Revolution Lightboard: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Revolution Lightboards are our favorite piece of microlearning video technology. We use them in most of our videos. Our experience has taught us the following things you should know before you buy a Revolution Lightboard for your online courses. 

Revolution Lightboard Review: Everything You Need to Know Before You Invest In One

#1. What size of a Lightboard do you need? 

Revolution Lightboard sizes are measured in diagonals, with options that are 35, 45, 66, 82, and 95 inches. We use a 45-inch Lightboard, which is the right size for us. 

Larger Lightboards, especially the 82- and 95-inch, give you additional flexibility. They are helpful if you have multiple subject matter experts or need to include a lot of information. The downside is that the writing gets slightly distorted, so the writing in the middle looks slightly different from the writing on the sides. 

For us, the 45-inch Revolution Lightboard is the sweet spot. It is large enough to fit two people behind it. A 35-inch Lightboard can be good for a single subject matter expert, but don’t expect to fit two people. 

#2. Should you get a stand with your Revolution Lightboard? 

When you buy your Revolution Lightboard, you have the option of getting a stand. 

The biggest advantage of the stand is that it fits your Lightboard perfectly and secures it. The stand is also electrical, so you can raise and lower the Lightboard with a button. However, note that stands are very expensive. 

A cheaper alternative is to get a workbench that fits your Lightboard. This will be significantly cheaper, letting you get the benefits of storage space and being able to use the workbench for other things when not in use. But keep in mind that you will have to adjust the workbench manually. Your Lightboard also won’t be secure, so you’ll have to be extra careful not to knock it over. 

#3. How long does it take to build the Revolution Lightboard? 

Assembling Revolution Lightboards is pretty straightforward. Though the company says it takes about 20 minutes, it took us roughly 60 minutes since we had to watch a few videos to understand connecting a certain piece. Still, assembling the Lightboard was not complicated. 

#4. What accessories do you need? 

When you buy a Lightboard, get appropriate accessories as well. You will need a few neon markers, rags to clean the surface, and a cleaning solution. We prefer having two rags, one that gets wet with the cleaning solution and one to dry the surface. 

Related Read: What Is a Lightboard? What Else Do You Need When Using a Lightboard

#5. Should you build a Lightboard of your own (you can!)? 

One common alternative to Revolution Lightboards is to try to build your own lighting and visual board setup. Note that it’s a significant challenge to get the lighting set up properly throughout the board, and not usually worth the effort. 

You will also find other companies offering Lightboards. However, those tend to be more expensive because they have unnecessary features. For example, some will flip the image, which you can easily do when editing footage. 

Related Read: How to Create eLearning Videos With Lightboard?

Conclusion

Revolution Lightboards are an excellent tool for making microlearning videos. They are a little expensive but well worth the investment, in our opinion. Choose a size that fits your needs and whether you want to buy the stand or make do with a more affordable workbench.