Pochade Box Accessories That Actually Make a Difference Outdoors
Clear, practical guidance on pochade box accessories: tripods, side trays, panel extenders, compatibility notes and sensible starter choices for walkers, car painters and beginners.
Key takeaways
- • Check whether your box has a 1/4" tripod thread before buying a tripod.
- • Choose tripod type by how you travel: lightweight camera tripods for walkers, dedicated wooden tripods for car painters with heavy boxes.
- • u.go magnetic side trays and panel extenders are very useful but work only within the u.go system.
- • Panel extender bars solve portrait-format work; stretched canvas holders fit canvases up to 3/4" deep.
- • Buy accessories after painting a few times so you only spend on what you actually need.
You've got the box. You've been out once or twice. And you've already noticed the gaps. A brush balanced on the palette lid, threatening to roll off every time the wind shifts. A wet panel wrapped in cling film for the train home, sticky side somehow ending up against your coat. A setup that wobbles the moment you stop holding it. None of these are failures of technique; they're solvable problems. The right pochade box accessories make the difference between a session that flows and one that slowly unravels into logistics. This article covers the three main accessory categories, with honest pricing in GBP, clear guidance on what works with what, and a frank note on where the system breaks down.
Before You Buy: The Questions Worth Asking First
Most people browse accessories before they've worked out what they actually need. That's fine, but a few quick checks will save you buying something that doesn't fit your box or your routine.
Does your box have a ¼" tripod mount already? Flip it over and look for a small threaded metal insert in the base. Most modern pochade boxes include one; some budget or older wooden boxes don't. Knowing this before you order a tripod will avoid frustration on arrival.
What panel sizes do you actually paint? Compact pochades handle 6×8" to 8×10" without any fuss. The moment you want to paint something tall, a Georgian terrace or a stand of mature oaks, you'll hit the upper clamp and run out of height. That's exactly what panel extenders are designed to solve.
How do you get to your painting spots? Walkers and public transport users face a different calculation from painters who drive. Weight compounds quickly once you add a tripod, a side tray, and a full paint kit. Budget boxes that feel fine in the car can feel like bad decisions by mile two of a moorland walk.
How will you bring wet paintings home? This is the question beginners most consistently skip, and it becomes urgent after the first session. A box with built-in lid slots, a purpose-made carrier, or even a dedicated wet panel carrier are all worth thinking about before you paint rather than after.
Where will brushes, solvent, and paper towels live during the session? If the answer is "balanced on whatever surface is nearby", a side tray is worth considering. If you already have a system that works, it probably isn't.
Compatibility first
Most pochade box accessories are system-specific. A u.go side tray won't attach magnetically to a Mabef box. Before adding accessories, check whether your box uses magnets, clips, or wooden slots — and whether the brand sells matching add-ons.
Tripods and Mounting Hardware for Pochade Boxes
This is the foundation. Everything else sits on top of it, literally. A stable pochade box tripod matters more outdoors than many beginners expect, because the problems that emerge, a wobble when you load a brush, a slow lean on uneven ground, aren't obvious in a living room but become constant distractions in the field. There are three realistic options for UK painters.
Dedicated wooden tripods: the Mabef MA30
The Mabef MA30 is the natural pairing for heavier wooden pochade boxes. It's built from oiled beech, weighs 1.3 kg, and adjusts from 70 to 116 cm, which covers most working heights for a seated or standing painter. It was designed with the Mabef M105 box in mind, but it suits other heavier wooden boxes reasonably well.
The honest limitation is that it's box-specific in spirit. It doesn't offer the flexibility of a camera tripod with a ball head; you can't repurpose it for a camera or a different setup. If you drive to your painting locations and you own a heavier wooden box, that trade-off is probably fine. If you're also a photographer, or you want one tripod to do multiple jobs, the camera tripod route makes more sense.
Price: £67.00 at Jackson's.
Jackson's
Mabef : MA30 Tripod for Pochade Box
Each Mabef Easel Is Made In Italy From Good Quality Beech Wood. Amongst Professional And Amateur Artists, Mabef Easels Have Been The Popular Choice For Over 50 Years. The Mabef M104 And M105 Pochade Boxes Can Either Be Mounted On A Standard Camera Tripod Or On This Elegant Foldin
Camera tripods and the case for going generic
Most modern pochade boxes use a universal ¼" thread, the same fitting used by cameras. That means a good lightweight camera tripod with a ball head and quick-release plate is a perfectly viable pochade box tripod and often the more flexible choice.
