Best Scratch Map Reviews 2019

If you like scratching things, and also traveling to other countries, have we got a product for you! Scratch maps have been selling like hot cookies for quite some time now, as they're relatively inexpensive, and induce a feeling of Hemingwayness to one's living quarters! To see what are the best products currently on the market, check out our top 5 list and learn more.

Overview

PROS

CONS

SPECS

Size

Material

Reveal

Coating

Extras

Our Top Choice

Maps International Scratch the World

As a product of a British company with over 50 years of experience in cartography, this Scratch the World map is a great way to capture and celebrate your traveling feats!

Comes with an attractive bronze layer as well as a bunch of colorfully-represented countries underneath!

You might want to be careful when scratching off the protective layer so as not to damage the colors.

34.6 x 2 x 20.5 inches, 7.8 ounces

Art Paper

Colored Detailed Map

Bronze Foil

Comes Rolled in a Tube

Best Value

Luckies of London Ltd Scratch World Map

As a brainchild of the industrious and somewhat cheeky Brit named Jim Cox, the Luckies of London Ltd is a business selling everything from scratchable maps to ice cream socks!

Beautiful piece of cartography for a true traveling aficionado!

Could have been a bit larger, so that all countries can be seen properly.

16.5 x 0.1 x 11.7 inches, 2.9 ounces

Paper

Personalized World Map

Gold Foil

Gift-Ready Tube

1DEA.me Detailed Scratch World Off Map

Founded in 2012 with the goal of delivering the best scratchable maps for the eager cartographically-minded people, 1DEA.me is a blooming business today that will only expand in the future!

Well-rounded model that comes with over 10,000 drawn-in locations across the world.

Pretty expensive compared to its other maps.

34.6 x 0.1 x 23.6 inches, 12.8 ounces

Laminated Paper

Colored Detailed Map

Gold Foil

Features over 10,000 places

Landmass Goods Scratch Off USA Travel Map

As a product of a relatively new company going by the name of Landmass Goods, this Scratch Map of US may serve as a testimony to your adventurous traveling expeditions (or lack thereof)!

Sturdy triangular cardboard packaging. A number of key locations have already been designated for you.

On the downside, you'll probably have to do a bit of 'ironing' in order to straighten it up fully.

0.1 x 24 x 17 inches, 4 ounces

Paper

Travel Tracker Map

Gold Foil

Eco-Friendly Packaging

Enno Vatti Scratchable World Map

Enno Vatti is a young company producing scratchable maps and who knows what else in the future (these guys are worth following)!

Flags you can use to visualize your globe-trotting success! Has smaller A4 map of the US as well.

We advise against using coins to scratch off countries.

24.4 x 3.1 x 3.1 inches, 8 ounces

Paper

Travel Tracker Poster

Gold Foil

Recycled Cardboard Box

(Updated May 31, 2017)

Skip ahead and go directly to the reviews.

Related Reviews

Best World Globe

in Home Products and Decor

Oregon Scientific Smart Globe Discovery with Interactive Pen

Best Hiking Backpack

in Sports, Fitness and Outdoors

The North Face Terra 65 Exploration Pack – 65 Liter Capacity

Watch Our Scratch Map Review

How Do I Choose the Best Scratch Map?

Whenever humans feel the urge to leave their abode and discover the faraway places they've only seen on postcards or on the Internet, the suitcases get packed, phones charged, and the traveling companies become a little richer. Even though only some extra-dedicated (and possibly somewhat cheeky) individuals make it their career to explore and roam about - like Norio Suzuki who vowed to find Hiroo Onoda, a panda, and the abominable snowman, and actually succeeded (although the snowman part might be a bit dodgy) - the exploration of the world for the rest of us, mere mortals, can also be quite an exciting experience! Especially if you've got a scratch map to record your vigorous traveling undertakings!

Since there are quite a few brands that mass-produce these maps, we at TopProducts have decided to help you find the most prominent models, so that you can choose your favorite one and start scratching off the places you've already graced with your presence in the past! It's like philately in a way, just with more scratching and less sticking!

