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How to Buy the Best Laptop Stand for Your Personal Needs
October 5 2019 - Do you feel pain in the neck or shoulders after using your laptop?
The issue might come from a lack of proper posture and laptop ergonomics. You can prevent these issues by getting a laptop stand. These devices prop your laptop up, giving you better posture options.
But which is the best laptop stand? What should you look for and which one meets your demands?
Check our guide here to discover what to look for when buying a stand:
1. Adjustable Height
Do you work often at your desk? Are there times when you work while on the bed or on the couch? If you bring your laptop around often, you need a laptop stand with an adjustable height.
Being able to adjust the height ensures optimal comfort and posture regardless of where you work. Remember: you should be able to rest your arms horizontally and keep a stable wrist angle while typing.
How high should it go? It depends on your posture but the average laptop stand should offer from 2 to 18 inches of adjustable height. This guarantees you can get the most out of it whether you're sitting on a chair or standing up.
2. Tilt Options
If you sometimes use your laptop while lying down on the couch or bed, you need tilt options too. You should be able to tilt the laptop panel a few degrees so that your hands naturally rest on top of the laptop keyboard.
One of the best laptop stands, the WorkEZ Best Laptop Stand & Lap Desk, offers 180-degrees tilt. It locks every 15-degrees, ensuring the panel won't slip as soon as you place your laptop on top.
3. Cooling Capabilities
If your laptop tends to slow down while processing heavy-duty software, like video rendering tools or resource-heavy video games, you might need a cooling pad.
Overheating slows your computer down and the problem with laptops is that their cooling fans are often at the bottom. When you place them on a table or on your lap, you're essentially covering the exhaust and weakening the laptop's cooling capabilities.
Fix this issue with a stand for laptops. Look for stands that offer better ventilation or their own cooling pads. These can prevent your laptop from overheating and guarantees that it'll last longer.
4. Portability
Your laptop is portable. The whole point of owning one is to be able to bring it with you wherever you go. Why buy a laptop stand if you can't bring it along too?
The best stands fold and collapse. Look for a portable laptop stand that is light, easy to prop back up, and not too chunky to carry around. Don't buy a laptop stand that can fold but has too many sharp edges or is too bulky, requiring you to use both hands to carry it.
If you can, look for one that keeps all its features and extra attachments in one place so you don't need to bring multiple bags with you.
5. Extra Features
When looking for a great laptop stand, don't settle for the most basic one unless you can live without the other features. That said, which extra features should you prioritize?
First off, look for a mouse pad. Yes, laptops come with a trackpad or something similar but nothing beats the comfort of a regular, detachable mouse. Having a mouse pad, whether it slides out or attaches to the stand, greatly improves comfort.
You should also look for laptop stands with a cooling pad or ventilation. We already tackled that above and why these are important.
If you can, get a stand with extra USB ports. This will allow you to power things like a portable speaker or external hard drive. Most laptop stands with cooling pads offer USB ports because you need to connect the stand to the laptop to power the fans.
One last thing to look for, although it's not a big deal breaker if you don't get it, is a carry sleeve. After all, you should be able to bring your laptop stand easily with you and a sleeve keeps it in one, easy-to-carry place.
6. Build
Don't buy a cheap laptop stand made of plastic! Plastic can melt, especially since laptops get hot with use. Even if the plastic doesn't melt, the added heat could harm your lap and the laptop.
Instead, look for builds that promote durability and comfort. Aluminum is a popular material for laptop stands since it's strong but incredibly light.
Some might use stainless steel for the other parts, such as the legs. Avoid stands built entirely with stainless steel because the material can get heavy and it builds up heat.
Others use steel alloys. Make sure you check what kind of materials went into that alloy because you could end up over-paying for a weak stand.
7. Price
Don't go over your budget. If you don't need some features, slash them off as this can narrow down your shopping list. When you're done, look at the remaining options and determine which ones give you all the features you need without breaking your budget.
Laptop stands come in different price ranges. The more expensive ones can go over $100 but you can still find amazing options at half that price.
In fact, you can get one of the best laptop stand products here for less than $50. This one in particular checks all the marks - it's portable, durable, adjustable, and comes with a neat mouse pad you can attach.
Get the Best Laptop Stand Today!
Why wait? Get the best laptop stand today!
The right laptop stand can offer better comfort while helping you maintain a healthy posture. This enables you to work more efficiently even when you have to stand, work on the couch, or even while on the bed.
Are you looking for more than a laptop stand? We've got you covered. Why not read our other guides today and discover what you need right here?
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