Whether you are a full-time freelancer or a corporate professional working from home temporarily due to COVID-19, a good laptop stand can change the way you work both physically and mentally. The best laptop stands will help you keep your posture in the right place so that you don’t suffer any physical discomfort in the long run, such as neck pain, headache, or carpal tunnel[1], thus allowing you to be more productive.
Why You Should Trust Us
These are products that we research and verify out of the many available options. We make a point of finding quality products for you to pick from so you don’t have to go and hunt for the right one.
Buying Guide
Before getting to the products, we considered the choices based on three specific criteria. They are as follows:
- Material
- Installation
- Cooling
These three elements are important from a laptop perspective, but also what makes them the best laptop stands, too. You need a strong material to support a laptop and endure various environments. You also have to consider how easy it is to place your laptop on the stand. Lastly, a stand will also keep a laptop’s air circulation going and prevent overheating. You want to make sure the stand is able to do that for a laptop, too.
1. Rain Design mStand Laptop Stand
Our top suggestion is the Rain Design mStand Laptop Stand. Out of the options we have on this list, this is one of the best stands around. It’s made entirely out of aluminum and is designed to lift laptops.
Considering there is no need for attachments, it’s easy to install the stand with a laptop. It’s all a matter of sliding your laptop down onto the stand. There is even a cable hole in the back to allow wires to pass through. It also works well with cooling since the aluminum serves as a heat sink for the laptop.
The only significant drawback to this brand of this stand is the fact it’s designed for Macbook products specifically.
2. Pyle Laptop Stand
Our runner-up is a stand designed for PC laptops as well as other equipment in mind. The Pyle Laptop Stand is capable of easy height adjustment and is able to hold up laptops, DJ equipment, turntables, and more. The legs are also designed ergonomically and are anti-slip. You can also pack the stand for easy portability.
This got put as the runner up as, while this piece of computer furniture is sturdy, you do have to assemble it yourself, and the product doesn’t come with instructions on building it. Also, while you can adjust the height of the stand, you can’t adjust the width, which can cause problems depending on the size of your equipment.
3. Steklo Laptop Stand
For those looking for a more budget-friendly option for computer furniture, the Stekle laptop stand is a solid option. It requires a little bit of assembly to attach it to your laptop, but it provides the same perks as the Rain Design laptop stand.
The only difference is this stand is lower to the ground, and you’re not able to adjust the height by too much. If you’re particularly tall, or your desk is too short for you, you may still have to stack it up on some boxes or books for your laptop to be at eye level. This stand is also designed for Mac laptops.
4. Nexstand Laptop Stand
A stand that PCs and Macs can use is the Nexstand laptop stand. This stand will work for any laptop 11.6 inches or larger. You can even adjust the height. The stand is made of nylon and premium metal fitting that can hold up to 20 pounds.
While this stand can handle a lot of weight on it, it does have to remain stationary or else it could get damaged easily. If you’re more accident-prone than others, this stand may not last if you accidentally drop it on the ground, so be careful!
5. AmazonBasics Ventilated Laptop Stand
If you’re looking for a simple stand, AmazonBasics has you covered. Similar to other office supplies from this brand, the stand is a wire-frame metal mesh. It’s compact, making it highly portable, and has adjustable height as well. It is also one of the cheapest stands on our list.
That said, you do get what you pay for. The stoppers on the front are higher than usual, and if you don’t have an external keyboard, you can risk your wrists resting on those stoppers constantly. Also, since the height is adjusted through locks, you can risk your fingers getting hurt when adjusting the height.
6. Neetto Laptop Bed Desk
If you’re the type of person who needs a really tall stand or works in bed, the Neetto laptop bed desk is another option. It also comes with another desk that you can use as a separate shelving unit.
The stand is adjustable, light, portable, and sturdy, and you can use the portable laptop stand for various purposes. The extra shelf can be used as a stand for your tablet, or a table to enjoy a meal.
That being said, the size of these laptop desk stands are fairly large. While that means you don’t have to worry about space on this desk, you have to worry about how much space this desk takes on any surface you put it on.
7. Nulaxy Laptop Stand
Another cheap alternative is the Nulazy laptop stand. Think of it as a budget-friendly Rain Design laptop stand. It lifts a laptop 6 inches, allowing it to be at eye level. The material is strong as it’s able to hold up to four kilograms, which is more than plenty. You can even disassemble it into three parts for easy transportation.
The catch with this stand is that it seems to wear out more as you use it. The overall design and how everything locks in place seems to be the biggest concern from customers.
8. 1home Wood Monitor Stand Riser
Considering the success of the Rain Design laptop stand, a massive block of material seems to be the way to go. Enter 1home’s Wood monitor stand riser. This stand is made of sturdy wood, making it easy to assemble and also sleek in design.
Naturally, since this is a stand for monitors, it may not work perfectly for laptops. A major downside is that customers have reported that parts didn’t fit during the installation of the stand.
9. Soundance Laptop Stand
A similar design to Nulaxy, this stand is designed with PCs and Macs in mind. It comes with a 30-day warranty, which is nice in case you run into issues within the first few weeks of purchase. The material of choice is aluminum, making it sturdy and able to cool laptops with ease.
The only drawback to this stand is that it’s built for laptops of specific dimensions. This stand is able to hold laptops that are between 10 and 15.6 inches. Anything beyond that and the stand may struggle to provide stability.
10. SimpleHouseware Metal Desk Monitor Stand Riser
The final option is SimpleHouseware’s metal desk monitor stand riser. This is a decent alternative to the previous monitor stand since assembly isn’t as much of a hassle. The inclusion of a tray and other storage pockets makes it convenient for you to store other items you need close by.
That said, you do get what you pay for, and this is a cheap solution to the problem. People reported their monitor wobbles on the stand, along with other parts not portioned properly. Installing it could be brute-forced at worst, but it’s a temporary fix.
Final Thoughts
There are all kinds of laptop desk stands out there for you to pick from, and it all depends on what you are looking for. From the research though, the cheaper you go, the more you are sacrificing the three qualities that make a stand one of the best laptop stands to buy.
If you need to get a stand right now, keep this in mind and consider putting in some good money for a stand. It can very well last you for years to come.
More Tips on Working From Home
- 5 Critical Elements of Successful Work-At-Home Productivity
- How To Work From Home Without Getting Distracted
- The Ultimate Guide To Working From Home And Still GTD
Featured photo credit: Lara Far via unsplash.com
Reference
| [1] | ^ | OrthoInfo: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome |
