Glass Whiteboards South Africa: 4mm vs 6mm, Sandblasted vs White Background - The Complete Buyer's Guide
Rosa BarnardShare
After 30 years making whiteboards in Johannesburg, the two questions I get asked most often about glass boards are: "Should I go 4mm or 6mm?" and "What's the difference between sandblasted and white background?"
They're not trivial questions. Get it wrong and you're spending R2 399 to R7 399 on a board that doesn't suit your space. Get it right and you've got a writing surface that'll last a decade, never ghost, and genuinely make the room look better. This guide answers both questions properly, using real specs and prices from boards we manufacture and supply across South Africa every day.
Why glass? The South African context
Standard whiteboards use a coated steel or melamine surface. That coating degrades. Within two to five years of regular use, most traditional whiteboards start ghosting. You cannot get rid of the faint marker shadows no matter what you use. The surface scratches, stains, and in places like Durban and Cape Town, humidity speeds up the damage considerably.
Glass is non-porous. Marker ink cannot absorb into it. It cannot ghost. It cannot stain. A glass whiteboard you install today will wipe just as cleanly in ten years, because you're writing on the surface of glass itself, not on a coating that slowly wears away.
There's also a South African-specific factor most buyers don't think about: load shedding. If your meeting runs into the evening and the power goes out, a white background glass board reflects torchlight and emergency lighting far better than a sandblasted board. If your office runs mostly on natural daylight, the sandblasted board's anti-glare properties become an advantage. More on this below.
What is a glass whiteboard, exactly?
It's a frameless writing surface made from tempered safety glass, mounted directly to the wall using stainless steel stand-off fittings. No frame. The glass is cut to size with polished edges, held slightly off the wall by the fittings, which gives it that clean floating look.
You write on it with standard dry-erase markers. It wipes completely clean. It doesn't ghost. Because the surface is glass and not a coating, there's nothing to degrade over time.
Glass whiteboards have historically come in two thicknesses, 4mm and 6mm, and two surface treatments, sandblasted and white background. We now manufacture in 6mm only, in both finishes. The section below explains why, because the 4mm question still comes up constantly and it deserves a straight answer.
Part 1: 4mm vs 6mm
4mm, and why we stopped stocking it
4mm tempered glass was the entry point for glass whiteboards in South Africa for years. It was genuinely rigid, not some flimsy panel, but at larger sizes there was a slight amount of give if you pressed hard in the centre. For most home offices and smaller meeting rooms it did the job, and the lower price point is what traditionally made it attractive.
We no longer stock 4mm. The price gap between 4mm and 6mm narrowed to the point where the thinner option stopped being worth stocking. Once the saving becomes marginal, the argument for 4mm disappears: a wall-mounted glass panel with any amount of flex, however minor, introduces risk over time, particularly in busy environments. It also limited buyers to the two smaller sizes, so anyone whose needs grew had already capped themselves.
If you have been quoted on 4mm elsewhere, the comparison below is still worth reading. It is the reason we made the call.
6mm
6mm is a different experience entirely. Press it anywhere and there's zero movement, it feels like a fixed pane of architectural glass. At larger sizes especially, the extra thickness removes any micro-movement that would affect the writing feel. It's also simply a more confidence-inspiring installation, the kind where you mount it once and never think about it again.
Available sizes: 600mm x 900mm, 900mm x 1200mm, 1200mm x 1500mm and 1200mm x 1800mm, in both sandblasted and white background. Prices from R2 399.
Where it makes sense: corporate boardrooms, large format installations, high-traffic environments where the board gets heavy daily use, and any space where the board is meant to be a focal point. If you're going larger than 900mm x 1200mm, 6mm is the only sensible choice. And at the smaller sizes it is now simply the standard. The stability is better, the safety margin is higher, and over a ten-year lifespan the price difference stopped being meaningful.
One thing I want to be clear about
Whether you buy from us or someone else, make sure the glass is toughened tempered safety glass. Some cheaper imports use annealed glass, regular glass, which shatters into dangerous shards if it breaks. All Bestboard glass whiteboards use toughened tempered safety glass. That means if something goes wrong, it fractures into small blunt pieces rather than dangerous shards. Always ask your supplier to confirm the glass is toughened tempered safety glass before you hand over any money. And be aware that the thicker the glass, the greater the inherent structural strength, which is another reason 6mm is the safer default, not just the premium option.
