(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter. And check out her latest book, Out of Water, now available where books are sold!)
The King Jim MagFlap Clipboard is one of the best stationery items I have ever owned and I do not say that lightly. By the time I was in my second week of grad school, and realized that I would be reading a minimum of 500 pages of scholarly articles every week, I knew two things: 1) I could not do that much reading on a screen. 2) I was going to need a way to contain, transport, and highlight a lot of papers all day every day. So I requested one of these. I've named her Maggie and she's my partner in crime. We go everywhere together, even from room-to-room in the house. If you have any need at all for a portable writing surface, I recommend this one.
The clipboard is thin, but very sturdy with no flexibility, so you can hold it at one corner and still write on a firm surface. The clip is very strong and goes the whole width of the top, so the corners of your document are protected and secured. At the bottom, there is a magnetic flap that closes over the bottom edges of the papers, so they do not flip up or fly around, and it keeps the entire page secured. There is another magnetic flap on the back of the clipboard, so when you finish a page, you can flip it up and over the clip, and secure it at the back, so it isn't dangling and it is protected from getting tattered.
The magnets are very strong, so nothing slips or slides around. Watch your fingertips, though, because they are strong enough to pinch a bit. It can also be attached to metal surfaces, like a refrigerator. While the specs say it holds 10-30 sheets, I can attest to it holding much more than that securely with no trouble at all. I know I've carried at least 50 pages at a time in it with no issues, and the clip is still holding strong.
The one thing this clipboard is missing is some kind of pen loop. If it could also securely hold my highlighter, it would be the most perfect thing ever. As it is, it's still very great. I think it would be perfect not just for students, but also artists, office workers, or anyone who has to do a lot of writing on their feet, like nurses or teachers. It isn't cheap at $14.50, but it is totally worth it. I might even need a backup or two, and one for the fridge as well.
(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
