You just bought a new laptop. How exciting! Now, it’s time to get your workstation together. Let’s find the perfect laptop stand for your new computer.
Whether you’re a college student, working from home, or just a casual laptop user, a laptop stand can help provide a more ergonomic way to get things done. Your home office, whether in a sitting or standing configuration, will benefit from a thoughtful design. An ergonomic stand will:
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Angle your screen to avoid uncomfortable neck strain
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Elevate the keyboard to put less stress on your hands and wrists
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Improve airflow and keep your computer running at optimal temperatures
Airflow and laptop temperatures are particularly important to consider if you want your computer to last a long time. According to Hampshire College, the optimal temperatures for a laptop are between 50 - 95 degrees fahrenheit. Overheating can cause damage to internal components of your laptop. Also, for the fellas out there, an overheating computer can cause damage to your internal components when used on your lap for extended periods of time.
When selecting a stand, check the locations of the vents on your machine and choose something that will be compatible with airflow and heat transfer.
To help narrow down your search, we’ve put together a list of the best laptop stands in various categories: adjustable, plastic, wood, aluminum, and steel. They each have their own unique pros and cons that can help you narrow down the search.
Since the differences between the available models within a category are marginal at best, we took the approach of selecting our favorite unit from each category and ranking them in order. There are thousands of laptop stands on the market, so once you determine which category would be best for you, take the time to check out different models.
We took into consideration the reviews, features, and pricing to make the category selections, and then got them all in-house to test them out ourselves.
Check out the companion video for a more detailed look at each model:
The Top 5 Best Laptop Stands
5. Best Plastic/Acrylic Laptop Stand: AMT Acrylic Laptop/PC/Multimedia Monitor Stand
Inexpensive: After purchasing your new laptop, your budget for accessories could be tight. If cost is your primary concern, you may want to check out an acrylic stand for a temporary solution. The thick acrylic material is sturdy enough to hold your laptop confidently and it’s a better solution for most than putting the computer flat on a desktop.
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Additional Storage: The nature of this riser-style stand creates a storage area beneath your computer. This is great for smaller desks, as you can put sticky notes, pens, and decor in that space and keep your other desk area free for working.
Cons:
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No Ventilation: This stand wasn’t designed with airflow or heat dispersal in mind, so you may not want to use your computer for an entire work day on an acrylic stand.
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Unfriendly Angle: The AMT acrylic stand will raise your laptop about 3.25 inches over the desk. This angle may be uncomfortable for those that need to spend long stretches of time typing. If you’re going to be using this temporarily, it can later serve as a riser for a second display. There are sturdier, metal monitor risers out there as well!
4. Best Wood Laptop Stand: SAMDI Wood Laptop Stand
Natural Aesthetics: While there are much more expensive wood laptop stands with more thorough craftsmanship, the SAMDI stand has a beautiful wood grain look. If your workstation has other natural wood elements, this stand can help pull the entire aesthetic together. There was one small scratch, and the edges aren’t perfectly sanded, but for the price (under $50) the overall look is very solid.
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Additional Storage: This stand also creates an additional storage area. However, the angle of the top piece leaves a much smaller opening in the front than in the back. This layout makes it a bit awkward to store functional items that are more than a couple of inches tall. But for smaller office supplies like sticky notes or sheets of paper, it’s nice to have an area to keep them and maintain a clear desktop.
Cons:
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Questionable Ventilation: The biggest concern with the SAMDI stand is it’s wood construction. Since wood isn’t a natural conductor of heat, the material’s heat dissipation qualities will be much less than aluminum or steel. There are vents cut into the bottom, which is definitely a better choice than using a wood laptop stand that doesn’t have vents. To be extra safe, the use of a small USB fan may be wise to keep air flowing.
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Tall Keyboard Angle: The angle of this stand is more steep than any of the other models we tested. Since it is not adjustable, you may want to try and test out this angle before committing to buying the SAMDI stand. I personally found it to be a bit uncomfortable after an hour or two, and many laptop users will be working an eight hour day or longer.
3. Best Aluminum Laptop Stand: Bestand Aluminum Cooling Computer Stand
Aluminum material: 7000 series aluminum is more durable than plastic or other light metal materials. The nature of the aluminum construction allows for heat transfer which will help cool down your PC.
