Independent review · No paid placement
ClassBento Review (2025)
The UK's largest craft experience marketplace — now even bigger after acquiring Obby in December 2024. Best for city taster sessions, gift vouchers, and the money-back guarantee.
📢 Updated after the Obby acquisition (December 2024)
ClassBento acquired Obby — a competing UK craft platform — in December 2024. This review reflects the merged platform as it stands in May 2025. The acquisition added thousands of Obby-listed studios to ClassBento's catalogue. See our Obby alternatives guide for what happened to former Obby users.
Hobbify verdict
4.4 / 5
The best platform for one-off taster sessions in UK cities and the clear winner for gift purchases. The money-back guarantee and open-value gift vouchers set it apart. Weaker than CraftCourses for rural coverage and multi-week courses; higher commission means slightly less money goes to makers.
The breakdown
How ClassBento scores
| Category | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Taster session selection (cities) | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | One of the largest selections of city-based sessions in the UK |
| Rural / specialist coverage | ⭐⭐⭐ | Drops off outside major cities — CraftCourses is better here |
| Booking experience | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Polished, fast, easy date picker and gift options |
| Money-back guarantee | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Satisfaction refund if a class disappoints; 100-day guarantee on gift cards |
| Gift vouchers | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Open-value, flexible validity — strong for gifting |
| Commission to studios | ⭐⭐⭐ | Higher than CraftCourses — slightly less goes to the maker |
| Post-Obby quality consistency | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Integration was smooth; some Obby studios slow to update listings |
At a glance
Pros
- One of the largest selections of city taster sessions in the UK
- Polished, fast booking with an easy date picker
- Money-back guarantee on bookings
- Flexible open-value gift vouchers
- 4.9★ on Trustpilot
Cons
- Thinner coverage outside major cities
- Slightly higher commission to studios than CraftCourses
- Fewer multi-week courses
What ClassBento does well
A wide selection of city taster sessions
ClassBento has more listings in London, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, and Edinburgh than any other UK craft platform. For one-off taster sessions — pottery, glass blowing, jewellery making, candle making — the sheer volume of options means you'll almost always find a date that works. The search and filter tools are also excellent.
money-back guarantee
ClassBento's money-back guarantee lets you claim a refund if a class disappoints — leave at least 20 minutes before it ends and tell ClassBento why within 4 hours. Unused gift cards are separately refundable within 100 days of purchase. CraftCourses' terms vary by maker; ClassBento's are consistent. For gift purchases in particular, this removes the risk of buying a session that turns out not to suit the recipient.
Gift vouchers that actually work
ClassBento's open-value gift vouchers let the recipient browse the entire catalogue and choose their own session on their own date. This is significantly more useful than a course-specific voucher. Validity periods are generous. For craft experience gifts, ClassBento is the easiest and most flexible option.
Post-Obby: a bigger catalogue
The Obby acquisition in December 2024 added thousands of listings to ClassBento's catalogue — particularly in London and other major cities. The integration was reasonably smooth; most Obby studios migrated their listings, and former Obby users' accounts transferred to ClassBento. The net result is a larger, more comprehensive platform.
Where ClassBento falls short
Rural and specialist coverage
ClassBento's coverage drops off sharply outside major cities. If you're looking for a blacksmithing course in rural Devon, a weaving workshop in the Borders, or a foraging walk in the Brecon Beacons, you'll find much better options on CraftCourses. ClassBento is optimised for urban, easily-bookable taster sessions.
Higher commission = less to the maker
ClassBento charges studios a higher commission than CraftCourses. For makers, this is meaningful; for bookers, the practical effect is that prices may be very slightly higher on ClassBento for the same studio. If supporting independent makers directly matters to you, CraftCourses is the more ethical choice.
Multi-week courses less prominent
ClassBento is optimised for taster sessions and one-off experiences. If you want a 6-week pottery course or a multi-day heritage craft intensive, CraftCourses has a better selection and more maker-specific course structures.
Who should use ClassBento
ClassBento is the right choice for one-off taster sessions in cities, gift purchases (the vouchers and guarantee are among the strongest we've found), and anyone who values a large selection of available dates. For rural courses, multi-week learning, or independent makers, pair it with CraftCourses.
ClassBento
FAQs
Everything you need to know before you book.