Choose an adjustable laptop stand that brings the camera nearer your eye line and fits your laptop’s dimensions and weight. For prolonged use with the screen raised, the Health and Safety Executive advises using a separate keyboard and mouse. A folding riser is worth considering if you move between desks; at a main desk, the stand’s usable height and support for your particular laptop may matter more than its packed size.
If you also work at your laptop for long periods, consider where the screen and input devices will sit once the camera is raised. The Health and Safety Executive advises a separate keyboard and mouse for prolonged laptop use with the screen elevated.
Moving between work locations makes folded size and laptop fit worth checking alongside height. Nexstand describes its riser as folding flat and specifies 15 cm to 30 cm of elevation.
Check that the stand supports your laptop and reaches a useful position beside any external display. UGREEN specifies support for devices up to 17.3 inches on its dual-rod model; Twelve South specifies up to 22 inches of screen and camera elevation for Curve Flex, subject to its fit limits.
Start with the height you need at your seated desk, then consider longer work sessions and whether the stand fits the laptop you move between locations.
| Concern | What to check | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Camera and screen height | Compare the stand’s usable height settings with your seated eye level and desk. The Health and Safety Executive advises positioning the top of the screen around eye level, roughly an arm’s length away. | I want my camera nearer eye level for calls without raising the screen beyond a comfortable viewing position. Around 38% of consumers put camera and screen elevation first. |
| Longer desk sessions | Allow room for a separate keyboard and mouse if you will work for prolonged periods with the laptop raised; check how the stand supports the device. | When calls lead into hours of laptop work, I need a setup I can keep using with the screen elevated. For around 37% of consumers, the prolonged-work setup is the primary concern. |
| Portability and fit | Check folded size and the exact stand’s limits against your laptop’s width, chassis thickness and weight. Consider where its supports contact the laptop. | I carry my setup between desks and need the stand to pack away while fitting my laptop securely. Portability and fit come first for around 25% of consumers. |
A stand lifts the built-in keyboard along with the screen. For prolonged laptop use, the Health and Safety Executive advises a separate keyboard and mouse so the screen can remain elevated.
Plan where those input devices will sit before choosing the stand, particularly if your desk is small.
A stated screen-size range does not by itself settle whether the laptop’s weight, thickness or contact points suit the stand.
Compare your exact laptop with the stand’s stated limits and check how cases, feet or the front edge affect its position on the supports.
The stand’s maximum height is not necessarily the right height once you are seated. The Health and Safety Executive advises placing the top of the screen around eye level at roughly an arm’s length.
Set up your chair and desk first, then look for a stand with a usable setting for that position.
For UK workers who use display screen equipment daily as part of normal work for continuous periods of an hour or more, the Health and Safety Executive says employers must assess the workstation. The assessment considers more than screen height.
If that describes your work, use your employer’s assessment process to identify appropriate adjustments rather than assuming a stand alone addresses every issue.
A folding riser to consider when you need to carry the stand between desks.
Its adjustable dual-rod model offers a wide-base option for a desk setup that may also need to fold away.
Curve Flex is a higher-reaching adjustable option for a desk where camera height or alignment with another screen matters.
For prolonged laptop use, the Health and Safety Executive advises a separate keyboard and mouse so you can raise the screen without also working on an elevated built-in keyboard. A brief video call may call for a different setup, but consider how you will use the laptop between calls.
Choose a setting that puts the top of the screen around your seated eye level and the screen roughly an arm’s length away, in line with Health and Safety Executive guidance. Check the position at your own chair and desk rather than choosing a stand solely for its maximum height.
Compare the exact stand’s stated limits with your laptop’s dimensions, weight and chassis shape. Nexstand specifies chassis below 1.9 cm thick, while Twelve South specifies that Curve Flex fits laptops at least 8.66 inches wide and up to 7 pounds; neither condition can be replaced by a screen-size guess.
No general requirement to buy a stand follows from the Health and Safety Executive’s guidance. For workers using display screen equipment daily as part of normal work for continuous periods of an hour or more, the employer must assess the workstation; any equipment choice should address the needs identified for that setup.