Best laptop stand 2022: Foldable stands and risers for your desk

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Covid restrictions might have been lifted, but not everyone is returning to the office full time. While the Office for National Statistics reports that only 12 per cent of people worked exclusively from home in the past seven days (compared to 26 per cent in January 2022), many Britons are now on a hybrid working basis.

Whether you now work fully remote or not, ensuring your home office setup is as safe as possible for backs, necks and eyes is imperative. Poor posture can make you feel terrible and may cause pain in your joints, muscles and ligaments due to prolonged and abnormal loads, says Julian Keel, a chiropractor at Barnes Chiropractic Healthcare.

His clinic has seen the impact of poor working from home setups since the Covid pandemic. “As a chiropractor working in London, many of my clients who usually commute into the City have been working at home in recent months, and I have seen many more coming in during the last two years with back, neck and headache issues associated with their work-at-home posture and practices,” he says.

Working from home in a safe and comfortable posture is possible, but those using laptops, which were originally designed only for short-term work, should consider adding a laptop stand or riser to their home office. These can prevent you from looking down at the screen for lengthy periods, which can be tiring and painful for neck muscles.

“A laptop stand or riser can bring the height of the screen more to eye level so you can maintain better neck posture,” Keel says. “It may mean using a separate mouse and keyboard too so that these are at the level of the desk for your hands, arms and shoulders to be in a comfortable position. They can also give the option of working while standing.”

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Here’s our roundup of the best laptop stands and risers to help you create a safe, posture-promoting and comfortable work from home setup.

How we tested

We found a range of home office accessories to help put your laptop in the correct position for safe home-working. There are foldable stands for different laptops, risers that also hold other accessories and a nifty stand that will allow a regular table or desk to be converted into a standing desk. We’ve rated each on quality, ease of use and how they supported us in our quest for the perfect work-from-home environment.

The best laptop stands for 2022 are:

  • Best overall – Twelve South hirise: £61.29, Amazon.co.uk
  • Best for different angles – Amazon brand eono laptop stand: £38.99, Amazon.co.uk
  • Best value for money – Jysk mern laptop support: £17.50, Jysk.co.uk
  • Best sustainable option – Woodsmithsstudio wooden laptop riser: £24, Etsy.com
  • Best for gamers – Trust GXT1125 quno laptop cooling stand: £39.99, Argos.co.uk
  • Best standing workstation – HumbleWorks stan1: £199, Humbleworks.co
  • Best static laptop stand – Twelve South curve: £44.99, Amazon.co.uk
  • Best for unique design – Equal Peaks paramount laptop stand: £29.99, Equalpeaks.com
  • Best compact design – Amazon basics foldable laptop stand: £15.42, Amazon.co.uk

Twelve South hirise

Best: Overall

Rating: 9.5/10

Creating an ergonomic home working setup should result in a space that looks just as professional and slick as the office, and this laptop stand helps to do just that. The metal design is robust and stylish, yet surprisingly light, and it allows you to raise your laptop by up to 15cm to help promote good posture – our tester noticed how it helped them sit more upright.

Adjusting the height is easy with the spring-loaded post, and laptops placed on its silicone-lined V-shaped arms feel safe and solid, while air can circulate freely to prevent overheating. The design is suitable for all sizes of Apple MacBook but equally good with other laptops, and there’s space for adding an external keyboard and mouse, which you will need. It’s also excellent as part of a dual-screen setup. This laptop riser might be on the pricier side, but it is worth the investment for a reliable, quality piece of kit.

Amazon brand eono laptop stand

Best: For different angles

Rating: 9/10

The flexibility to change the angle of your laptop is a massive bonus of this stand – you can even ensure you find the most flattering angle for Zoom calls. It unfolds to create a Z-shaped riser that can be adjusted to the height and angle needed. We found it a little stiff to open on the first few goes, but it becomes easier with use. It’s also durable because it’s made with aluminium alloy, and there are silicone pads and two lips at the front to keep laptops safely in place.

This stand is suitable for any laptop between 10in and 17in, plus there’s space at the bottom for storing a keyboard and mouse. We love that this can be folded away for storage when it’s not in use – ideal if you don’t have a home office and use the dining room table for your working day.

Jysk mern laptop support

Best: Value for money

Rating: 8/10

Some people have been working from their beds during the pandemic, which is terrible news for neck and back health. And while we would never encourage working with a laptop on your lap, a foldaway desk like this could help. It’s not one for using on top of a desk like the other laptop stands in the roundup and is better used in bed or on a sofa.

The height is adjustable to bring it up enough to limit neck straining, and the left-hand side of the desk can be angled up to help further. There’s even space on the right side for a notebook or a cup of tea. Perhaps the most surprising thing about this is that it is such a bargain for a good quality laptop support that can double as a breakfast in bed table too.

Woodsmithsstudio wooden laptop riser

Best: Sustainable option

Rating: 8/10

Instead of being a single unit, this riser is a set of two wooden brackets that lift devices by 6.5cm to create a suitable angle for working on a laptop. There’s no fiddling with setting the height, just place them parallel to each other on the work surface or desk and pop your laptop on top where it is held in place by two wooden pegs. Cut-out holes also mean cables can be fed through to keep everything neat and tidy. This is a sustainable option too because it is made from reclaimed oak floorboards, which also means it is tough enough for laptops sized between 10in and 15in. But if you have a larger laptop, worry not because there is also a bespoke service to make the perfect riser for you and it only costs an extra £6.

