Best laptop stands for Apple MacBook Pro and MacBook Air

Macworld

Apple’s MacBooks are great, but—as with all laptops—using one isn’t that great for your back or neck.

Continual bowing of the head to see a screen can lead to a stiff neck and what doctors scarily call spinal stenosis, which can compress blood vessels and displace nerves—cutting off blood supply to the brain. That’s not a good thing.

Your screen should be at a comfortable height that doesn’t make you bend your neck down to see it. Try to make sure your eyes are in line with the screen while sitting with a straight back. This also helps when making video calls, so the other people aren’t staring up your nostrils.

Using a laptop stand also makes using a separate keyboard and mouse much easier. See our roundups of the best Mac keyboards and best Mac mouse. And, after use, you can hide away your keyboard under the raised stand on certain models.

Some stands raise the laptop to eye level, and others—known as “vertical” or “closed” stands—just keep the MacBook closed for minimal desk disruption if you have connected external displays to increase your screen size—learn how to set up a second screen for a Mac.

The eye-level, open laptop stands are more ergonomic, raising the MacBook screen so that you are not straining your neck muscles, shoulders and back. It should also reduce screen glare, which means less eye strain and fewer headaches. On such a stand, the MacBook’s webcam will also be at a more natural level with your head, meaning less video calls with people looking up your nose or down on your head.

Buy a vertical/closed laptop stand to keep your desk tidy and free up space for other stuff—be that a charger for your iPhone, backup hard disk, or a cup of coffee.

Both types of stand should also raise the laptop, raising it off the desk and keeping it cooler. If a laptop gets too hot, its performance is likely to suffer.

A laptop stand also works nicely with a MacBook docking station, which can multiply the number of ports and slots available to you and allow for multiple larger displays. Some stands even have their own integrated USB-C hub, which is a very clever addition.

We’ve rounded up the best laptop stands for MacBook that we can find, each with its own special features. Most mimic the clean metal lines of the MacBook range, while others think differently.






Twelve South Curve Flex – Most stylish flexible MacBook stand















Pros

Stylish

Multiple height and tilt settings

Portable


Cons

Expensive








Price When Reviewed:

66,99 €



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€80.44


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€89


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Twelve South



€89.99


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€104.7


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Macway FR



€105.34


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Many laptop stands are rigid and offers little flexibility. The Cuve Flex, from premium accessory maker Twelve South, remedies this limitation with both height and tilt adjustability.

It can elevate your MacBook screen and camera up to 22 inches (56cm) so it can be close to eye level and aligned with an external screen if you have one. This flexibility is better for your neck, back and eyes. You can angle the MacBook’s keyboard from 0 to 45 degrees.

The Curve Flex is not just flexible; it’s portable, too. It weighs 28oz (795g), folds flat and comes with a padded neoprene travel sleeve.

While it costs more than the original fixed-position Curve and even cheaper Curve SE (reviewed below), and indeed many of the MacBook stands tested here, the flexibility and portability justify the extra expense.

The Curve Flex is available in matte black or white.

Twelve South also has a companion stand for the external display you might connect to your MacBook. The Curve Riser will put your second screen at a similar height to the laptop, and includes a handy shelf for a docking station or other device.







Plugable Portable Foldable Laptop Stand – Best portable MacBook stand















Pros

Portable

Foldable

Four angle settings


Cons

Doesn’t raise MacBook

Expensive outside of the U.S.














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Plugable’s Foldable Laptop Stand is more portable than most, being collapsible and lightweight (12.6oz, 356g). You can simply fold it up, and pack it in your bag or suitcase for travel like a slim notebook. It folds into a neat 9 x 4.35 x 0.6-inch (23 x 11 x 1.5cm) package.

It doesn’t raise the MacBook like other laptop stands do, but it does bring the screen closer to eye level than sitting flat on the desk. There are four viewing angle: 25°, 30°, 45° and a steep 60 degrees.

It will work with any laptop 12in-17in, and with some hidden tabs will also support an iPad.

