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Laptops and notebooks have become increasingly common in recent years and are used accordingly often as work tools. Unfortunately, neck pain and shoulder tension have also increased at the same time. It should therefore be a must for every ergonomic workplace to use a suitable laptop stand. The selection is large, but what features should an ergonomic laptop stand have? In this article, I explain what you should really look out for in order to find the right laptop stand and thus ensure good ergonomics at the workplace.
Features and Characteristics of Laptop Stands
With the large number of notebook and laptop stands, you should first know your needs so that the right choice can be made among the various features.
Size of the Laptop Stand
The stands are available in different sizes, for devices from 8“ to 22“ (approx. 20 – 56 cm). Make sure you find the right size. Almost all laptop stands are adjustable from 13“ to 17“, with some covering a very wide range and others being a bit more limited. However, if you know that your laptop is, for example, 17“ and you will never place another device on the mount, you do not need to worry about special dimensions. However, it can be quite smart to purchase a combinable laptop stand on which you could also place a tablet or even a mobile phone, so that an ergonomic solution is also offered for these devices.
For on the Go or in the Office
If you travel a lot with your laptop and need an ergonomic laptop stand in different locations, a foldable, small, lightweight, and mobile stand makes absolute sense. Some stands can be folded very small, which of course has great advantages for your bag. Care should also be taken to ensure that the laptop stand can be packed in a sleeve or other protective device so that no damage occurs during transport. If, on the other hand, you always use the laptop stand in the same place, you can do without the mobile features.
Fixed or Adjustable
There are laptop stands that are fixed, offer great stability, but cannot be adjusted further. Special attention should be paid to the top edge of the screen to be reached. Many health issues for the neck, shoulders, head, and back come from a screen height that is too low or too high, resulting in poor posture at the desk. You can easily check the required screen height: when looking straight ahead, your eyes should look about two finger-widths over the top edge of the laptop, i.e., the screen. This means you will have a slightly tilted head when working with the screen, but not too much downwards and certainly not too much upwards.
With an adjustable laptop stand, you are freer in your settings and can more easily and safely set the required ergonomic screen height and tilt angle for your laptop. However, it effectively depends on the size of your notebook or laptop how much such a flexible solution makes sense.
Height Adjustment and Angle Tilt
To guarantee good ergonomics at the workplace, the correct height and the right tilt angle of the laptop stand are of crucial importance. With these two settings, you will achieve the desired ergonomic screen height in most cases. However, some laptop stands may remain too low, even with the possible height adjustment, because the overall design is conceived that way. Therefore, you should measure carefully in advance which heights and angles are desired to ensure that no poor posture at the desk occurs.
For a good ergonomic solution, the notebook or laptop should be positioned with the top edge of the screen so that your eyes look about two finger-widths over this top edge. The screen itself should have a slightly backward-tilted angle so that your gaze, with your slightly tilted head, meets it at a right angle.
Ventilation
An electronic device generates heat, which can affect its lifespan, especially if the laptop or notebook gets too warm over a longer period. Therefore, an ergonomic laptop stand with cutouts for air supply is important. These can be cutouts, holes, or even built-in fans to prevent overheating.
Cable Management
Some laptop stands have special holes or cutouts for routing cables, which can serve ergonomics and design. The better the existing cables can be integrated into the set-up structure, the less cable clutter there is and the better your ergonomic workplace is designed. There are even models of laptop stands that allow for storing documents or other small devices. Weigh up for yourself how much you need this for good ergonomics at the workplace.
Material
There are laptop stands in a wide variety of materials such as plastic, aluminum, metal, steel, stainless steel (inox), various types of wood such as oak, walnut, beech, bamboo, or even materials combined with rubber, textile, or even directly from a 3D printer. However, many laptop stands are made of aluminum, which has a great advantage in terms of weight and also in reducing heat.
The choice of materials is partly a matter of taste or influences ergonomics and design. The different materials can directly have an effect on stability and heat generation around the laptop or notebook. The larger your electronic device, the more stable the holder should be. Rubber coatings help for better slip resistance, although this is effectively more useful for holders with only a small contact surface. In general, it is of great advantage if your laptop or notebook gets good ventilation, with cutouts, holes, or other open spaces in the laptop stand, as heat generation has a negative effect on the function and lifespan of your electronic device.
Laptop Stands for Good Ergonomics at the Workplace
To prevent poor posture at the desk, the laptop stand should allow you to adjust the screen of your laptop or notebook to the correct height. As explained above, you achieve this when your gaze is slightly tilted and the center of your eyes is about two finger-widths above the top edge of the screen.
If you work with a laptop stand, it is absolutely necessary that you work with an external keyboard and an external mouse. Anything else will put you in a poor health posture, which will affect your wrists or shoulders the most. So do not make the mistake of buying a laptop stand for a supposedly good ergonomic solution at the workplace, but failing to use a separate mouse or external keyboard. From an ergonomic point of view, separate input devices are a must in combination with a laptop stand.
If you work with an additional or even several external screens, also pay attention to the correct positioning of the screens here. You should always have an upright posture and not bend unnaturally to the side or forward. The rule of thumb is that the main screen should ideally be directly in front of you and you should be able to lightly touch the screen with your fingertips when your arm is outstretched, with the top edges of all screens being about two finger-widths below your eye center. For additional information on this important topic, also read my article “The Great Ergonomic Question Regarding the Correct Screen Height”.
Ergonomics and Design
Unfortunately, design often clashes with ergonomics, but that does not mean that ergonomics and design are not possible. However, my experience has shown me so often that with a beautiful design, ergonomics often suffers and remains poorly guaranteed. This is especially the case with office chairs, which can cause incredible pain due to their unusual design. With a laptop stand, this danger is less significant, but nevertheless, ergonomics should be considered first and foremost, and only then the design.
For example, what personally bothers me about some laptop stands is that their feet stand on the desk at the front edge of the laptop, thus blocking the work surface. With a laptop stand that has a base in the rear area, so that the laptop or notebook effectively "floats", this limitation does not exist and, for example, documents, papers, or other utensils can be slid under the laptop. For good ergonomics at the workplace, I find such details important and they should be taken into account.
So make sure that the following is possible with the ergonomic laptop stand:
- an ergonomic screen height can be set
- it has the correct tilt angle or can be adjusted
- stability is ensured and in harmony with the size of the electronic device
- good ventilation of the laptop or notebook is guaranteed
- an ergonomic work surface on the desk remains possible (any required free space under the laptop)
- possibly mobile character (foldable, weight) if the stand is to be taken along
- the stand helps for good cable management
By taking these points into account and using an external keyboard and a separate mouse, you will certainly prevent neck pain and shoulder tension.
Concluding Thoughts
Working without a laptop stand can quickly affect your health and cause negative consequences. For this reason, it is absolutely recommended to use a laptop stand to ensure an ergonomic workplace.
The importance lies in the possible adjustment so that the ergonomic screen height of your notebook or laptop can be achieved, with the correct tilt angle.
The mobile character and external input devices, such as a mouse and keyboard, also play a central role in good ergonomics. In this sense, an ergonomic laptop stand is only a partial solution for an ergonomic workplace and should always be considered in connection with the entire work situation. If this is done, not only can better health be achieved, but performance and productivity are also improved and can be increased. All in all, a very worthwhile thing.
If the topic of ergonomics in the office or home office appeals to you and you are interested in it more deeply, I can recommend my book “Wellness in the Office”. Combined with humorous drawings, I share 50+1 tips to turn your office into a little paradise.
50+1 tips that turn the office into a little paradise