These things may sound like something that would come out of a Kinder Egg, but in reality, it's a fairly fun and convenient way to keep track of where you've been and where you’re planning to go in the future. To start off, it's worth mentioning that these maps are quite good-looking even if you don't scratch anything off of them, as they come fully-furnished with golden or bronze foil that possesses a certain vintage look.

What's more, most models have the names of the countries already written on the outer layer of foil, so even if you leave it on, you'll be able to orient yourself and show your guests the locations you plan to visit without embarrassing yourself utterly! Another thing to pay attention to when buying one of these is the material of choice that the manufacturers used. Typically, it's going to be either art paper or some sort of thin plastic. These surfaces can then be scratched with a coin as you would a lottery ticket to reveal the winning number, ehrm, country.

It should be taken into account, however, that not all scratch maps react well to commonly-found coins, to put it like that. Some models come with premade metal 'scratchers' which are there to ensure that you don't damage the sensitive surface below while you're unveiling a recently-visited hot spot on this Earth of ours. Another interesting thing about these maps is that some of them come with tiny flags of countries so that you can designate the country you visited or are planning to visit in a more vivid and nationally-conscious fashion! Also, this addition can be used didactically as well, as you can introduce your children to the world geography in a simpler and more fun way, instead of making them learn their capitals and territories by heart!

Traveling around and scratching the itsy-bitsy pieces of the foil as you return from your international adventures can become a part of the family routine, and make your children a bunch of future world-trotters like yourself. (If this does come to be, you better make sure that they learn how to make money along the way, for these trips aren't exactly cheap.)

While we're at planning things and tracking your progress, our TopProducts team has made its inquiries in these three closely-related fields: best journals, fountain pens, and daily planners. If you happen to be in need of any of these items, feel free to consult the reviews we prepared and we're sure that you'll find something interesting for you!

Price

Out of all things related to traveling the world, scratch maps are some of the most inexpensive items you can lay your hands on. Even the most elaborate versions of these utensils come at quite an agreeable price, so you don't really need to worry about your expenses too much.

Typically, the size of the map is the most important factor affecting its price, so if you're working on a smaller budget, buying a smaller scratch map may be the solution you've been looking for. Also, the presence of any additional features is likely to make the price a little bit higher. For example, if there are flags of the countries included in the offer, you may have to pay a couple of extra bucks as compared to the stock version. All in all, with a bit of careful planning, you can get yourself a really beautiful example of a world map for a relatively small price!

Features

As far as world maps are concerned, those lucky enough to be included in the 'scratchable' category come with a couple of interesting features that the regular maps can only dream of. In this short section, we'd like to present to you the features that make up a well-made scratch map!

The list of features to look into when buying a Scratchable Map:

The Size of the Map
The Kind of Foil
The Material of Choice
Means of Hanging it to the Wall
The Packaging it Comes in
Whether it Comes with National Flags
Whether it Comes with Push Pins
Type of Scraper
Kinds of Toponyms Included
Money-Back Guarantee

An important aspect of a scratchable map is how detailed it is. Models which feature designated national parks, rivers, and cities always have an advantage over those that don't!

Construction and Design

Maps in general have been made out of a wide variety of materials throughout history, but nowadays, they’re usually made of either some reinforced kind of paper or thin plastic. Tougher and more expensive materials such as leather went out of use a long time ago, and are a bit tricky to come by today. Since they feature a specialized layer of golden or bronze foil, scratch maps are almost exclusively made of paper or plastic.

They come in a variety of sizes and more often than not have a thin cord you can use to hang them on the wall in your house. As far as design goes, it's more or less the same deal with all scratch map manufacturers - the top layer protects the base layer, which features many different colors arranged in 'a country each' sort of way. Other than that, some models may come with additional features such as pins and pennants, which can be a great way to teach your kids geography!

Performance and Ease of Use

If you've ever played lottery or tried to scratch a stain from your trousers, you pretty much already know all there is to know about using a scratch map. Upon returning from your country of choice, arm yourself with a coin and scratch the protective foil away for quick results! Optionally, if the model you own comes with additional features such as small versions of the national flags or some pins, you can stick those onto strategic spots on the map so that you can orient yourself when it comes to your goals next time around!

All in all, scratch maps are a real treasure to have hanging on your wall. They might make you look like a tyrant sort of person who plans to conquer it all, but at the end of the day, if you combine your passion for traveling with scratching of the relevant pieces upon your returns, you've got a proper hobby on your hands!