For outdoor painting, aim for a tripod in the 1.3 to 1.7 kg range. The things to avoid are flimsy central columns that flex when you push a brush with any pressure, and legs that don't splay wide enough to stay planted on uneven ground. A tripod that works on the level grass of a London park is a different proposition from one that needs to sit stable on a coastal clifftop in Cornwall or a hillside in the Yorkshire Dales. Wide-splaying legs and a low centre of gravity matter more in exposed locations than maximum height ever will.
A quality mid-range option with a ball head typically costs between £50 and £120 in the UK. Brands like Manfrotto and Velbon have models in this range; it's worth checking specifications carefully rather than buying on brand recognition alone. For a fuller guide to tripod selection for plein air painting, the site's dedicated tripods article at /reviews/best-tripods-umbrellas-plein-air covers this territory in detail.
Mounting brackets: converting a box that lacks a tripod mount
Some budget boxes and homemade builds don't have a ¼" thread built into the base. A tripod mounting bracket solves this for around £8. It's a small, simple fitting, and it opens up the full range of camera tripod compatibility for boxes that would otherwise be stuck on a table or carried as a handheld setup. If you bought a cheaper box without checking the base, this is the fix.
Price: £8.00 at Jackson's.
Jackson's
Studio Essentials : Tripod Mounting Bracket
The Tripod Mounting Bracket Allows You To Convert Your Camera Tripod Into An Easel. The Bracket Can Be Fixed To The Centre Of Your Drawing Board Or Pochade Box, And By Using The Standard Tripod 1/4" Thread In The Centre Of The Adaptor, Can Then Be Fixed To Your Camera Tripod.Boar
| Option | Best for | UK price range | Flexibility |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mabef MA30 wooden stand | Heavier wooden boxes, car painters | ~£67 | Box-specific |
| Lightweight camera tripod + ball head | Walkers, mixed use, all box types | £50–£120 | High |
| Tripod mounting bracket | Budget boxes without a built-in mount | ~£8 | Converts any box |
Side Trays and Brush Holders: Solving the "Where Does Everything Go?" Problem
One of the most consistent frustrations outdoors is having nowhere to put a wet brush, a solvent cup, or a scrap of kitchen roll. A side tray for a pochade box won't transform your painting, but it will stop the session from becoming a muddle of things balanced on the palette lid or propped against the tripod leg.
The u.go magnetic side trays (4×8" and 4×11")
The u.go system from New Wave is the most commercially developed option for UK painters, and the side trays are the most useful accessory in the range. They attach magnetically to the stainless-steel frame of a u.go box, sit flat and stable during the session, and resist solvent contact thanks to their finish. The construction is Baltic birch, which holds up well outdoors.
There are two sizes. The 4×8" is the standard choice for most painters: enough room for a solvent cup, a few brushes laid horizontally, and a folded piece of kitchen roll. The 4×11" suits painters who want more mixing space alongside brush storage, or who find themselves routinely running out of room on the smaller version.
The critical note is that these are system-specific. The magnetic attachment works because u.go boxes have the matching stainless-steel frame; it will not work on a Mabef, a Jullian, or a wooden box without that frame. There's no widely available cross-system magnetic side tray on the UK market at the moment. That's not a flaw in the u.go design, it's just the reality of a proprietary attachment system.
The Cinch bands (sold separately, around £5.90 for a pack of two) are a small but practical add-on: a rubber band that secures the tray flat against the box for transport so it doesn't rattle or shift in a bag.
Prices: 4×8" at £38.00, 4×11" at £39.00. Cinch bands at £5.90 for two.
u.go side trays and accessories
New Wave : U.GO : Plein Air : Anywhere : Side Tray : 4x8in (Apx.10x20cm)
New Wave : U.GO : Plein Air : Anywhere : Side Tray : 4x11in (Apx.10x28cm)
New Wave : U.GO : Plein Air : Cinch : Pack of 2
New Wave : U.GO : Plein Air : Cinch and Carabiner Set
If you don't use a u.go box: practical alternatives
If you're painting with a Mabef, a Jullian, or a budget wooden box, the u.go trays aren't an option. The most practical alternatives are clip-on palette cup holders that attach to the box rim and hold a solvent cup or medium cup securely during the session. A small folding tray placed on a flat surface nearby works if you're painting somewhere stable. Some painters use a dedicated brush roll that sits across the tripod legs or lays flat on the ground.
