Ready to take your puzzle game up a notch? You don’t need to run out to buy the latest puzzle or invest in a fancy puzzle table. You can do it with a simple tool that all pro puzzlers love: puzzle sorters.
In this blog, we’re breaking down what puzzle sorters are, the pros and cons of using them, the different types available, and even a few DIY options.
Puzzle sorting trays aren’t complicated. They’re simple containers that you can use to organize your pieces as you get to work on your next puzzle.
For example, if you want to organize your edges and middle pieces or sort your pieces by color, you can use sorting trays to keep them all separate. No more random piles of puzzle pieces that meld together into a confusing mess!
Puzzle sorting trays also make it easy to pick up and move a whole category of pieces. Say you’re puzzling with a friend and they’re working on a sky portion of a landscape puzzle. You can simply pass them the tray of blue pieces, and they can get to it.
If you’re the kind of puzzler who likes to build mini sections of your puzzle away from the main puzzling space and piece them together later, sorting trays make that process easier, too. They also keep your puzzle pieces safe from being dropped or lost.
Is there anything puzzle sorting trays can’t do? Well, yes, they’re not magic. But when it comes to keeping your puzzling process organized and streamlined, they’re basically superheroes.
There are tons of different types of puzzle sorting trays, from branded options from your favorite puzzle brands to DIY alternatives that use common household items. At Completing the Puzzle, we even make our own sorting trays! Let’s look at your options and explore the pros and cons of each one.
Stacking puzzle trays, also called nesting puzzle trays, are great for puzzlers with limited space. If you don’t have a dedicated space to work on your puzzle and need to put it away in between sessions, stacking puzzle trays make it easy to keep your pieces organized without taking up a ton of room in your closet.
We love stacking puzzle trays because they’re specifically made for puzzling and come in sets of multiple trays. They’re easy to transport, and you can even find some in cute puzzle piece shapes.
The downside to these sorting trays is that they’re more expensive than DIY options that use items you already have around your home.
Puzzle trays come in all different colors, but it isn’t as simple as just choosing your favorite. Some colors make it hard to see your actual puzzle pieces.
We love using these orange puzzle sorting trays because orange is the least common color used in puzzles, so most pieces pop in contrast.
We don’t recommend sorting trays that have patterns on them because they can make your pieces harder to identify. Instead, opt for a solid color that offers enough contrast from the colors of your puzzle.
Some puzzle tables and boards have built-in puzzle trays so that you can keep everything in one place. For example, this puzzle board has pull-out drawers that can keep your puzzle pieces conveniently organized.
The pro of built-in sorting trays is that they also come with a flat, hard surface for your puzzle. The cons are that they’re bulky, not as easy to transport, and more expensive than other options.
Don’t want to spend money on sorting trays? Make your own using baking sheets, cafeteria trays, or foam boards.
Foam boards have gotten more popular lately because they’re cheap and easy to find at a dollar store. You can also choose a color that will make your puzzle pieces pop. Since foam boards don’t have edges, it’s easy to grab your puzzle piece off of them.
However, no edges can also become a downside to foam boards. If you aren’t careful, you could lose some puzzle pieces off the sides of the board. Another drawback is that foam boards aren’t as durable as real sorting trays, so you’ll have to replace them more often.
Baking sheets can be a great option, but they may take up more space than you have available. If your baking sheets don’t have a lip, you could run into the same problems as foam boards.
For competitive puzzlers who care about speed more than anything else, we’ve got the perfect sorting trays for you. ZAKCO Puzzle Boards make custom two-sided sorting trays so you can choose the color that works best with your puzzle.
Another perk is that one side doesn’t have a lip, so you can easily slide off pieces or entire sections of your puzzle without messing it up.
We love the care that goes into these puzzle boards. They’re obviously more expensive than some of the other options, but you’re supporting a small business and treating yourself to premium sorting trays.
The best part about using sorting trays is that they’re completely versatile. You can find the organizational system that works for you, and you can switch it up for every puzzle.
You can sort your puzzle pieces by:
Organization isn’t the only reason to sort your puzzle pieces. Sorting makes it easier to pass pieces to a partner and saves a ton of space. It also helps you focus on one section at a time instead of feeling overwhelmed by tons of puzzle pieces.
Another reason we love them? They make it easy to work on a puzzle on the go. For example, if you’re building a small puzzle on a train, sorting trays with lips prevent puzzles from falling off your surface.
Sorting your pieces can also make it easier to spot a match. You know when you put together an entire section of a puzzle but aren’t sure where it goes in the overall image yet? You can put your mini sections off to the side on a sorting tray and then wait until you find their spot to add them to the larger puzzle.
Simply put, using sorting trays makes puzzling more organized and less messy, and it can also help your strategy. Plus, you’ll feel like a bona fide pro puzzler when you upgrade to sorting trays.
At Completing the Puzzle, we’re big fans of puzzle sorting trays. They make everything more fun and elevate the entire puzzle experience.
Looking for another way to uplevel your puzzle game? Check out Completing the Puzzle, the first-of-its-kind puzzle rental program. Here’s how it works: you choose the puzzles you want to do and we ship them to you one at a time. When you’re done, simply send it back to us with the prepaid shipping label and we’ll send off your next selection.
Check out all the details and get started with a Completing the Puzzle membership today.