If you’re looking to improve your posture it’s about time to get that laptop at eye-level and buy yourself one of the best laptop stands on the market. These stands have become an essential accessory for offices and work-from-home settings and our editors have tried and tested the best options over the last 10 years before putting together a list of their favourites below.
Best Laptop Stands at a Glance
Our list of the best laptop stands goes like this:
- Best overall: Twelve South Curve
- Best adjustable laptop stand: obVus Solutions Tower Stand 2.0
- Best collapsible/ portable stand: Roost Laptop Stand
Now we’ve had a look at our favourites, let’s check out the complete list.
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1. Twelve South Curve
Price: from AU$89.95
| Pros | Cons |
| Simple, aesthetically pleasing, sturdy, and well-made. This is the one we’ve been using for the last 5 years in the Man of Many offices. | It’s a basic stand with no adjustment at all. Even still, it seems to be on the correct angle every time. |
We’ve been using the Twelve South Curve for the last 5-years in both our home and office. In fact, every single member of the Man of Many team is using one of these as it provides great value for money, style, and aligns your laptop with your monitor for better posture. You’ll love the sleek, functional stand, and if we’re talking ergonomics and function, this stand is a great choice, raising your laptop 6 inches to avoid craning your neck while working and keeping most of the laptop exposed for optimal cooling. It’s a universal stand that works for all laptops between 11-inch to 17-inch in size.
Type of stand: Fixed height stand
Compatible laptop sizes: Laptops between 11-inch to 17-inch
Product dimensions: 25.4 x 26.67 x 15.24 cm
2. Rain Design mStand360
Price: from AU$89.95
| Pro | Cons |
| The swivel base is helpful for showing colleagues your work, the single curved aluminium design is the perfect fit for MacBooks, and finally, it’s available in a wide-range of colours. | The swivel base is helpful for showing colleagues your work, the single curved aluminium design is the perfect fit for MacBooks, and finally, it’s available in a wide range of colours. |
The Rain Design mStand360 is a great alternative to the Twelve South Curve. It comes in at a higher price but has more features, most notably, a swivel base that lets you spin your laptop around to show colleagues your work. Thankfully, it remains stylish, made from a single, sturdy piece of aluminium it holds your laptop securely while keeping it cool. Paired with an external keyboard and mouse, you’re looking at a de-cluttered, ergonomic workspace that will surely enhance your productivity. Choose from any of the six available colours: silver, gold, space grey, black, midnight, starlight.
Type of stand: Fixed height, rotating base
Compatible laptop sizes: Fits all MacBooks and is compatible with most notebooks
Product dimensions: 25.3 x 15.4 x 15.4 cm
3. obVus Solutions Tower Stand 2.0
Price: from US$98
| Pros | Cons |
| The new and improved 2.0 model adds a cord control channel for cables, built-in heat dissipation, and adjustable height. | Quite a bulky unit that will take up a lot of space on your desk. Designed to be used as a standalone unit, not complementary to a monitor set-up. |
We originally loved the obVus Solutions Tower Stand when we reviewed it a few years ago, however, the newly released new 2.0 variant improves on one of the best portable laptop stands for travel we’ve ever tested. If you like to mix up your work settings, it’s still an extremely versatile unit that you can raise to various heights, positions, and angles. It also manages to exude a sleek elegance whilst remaining extremely sturdy thanks to aluminium construction.
You’ll appreciate the small details: cord control channel for cables, built-in heat dissipation, and adjustable height that you can control and lock manually from the base. There’s also a handy holder for your phone when you’ve fully erected the unit. Our only real complaint is the bulky size and price when compared to the minimalist Twelve South Curve.
Type of stand: Adjustable, foldable
Compatible laptop sizes: Up to 17-inch laptops
Package dimensions: 17.78 x 20.32 x up to 43.18 cm
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4. Satechi Lightweight Aluminium Laptop Stand
Price: from AU$59.99
| Pros | Cons |
| The sleek design is thin and great for travel. The non-slip rubber grip on the bottom does a good job of holding your laptop still while in use. | Colour selection is limited and the stand isn’t high enough off the ground for use with a monitor at eye level. |
If you’re constantly on the move between the office and home and you’re looking for a slim laptop stand, we recommend this aluminium laptop stand from Satechi. Not only is the style clean, minimalist, and fitting for the latest Macbook models but it’s also functional. The unit is collapsible, which means it can easily fit into your backpack and in our testing, we noted the non-slip rubber grip did a great job of holding onto our laptop. When we first added it to our list of the best laptop stands, it was available in a wide range of colours, but now we can only find it in stock in Space Gray and Silver.
Type of stand: Fixed height stand
Compatible laptop sizes: 11-inch to 17-inch
Product dimensions: 22.86 x 22.606 x 0.40 cm
5. Roost Laptop Stand
Price: from AU$129
| Pros | Cons |
| Very portable design that folds into a pencil-case size bag (2.5cm x 2.5 cm x 33 cm). Still height adjustable. | An expensive option that’s designed for travel and portability. Not a particularly sturdy design but it does weigh a mere 164 grams. |
If you’re looking for the most lightweight and portable laptop stand on our list, check out the Made in USA Roost Laptop Stand. It doesn’t look like most other laptop stands on the market because it folds into something the size of a pencil case (2.5cm x 2.5 cm x 33 cm) so you can take it with you travelling. The design also pays close attention to ergonomics, offering height-adjustable features to help with your posture. Simple but perfectly functional and lightweight at 164 grams, there’s a reason we’ve kept it on our list of the best laptop stands for years.
Type of stand: Adjustable, foldable
Compatible laptop sizes: Laptops with “front edge” less than 0.75″ (1.9cm) thick
Product dimensions :2.5cm x 2.5 cm x 33 cm when folded
6. Rain Design iLevel
Price: from AU$120
| Pros | Cons |
| Matches well with a MacBook because of its premium aluminium design. The angle-adjustable sliding mechanism works very well. | Once again, you pay for this premium design and it’s only targeted to those who need the adjustment. |
Recently updated, the Rain Design iLevel retains its position on our list of the best laptop stands thanks to an angle-adjustable sliding mechanism that lets you get the right angle for your laptop every time you use it. The design not only looks good but helps heat escape through the premium aluminium base and brings the screen closer to you in the process. We found that it works best with MacBooks because of the style, however, our Windows laptops had no issue with the stand either. Finally, there’s a clever stash spot underneath the unit that lets you stow away your keyboard.
Type of stand: Adjustable, tilt
Compatible laptop sizes: Fits all MacBooks and most Windows laptops
Product dimensions: 22.35 x 25.65 x 20.07 cm; 1.6 Kilograms
7. Grovemade Laptop Riser
Price: from US$180
| Pros | Cons |
| The most expensive and highest quality laptop stand on our list. It’s made from a combination of brushed 5052 Aluminum and walnut. | It’s priced very high at $180 while not providing any sort of height or angle adjustment. |
When you’re worried about the design of your laptop stands ruining the look of your desk, check out the Grovemade Laptop Riser in one of its three wooden finishes. We love the simple and sleek design with an angled 11 Gauge Brushed 5052 Aluminum platform detailed with American Black Walnut/ Eastern Hardrock Maple on the front and premium German merino wool felt on the base to keep your laptop free from scratches. There’s even room below the stand to stow your other accessories. Whilst it prioritises premium design over adjustable features (with a price point to match), the stand fulfils its design brief with flying colours and that’s why it’s on our list.
Type of stand: Fixed height stand
Compatible laptop sizes: Universal
Product dimensions: 26.67 x 17.78 x 21.84 cm
8. Twelve South HiRise
Price: from AU$99.95
| Pros | Cons |
| The best option for those who want to permanently work at their laptop stand without a monitor. Very well-made with 6 inches of height adjustment. | Once again, cheaper stands can be had with similar features. You’re paying for the sturdiness, meaning it’s better suited to heavier laptops. |
The Twelve South HiRise is our recommendation if you’re looking for a very solid base to hold a larger laptop, e.g. MacBook Pro 16-inch. Made from sturdy aluminium there’s no rocking or movement in the base to distract you from your work and with 6 inches of height adjustment you’ll be able to align this with your monitor easily. The base is also mounted on Teflon rails that let you keep the centre of the stand straight while the laptop is turned, primarily for aesthetic reasons.