4mm vs 6mm at a glance
| 4mm | 6mm | |
|---|---|---|
| Available sizes | Up to 900mm x 1200mm | Up to 1200mm x 1800mm |
| Weight | Lighter, easier to install | Substantially heavier |
| Rigidity | Good at smaller sizes, some flex under pressure | Zero flex at all sizes |
| Wall requirements | Drywall with anchors acceptable | Solid masonry or reinforced drywall preferred |
| Best use | Smaller home and personal spaces | Boardrooms, offices, most commercial installations |
| Safety glass | Toughened tempered safety glass | Toughened tempered safety glass |
| Price range | No longer stocked | R2 399 - R7 399 |
| Our recommendation | Discontinued, the saving no longer justified the trade-off | The standard across our full range |
Part 2: Sandblasted vs white background
This is where most people get stuck, because the names don't tell you much. Here's exactly what each one is. Both are the same price at every size, so this is purely a question of what suits your space.
Sandblasted
Sandblasting is a surface treatment. Fine abrasive particles are blasted against the glass to create a uniformly frosted, matte finish. The result is a surface that's translucent rather than transparent, you can see light through it, but not what's behind it.
As a whiteboard, the frosted surface gives a slightly textured writing experience. Marker ink sits on it and wipes off cleanly. The board has a cool, contemporary look, a soft neutral grey-white that works well in both modern and industrial interiors.
It's at its best in spaces with exposed brick, concrete, timber or dark accent walls, or wherever you've got a neutral or grey palette and strong natural light. The frosted glass catches and diffuses daylight differently through the day, which makes it look genuinely good in the right space.
The load shedding angle: sandblasted glass has better anti-glare properties during the day. If your Johannesburg or Cape Town office has big windows and strong afternoon sun, the sandblasted surface eliminates the washout and glare that makes a bright white board hard to read. Particularly relevant in open-plan offices where you can't always position the board away from the windows.
One honest note: because the surface is frosted rather than bright white, marker contrast is slightly lower, especially with lighter colours like green, orange or light blue. Dark markers (black, navy, red) are excellent. If the board needs to be read from across a large room, think about the white background option.
White background
Same tempered glass, but with a white lacquered backing applied behind it. You're writing on the front surface of clear glass, with white behind it. The result is a bright, high-contrast writing surface that looks like a premium whiteboard, but with a glass surface that will never deteriorate, ghost or stain.
This one works best in corporate or light-coloured interiors, training rooms and classrooms where visibility from a distance matters, and offices with limited natural light where the bright white surface helps reflect what's available and makes the space feel larger.
The load shedding angle: white background reflects torchlight and emergency lighting far more effectively than sandblasted. If your office runs evening meetings and load shedding is a regular reality, and in South Africa it is, a white background board stays readable under battery-powered emergency lighting. That's a practical consideration I've had more than a few buyers in Johannesburg and Pretoria tell me they wish they'd thought about before choosing sandblasted.
Sandblasted vs white background at a glance
| Sandblasted | White Background | |
|---|---|---|
| Appearance | Frosted, matte, translucent | Bright white, high contrast |
| Writing contrast | Very good, best with dark markers | Excellent with all marker colours |
| Glare in direct sunlight | Minimal, good anti-glare | More reflective in strong light |
| Under emergency or torch lighting | Less visible | Reflects light well, more readable |
| Best aesthetic fit | Industrial, Scandi, modern, prestige | Corporate, educational, neutral |
| Fingerprints and smudges | Forgiving, hides easily | More visible on the white surface |
| Best for load shedding | Daytime and natural light offices | Evening and low light environments |
| Price | Same at every size | Same at every size |
The two finishes in practice
6mm White Background, from R2 399
Our most popular board for corporate boardrooms in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town and Durban, and our standard recommendation for most commercial installations regardless of size. Maximum writing contrast, zero flex, available up to 1200mm x 1800mm. This is the workhorse, training rooms, executive meeting rooms, anywhere the board is a daily working tool for groups of people. Readable from across any room, under any lighting. If you're unsure which board to choose, start here.
6mm Sandblasted, from R2 399
The premium aesthetic choice, at the same price as the white background. This is the board that becomes a design feature, the one architects and interior designers specify for prestige offices, reception areas and high-end fit-outs in Sandton, Century City and Umhlanga. At 1200mm x 1800mm it's the largest and most visually striking board in the range. Choose this if the board is as much about the interior as it is about function, or if glare from large windows is a daily problem.
Installation: what to expect
All Bestboard glass whiteboards come with stainless steel stand-off fittings that hold the glass slightly away from the wall. That's what creates the floating appearance.