Trust GXT1125 quno laptop cooling stand

Best: For gamers

Rating: 8.5/10

Are you one of the gamers among us? If so, this laptop stand is for you because it will keep your device cool no matter how long you play for. It features five built-in fans that blow a cooling breeze on the back of the laptop over hours of gaming, and it is powered by your computer’s USB port – a cable is included. The fans also light up luminescent blue for a high-tech vibe and atmosphere.

The aluminium stand can accommodate laptops up to 17.3in in size and offers five angles to lift the screen up to 19cm, while pegs keep your computer in place. We like that it also comes with an attachable phone holder that sits alongside the stand, so you never need to miss a notification when you’re immersed in your winning gaming setup.

HumbleWorks stan1

Best: Standing workstation

Rating: 9/10

If you fancy the idea of a standing desk but don’t want to commit to having to stand for your entire working day, this clever piece of equipment offers the flexibility you need. It transforms any table or desk into a standing workstation by placing it on top but folds away neatly when you need a sit-down. There are separate rests for a keyboard, phone or tablet and laptop, and they’re adjustable so you can select the right height for you. We especially like the sturdiness of the stand, and we were confident that no accidents would happen despite placing our laptops at such a height.

The stan1 arrives flat packed, but it comprises only five elements that slot together easily and quickly so you can have your own standing desk in moments.

Twelve South curve

Best: Static laptop stand

Rating: 8/10

This is a laptop stand for those who want to get it out of the box and go without any fiddling or figuring out the best height. Just place it on your desk and rest your laptop on top of the silicone coated arms, and your screen will be elevated by 15cm. We found this a comfortable level for working, but it may depend on the height of your desk and chair.

The unit itself is made from a single piece of aluminium bent into shape with a curved base, which means it is robust, stable and allows air to circulate around your device. This stand can accommodate MacBooks and laptops sized between 11in and 17in.

Equal Peaks paramount laptop stand

Best: For unique design

Rating: 8.5/10

For a laptop riser with a stand-out design, the paramount is what you’re after. The smooth curves and the stripes in its birch plywood construction look brilliant, and it does the job too, raising your laptop by 18cm. We found this was practically perfect for bringing our eyes in line with our screen. We also like the built-in smartphone holder in the space beneath the laptop and the access holes for keeping cables tidy. This well-made, attractive laptop stand is also brilliant value for money at under £30.

Amazon basics foldable laptop stand

Best: Compact design

Rating: 7.5/10

For those who spend little time on their laptops but need a stand for when they do, this simple and good value riser will do the job. It’s another one made from aluminium, so it’s strong yet light, and it folds away flat for easy storage when it’s not in use – we found we could store it alongside books in our home office bookcase. A hinged arm folds out to create an 18-degree tilt and 7.5cm lift, which we found is OK if you’re working on a higher desk and sitting in a chair you can lower. This stand also features rubber elements to prevent your laptops from slipping and is suitable for devices up to 13in in size.

Julian Keel, a chiropractor at Barnes Chiropractic Healthcare, offers his advice on creating a safe, back-friendly working-from-home environment.

  • Try to vary your posture regularly by getting up from sitting down at least every 30 to 45 minutes and walking around or standing to reduce the static load of prolonged sitting.
  • If you can, schedule meetings to allow for natural breaks so you can get up and move around – get a drink or snack. Back-to-back calls are a sure way to prolong sitting and poor posture.
  • Buying a seat wedge cushion can be a relatively cheap way of helping to promote a more upright posture that maintains a neutral spine position while sitting. Even having the best office chair doesn’t mean you can sit for hours on end.
  • Remember to use your postural muscles to stop you slouching and turning your spine from an S curve to a C curve. When you feel you’re slouching, get up and do some movement and gentle stretching.
  • Make your workstation ergonomics work. Make sure your screen is in front of you, at a good height, and you can relax your shoulders while your arms are resting on the surface in front of you. Your hips should ideally be slightly above the level of your knees so that your lower back curve is better maintained. Your feet should both be flat on the ground.
  • Keep an eye out for tell-tale signs of poor posture, such as shoulders hunching. Stand up, shake out your arms and shoulders to reset yourself.
  • Try to stay aware of how you sit until the good habits become second nature. Once the good habits are ingrained, they’ll be natural to you, and you’ll be doing them without thinking.

The verdict: Laptop stands

Those planning to continue working from home would do well to invest in the Twelve South hirise laptop stand. It makes working on a standard desk far more comfortable and helped us create a super professional setup that got and kept us in work mode. We also like that it is compatible with so many devices, so even if you change your laptop later on down the line, chances are it will still do the job of raising it to a safe height for you.

For its ingenuity and the flexibility it offers, we’d also recommend HumbleWorks stan1 to anyone who’s been wanting a standing desk but doesn’t want to shell out for one or commit themselves to having to stand all day.

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Want to take your home office set-up to new heights? Read our best standing desks round-up

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