In order to analyze the laptop stand, we have to start from the design concept of the laptop itself. From the alias "portable computer", it is easy to find that the design of laptops will evolve in the direction of thinness and portability. With the development of nanotechnology, the performance of laptops is still not comparable to that of desktops, but it is not the same as before.
Because of the pandemic and the implementation of home office, the demand for laptops has increased dramatically, and the excellent mobility and performance of the smallest of laptops is perfect for all age groups.
However, the design style of the keyboard directly connected to the screen makes people stay in an improper posture, and maintaining it for a long time will cause health problems.
It is easy to see from the above explanation that the flexibility of the laptop is a double-edged sword - it is not conducive to long-term use. To reduce the health effects of using laptops, there are several ways to improve them.
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5 sections in this article:
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Five ways to improve the environment of laptop use
#1 Portable Laptop Stand
The main design principle is to raise the height of the laptop screen through the triangular pivot point with a lightweight, foldable and portable design.
Regardless of the stability of use, the height that the portable laptop stand can provide is limited, and the elevation of the keyboard at the same time will make the wrist bend upward, which may cause wrist extension muscle strain and injury.
Recommendation ⭐⭐⭐
Suitable for young people who cannot understand the impact of bad habits on their health, and who use their youthful and invincible flesh to fight against everything; or for users who do not use their laptops for more than 30 minutes at a time.
Still don't understand the importance of ergonomics? Read How to Quit Sedentary Behavior and Maintain a Good Posture?
#2 External Keyboard Mouse
The most economical way to optimize the posture of using laptops is to completely separate the use of the laptop screen from the keyboard and mouse, allowing the laptop screen to be placed in the most suitable viewing position with the following laptop stands.
Recommendation ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
適合所有想要改善筆電使用環境的使用者。
#3 Spot Laptop Stand
The metal structure is used to raise the laptop to the right height, and it needs to be used with an external keyboard and mouse to establish a relatively ergonomic working environment.
When purchasing, you should pay attention to whether the height is sufficient, whether it can match your sitting posture, the stability of the laptop after placement, and whether there is any blocking of the cooling holes.
Recommendation ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Suitable for users who use laptops to do initial paperwork.
#4 External Screen
The same purpose as an external keyboard and mouse, a large external monitor can effectively increase operating efficiency. The downside is that it requires more desktop space and higher investment.
Recommendation ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Suitable for mid-level clerical users who use laptops in the same place for long periods of time.
#5 Laptop Stand Tray with Monitor Arms
The best solution of laptop use in a certain location to maintain horizontal height and customize the most comfortable dual-screen viewing experience.
The floating laptop and monitor can free up a lot of desktop space, and enhances the airflow of the laptop and increases the efficiency of heat dissipation, allowing the laptop to maintain stable operations when handling complex tasks.
Recommendation ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
High efficiency laptop workstation for professionals. After creating various video, presentation, and document files with high efficiency using the dual screen, the laptop can be taken away to the client in seconds.
Analyze the core value of a laptop stand
Based on the above needs and scenarios, it's easy to choose the right design for your laptop environment. We will start with a more in-depth product design concept so that readers can easily distinguish between wants and needs.
Before we begin, we would like to make it clear that the following contents are all personal experiences and are not absolutely objective and unbiased.
If you are forced to use some spare time outdoors, or simply enjoy the "audience effect" or "moderate level of ambient noise" inspired by working in a coffee shop, you are not in the scope of today's discussion.
First of all, from an ergonomic point of view, the most important thing to overcome in using a laptop is how to separate the keyboard and the screen and place them in the correct position respectively. The portable laptop stands that are commonly available on the market are not able to meet this requirement.
To take a step back, the portable laptop stand provides a height of about 6 to 14 centimeters, which is similar to the height of a OWNDAYS sunglasses case, and in fact many items that were originally in the bag can serve the same purpose and have additional functionality…
There is a wide variety of laptop stands available, including fixed and height-adjustable series. For fixed laptop stands, please refer to the DIY video below.
Not bad, right? You can easily save money by simply using a DIY shoebox.
Even at CES 2022, the package of ASUS ZenBook 14X OLED Space Edition is designed as a laptop stand, with the color and overall design mirroring the laptop itself, bringing additional value to the packaging beyond protecting the product.
