. The chisel tip is better for calendars than fine tip because you can write both thick and thin.

But the U Brands low odor markers are actually my favorites now. They smell less offensive when you’re writing a bunch of stuff, and the ink is slightly more vibrant. They cost a bit more though.

Whatever you do, avoid the dollar store markers. I tested them because I was curious and they dry out in like two weeks even with the caps on. Also they ghost badly on everything.

Oh and get a good eraser. Those little felt erasers that come with calendars are terrible. I use either the Expo precision eraser or honestly just a microfiber cloth works great.

The Color Coding Thing

I resisted color coding for years because it seemed fussy but then I tried it and okay fine it’s helpful. I use different colors for different types of activities – blue for client stuff, green for personal appointments, red for deadlines.

You can buy marker sets with multiple colors or just get a few individual ones. The Quartet assorted colors pack has like 8 colors and they all erase the same which is key – some brands have colors that stain more than others.

Maintenance Real Talk

Even the best calendars need cleaning beyond just erasing. I learned this when my supposedly non-ghosting calendar started looking dingy. Once a month I wipe the whole thing down with isopropyl alcohol on a microfiber cloth and it looks brand new again.

For stubborn marks that won’t erase, write over them with a dry erase marker and then immediately erase – the new ink picks up the old ink somehow. Works like 90% of the time.

If you get permanent marker on your calendar by accident (I’ve done this twice because I’m apparently bad at grabbing the right marker), hand sanitizer removes it. Just put some on the mark, let it sit for a few seconds, then wipe. You’re welcome.

Specific Recommendations Based on Your Situation

Small apartment or dorm: Board Dudes magnetic one, stick it on your fridge or get the smallest wall mount version. Don’t go bigger than 24 inches or it’ll dominate your space.

Family command center: The Quartet magnetic board, 3×2 foot size minimum. You need the space for multiple people’s schedules and the magnetic feature for holding permission slips and stuff.

Home office where you meet clients: U Brands glass board with a nice printed calendar behind it. Looks professional, works perfectly.

Just need something functional and cheap: The WallPops vinyl calendar does the job for like $20 and you can replace it yearly without feeling bad.

You want to see the whole year: AT-A-GLANCE yearly planner, but get the biggest size they make or the daily boxes are too small.

Kitchen meal planning: Something around 20×24 inches, magnetic if possible so you can stick recipes to it. The rustic wood frame ones look nice in kitchens.

I’m still testing a few others honestly – there’s this acrylic calendar I ordered that hasn’t arrived yet and I’m curious about the really premium custom ones but those cost like $200+ which seems excessive for something you write on with markers.

The main thing is just pick one and actually use it. I had clients who bought beautiful calendars and then never wrote on them because they were “too nice” which completely defeats the purpose. It’s a tool, not art. Write on it, erase it, write on it again. That’s literally the whole point.