The Best Laptop Stands in 2021

With a large portion of the professional world working at home still, laptop stands are incredibly important! They help with working ergonomics as laptops should never actually be used on a lap, and are often bad for the neck even when using on a desk. But a laptop stand can be so much more than just a basic stand. And we’ve rounded up some of the best ones you can buy. Make your 2021 a productive year!

What is your favorite laptop stand or setup for maximum productivity? Leave a comment below this post to share. Cover photo by: Piotr Wilk

The Basic Laptop Stand

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If you browse Amazon for laptop stands, you’ll probably find a basic design made by numerous brands. All of them are the same, and they have no special features. They’re just a basic two-legged stand made from aluminum. Just because they’re cheap and basic doesn’t mean that they’re bad. If you’re looking to upgrade stands, then you might already have one of these. And if you’re looking for a starter stand to simply elevate your laptop then these $20-$30 stands will be absolutely perfect. They feature rubber grips to keep the laptop from slipping and are angled to better use the keyboard. The space underneath can be used to store additional supplies, or maybe a cat looking for some warmth.

obVus Solutions Tower Stand

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This laptop stand is basically the Cadillac of laptop stands. It is completely adjustable between 2.1 inches and 21 inches tall, so that you can adjust your laptop to any table or surface. You can also tilt the angle to make it comfortable. On top of that, the portability is off the charts. This laptop stand can be folded for compact transportation. This means it’s perfect for professionals on the go (or at least when professionals can be on the go again!). The stand is also shockingly sturdy, even when typing. The only downside is that there’s not space for a mouse. So if you’re using an external mouse while the stand is fully extended it might not be very ergonomic.

Roost Laptop Stand

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At $90, you may wonder why the Roost laptop stand commands such a high price tag. It is a fully adjustable stand and although it only lifts up to 12 inches, it has a small and light form factor with nice rubber bumpers to keep your laptop secure and the stand secure on the desk. If you need to transport this stand, it’ll be easy to do, and even comes with a soft carrying case. Despite its looks, it’s very sturdy and durable.

MOFT Invisible Slim Laptop Stand

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The MOFT laptop stand isn’t going to win any awards for adding height to your laptop. But it does win when it comes to being compact and portable. This 3-ounce stand adheres to your laptop and can be adjusted to 25 degrees and 15 degrees. It only raises the laptop a maximum of 3 inches. But even that could help make some situations a little bit more ergonomic. This is an ideal laptop stand if you’d like to move around a lot. This is probably the only stand that can be permanently attached to your laptop wherever you go!

HUANUO Adjustable Laptop Stand

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This adjustable laptop stand has a lot of great features at the cost of additional bulk. With articulating legs, you can get just a couple inches off the table all the way up to what appears to be over a foot above desk level. It may be a bit unsteady at its highest settings, but it appears to be very sturdy when on the lower settings.

It comes with some unique features. The first is a detachable mouse board, so that you can use an external mouse. This is nice for anyone that prefers using a mouse over a trackpad. If you’re also a gamer, or run any other intensive tasks on your laptop, you may like the built-in fans on the stand. These are USB-powered by your laptop itself, and help draw cool air into your laptop to help keep temperatures down during demanding tasks. This is not a must-have for most people but it could come in handy for the right person.

VIVO Laptop Mount Stand

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This solution may look like it belongs in a warehouse, but it’s actually a pretty great idea for de-cluttering your desk. Why put a laptop stand on your desk when you can mount it above the tabletop? This stand functions identically to a monitor stand and clamps to any desk with its adjustable C-clamp. The arm supports a wide range of adjustability including tilt, swivel, rotation, and height adjustment, so this mounting option is definitely the most versatile. You can also switch out the laptop for a monitor, as the mounting bracket uses the same layout as a standard monitor mount. Cable management is also a priority of this product, as it comes with cable clips to cleanly route all of your mess. The stand itself may be a big chunk of metal, but it will result in the cleanest setup of any of these stands.

Rain Design mStand

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The Rain Design mStand is exactly like the Mac laptops that it’s obviously modeled after – expertly crafted but designed for a very specific method of use. This stand is not adjustable, so you’ll be stuck at around 6 inches of elevation. But, the solid aluminum stand is extremely durable and provides a nice angle for the keyboard. Although there are no ventilation gaps, Rain claims that the aluminum base acts as a heatsink to draw away heat from a running laptop. This is an ideal aesthetic choice for Mac users, as the silver finish matches Apple Macbooks perfectly.

These are some of the best laptop stands for various uses that we could find, and there is really something for everyone here. If you’re still looking for a laptop to put on one of these stands, check out our picks for the top 10 Windows laptops of 2020 for editing!

Read next: The Best Laptops for Freelancers