I seriously don't know how I got along without it before! I am a teacher and I bought it for my guided reading/guided math table. I love that it is magnetic - I don't have a magnetic whiteboard or really anything magnetic in my entire room (except my filing cabinet) so that was a nice plus. From the pictures it looks like it is metal - it's not metal. It's actually sturdy cardboard with a coating over it. I don't plan on letting my kids use it, so the quality for me isn't an issue. All the colors I've used so far wipes off well - the colored expo markers leave a slight residue but they wipe off with a moist towelette. I also like that I can use both sides. I would definitely recommend this product!