What is the Best Scratch Map?

Whether it is for purposes of language learning, binge eating or binge drinking, the art of globetrotting has always been a thing that needed to be recorded in some way. So, some people gather stickers on their suitcases, while other display their passports for proof of their adventures! A newly-emerging third option would be scratch maps! To find out what are the best models you can find online, check out our top 5 reviews and see for yourself!

Our Top Choice

Made in high-detail and featuring a rather vintage-looking bronze layer, this Scratch the World map is a top-tier kind of traveler's reference itinerary! If you'd like to get yourself a scratch-off map of only the USA, try the Scratch US model instead!

Maps International Scratch the World with Detailed Cartography & US States Outlines

Maps International Scratch Map WM1174-884-FBM

Features

Having produced a ton of maps of all shapes and sizes in the recent years, the Maps International online map shop is a blooming cartography-related business that stems from the famous Lovell Johns company, which has been making all kinds of maps for over 50 years. Since Maps International has pretty much occupied the position of the leader in mapmaking lately, it has its hands full with a variety of different orders.

Whether they're meant to be used as home decorations or in more of a functional fashion, the cartography gang behind its production tables likes to make sure that only top-tier products leave the factory and reach the populace! Some of the ware it’s releasing to the market includes world maps, giant maps, wall maps, postal maps, personalized maps, as well as political wall maps! You name it, they've got it - and they can ship it to you all across the world, too!

If you're feeling extra cheeky or want to surprise your children with a one-of-a-kind world map to scare them at night, you can pick up the brand new Mythical Monster map displaying dragon roosters from France and elephant-centipedes from Thailand! All vividly colored and annotated as well! Lovely stuff indeed, and there's loads of it on their official webpage, where you can find a variety of different maps for pretty much any purpose.

The model we've decided to feature on this list is a Scratch the World map designed for eager travelers and explorers. The idea is that you scratch the protective coating off the country you visited. The goal would be to scratch them all, as only then will the map be completely revealed in all its glory! This map is 34.6 x 2 x 20.5 inches and weighs only 7.8 ounces. A great idea for a gift!

The list of features for the Maps International Scratch the World map:

Beautiful Colors Underneath
Comes Rolled in a Tube
Made out of Silk Art Paper
Worldwide Delivery

All in all, an impressive specimen of cartography that can become your new globetrotter's itinerary of sorts! It's large and all of the countries are drawn precisely so that you can always find the place you've been without needing a magnifying glass all the time! A warm recommendation on our part!

Need a well-made scratch-off travel map? Get a Maps International model and be ye off on your journeys!

Best Value

Featuring an attractive base layer of a variety of warm colors, as well as a posh-looking golden protective layer on top, this Personalized Scratch Map from Luckies of London Ltd can be a perfect gift for a map geek! If you'd like a larger model instead, try out this Scratch Map Original Model!

Luckies of London Ltd Personalized Scratch Map – Travel Size – Designed and Made in the UK

Luckies of London Ltd Scratch Map USLUKSTRA

Features

Aged 29, and heavily invested in thinking about maps, doodle tapes, and making maps, young Jim Cox decided it was time he established his own map-producing business so that he could spread his joy of recording our world's beauty and sharing it with other avid cartographers worldwide! In May 2005, the Luckies of London Ltd was born, and once it managed to survive the global economic crisis that ensued shortly after its inception, there was no stopping it!

What's more, following the souvenir shop-like nature of his newly-developed entrepreneurial undertaking, he would go on to include a number of other heavily-giftable items to the Luckies' production lines! Such Nobel Prize-worthy inventions as matchstick notelets and waterproof notebookssoon emerged, and judging from their sales recently, one might as well say that the populace has cast its overwhelmingly positive judgment!

In 2014, the Luckies of London Ltd expanded its business potential overseas, culminating in the opening of its first ever New York office! Inspirational and entrepreneurial stuff abounds here, so if you want to find out more about their inception story as well as their rich lines of products, you can visit their webpage where everything is laid out before your eager eyes behind which vast cartography knowledge, and possibly underwater diary writing lurks unhindered!

