Question about those portable laptop stands

I bought one of those fold-up metal laptop stands for working in cafes, thinking it would be a game changer for my neck. It cost me $45. I used it exactly twice at my local spot, The Daily Grind. The first time, it was so wobbly I thought my coffee was going to spill. The second time, I tried to type and the whole thing shook with every key press. It was honestly more distracting than just hunching over the table. Now it just lives in the bottom of my bag, taking up space. I should have just saved my money or maybe tried a cheaper foam wedge. Has anyone found a stand that actually feels solid on a cafe table?

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3 Comments

elizabethblack5mo ago

Honestly, it feels like half of these "ergonomic" gadgets are just solving a problem they created. I mean, they sell you this idea of a perfect mobile office, but the stuff is always so flimsy. It's like we're all buying into this promise of a better work life, but the actual tools are cheap and frustrating. Makes me wonder if the goal is just to sell more stuff, not actually make things better. Your story with the stand is exactly that pattern.

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david_henderson63mo ago

Yeah @elizabethblack, you're right. I used to defend this stuff but you changed my mind.

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abbyr965mo ago

Ugh, I feel this so hard. I had the same hope with a plastic one I got online. It promised "rock solid typing" but it flexed like crazy if I even rested my hands on the laptop. The legs never sat flat on the table either, so it had this annoying little shimmy. Totally defeated the whole point of trying to be more comfortable.

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