The base feels secure on your desk and will fit an average airplane seat tray or in a tight gap by the window (and power point) of your favorite café.







UGreen Rotating Laptop Stand – 360-degree swivel laptop stand















Pros

Rotates 360 degrees

Multiple height settings

Foldable and portable














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Ideal for shared laptops in meeting or other group environments, the UGreen Rotating Laptop Stand offers a 360° rotatable axis on the base, so you can flexibly swing the laptop round to show the screen or share the camera.

In addition to this neat feature, you can raise, angle and tilt the MacBook to your preferred viewing comfort on this aluminum alloy stand.

The foldable stand can hold up to a 16-inch MacBook Pro, and supports up to 11 lbs of weight. It feels sturdier than the Lululook 360 Rotating Laptop Stand, although is maybe a little less stylish.







Lululook 360 Rotating Foldable Laptop Stand – Rotating laptop stand















Pros

Rotates 360 degrees

Multiple height settings

Foldable and portable


Cons

Will topple if tilted too much








Price When Reviewed:

66,99 €



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Lululook



$89.99


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This laptop stand boasts a handy 360° rotating circular base and a mechanical arm that can raise the screen by 10 inches.

The spin is smooth and has a reassuring clicking noise as you spin it. It’s great for meetings where you can quickly turn the screen to your colleagues or even hand over control in presentations.

It will take up to a 17-inch laptop, but don’t tilt it too much or it will topple backwards. The UGreen Swivel Laptop Stand feels more sturdy but we prefer the looks of the Lululook rotating stand.

Made of lightweight aluminum alloy, the well-built stand is foldable so can be carried around in a laptop bag when you are between offices.

It features a cut-out base to help dissipate heat to cool the MacBook.







Rain Design mBar pro+ – Best minimalist MacBook stand















Pros

Minimalist design

Lightweight

Foldable














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The mBar Pro+ is the top-end thin aluminum minimalist laptop stand from Rain Design. It raises the MacBook nearly 5 inches from the desk and provides a comfortable, sturdy typing angle. It folds up to 9.6 x 6.3 inches (24 x 16cm) and only 0.5 inches (1.2cm) thick. At 0.45lb (205g) it’s portable, and perfect for taking to the local café or WeWork.

Also in the range is the basic mBar stand ($25), which raises a MacBook about 3 inches. Although it doesn’t fold up, it weighs just 3.5oz (100g). The mBar Pro ($55) is similar but folds.

All are available in MacBook-matching Silve, Space Gray or black.







Urmust Laptop Notebook Stand Holder – Best laptop stand for small desks















Pros

Multiple height settings

Foldable

Color options


Cons

Plain








Price When Reviewed:

31,39 €



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Working from home and remote learning is forcing a lot of to work in small, tight spaces. And, in safer times, that coffee shop is convenient, but not designed for healthy laptop use.

The adjustable, aluminum-alloy Urmust Laptop Notebook Stand Holder raises the laptop to a more ergonomic height–up to 10 inches for the screen—leaves the little desk space you have for you to spread out papers and books, and maybe room for that cup of coffee. It also tilts between 0-90°.

There’s anti-slip rubber on the feet, so shouldn’t scratch your surface, while remaining stable while in use. It can hold 4kg and up to 15.6in laptops.

Super narrow, it works well in small spaces. Plus, it’s lightweight and foldable, so can be stored away out of sight when not required–or carried around with you.

It’s even available in seven colours, from Silver, Black, Rose Gold and Grey, to Red, Blue and Blueish Grey.







Twelve South Curve SE – Best fixed MacBook stand















Pros

Stylish

Decent height

Great price


Cons

Only one height setting














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€27.73


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Macway FR



€28.9


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€29.9


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Elevating your screen to an ergonomic height is important for relieving neck strain on your muscles and vertebrae. A quality laptop stand will do just that for you.

One of our favorites is the Curve from premium Mac accessory maker Twelve South. A recent addition to the Curve family—see also the Curve Flex reviewed above—is the slightly cheaper Curve SE, which is exactly the same as the original fixed Curve but you need to assemble the three pieces yourself.

