A portable laptop stand is a gamechanger if you’re working out of the office and want to improve the ergonomics of your laptop set-up. The best ones balance durability, portability and price. Here are our top picks.
We’ve done the research and tested a hoard, and our favorite portable laptop stand is the Lifelong Upryze Ergonomic, thanks to its adjustability and compact size. But we have 6 more favorites to share.
With the right tools, the whole world can be a workspace – that’s the joy of remote work. We’ve found that a portable laptop stand can be the difference between a day of productive, immersive work – and a sore neck.
The best laptop stands are easy to carry around, sturdy enough to support your expensive device, and versatile enough to get that viewing angle just right. To spare you wasted time and money, our review team have dug in and tested the top-rated portable laptop stands on the market. Here they are!
We’ve included a range of different types of portable laptop stands so you can pick the one that best suits your typical work environment. Let’s go!
Note
Prices shown in this article were based on the time of writing. To view current prices, click on the various product links.
We’re kicking off strong with the Upryze Pro – an extremely robust and well-made option. Aside from being made of solid metal, we loved that it’s so versatile, since you basically have infinite height adjustments up to 20” off the desk. You simply adjust it and it magically stays in place.
Not only does it make it truly ergonomic for many different table heights, and user heights – you can use this stand for anything. Daily work, taking client calls, watching YouTube workouts, holding cooking books… you name it. I mostly used it with my Macbook Air 13”, but it can support laptops up to 17”. However, it is a little heavier than some of the stands on this list.
Because the plate is so small, the footprint is tiny and very easy to pack down. You can also use this as a standing desk converter to take you from sitting to standing, even if your workspace is quite small. Two thumbs up!
Note
Like most portable laptop stands, this is best used with an external keyboard and mouse that sit on a lower level.
| Specifications | Descriptions |
|---|---|
| Color | Grey |
| Work surface (L x W) | 11″ x 9.5″ |
| Product height | Up to 20″ |
| Product weight | 3.6 lbs |
| Material | Metal |
| Feature | Adjustable |
| Weight limit | 8 lbs |
| Price | $69.99 (see on Amazon) |
I’m mildly obsessed with this product. Whilst it’s marketed as a standing desk converter, this product goes above and beyond and works as a fantastic portable laptop stand.
As the name suggests, the Moft 5-in-1 offers a range of different ways to set up your laptop. Four of these are ‘sitting’ modes – at angles of 25°, 35°, 45° and 60°. And of course, its Z structure design means you can also lift it up to a standing height when you want to stretch your legs.
The ‘best’ angle will depend on the adjustability of your laptop screen and the height of your work surface. For my 13” Macbook Air, I found the lowest profile to be the most ergonomic from my desk, and felt fantastic. Whether you’re tapping away from a breakfast counter, or lounging in bed and using this on your lap, this stand will make both more bearable and save your posture. I could work comfortably from my lap, then work at a table and stand up when I got bored.
What’s truly genius is how flat it gets. Thanks to some origami magic – it folds up thinner than an notebook and can be slipped into a laptop case. Yet it doesn’t feel flimsy at all. This thing is made from customized PU and stiff fiberglass and feels exceptionally well made – it can hold up to 18 lbs!
| Specifications | Descriptions |
|---|---|
| Color | Black, blue, grey and orange |
| Work surface (L x W) | 11″ x 9.4″ |
| Product height | Up to 10″ |
| Product weight | 1.9 lbs |
| Material | Leather, fiberglass & metal sheets |
| Feature | Portable |
| Weight limit | 18 lbs |
| Price | $59.99 (see on Amazon) |
From our research, this seems to be a budget version of another portable laptop stand – the Roost. We wanted to review the Roost, but found it pretty difficult to obtain (and with a lot of pirated Roosts on Amazon, we thought we’d skirt clear).
Turns out, we loved the Nexstand. We loved that it was easily foldable into a very narrow shape in a carrying case that we could slip into our backpacks. It’s certainly the most portable of the stands on this list – and digital nomads on the go are sure to love it.
It’s very adjustable, with 8 different height options to allow you to get the ideal ergonomic height for your screen, whether you’re working from home offices, cafes or airports.
It’s also one of the most budget-friendly on this list. Unsurprisingly, it didn’t feel as premium or ‘solid’ as our top pics, since it’s made of PVC plastic. Adjusting the height needs to be done carefully, or you’ll get legs of different heights and a lopsided laptop.
However, it supports laptops in many sizes and up to 9kg in weight. It comes with an adaptor clip for thinner laptops but we kind of wish the clips weren’t removable – they seem easy to lose.
| Specifications | Descriptions |
|---|---|
| Color | Black |
| Work surface (L x W) | 12″ x 11″ |
| Product height | Up to 12.6″ |
| Product weight | 0.56 lbs |
| Material | Nylon and metal |
| Feature | Portable |
| Weight limit | 20 lbs |
| Price | $44.95 (see on Amazon) |
This portable laptop stand comes from Twelve South, a family-owned business from Charleston, South Carolina. This is on the list for being a beautiful and well-made design – for a surprisingly cheap price.