The Travel Size Scratch Map represents one of their most delicately designed maps to date, with a fine golden coating to hide the countries you haven't been to yet (all of them, initially). With this plucky little map, you also get a storage tube where you can leave it if you're not using it. This map has dimensions of 16.5 x 0.1 x 11.7 inches and weighs an incredible 2.9 ounces.

The Luckies of London Ltd Scratch Map - a list of features to take into consideration:

Gold Scratchable Foil
Comes in an Attractive Tube
Interactive Travel Log
Made of Laminate, Card, and Foil
Works Great on Walls

All in all, a nice little piece of design from the Luckies of London Ltd company. The golden coating represents a great way to keep a sort of personal travel log to keep track of the places you've visited so far! Even if you haven't visited a country yet, the golden coating looks rather good on its own, so no worries!

Not what you had in mind? No worries, there is plenty of other cheeky and fun ware at Luckies of London Ltd!

If you've been around the corner when it comes to traveling the world, you might be in need of an adequate map to record your impressive accomplishments - the 1DEA.me's Premium Edition Scratch Map may be a perfect tool for the job! For a model made of plastic, you might want to get this Deluxe Scratchable Map instead!

1DEA.me Detailed Scratch World Off Map – Premium Edition – Laminated Paper Map

1DEA.me Scratch Map GEOW

Features

Talk 'bout a flying start! In 2012, a new company entered the world market with a serious intent to deliver some of the best, most fun interactive pieces of cartography in history ever (well, perhaps that would be a bit much, but they are quite good, some of them)!

Following the trend of lumping together letters, numbers, and confusing the positioning of the capital and lowercase letters (looking at you iPad folks!), the 1DEA.me company also made its name completely incomprehensible for anyone older than 50-ish or so! Be that as it may, the hard-working men and women behind this business have managed to garner quite a bit of fame thanks to their diligence and tendency to create awesome maps that you can scratch, pierce, and otherwise abuse - and only make them look even better! That takes some ingenuity, huh?

What's more, not only is it making these things in vast quantities, but it also claims that it can deliver one to you wherever you are in the world (which is made possible by its good connections in the international mail services). Along with making maps, the 1DEA.me squad also encourages its customers to take up an adventurous lifestyle and travel around the globe to widen their experiences (and also to buy its scratchable maps).

As for the model we've decided to feature on this list, it comes in the shape of a Detailed Scratch World Off Map Premium Edition, and there are some pretty interesting features to look into here. It comes with over 10,000 cities and places you can mark, so that you can really go into details with every new journey you embark on! With dimensions of 34.6 x 0.1 x 23.6 inches and a weight of 12.8 ounces, this map has all the room you need to record your journeys. Also, the entire thing sports a money-back warranty in case you end up not liking what you paid for, which is nifty.

The list of features for the 1DEA.me's Scratch the World Off Map:

Shiny Gold Scratch Coating
Made of High-Quality Paper
Covers over 10,000 Cities and Other Places
Works Great as a Gift
Comes with Push Pins
A Special Scraper Included
Money-Back Guarantee

Featuring a bunch of pins for pointing to exactly where you've been, or are planning to go, this Detailed Scratch Off Map can be a great gift for an avid world-trotter hell-bent on visiting all the countries on Earth! Even Poland! Awe your friends and confuse your pets with one of these mean maps on your respectable wall!

Not what you wanted? Don't worry - the 1DEA.me folks have got a plethora of other interesting models to check out!

Featuring a number of key toponyms such as national parks and rivers, the Scratch Off USA Travel Tracker Map is a true explorer's home-bound reference point! If you'd like a world map instead, you can opt for the Scratch Off World Travel Tracker Map.

Landmass Goods Scratch Off USA Travel Tracker Map with National Parks, Capitals, Highest Peaks & Major Cities

Landmass Goods Scratch Map LMGUSAMAP102

Features

Landmass is a small company with a rather sizeable mission. Namely, having designed and produced a hat with some motifs of the world map on top of it, the innovative folks behind this ambitious business realized what they've been predestined to do - make even more world map-style hats, and tell people that traveling can be great fun!

