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Best Overall
ObVus Solutions Laptop Tower Stand
A Standing Desk Converter
Fully Cora Standing Desk Converter
The Most Minimal Stand
Rain Design mBar Pro+
A Cheap Stand
Superjare Dual Monitor Stand Riser
Still balancing your laptop on a stack of old books? It’s time to upgrade. Having the right laptop stand can make life more comfortable, so you can stop craning your neck while you work.
The best stands raise your laptop’s screen (or external monitor!) close to eye level, which is better for maintaining a healthy posture. Some can even fit into a backpack for easy travel or switch configurations from sitting to standing. These are our favorites.
Need more options for your home office? Read our guide to work-from-home gear.
Updated March 2023: We made the Fully Cora Converter a top pick, as the Monoprice Converter we used to recommend is out of stock. We also added Grovemade’s Desk Shelf as an alternative option. We’ve also moved the Smarter Office Converter to the Honorable Mentions and updated prices throughout.
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Peripherals Are Important
Snagging one of the laptop stands below is one of many ways you can improve your posture when sitting at a desk for long periods. Connecting your laptop to a separate computer monitor is another. You’ll be able to multitask more easily with two screens, and you won’t have to strain your neck as much.
Some of these laptop stands are best paired with a separate keyboard and mouse. These peripherals mean you can set your laptop farther away and at various heights, and you won’t need to stretch your arms in awkward ways to type. The right mouse can prevent muscle strain and wrist problems, so check out the picks in our Best Keyboards and Best Gaming Mouse guides. (You don’t need to be a gamer to use a gaming mouse!)
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Photograph: ObVus Solutions
Best Overall
ObVus Solutions Laptop Tower Stand
No matter how many stands I try, I keep coming back to the ObVus Solutions Tower. It’s sturdy, light, and sleek (as far as office supplies go). I love that it can be raised to various heights and positions, so it should work for most people’s home or work setups.
You can easily go from sitting to standing, no standing desk needed (unless you are particularly tall), though it does take some muscle power to change the height and angle. That’s probably a good thing, as it won’t collapse while you’re working. I’ve been using it consistently since 2020, and it has stayed just as sturdy, with no issues. It’s also often on sale.
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Photograph: Fully
A Standing Desk Converter
Fully Cora Standing Desk Converter
We’re already fans of Fully’s other office furniture and accessories, and I’ve been happily using the brand’s Cora Standing Desk Converter for nearly eight months. When I’m sitting, I hardly notice that I’m not flush with my desk, but I can easily stand (and step!) with my monitor, keyboard, and mouse in tow.
Levers on either side raise it from 1.3 inches to 15.7, or whatever height in between you might need, and it doesn’t feel in the way when at its slimmest. It’s easy to control, but be careful to keep a hold on it when you’re closing it. I slammed it down the first few times by accident. It looks especially polished in white.
★ Hard to find but cheaper: We used to recommend the Monoprice Sit-Stand Desk Converter ($140). If you can find it in stock, it’s another solid option for around $40 less.
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Photograph: Rain Design
The Most Minimal Stand
Rain Design mBar Pro+
Despite being made of thin aluminum, this simple Rain Design stand is sturdy. Type away without worrying about it buckling, and take it from your office to your living room or a coffee shop. It folds up to just 9.5 x 6 inches, so it fits into any bag you’d also put a laptop in. It also weighs less than a pound. It’s a set height, raising a laptop about 5 inches at an angle. My colleague now has two of these, so he doesn’t have to worry about toting it back and forth between home and the office.
The mBar Pro Plus holds 9.7-inch (and up!) iPads if placed horizontally. There’s also the mBar ($25) stand, which raises a laptop 3 inches and doesn’t fold up, and mBar Pro ($55), which raises it the same amount but folds.
★ More from Rain Design: This brand offers a ton of stands for tablets and iMacs, including this robot-esque iGo stand. I tried and liked the mStand 360 ($60), which swivels on a lazy Susan–like disc. I also liked the iLevel ($65), which has a slider for easily adjusting the height while your laptop is on it. All are designed with Apple products in mind, but most should work with other laptops too; just be sure to check the measurements and description.
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Photograph: Superjare
A Cheap Stand
Superjare Dual Monitor Stand Riser
I’ve been using this Superjare laptop stand on and off for a few years, and even after testing all the others for this guide, it’s still one of my favorites. It’s made of particleboard, but it’s strong enough to hold my monitor and laptop. It’s a nice break from industrial-looking metal stands. It’s also really affordable!
There are three sections—one middle piece and two adjustable sides—and you can collapse the sides into the middle or remove them entirely. Sometimes I use just the middle for my monitor, or I use the entire thing to hold my laptop slightly angled on the left side for a better two-screen setup (with the ObVus stand too). The best part? There’s space underneath for storing notebooks, a keyboard, and other stuff that tends to clutter my desk. If you occasionally want to stand up and work, this isn’t a good option. Plus, it’s not easy to tote from room to room. But if you’re mostly going to sit at a desk, it’ll do the job.