Don’t worry, it’s super easy to snap the pieces together, and actually makes the stand easier to transport. For ultimate portability, though, the more adjustable Curve Flex folds down to a handy package.

The Curve SE and original Curve stands are not as flexible as their adjustable sibling, the Curve Flex, although they do raise your MacBook 6.5 inches off your desk so you can sit up straight and look directly at your screen—and so feel less tension in your neck and shoulders.

They also keep your laptop cool with air flowing underneath it.

The metal design features non-slip silicone grips on the bottom and arms. Both Curve and Curve SE look fantastic, just like your MacBook.

While the pre-assembled Curve is available in Apple-friendly matte black and white, the Curve SE is in Silver only.

An alternative fixed laptop stand, the $49 Rain Design mStand is another sturdy option, below, and is available in a wide range of colors: Black, Gold, Midnight, Silver, Space Gray and Starlight. There’s even a rotating version, the $59 Rain Design mStand 360.




Rain Design







MOFT Z Sit-Stand Laptop Desk















Pros

Height adjustable

Foldable and flexible

Stylish








Price When Reviewed:

79,99 €



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Measuring 11-x-9.4 inches (28-x-24cm), this multi-angle laptop stand lies flat at around the same size as a small MacBook, so can be easily stored out of sight or even carried between meetings. It weighs 34oz (960g) so isn’t lightweight but is certainly transportable.

Made of polyurethane leather and stiff fiberglass, it can be folded up into four different sitting viewing angles—25, 35, 45 and 60 degrees—and creates a small 10-inch laptop table in Standing Mode where it creates a sturdy Z-shaped structure..

It can hold up to 22lbs (10kg).

Depending on the country you are buying in, it is available in up to four colors: Black, Gray, Blue and Orange.







Twelve South HiRise Pro for MacBook – Best MacBook stand for wireless iPhone charging















Pros

Height adjustable

Housing for Apple MagSafe Charger

Stylish


Cons

No tilt








Price When Reviewed:

109 €



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Twelve South makes a range of quality laptop stands for MacBooks. It’s one of the few third-party manufacturers that feature on Apple’s own Accessories store, and there are several of its MacBook stands in this roundup.

The HiRise Pro is height-adjustable—raising the screen 2.5 to 6 inches—and also features a hidden cut-out chamber that can invisibly host Apple’s MagSafe Charger (not included, and an extra $39/£39) at the stand’s base so you can wirelessly charge (at up to 15W) an iPhone (12, 13, 14 or 15), 25W on the iPhone 16, or your AirPods (at 5W) if in a wireless charging case. This will keep your desk space at a maximum while always having your iPhone within reach.

The stand is height adjustable, although it doesn’t reach the heights of some of the MacBook stand tested here. There’s a screw at the back that you adjust to the best height for your setup.

It is compatible with all sizes of Apple’s MacBooks, up to 16 inches.

An alternative is the Alogic Elite Power Laptop Stand with Wireless Charger, which we have reviewed. This can raise the laptop 8 inches and has a Qi wireless charging pad at its base. While you don’t need to supply your own MagSafe Charger, the stand’s pad isn’t magnetic so you have to be very precise in positioning your phone. It also maxes out at 7.5W rather than MagSafe’s 15W charging power.







Rain Design iLevel – Simple-to-adjust laptop stand















Pros

Height adjustable

Stylish design


Cons

Chunky














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The iLevel laptop stand from Rain Design looks a bit chunky but features a neat sliding knob that you can use to very accurately and simply adjust the screen height and angle to your preferred position.

Made from anodized aluminum, the iLevel2 raises the back of a MacBook between 6.5 and 8.5 inches above the desk.

While we never found raising an adjustable stand very difficult, it couldn’t be simpler than with this sturdy stand, which is available in Silver, Space Gray and Black..







Hyperdrive 7-in-1 USB-C Hub Laptop Stand – Best portable MacBook stand with built-in USB-C hub















Pros

Built-in USB-C hub

integrated cable

Portable

Foldable


Cons

USB-C not Thunderbolt














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