Appearance: The stand shouldn’t be too ugly, since you have to look at it all the time.You should be able to use the stand with a laptop of any size, too, though 17-inch laptops are too big for most stands. Build quality: A stand designed to hold your expensive laptop must be sturdy, and it shouldn’t wobble or shake while you’re typing on a nearby keyboard.Most people should get an adjustable laptop stand so that they can tweak the laptop’s height as needed, but even a non-adjustable stand is an improvement over nothing.

And if you share a workstation with others, adjustability is key to making sure everyone is comfortable. If you work at a sit-stand desk, you need to be able to adjust the height of the screen to account for both your sitting and standing postures.

Adjustability: Everyone has a different body, a different laptop, and a different desk setup, so a single fixed-height laptop stand won’t work for everyone.

We surveyed Wirecutter staffers who range in height from 5-foot-2 to 6-foot-4 and found that laptop height adjustment needs varied from 6.8 inches to as much as 22 inches. Then measure the height from the top of your desk to the bottom of the laptop. Instead, use an external keyboard and a separate mouse or trackpad.) To see how much height adjustment you might need, place your laptop on a stack of books or other objects until the top of the screen is about 1 inch above eye level. (Don’t use your laptop’s keyboard and trackpad when it’s propped up on a stand that’s no better than hunching over the laptop on your desk because the angle and height cause arm and wrist strain.

Height: A laptop stand should raise your laptop so that your eye level is 1 to 2 inches below the top of your screen when you’re sitting (or standing) up straight.

Height lift from desk to bottom of laptop screen: As with other laptop stands, we recommend using it only with an external keyboard you’ll have better ergonomics and avoid a wobbly screen. Just keep in mind that adjusting the height of the Upryze can be a workout because of its stiff hinges, and at its tallest heights the stand can topple backward if you type on the laptop keyboard or accidentally bump into the stand. The bluish-gray finish also helps it stand out from typical silver and black laptop stands. It’s the sturdiest of the tall laptop stands we tested (models with over 9 inches of vertical adjustment), able to hold a 7-pound laptop steady whereas rivals would sink under the weight. It also works well for most people when they’re standing. The Lifelong Upryze Ergonomic Laptop Stand can raise a laptop as high as 17 inches, so it can accommodate a wider range of people’s heights than the Rain Design iLevel 2 can.

Apple macbook pro monitor stand