The best laptop stands
There are many laptop stands, but depending on what you want to use it for, some may be much better than others. Some are better for clearing your desk, others for raising your laptop to eye level, for keeping it cool, for working from the couch or bed, etc., but they all tend to share some characteristics.
The best laptop stands are sturdy and stable, made of heat-dissipating materials, and are sometimes adjustable in height or include fans to cool the laptop while you use it. The best ones also offer cable management solutions.
Below you will find an analysis of the best stands on the market today and we will see how they are better and worse. In addition, at the end of the guide you will find several tips to help you choose the one that suits you best.
The 5 best laptop stands in 2024
Rain Design iLevel2
- Materials: Aluminium
- Adjustable: Yes
- Dimensions (W x D x H): 256 x 223 x (136 – 200) mm
- Weight: 3.5 lb (1.6 kg)
- Ports: No
Last price update on 2022-12-08. We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
The best laptop stand
The Rain Design iLevel2 is the ultimate laptop stand, as it combines the robustness and aesthetics of the Rain design mStand with the possibility to adjust the height of the laptop screen to suit your eye height by simply moving the front slider.
In terms of materials, this stand is made of aluminum with a semi-matte finish that gives it a very premium look that matches perfectly with high-end laptops. Although it is not available in different colors, as is the case with the mStand, the truth is that its silver tone matches well even with gold, pink or Space Gray laptops.
Another highlight of the iLevel2 is the space on the back that allows you to hide cables, adapters and even external hard drives. So you can keep your desk tidy, and if you bundle your cables into a single adapter, you’ll barely have to connect a cable to your laptop.
The best adjustable laptop stand
The most outstanding feature of the iLevel2 is its front slider, which allows you to comfortably raise the height of your laptop up to7.9″, without having to remove it from the stand with all that this may entail: disconnecting cables, risk of accidental falls, etc. In addition, the mechanism feels secure and slides smoothly, so you can raise large laptops, even 17″, without any problems.
The iLevel2 is sturdy and very stable, thanks to its wide support base and aluminum frame, so your laptop will be very safe. In addition, the way the laptop is lifted distributes the weight over the entire structure, so it feels more stable than the Besign LSX3 stand, for example, which rests on a central pillar. For added safety, the surface and base have several anti-slip pads that prevent the notebook from slipping in the slightest.
The best ergonomic laptop stand
From an ergonomic point of view, this laptop stand makes it easier to work with your back straight and your eyes straight ahead, even if you are taller than 5.9 feet, as fixed laptop stands, such as the mStand, may not be able to raise the laptop to your eye level. If you are going to use an external monitor next to the iLevel2, make sure it is also height adjustable so you can align them.
Is the Rain Design iLevel2 worth it?
The iLevel2 excels in everything you would expect from a good desktop laptop stand: durability, robustness, stability and ergonomics. It is, without a doubt, the laptop stand that I personally recommend today.
View on AmazonRain Design mStand
- Materials: Aluminium
- Adjustable: No
- Dimensions (W x D x H): 253 x 262 (190 at base) x 150 mm
- Weight: 1.18 kg
- Ports: No
Last price update on 2022-12-08. We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
The best budget laptop stand
The Rain Design mStand is one of the best laptop stands for its beautiful design, sturdiness, build quality and stability.
The mStand is made entirely of aluminum and can support laptops up to 17″ without any effort. In addition, at the base of the stand and at the top, where it supports the laptop, it has small non-slip rubber pads, which prevent the whole thing from moving the slightest bit.
Although the height of the laptop is not adjustable as in the Rain Design iLevel2, it leaves the laptop at the height that an external monitor usually reaches, which is very practical if you want to work with two screens in parallel. In my case, I use a 24″ LG external monitor, and the two screens are aligned at the top.This height also makes you look better in video calls, as the laptop’s camera is pointed straight at your eyes (if it is at the top of the laptop screen).
Another advantage of this laptop stand is that it helps you keep your desk uncluttered. You can easily tidy your laptop cables by passing them through the hole in the back, and you can store your keyboard and graphics tablet or mouse in the gap between the base and the surface where the computer rests.
In my case, I unify all the cables into a multi-port adapter that hides in the hole of the mStand and only one cable comes out to my MacBook Pro, so my desk is always clear and tidy.
The best stand for MacBook Air and MacBook Pro laptops.
The one-piece design of the mStand fits perfectly with the unibody design of the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro. The mStand perfectly supports and holds the different sizes and models of Apple notebooks and is available in the same colors: Silver, Gold and Space Gray.
Is the Rain Design mStand worth it?
Rain Design has created some of the best looking, best thought out and most secure laptop stands on the market. The mStand is one of the best stands on the market and the price is very attractive, considering the peace of mind you will have, knowing that your laptop is stable and secure.
View on AmazonDesk York
- Materials: Aluminium
- Adjustable: Yes
- Dimensions (W x D x H): 19.4 x 10.9 x 2.5 inches (folded)
- Weight: 2.89 lb (1.31 kg)
- Fans: 2
- Ports: No
Last price update on 2022-12-08. We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
The best laptop stand for couch and bed
The Desk York laptop stand articulates easily, allowing you to adapt it to the different situations in which you need to use your laptop, whether it’s on your desk, on your bed or on your couch.
In addition, adjusting the positions is very easy. On each joint there is a button that unlocks it so you can articulate and, once you release it, it locks again, remaining fixed and firm at that point. It also has numbers around the button to make it easy to match the position of both legs. Still, if you plan to change the leg positions many times, the process becomes cumbersome, as there are 6 joints to adjust each time.
The number of possible positions in which you can place the legs allows you to place it on any bed or sofa. But the best part is that it doesn’t limit the position you have to sit in, as is the case with laptop stands for sofas and beds, which practically force you to sit as if you were in a chair, as is the case with any LapGear Home office lap desk with device ledge.
This also facilitates good ergonomics, as you can adjust it to different heights on your desk or raise it even higher and use it as a stand to work standing up, if you prefer. Although it also has a drawback, and that is that being able to place it anywhere can make you end up working too much from the couch or bed, which is also not recommended for the back.
As for the manufacture, the entire structure is made of aluminum, which dissipates heat and provides robustness to the whole. At the top, where the laptop rests has a non-slip rubber surface and a small shelf to place a mouse or a small graphics tablet, which is quite practical if you need to design or simply you are not as fast with the trackpad of the laptop as with the mouse.
On the other hand, I didn’t like that it has such sloping edges. I find it easy to bump into the stand when using it in bed or on the couch, where we’re not strictly sitting down, like in a chair.
Is the Desk York laptop stand worth it?
If you know you’re going to use it in bed and on the couch frequently, it’s highly recommended. If you’re going to use it on the desk thinking that maybe someday you’ll use it on the couch or bed, then I don’t recommend it, as there are laptop stands better designed for a desk.
View on AmazonAdjustable Laptop Stand with Cooling Fan by Luowan
- Materials: Aluminium structure
- Adjustable: Yes
- Dimensions (W x D x H): 8.66 x 7.87 x 2.24 inches (folded)
- Weight: 2.55 lb
- Fans: 1
- Ports: No
Last price update on 2022-12-08. We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
The best laptop stand with cooling fan
The Luowan Adjustable Laptop Stand with Fan is the laptop stand that best combines adjustability with an efficient cooling system. In addition, it is made of aluminum, which facilitates heat dissipation, as well as provides great stability to the whole.
It allows the notebook to be raised over 10 inches (at the rear), making it an ideal stand for people of any height. In addition, both the base and the surface of the stand have anti-slip silicone pads that keep the notebook in place, preventing it from accidentally sliding.
You can use this stand with laptops up to 17.3″, according to the manufacturer’s specifications, and as long as they do not exceed 22 lbs in weight. The hinge mechanism is adjusted with a hex key, so once you decide the height, you can lock the hinges to keep the structure fixed and stable.
Its ventilation system is efficient and quite quiet. It connects via USB, so just plug it into your computer’s port to make it work. If your laptop draws air for cooling through the base vents, as is the case with some gaming laptops, this stand will help your computer cool even faster. Although it is not a gaming stand like theKLIM Wind, which has four fans, it certainly does a good job.