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Cord Organizer: A small hole is cut in the back of the back of the stand to allow for cable management. With most laptops having ports on the sides, you may prefer to route cables to the side. It all depends on your personal preferences and workstation, but keep in mind that there are several cable management options available to make your setup as clean as possible.
Cons:
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Small Vents: There are three slits cut into the surface where your laptop will sit. Their purpose is for airflow, but the majority of your computer will be sitting on the flat metal surface and the three vents themselves are quite thin.
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Arm Position: While raising the laptop 2.5-3 inches off the desk may be preferential for watching videos, we found this position to be uncomfortable for longer sessions of typing. Since this stand isn’t adjustable, you may want to try typing for a while at a similar angle to determine if this will be comfortable for you.
Adjustability: The nature of this category creates its own unique benefit: you can adjust the stand to the height and/or angle that is most comfortable for you. We chose the EPN stand because of it’s multi-directional adjustability. This model allows you to set both the height that the computer rises above the desk, and also the angle of your keyboard. If you’re working on a laptop for extended stretches of time, these adjustments can make a world of difference in the ergonomics of your workstation. It lays completely flat in the box, which makes it a solid portable laptop stand for those who are on the go. Other than the Oeveo steel stand, the others on this list are a bit too bulky to put into a backpack.
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Cooling Design: The aluminum alloy construction and built-in heat sink cutout make the EPN stand a solid choice for keeping your computer at optimal temperature. They don’t specify the rating or gauge of the material, so it is likely made from 6000 series aluminum alloy or another lighter material than the Bestand model.
Cons:
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Questionable stability: If you just bought a new computer, it can be unnerving to place it on a stand that’s not 100% rock solid. The stability of the EPN stand leaves something to be desired. When you first pull it out of the box, it’s very sturdy and difficult to actually move the adjustable pieces. After a few times of moving the parts, you can tell it starts to loosen, and it begins to feel fairly wobbly after just a few adjustments. The Bestand and Oeveo stands will provide a much more stable and confident base for your machine to rest on.
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No locking mechanism: At the points of adjustment, there is no way to lock in your position. We haven’t had a chance to use the stand for several weeks or months at this point, but several reviews point out that the stand may start collapsing over time. If they could build in a lock at the two adjustment points, that may give users more peace of mind that their laptop won’t slam to the ground at some point during use.
1. Best Steel Laptop Stand: Oeveo 13” Laptop Stand - Steel
Steel Construction: Metal is inherently stronger than plastic; but going with a steel laptop stand gives you the ultimate durability. This steel stand is built to last not only the life of your new laptop, but every other laptop you purchase after that. If you’re going to be transporting your computer and stand, it’s an important consideration to choose a material that can take a beating and not waver in supporting your tech.
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Max Airflow and Heat Transfer: The Oeveo stand was designed to create minimal touch points on your laptop, giving it maximum airflow. Virtually the entire bottom of your computer will be open to air around it. The steel material, similar to aluminum, is a natural conductor of heat. It will pull heat out of your laptop and assist in keeping the computer at optimal temperature.
Cons:
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Not Adjustable: This stand isn’t adjustable. However, there isn’t a rise of several inches, so the angle feels quite natural. You can either put the laptop inside the bottom lip or on top of it, depending on which alignment is more comfortable for you. For users with standing desks, this shouldn’t be an issue at all since you can adjust the desk to the ideal height.
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Limited Storage: Unlike the acrylic and wood laptop stands, the steel stand won’t give you much storage underneath your computer. The cavity in the middle is big enough for small items like pens, but you’ll want to make other considerations when using this stand in your workstation. With a monitor riser for your second display, cable management sleeve to organize your wires, and various office organizers you can achieve an A+ ergonomic workspace.
Note: yes, we are biased on the above selection, but we challenge you to find a better American-Made, steel laptop stand. Our product was engineered to be the sturdiest, longest-lasting laptop stand on the market, and we’re confident that we’ve achieved that goal.
No matter which laptop stand you choose, make sure to invest in an ergonomic, organized workstation. By working in a purposefully-designed space, you’ll have less distractions and will be able to work comfortably for longer. Plus, providing the necessary airflow and protection for your computer will keep it running fast for longer.
Once your setup is complete, be sure to enter our photo contest! We’re giving away $500 and other great prizes to the best customer-submitted workstation or gaming battle station setups.
