Key Considerations When Selecting a Laptop Stand
Before acquiring a laptop riser, contemplate its intended application and location, alongside your budget. Key factors for consideration include:
Is mobility a requirement? For commuters or those who frequent cafes for work, select a collapsible laptop support that stows easily in your satchel. Certain designs also serve a dual purpose as protective sleeves, such as Moft’s Carry Sleeve.
What are your material leanings? Laptop risers are crafted from diverse substances including aluminum, steel, plastic, and wood. Aluminum variants are typically light and superb at dispersing heat. Steel supports offer greater robustness but carry more weight, while plastic is often more economical yet less stable. Should visual appeal be a priority, select timber models like Grovemade’s Walnut Stand or Oakywood Laptop Stand, which impart extra coziness and refinement to your environment.
What degree of adjustability is needed? Given the unique nature of each person’s workstation and individual differences, the majority find an adaptable stand advantageous for customizing their arrangement. For those utilizing a sit-stand desk, a support capable of handling both postures is desirable. A few stands can even function as sit-stand desk adapters, negating the need for a separate standing desk acquisition.
Are you employing an external keyboard and pointing device? If not, opt for a more robust support. Mobile laptop supports are often light and prone to shaking when one types directly on the laptop. Important: An appropriate keyboard and ergonomically designed mouse can avert muscular discomfort.
Are additional functionalities desired? Certain stands incorporate supplementary elements such as integrated cable organization and storage sections. However, prepare for a slightly higher expenditure.
Do Laptop Supports Enhance Posture?
Indeed, their potential is significant. Extended use of a laptop positioned on a desk often leads to the development of detrimental postural tendencies. Due to the inherent height of the laptop display, your neck will invariably bend downwards, compelling you to hunch or slump in search of comfort. The primary objective is to elevate the laptop screen to be as near to eye level as feasible. Although an office chair or a standing workstation can raise your laptop’s screen height, this action can adversely affect the alignment of your elbows and wrists, constituting another ergonomic misstep.
Is Using a Laptop Stand Without a Peripheral Keyboard Recommended?
Likely no. Although it’s certainly possible to operate your laptop’s keyboard or trackpad temporarily when it’s raised on a stand, this doesn’t represent the most optimal ergonomic choice. Every specialist I’ve consulted advises maintaining your arm at approximately a 90-degree angle, enabling a more natural posture for interacting with your mouse and keyboard. Therefore, if you employ a laptop stand, acquiring an external mouse and keyboard is also advisable.
The Rationale Behind Vertical Laptop Stand Usage
Vertical laptop stands are by no means obligatory. Nevertheless, they offer an excellent method for conserving desktop real estate, particularly if you possess a quality monitor and do not intend to utilize the laptop’s display. Since linking your laptop to an external monitor with its lid closed is now feasible, this provides a convenient means to house your laptop upright and liberate space. A conventional horizontal laptop stand is suitable when you aim to incorporate your laptop’s screen into a dual-display configuration, alongside an external monitor. Vertical laptop supports are typically quite straightforward items; thus, merely ensure compatibility with your laptop and an aesthetically pleasing appearance on your desk—for instance, the Coreminded Vertical Laptop Stand previously cited.
Additional Laptop Supports for Consideration
To date, we have rigorously evaluated more than 25 distinct laptop supports. While we uphold our preceding suggestions, certain unique scenarios are excellently served by the subsequent laptop stands.
Courtesy of Branch
Branch Adjustable Laptop Support for $65: Previously, this was our premier selection. It ranks among the most comprehensive choices available. Despite its strong similarity to the AmazonBasics version, the inclusion of wood undoubtedly bestows a more refined aesthetic. Ultimately, my recent assessments led me to favor the Native Union model, yet the Branch stand persists as an appealing alternative.
Rain Design mBar Pro+ for $58: Notwithstanding its slender aluminum construction, this unpretentious Rain Design support is remarkably sturdy. There’s no need to fret about it collapsing as you work in your lounge, office, or at the aerodrome. Its unchangeable elevation lifts your laptop by 5.5 inches, and it compacts to a mere 9.5 x 6 inches—sufficiently compact to fit into any satchel accommodating your tablet or portable computer. Furthermore, I value
that it comes with a slender transport case for effortless stowing. Furthermore: Its mass is under one pound. —Boutayna Chokrane
Nnewvante Laptop Desk for $61: As a remote worker, there are occasions when rising from bed in the morning or moving from the sofa post-lunch proves challenging. The Nnewvante, which is also featured in our Home Office Gear guide, offers excellent support for periods of leisure. You can also optionally position it on your workstation for an uncomplicated standing desk attachment. —Boutayna Chokrane
Photograph: Luke Larsen
Coreminded Vertical Laptop Stand for $35: Orienting your notebook vertically is a superb method for conserving desk area, a more recent possibility facilitated by singular USB-C cable linkages, which declutters and organizes your workspace. A plethora of choices exist, but my experience with the Coreminded Adjustable Vertical Laptop Stand was favorable. It’s constructed from robust oak (a darker variant in walnut is also offered), while its inner surface features a felt lining to avert damage from abrasions.
Grovemade Walnut Laptop Stand for $200: While the Branch’s stand possesses an aesthetic appeal, if you seek a more opulent item crafted from genuine timber, consider Grovemade’s Walnut Laptop Stand. It’s fashioned from unyielding walnut, meticulously sanded by hand, and treated with an oil derived from plants. Be prepared to invest a considerable sum for it. WIRED editor Julian Chokkattu endorses it within his compilation of Home Office Equipment, stating it’s most appropriate for a desk or table, allowing ample space for an independent keyboard and mouse (it can also be utilized on a sofa, however). We also like Grovemade’s Walnut Laptop Riser ($200) and the Desk Shelf ($180 for medium). Every item is also available in alternative timber varieties.
Photograph: Medea Giordano
Logitech Casa Pop-Up Desk for $180: Logitech has perfected the mobile workstation concept. Its top-selling item, the Casa Pop-Up Desk (9/10, WIRED Recommends), is roughly the dimensions of a compact book when collapsed, so it will likely fit comfortably into a laptop rucksack or a carryall. Unfold it to reveal a complete arrangement: a Bluetooth keyboard, trackpad, a USB-C charger, and a stand for your laptop. The accessories are quite conventional yet perform effectively for completing tasks at a café or even from your residence if you are disinclined to invest in a complete desk configuration. I tested the pink, which is exceptionally charming. —Boutayna Chokrane
FluidStance Lift Laptop Stand for $79: FluidStance’s Lift Stand is a magnetic writing board that serves a dual purpose as a space for quickly writing down notes and tasks. Its robust steel construction ensures it remains steady and resists bending, and integrated grooves assist in organizing wires. Given its non-collapsible design, I’d suggest keeping it at your residence. Furthermore: The Lift is produced domestically using predominantly reclaimed steel. —Boutayna Chokrane
Notebook Supports to Steer Clear Of
The Amazon marketplace abounds with laptop supports, a significant portion originating from lesser-known manufacturers. While a subset of these exhibit superior craftsmanship, we have encountered several exhibiting substantial flaws.
Tonmom Laptop Stand: With an item priced below $10, elevated expectations are unwarranted. The concept of a highly mobile laptop support appealed to me—an item suitable for air travel or use in a café. And this one had a profusion of positive feedback on Amazon. While the Tonmom Laptop Stand can indeed collapse into a size easily stowed in a rucksack (and comes with a pleasant velvet pouch), it exhibits considerable instability. It has such a multitude of unanchored components that I constantly worried about my laptop’s security. It might readily slip off should it be jolted, even when the laptop is ostensibly fastened.
Gogoonike Laptop Stand: I experimented with this particular item as a more economical substitute for the Amazon Basics version, but it proves inadequate in multiple respects. I appreciate that it’s less restrictive than the Amazon Basics support, meaning it’s simpler to reconfigure while maintaining a sense of solidity. However, my praise concludes there. The specific item I received exhibited minor indentations and discolored paint along the perimeter of its metallic foundation. I anticipate that this deterioration will intensify with prolonged use. The most glaring deficiency was its inability to rest perfectly level on the tabletop, due to its reliance on inferior underside cushions instead of appropriate silicone supports. A laptop support failing to maintain a level position on a table constitutes a significant issue.
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