Type of stand: Adjustable height, side-to-side
Compatible laptop sizes: MacBooks 11-inch to 16-inch
Product dimensions: 182 x 205 x 270 mm
Alternatives That Didn’t Make the List
These are the laptop stands that didn’t make our recommended list:
- Lifelong Upryze Ergonomic (from AU$115): The best alternative to the options on our list of best laptop stands above is the Lifelong Upryze Ergonomic. It doesn’t sit at the pointy end of our list as it isn’t easily available in Australia (you’ll only find it on Amazon), but it’s a great all-around laptop stand with good materials and up to 20 inches of vertical adjustment. You can use this stand while sitting or standing, depending on your requirements as it can be used as a stand-up desk, podium stand, vertical laptop stand and more. It’s also uber-portable and you can take it with you wherever you go, thanks to the easily packable design.
- MOFT Invisible Laptop Stand (from AU$39): Billed as the perfect travel companion for your laptop, this MOFT laptop stand is extremely thin, compact, and lightweight. Unlike the other units on our list, this one attaches to the bottom of your laptop with adhesive and creates a permanent bond. Because of this, however, it can’t hold that much weight, and in our testing, it did leave some adhesive glue on the base of the laptop. Finally, it’s not the sturdiest option on the market and we found the keyboard quite bouncy when the stand was erected. We’d only recommend this one for those who travel very often and are concerned about their posture.
- Razer Laptop Stand Chroma V2 (from US$149.99): The target market for the Razer Chroma V2 is mainly gamers which is why it doesn’t make the top of our list. However, it’s a perfect option for those who want to keep chords to a minimum thanks to its hub design. This lets you attach several other accessories and add-ons through the multiple ports at the rear of the stand: 2x USB-C with pass-through, 2x USB-A ports, and an HDMI port, it’s ultimately functional and works best with a dual monitor set-up.
- PHOCAR Laptop Stand (from AU$34): It might look like something out of a sci-fi movie, but the robotic aluminium features on the PHOCAR laptop base are all functional. The ergonomic design is simultaneously compact and solid. You’ll really appreciate the height adjustment and six-angle options, freeing you from any back or neck stiffness while you work. The stand is also foldable and portable, but it’s a little flimsy compared to the top options on our list such as the obVus Solutions Tower Stand 2.0.
Why is a Laptop Stand Important?
If you work at a desk you would have already realised that a laptop stand is essential for posture. These stands are designed to raise, angle and support your laptop to help us from being crunched over our desks. The stands we’ve included on our list suit different working locations, whether it’s your bed, the kitchen table or if you want a standing desk. Ultimately, laptop stands are there to help improve your posture, comfort and perform better.
What to Look For When Buying a Laptop Stand
There are so many different types of laptop stands out there, so it’s important to know what to look for to ensure you get the one that’s right for you. Firstly, you need to decide what kind of working environment you would like to create. Think about whether you want something that offers a more permanent setup, something that supports a stand-up office setup, or something to use on the move.
If you’re looking for a stand for your desk, consider a single-height laptop stand. These offer the most basic support and are great if your office moves around from table to table. Consider adjustable or foldable laptop stands if space and size are important factors for you. If you’re a photographer or DJ, a tether table laptop stand is perfect for you. So, look for something that is ergonomic and suits your needs.
Your Questions Answered
The Roost Laptop Stand and ObVus Solutions Tower Stand are the best foldable laptop stands on the market. They’re extremely compact and light weight making them easy to carry around in your bag, backpack, or carry-on luggage when travelling.
You should use a computer or laptop stand to improve your workspace and posture thus enhancing your productivity, as they help improve comfort and functionality.
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