Is the Adjustable Laptop Stand with Cooling Fan by Luowan worth it?
Luowan’s adjustable laptop stand with fan is an excellent stand with a very good price-performance ratio. Few adjustable stands offer ventilation, aluminum finish and good design for this price. Unless you need more cooling power (in which case, check out the KLIM Wind), this is a highly recommended stand.
View on AmazonKLIM Wind
- Materials: Plastic frame and metal grille
- Adjustable: Yes
- Dimensions (W x D x H): 15.79 x 10.71 x 1.22 inches (folded)
- Weight: 1.58 lb (0.72 kg)
- Fans: 4
- Ports: 2x USB
Last price update on 2022-12-08. We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
The best laptop stand for gaming
The KLIM Wind is a laptop stand specially designed for gamers, as with its 4 fans it keeps the laptop at low temperatures so that its performance does not decrease.
Laptops tend to activate a self-protection mechanism when they get too hot, which reduces performance. This tends to happen when rendering 3D or very high resolution videos, processing large photos and, above all, when playing video games.
With the Klim Wind you will be able to keep the temperature of your laptop low, and depending on how your computer is made and with which materials, it will reduce its temperature by more or less degrees. The stand supports laptops up to 19 inches and you can also place game consoles on it if you wish, according to the manufacturer.
Considering that it has four 1200 rpm fans, it is a fairly quiet stand. It is audible (26 db) if you don’t wear headphones, but it’s not an annoying sound. If you play games with headphones you won’t hear it at all.
Otherwise, it’s not an ergonomic stand, it simply raises the laptop slightly so that the fans have room to work and cool properly. If you want more ergonomics while gaming, there’s the TopMate C5 laptop stand, with various height adjustments and a temperature-controlled display. The latter is highly recommended, but only supports laptops up to 15.6 inches.
Is the KLIM Wind worth it?
The KLIM Wind is an excellent stand if your goal is to have a stand that keeps your laptop at low temperatures, whether it’s for gaming, video rendering, 3D or photo editing. But you’ll have to sacrifice the ergonomics in return.
View on AmazonTop 5 best-selling laptop stands of 2024
Last price update on 2022-10-18. We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
How to choose the best laptop stand. Things to consider:
1. Laptop stand materials
The material of which the laptop stand is made has to fulfil two main functions, to resist the weight of the laptop and to dissipate the heat it produces during use. In this sense, the most effective material is aluminum, due to its resistance, heat dissipation capacity, weight and cost.
For this reason, high-end laptops are usually made of aluminum and good computer heat sinks are also made of aluminum. In contrast, low-end laptops and heat sinks are often made of plastic, which dissipates very little heat.
Aluminum laptop stands dissipate heat much better than plastic ones.
Laptop stands made of aluminum are a little more expensive than plastic ones, but they will help you to prevent your laptop’s temperature from rising more than necessary.
When the laptop’s temperature rises, it activates its self-protection systems and automatically slows down the system’s performance to lower it, so don’t wait for a warning.
2. Robustness, balance and security
Some laptops cost thousands of dollars, so it’s important that you place them on a secure, sturdy stand. Aluminum stands are the sturdiest and the fewer moving parts there are, the less likely it is that one will break.
Avoid stands that have thin plastic pins or complicated scissor mechanisms that can fold at any time, causing your laptop to fall over abruptly. If you want a laptop stand with many hinged parts, make sure it has safety mechanisms that prevent folding, such as the Desk York.
3. Height of the laptop after placing it on the stand
After placing the laptop on the stand, the top of the screen should be approximately eye level. This will allow you to see the screen without hunching your back and still appear to be facing forward in video conferences.
One-piece laptop stands, such as Rain Design’s mStand, already place the laptop at a good height, but if you’re taller than 6’4″, you may need a stand that allows you to raise the screen even higher, such as the iLevel2.
4. Ergonomics
As the computer will be several centimetres above the table, you will need an external keyboard and a mouse. This will prevent you from continually raising your hands or arms, which can lead to wrist and forearm injuries in the medium to long term.
I suggest you invest in your health and productivity and get one of the best keyboards for Mac or PC.