None of these are as tidy as the magnetic system, but they work. The honest position is that side tray organisation for non-u.go boxes is still a gap in the UK market, and improvisation is often the realistic answer.
Panel Holders and Extenders: Painting Taller Than Your Box
Most compact pochade boxes are optimised for small, landscape-format studies. That's a reasonable default: a 6×8" or 8×10" study captures a lot. But the moment you want to paint a tall oak, a terrace of Georgian houses, or the face of a sea cliff, you run into the vertical limit of the upper panel clamp. A panel holder for your pochade box that extends upward is the direct solution.
u.go panel extender bars (medium and large)
The u.go panel extender bars replace the upper clamping bar with a taller version, allowing the painting surface to extend higher above the box. The medium extender accommodates panels up to approximately 12" in height; the large reaches around 13". Both use the same stainless-steel tooth grip as the standard u.go clamping system, so the hold is consistent.
A couple of practical notes: the extender bars need to be removed before closing the box, and they pack flat without much bulk. They're u.go system only, which by this point in the article is a familiar caveat. If you're already in the u.go ecosystem and you paint portrait-format work, these are a sensible addition.
Prices: Medium at £20.50, Large at £21.50.
u.go panel extender bars
New Wave : U.GO : Plein Air : Panel Extender Bar : Medium
New Wave : U.GO : Plein Air : Panel Extender Bar : Large
Stretched canvas holders
Not every outdoor painter uses rigid panels. If you prefer stretched canvas, the standard panel holder for a pochade box isn't designed to grip it securely; the depth of a canvas frame creates a fit problem. The u.go stretched canvas holder addresses this directly, accommodating canvases up to ¾" deep. It's a straightforward solution for canvas painters who want the pochade box format without switching to boards.
Price: £35.00 at Jackson's.
Jackson's
New Wave : U.GO : Plein Air : Stretched Canvas Holder
The New Wave U.GO Plein Air Stretched Canvas Holder Is Designed To Be Used With The New Wave Pochade Box Range (small, Medium Or Large). It Will Hold Substrates Of Up To 7/8 Inch (22.2mm) Including Stretched Canvas, Painting Panels, Watercolour Blocks And Sketching Pads. The Set
Boxes with panel-carrying built in: the Jackson's Pochade Box
If you haven't yet committed to a system and you're thinking about wet panel transport alongside everything else, the Jackson's own-brand pochade box at £48 is worth knowing about. Its lid slots hold two panels up to 10×12" and 6mm deep, which covers most beginner panel sizes. It has a built-in tripod thread, so it works with a standard camera tripod or mounting bracket immediately.
As a starting point, it bundles a usable painting setup and wet panel storage into one purchase at a price that leaves budget for a decent tripod. It won't take magnetic side trays or u.go extenders, but for a first box, that's not the concern.
Price: £48.00 at Jackson's.
Jackson's
Jackson's : Pochade Painting Box
This Pochade Painting Box Is Perfect For Setting Up A Workplace In The Home Or Painting Plein Air. Its Lid Folds Out To Provide An Easel With Handy Slots For Storing Two Wet Boards After Working. This Easel Can Be Secured At Your Desired Angle Using The Built-in Screws And Butter
For a broader look at wet panel transport options beyond what the box itself can carry, the site's dedicated wet panel carriers article at /reviews/best-wet-panel-carriers-plein-air covers the full range of solutions.
Mixing Accessories Across Systems: What Actually Works
Most accessory pages are written from within a single brand's ecosystem, which leaves painters with mixed setups without clear guidance. Here's an honest breakdown of three realistic scenarios.
