Everyone appreciates the freedom of working on a laptop—it’s easy to stay productive whether you’re at your desk, the coffee shop, or the conference room. But when it comes to ergonomics, a laptop isn’t the greatest choice since you can’t adjust the height of the keyboard and screen separately. As a result, people tend to hunch over when working on a laptop, which can lead to muscle strain and pain in the upper back, neck, shoulders, hands, wrists, and arms.
A great way to help improve the ergonomics of using a laptop is to use a height adjustable laptop stand. You’ll be able to raise and lower the height of your laptop to maintain better ergonomic posture while you use it. Most laptop stands are quite versatile: depending on the type you choose, you may be able to use it at your desk, on a coffee table, or in bed—and anywhere in between.
Below are ten reasons you should use a laptop stand:
- If you use your laptop with an external monitor, raising the laptop to a similar height as your monitor will help prevent eyestrain and neck pain.
- Using a height adjustable laptop stand to keep the laptop above your desk surface—or lap—will help keep it cooler. Your laptop’s performance can suffer if it gets too hot.
- A laptop stand can be an affordable way to dip your toes into standing while working. An ergonomic laptop stand can help you position your laptop to a position that’s right for you whether you’re sitting or standing.
- Many laptop stands are as lightweight and portable as the laptop itself, so you can move your laptop stand as you relocate from place to place.
- If you don’t use an external keyboard, and type on your laptop, a laptop stand will help you position your laptop to be at a height that is somewhere between the ideal monitor height (center of the screen at eye level) and the ideal keyboard height (elbow height).
- If your laptop tends to run on the warm side, you can get a laptop stand that has one or more fans built into the surface. Keeping air circulating on the bottom of your laptop will help keep it from getting too hot.
- An ergonomic laptop stand can help you position the angle of your laptop so you can reduce screen glare, which can lead to eye strain and headaches.
- Many laptop stands have advanced features that can be very handy, including extra USB ports and cable management, a small drawer, or even a slot to hold your smartphone.
- Reduce clutter on your desk by placing your keyboard and mouse under the laptop stand when you’re not using them.
- In addition to using a laptop stand for your laptop, you may also find it useful for holding books, tablets, or even sheet music.