Fix to solid masonry walls where possible. Drywall installations require toggle bolts or Dutch anchors that distribute the load correctly, particularly important for 6mm boards. The larger boards (1200mm x 1500mm and 1200mm x 1800mm) are heavy. Two people are required for the installation, and I'd strongly recommend professional installation at these sizes. In older Cape Town buildings with plaster-and-lath walls, or modern offices with standard drywall, get professional advice before mounting a 6mm board. A falling glass board is a serious safety hazard.
On that note: this is partly why we standardised on 6mm. The additional thickness and weight, properly mounted on a solid wall, actually makes for a more stable installation than a lighter 4mm panel. The mass works in your favour once it's correctly fixed. The risk comes from incorrect installation, not from the glass itself, and a professional installer working with 6mm on a solid wall is the lowest-risk outcome across the board.
Custom sizes are available in both finishes. If your space needs a non-standard dimension, send us your measurements and we'll quote accordingly. Free delivery applies on all glass whiteboard orders to all major centres across South Africa.
Five questions to ask before you buy
1. Is the glass toughened tempered safety glass? Get written confirmation from your supplier. Don't accept a vague answer on this. Non-tempered glass is a safety risk in any workplace.
2. What fixings are supplied? Stainless steel stand-off fittings should be included. Some suppliers charge separately, factor that into your comparison.
3. Is professional installation available? For 6mm boards especially, it's strongly advisable. Ask whether your supplier offers it or can recommend someone.
4. Are custom sizes available? Standard sizes may not fit your space. A manufacturer can produce custom dimensions. Most resellers cannot.
5. What's the warranty? A reputable manufacturer should cover their boards properly. Ask what the warranty covers and for how long, and get it in writing.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use standard dry-erase markers? Yes. Any brand of dry-erase marker works on both sandblasted and white background surfaces. You don't need specialist glass markers.
Do glass whiteboards ghost? No. Ghosting happens when a coating degrades. The writing surface on a glass whiteboard is glass itself, there's nothing to degrade. They don't ghost, even after years of daily use.
Is sandblasted glass harder to write on? The experience is slightly different rather than harder. The frosted texture means the marker glides with very slight resistance compared to the smooth white background surface. Both wipe clean easily.
Are the boards frameless? Yes. Fully frameless, mounted on stainless steel stand-off fittings. No aluminium or plastic frame of any kind.
Can I get a custom size? Yes. Contact us with your measurements and we'll quote.
Are glass whiteboards safe? Yes. Toughened tempered safety glass is roughly four times stronger than standard glass of the same thickness. If it breaks, it shatters into small blunt pieces, not dangerous shards. This is also one of the reasons we settled on 6mm as the standard, the additional thickness provides a meaningfully higher safety margin.
How long do they last? Indefinitely under normal use. Unlike coated whiteboards that typically degrade within two to five years, glass whiteboards have no coating to wear away.
Are they more expensive than traditional whiteboards? The upfront price is higher. But when you factor in replacing a traditional whiteboard every few years, plus the productivity cost of a ghosted, stained surface, glass boards are frequently more economical over a ten-year period.
What's the largest standard size? 1200mm x 1800mm, available in both finishes. Larger custom sizes can be quoted.
Which is better for load shedding? White background. It reflects emergency and torch lighting more effectively. If your office has evening meetings and load shedding is a real concern, go white background.
Do you still sell 4mm glass whiteboards? No. We manufacture in 6mm only. The price gap between the two narrowed to the point where the thinner option stopped being worth stocking, and 6mm gives you better stability, a higher safety margin and access to the larger sizes.
The verdict by use case
Corporate boardroom in Sandton, Umhlanga or Century City: 6mm Sandblasted. It looks authoritative, handles glare from large windows, and makes a statement in any client-facing space.
Home office or hybrid remote worker: 6mm White Background at 600mm x 900mm. The smallest size in the range, and the brightest surface for a room that may not get much natural light.
High-traffic collaborative space, agency, school or startup: 6mm White Background, no question. The workhorse. Handles heavy daily use, readable from anywhere in the room, and performs in any lighting including during load shedding.
Prestige reception or architect-designed interior: 6mm Sandblasted. At this level it's a design object as much as a functional board.
Ready to order?
Bestboard has manufactured glass whiteboards in Johannesburg since 1996, supplying offices, boardrooms, schools and training facilities across South Africa. Free delivery nationwide.
Browse the full glass whiteboard range, or use the links below to go straight to what you need:
Not sure which finish is right for your space? Call us on (011) 440 1506 or email info@bestboard.co.za and we'll help you choose.