So far, judging by their sales, we'd say they've been doing quite well, as more and more globe-trotting backpack-carrying ladies and gentlemen of leisure are going about various places with their world map hats on! (On the downside, the rumor has it that if you don’t have it on, you can’t travel at all!) Once they return from their adventurous expeditions, these people return to their abodes where a brand new scratchable piece of cartographic excellence awaits to be violated in the name of traveling and burning bridges!

Scratch maps are one of the few products the Landmass crew is currently making. They’re made from a tough material and feature a number of visually-represented locations you can visit and then scratch off triumphantly! (If you cheat, you may get an uncomfortable phone call from the Landmass people demanding you apologize and maybe give them more money! These guys take their maps seriously indeed.)

The Scratch Off USA Travel Tracker Map is a beautifully-packaged world map that can become your personal traveling reference that you can check out whenever you grow weary of your journeys and wish to have a bit of rest at home. If you end up not liking this map upon receiving it, you can send it back within 30 days and you'll get your money back!

The list of features for the Landmass USA Travel Tracker Map:

Top Layer Made out Gold Foil
Features Road and River Systems
Eco-Friendly Packaging
National Parks Included
Money-Back Guarantee

All things considered, the Landmass Scratch USA Map is a top-tier model that possesses some interesting features. Thanks to the size of this map (0.1 x 24 x 17 inches and 4 ounces), you can mark this map easily and keep track of all of your Route 66 shenanigans! The triangular box it comes in is also a handy addition. You've got to have one!

Need a well-rounded map of the US? Take your pick and start exploring the land of the free and the home of the brave!

As a product of a relatively new company, this Enno Vatti Scratchable World Map represents a new interesting take on this category! For a couple of bucks less, you can also pick up the Enno Vatti Scratchable World Map with Flags.

Enno Vatti Scratchable World Map – Comes with a Bonus A4 Map of the US – Available in 2 Colors

Enno Vatti Scratch Map EV-MAP – Deluxe

Features

Dedicated to producing interesting and innovative giftable products which can save people a load of effort when it comes to choosing the perfect present for their loved ones, the Enno Vatti represents a baby in the world of companies. Currently, its roster of products amounts to just two scratchable world maps as it is, but it hopes to spread its business further. To start off, it’s created its own webpage where you can see both of them in their full entrepreneurial glory!

If you'd like to learn more about this startup project, you can check out its webpage where you can see its efforts as they're unfolding. The two maps it did make both represent scratchable world maps with the biggest difference being in the color of the oceans. The Deluxe version features the ocean in blue while the White version features one that's in white!

All the countries that can be marked on this map have tiny versions of their flags that come with this model. Other than that, this map works as any other typical scratch map - you get a golden top layer which you can remove once you’ve visited a country. Since you get an extra A4 map of the US, you can also create your own Route 66 cruise plan and discover the wonders of the new world!

Another great asset of owning one of these Enno Vatti maps, as manufacturers claim themselves, is that its sheer size (24.4 x 3.1 x 3.1 inches and 8 ounces) and aesthetical appeal can greatly improve your wall configuration. With one of these things hanging in your living room, you may feel like Napoleon or some other power-hungry dictator! What's not to love?

The list of features for the Enno Vatti Scratchable World Map:

Sizeable and Good-Looking
Comes with a Bonus A4 Map of the US
Works Well as a Gift
Money-Back Warranty

All things considered, Enno Vatti is an up-and-coming company that's sure to win over some new markets in the upcoming years. If you'd like to keep track of its progress, you may want to visit its webpage where you can see all of its efforts!

Need a sizeable, scratchable world map to cover up your wall? Check out Enno Vatti’s growing collection!

Get the Best Scratch Map of 2019!

Do you know that feeling of slight emptiness and melancholy once you return home from a trip abroad, even though you have a perfectly positioned 'Home Sweet Home' sign on the wall? Well, we do too, and we know what the problem is! A traveler needs a traveling log, and what better way to document them than scratching off the country you just returned from and revealing its true colors. Get a scratch map and lighten up your living quarters!

Our Top Choice

Maps International Scratch the World

Best Value

Luckies of London Ltd Scratch World Map

1DEA.me Detailed Scratch World Off Map

Landmass Goods Scratch Off USA Travel Map

Enno Vatti Scratchable World Map