It uses a pretty unusual design from the others on this list and, personally, I really liked how minimal it looked on my desk. It’s basically a single piece of aluminium, and your laptop is held firmly in place via gravity. If you’re looking to give your laptop some ventilation, this is a good option, since 70% of the underside is free for optimal cooling. There are nice thoughtful touches in the design like the anti-slip silicone pads to prevent scratches to your laptop.
There’s only one height option – 6” off the desk – which gives you limited versatility, but I did find this a good height to relieve neck and shoulder strain. It also lets you use the space underneath to store stuff. You’ll also want to use an external full-size keyboard & mouse for a comfortable desktop setup, and this should also suit your setup if you have an external monitor too.
| Specifications | Descriptions |
|---|---|
| Color | Black and white |
| Work surface (L x W) | 10.3″ x 8.7″ |
| Product height | 6″ |
| Product weight | 1.5 lbs |
| Material | Metal |
| Feature | Fixed |
| Weight limit | 7 lbs |
| Price | $41.49 (see on Amazon) |
The LORYERGO was probably the laptop stand I was most excited to try out. Featuring a stylish wooden platform and soft grey cushioning on the underside, the big benefit of this model is that it’s perfect for use on soft surfaces such as sofas and beds. It fits nicely on a lap and let you work very comfortably from lazy places.
It can also be placed on a desk or table if you have one big enough – it lifts your laptop level so that your sight is in line with the screen, which help alleviates neck ache. You’ll just want to make sure that the table is clean since the underside is fabric.
Of course, there’s no high tech or adjustability here. But you do get a nice wide flat tabletop and some handy slots for you to put tablets, phones or pens.
It’s worth noting that working with this on your lap isn’t necessarily the most ergonomic option for long hours. It’s just one of those things in my house that I find myself constantly reaching for – whether for my workflow, doing stints of weekend work, or just for casual browsing. It’s the most versatile and fuss free. You can even take it on car rides! In my opinion, it’s cosy, comfortable, and worth every cent.
Variations
You can get this in a few different size options, and there’s also a variant with a mouse pad.
| Specifications | Descriptions |
|---|---|
| Color | Brown |
| Work surface (L x W) | 21.5″ x 14.3″ |
| Product height | 3 in. |
| Product weight | 5 lbs |
| Material | Wood |
| Feature | Portable |
| Weight limit | 6 lbs |
| Price | $41.99 (see on Amazon) |
MOFT’s made it twice to this list, this time with an even thinner and smaller stand. Weighing in at a teeny 85g and only a miniscule 1/9″ thick, the unique part about this stand is that it actually sticks onto the side of your laptop, making it a semi-permanent part of your workflow. It essentially takes up no extra space, and flipping it out to use takes about one second.
It provides only two viewing angles (as they call them – ‘golden angles’) at 25° and 15° which lift your laptop 3” and 2” respectively. Both felt stable to type on. It’s built from fibreglass materials, so it can hold a laptop up to 18lbs securely, despite its tiny footprint.
Whilst the sticky adhesive lets it be easily peeled off and stuck to different devices, we’d consider this more of a semi-permanent solution. After lots of removals and reapplications, it’s only realistic to expect that this stand will lose some stickiness.
| Specifications | Descriptions |
|---|---|
| Color | Jean Grey |
| Work surface (L x W) | 8.8″ x 6.7″ |
| Product height | 3 in. |
| Product weight | 0.19 lbs |
| Material | PU & fiberglass |
| Feature | Adjustable |
| Weight limit | 18 lbs |
| Price | $24.99 (see on Amazon) |
We couldn’t resist sneaking the FlexiSpot’s AlcoveRiser onto here. Whilst it’s technically categorized as a standing desk converter (and sits in that price point) – the fact that it so easily transforms your laptop setup into something more ergonomic, earns it a spot on here too.
There are two ergonomic edges that set this apart. The first, is that it’s engineered with the primary purpose to make standing to sitting super easy. Its simple 2-tier design and powerful gas spring system help you lift up and down with minimal effort. Secondly, it has a separate lower tier for you to put your keyboard on, allowing a much more comfortable typing position.
Whilst it’s not as portable or lightweight as the others on this list (you’ll probably want to leave this on one main desk) if you just need something to move around a single space – like an office floor or home – the AlcoveRiser is pretty portable compared to most of its kind. Plus, rubber helps to protect your base desk, so you can plonk it on any desk or kitchen counter without worrying about scratches.
| Specifications | Descriptions |
|---|---|
| Color | Black |
| Work surface (L x W) | 28.4″ x 16.3″ |
| Product height | Up to 19.7″ |
| Product weight | 36.9 lbs |
| Material | Engineered wood & alloy steel |
| Feature | Adjustable |
| Weight limit | 33 lbs |
| Price | $209.99 (see on Amazon) |
Well – as much as we love our laptops, they aren’t designed to be ergonomic. They offer limited viewing angles, a flat keyboard surface, and won’t typically let you adjust the distance between the keyboard and screen.