"I have a u.go box and want to build out the system." The magnetic ecosystem works well together: box, side tray, panel extender, Cinch bands. The system is coherent and the accessories are available in the UK through Jackson's. The sensible approach is to build gradually: start painting with just the box, notice what you actually miss, then add accordingly. The side tray is the most commonly useful addition; the extenders follow if you're regularly painting portrait-format work.
"I have a Mabef or wooden box and want more organisation." The Mabef MA30 dedicated tripod is a strong pairing for the M105 and similarly weighted boxes. Side tray options are limited without a magnetic frame; clip-on palette cups and a brush roll are the realistic solution here, and they work fine even if they're less integrated. A mounting bracket opens up camera tripod flexibility if your box lacks a built-in thread.
"I have a budget box and want to upgrade incrementally." Start with the tripod mounting bracket at £8 if the base doesn't have a thread. Then invest in a decent camera tripod, which will serve you regardless of what box you upgrade to later. Side trays and extenders can follow once you know which system you're committing to.
The Guerrilla Painter range from the US has its own accessory system for Guerrilla box owners, but it requires importing, which adds cost and delivery time. It's worth knowing about if you already own a Guerrilla box, but it's not the first port of call for UK painters starting from scratch.
Pochade box accessories at a glance
- Side tray (u.go magnetic)
- £38–£39
- Panel extender bar
- £20.50–£21.50
- Stretched canvas holder
- £35
- Dedicated wooden tripod (Mabef MA30)
- £67
- Tripod mounting bracket
- £8
- Cinch band pack (2)
- £5.90
u.go system only
u.go system only
u.go system only
Suits heavier wooden boxes
Universal, DIY-friendly
u.go accessory storage
Our Recommended Starting Points by Painter Type
The walker or commuter should prioritise weight above everything else. A lightweight camera tripod in the 1.3 to 1.7 kg range, paired with a mounting bracket if needed, keeps the setup manageable on foot or on public transport. A u.go box with a small side tray works well if you're in that system; the whole kit can stay under 4 kg with a modest paint selection. Every extra kilogram matters by mile three.
The car painter has more latitude. The Mabef M105 paired with the MA30 wooden tripod is a coherent, well-made setup that suits heavier wooden boxes and benefits from not needing to be carried far. Clip-on palette cups handle brush management well enough without a full magnetic tray system. There's no particular rush to add accessories; the driving painter can afford to wait and see what the gaps actually are.
The beginner on a budget is best served by the Jackson's Pochade Painting Box at £48 combined with a decent camera tripod. The built-in wet panel storage in the lid solves one of the most immediate practical problems, and the tripod-ready base means no bracket is needed. Defer accessories until you've been out several times and know specifically what you're missing.
The broader principle behind all of this is worth stating plainly: accessories should follow practice, not precede it. Buy the box, get outside, notice what actually frustrates you, then solve those specific problems. A side tray bought in anticipation of needing organisation might sit unused if you turn out to prefer keeping everything in a bag at your feet. Spending on a panel extender before you know whether you paint portrait-format work is optimism rather than planning. Go out, paint, and let your own experience tell you what comes next.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Are pochade box accessories universal?
No. Many accessories are system specific. u.go uses magnetic attachments, Mabef and wooden boxes use clips or slots. Check whether your box uses magnets, clips, or a threaded base before buying.
Do I need a dedicated tripod or will a camera tripod work?
Both work. A Mabef MA30 suits heavier wooden boxes and car painters. Lightweight camera tripods (1.3–1.7 kg) with a ball head are more flexible for walkers and mixed use.
How can I carry wet paintings home safely?
Options include boxes with built-in lid slots, a dedicated wet panel carrier, or a box like Jackson's that holds two panels up to 10×12. Plan transport before you paint to avoid problems.
Will a u.go side tray fit my non-u.go box?
No. u.go side trays attach magnetically to their stainless-steel frame. For other boxes use clip-on palette cup holders, a folding tray, or a brush roll as practical alternatives.
What should I buy first if I am starting out?
Start with the box and a stable tripod. Walkers should prioritise a lightweight camera tripod and a mounting bracket if needed. Car painters can consider a heavier wooden tripod. Add trays or extenders after several sessions.
Author
PleinAirPainting Editorial Team
PleinAirPainting.co.uk helps artists paint outdoors with confidence through UK-focused guides, equipment advice, resources and plein air inspiration.
