Kodak Cork Puzzles – An Eco-Friendly Challenge
This unique Kodak puzzle is backed with eco-friendly cork!
*Originally published on MyPuzzleDay.com —January 23, 2025*
⚠️ Affiliate Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
There are actually puzzles backed with cork! The Kodak puzzle line, offered by RoseArt, includes these cork-backed puzzles.
Cork is peeled from the Oak tree every nine years and grows back, making it a highly eco-friendly material sourced from responsibly managed forests. This was my first experience with a cork-backed puzzle, and I was certainly intrigued by the promise of a unique experience.
Just The Deets!
• Piece Cut: Grid Cut (Systematic)
• Piece Fit: Snug
• False Fits: No
• Piece Gauge: 2.0 mm
• Puzzle Finish: Glossy
• Reference Poster: Yes
• Dust Level: High Cork Dust (Crumbly cork bits)
• Puzzle Size 1000 Piece: 27″ × 20″
• Made in USA
Image Quality & Themes
The images used in the cork-backed line are beautiful, featuring rich colors and vibrant detail that holds up well, such as Inside The Gardener’s Shed by Andrew Farley. Although the overall image quality is great, the glossy finish on the surface does cause some glare. The cork-backed line offers approximately a dozen puzzles in diverse themes:
Americana
Botanical & Floral
Landscapes
Wildlife
✋ Hands On Experience
The cork backing made the pieces much more pliable than regular puzzle pieces and had a soft feel to them.
I really wanted to love this puzzle, but the experience started with a serious issue: when I first opened the puzzle, it had a very strong mildew smell. I contacted the company via Instagram and customer service, but never received a response or a replacement.
I returned the puzzle to the place of purchase and got a second one, but it smelled just as bad. It took over 10 days of airing the pieces outside in the sun for the odor to finally dissipate. Once I was able to start, I found that the cork backing, while making the 2.0 mm pieces pliable and soft, also made them very crumbly, leaving my table covered in flaked-off cork bits. The pliability meant some pieces bent in the middle while in the box, though the puzzle remained flat once together.
Pros and Cons
✅ Pros (The Experience & Quality)
Unique Medium: Cork backing offers a different, soft tactile feel.
Eco-Friendly: Cork is harvested from responsibly managed forests.
Thick Pieces: Pieces are a solid 2.0 mm gauge.
Vibrant Imagery: Beautiful, richly colored images.
Snug Fit: Pieces interlock securely.
❌ Cons (Minor Imperfections)
Persistent Odor: Both initial copies had a strong mildew smell that required significant airing out.
Poor Customer Service: No response or replacement after reporting the odor/defect.
Crumbly Backing: Cork backing flakes off, leaving cork dust/bits on the puzzling surface.
Glossy Finish: Can cause glare under certain lighting conditions.
💡 Final Thoughts: The Verdict
I would not buy another cork puzzle. Like, ever.
While I loved the image so much that I dealt with returning the first, airing out the second for ten days, and dealing with the flaking cork bits, I wouldn’t do it for any other image. I did not care for the texture, the feel, or the crumbling left behind. The poor customer service response to the odor issue was also highly disappointing.
If you are into trying out new mediums in jigsaw puzzling, go for it, as I have read other reviews from people who enjoyed the process and didn’t have the mildew odor issue. But based on my personal experience, I can’t recommend the cork line. (If you love the image, it is also available in a standard puzzle from Trefl, a European brand I like!)
🧩 Curious about their standard puzzles?
If you’re interested in other RoseArt line of puzzles you can read my review here.
Check out all the puzzles under the RoseArt, Cra-Z-Art, and Kodak label on Amazon by clicking below.