This results in a lot of us hunching over our laptops, and is a glorious recipe for neck and back pain. This even has its own name – ‘tech neck’. Yikes.
A laptop stand can take stress off your neck by elevating your laptop to a more natural viewing height. By bringing the screen up to around eye level, you’re then able to straighten your neck. Laptop stands can also help you angle your screen in a way to reduce screen glare – and thus eye strain.
For the most ergonomic workstation, you’ll want to use your laptop stand with a separate keyboard and mouse, so that you’re not typing directly from the elevated laptop.
If you’re using a dual monitor set-up, then a portable laptop stand can also help you balance out your screens at a similar height so that you don’t constantly have to look up and down and make your neck ache.
Other benefits of laptop stands include:
There are a ton of portable laptop stands out there, and there are a ton of… pretty horrible ones too.
Here are the factors we considered when deciding which would make it to the top of this list.
When it comes to laptop stand comfort and ergonomics – we’re often talking about versatility.
Depending on whether you’re at a coffee shop, dining table, airport lounge or bed – different tables have different heights, so a laptop stand can help you take on the world. Getting one that’s adjustable will help you adapt easily to different workspaces on the go.
Ideally, a laptop stand will raise the top of your laptop screen up to 1-2 inches higher than your eye level. Some laptop stands are more adjustable than others, and these are the ones that we got the best use out of.
Some laptop stands go an extra step and allow you to transform your ordinary desk into a standing one – which lets you alternate between sitting and standing during your workday.
We love having the option to work in whatever position feels best to us that day.
If you’re looking for a portable stand, then size and weight obviously matter. A laptop stand that’s lightweight and compact, or foldable, is ideal if you’re moving around. It needs to be sturdy too – no point having a lightweight stand if it’s unable to support your laptop properly.
You might want something thin and easy to slip into laptop bags. In which case, the stands by Moft are hard to beat.
If you want something that folds up into the smallest possible real estate, the Nexstand takes up hardly any space – perfect for slipping into backpacks. Here’s what it looked like in comparison to my Macbook 13”.
By far – the bulkiest portable laptop stand in this list is the LORYERGO. But hey – at least there’s a handy carrying strap for lugging it around the house or office.
The best portable laptop stands can be set up into its optimum position quickly every time, with no fiddly parts or danger of pinching fingers.
If you’re using it almost everyday, you’ll want a stand you like the look of. But beyond aesthetics, many stands come with thoughtful features like a space for your cables to channel through tidily.
Look for a solid build quality made out of durable materials. After all, you don’t want your precious laptop wobbling or falling off your stand at the slightest knock. Not all stands can support all sizes or thickness of laptops, so make sure you check compatibility too.
A portable laptop stand is a great tool to add to your workspace if you’re on the go.
If you want to go the full whammy, you can look into getting an external keyboard that’s also made for ergonomics. The most ergonomic option from our reviews is a split keyboard like the KinesisGaming RGB Freestyle Keyboard.
However, if portability is your bigger priority – I personally pair the smaller AnnePro2 with my on-the-go laptop stand. It’s smaller in size and the ability to connect via Bluetooth is just much more convenient, than fiddling with wires. I’ve written about the AnnePro2 here too.
For my everyday workflow, I pair this with my most ergonomic trackball mouse – the Logitech Ergo M575. However, when I’m in digital nomad mode – I switch to my uber portable Microsoft Arc Mouse. I’ve sung the praises of both mice in my review on the best wireless mice – go check it out!
Lastly – if you’re also using a laptop stand to stand for long hours at your main desk, you may want to consider an anti-fatigue mat to take some pressure off your feet and legs. Check our review of our favourite anti-fatigue mats here if that’s your jam.
To recap, here are our top 3. If you’re looking for an all-rounder, consider the Lifelong Upryze Ergonomic. If you want versatility and the functions of a standing desk converter, we’re in love with the Moft 5-in-1, but if portability and budget is your top priority – the NexStand has you covered.
As for the rest – here’s a quick summary. Have fun!
Our favorite portable laptop stand is the Upryze Pro, thanks to the amount of adjustability it offers. It’s compact and durable, and comes at a fair price for how sturdy it is. The Moft 5-in-1 is also fantastic, and is more lightweight and portable.
We love the Moft 5-1 for its origami design that offers 4 different ergonomic viewing angles from sitting position, as well as allowing you to go from a sitting to standing position. If you’re after a stand that folds down to a small footprint, check out the Nexstand.
A computer or laptop stand can help you elevate your monitor or your laptop screen to a more comfortable viewing angle in relation to your eyes, so you can straighten your neck and reduce neck strain. Many people swear by them to improve their posture, productivity, and even to improve the lifespan of their gear, since a computer stand can also help with ventilation for your device.
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