The non-stage height-adjustable laptop stand is made by using metal bearings to hold the two arms in place and retain the swivel feature. The metal bearing design concept is ideal, but the drawback is that the friction coefficient cannot be adjusted externally.
After trying different brands of height-adjustable laptop stands, we found that the friction of a height-adjustable laptop stand hinge is very high. The benefit is that it has much more weight capacity, but the drawback is that it may be difficult to reposition to the proper height easily. Not to exaggerate, it is hard to adjust the hinges at will.
Things you need to know before buying a monitor arm with a laptop tray
The combination of a monitor arm with a laptop tray is the one that can ultimately meet all needs and maximize ergonomics, operating efficiency and space. However, there are still details to keep in mind when purchasing.
#1 Minimum weight limit of the monitor stand
In the article "Consider 3 Core Parameters for Buying Monitor Arm ”https://ultrarm.com/blogs/monitor-arm/quality-comparison", we reasonably determined that higher weight capacity almost equals better materials and quality. After we made this point, we found that some products sacrifice the minimum load value of the gas spring system to make the maximum value look brighter, e.g. the Premium 20KG monitor arm actually supports 9-20 kg screens.
Special attention should be paid to this type of monitor arm, because of the minimum weight, it cannot be used with a laptop tray. Because the weight of the laptop tray plus the laptop is generally not more than 2.5 kg. Not to mention that the overall weight of a compact design that is primarily thin and light is likely to be under 2kg. If you ignore this when purchasing, the notebook will remain in the highest position and cannot be used properly.
#2 Anti-slip pads for tighter and more stable fit
In order to meet the needs of different sizes and thicknesses of laptops in the market, most of the laptops' holders use a clamp design to hold the laptops firmly, and use gravity and the non-slip pads to enhance the fit and eliminate the risk of slipping. In addition, the non-slip pads also protect the laptop from scratches every time it is placed and accessed.
#3 Enhanced passive heat-dissipation performance
Based on the principle of external heat dissipation: drawing in as much cool air as possible from the outside to dissipate heat exhaust, the tray should be designed to maximize airflow while maintaining stability so that heat convection can run more smoothly.
#4 The Secret of Clamp Design
Laptop trays are usually designed with various ports on both sides. If the tray is also designed with clamps on both sides, it is likely that the ports will be blocked, making it impossible to maximize the performance of the laptop.
In addition, a few laptop trays are designed to be flat without any safety function, which can easily cause damage to equipment due to accidental shaking. This is especially important for the locations in an earthquake zone, where a well-designed safety function is essential.
#5 Practicality of easy to put and take
Under normal logic, the more clamps you have, the safer the laptop will be. There are 4-point clamps and 2-point clamps with a hook and loop fastener on the market.
Apart from the possibility that the position of the hook and loop fastener will affect the heat dissipation, the overly complicated design will increase the difficulty of accessing the laptop in daily use.
Especially when approaching the deadline, every time you take away the laptop, you have to open the buckle; when you put it back, you have to fasten it again, which will cost you a lot of time. Although this design is well-intentioned, it is definitely not the best user experience.
ULTRARM Laptop Tray Design (MAAC-L)
Standing on the shoulders of the giants and learning from the experience of the predecessors, the ULTRARM laptop tray has been greatly optimized and improved in terms of structure, material and fixing method.
- High stability: Non-slip pads is attached to the contact points
- Enhanced heat dissipation: Reduced contact area with laptops without compromising the structure
- Safe and secure: Double barb clamping design, using gravity to hold the laptop firmly
- Easy access: It takes only one second to place the laptop, and another one second to take it away
- Additional features: Two mounting methods for laptops, tablets and external portable monitors
Conclusion:
No matter what your current requirements are, remember that health is the most precious asset. When your back and neck are irreversibly damaged due to long-term poor posture, it will be too late to regret.
Let the devices fit your body posture and use habits, rather than trading your health for work efficiency.
In addition, when purchasing a laptop stand, you should not only look at the specifications and compatibility, but also focus on solving your own needs and future. Just like the convenience of laptops is a two-sided sword, and when you look further ahead, you can see the whole picture more clearly.
At the very least, start trying the most cost-effective external keyboards and mice to improve your laptop environment now!
