One of the biggest shifts in modern history is the move to working from home, precipitated by the global pandemic. So ergonomic accessories like the $89 Curve laptop stand from Twelve South have never been more essential or critical. Too many of us were totally ill equipped for working from home and dining tables, kitchen counters and lounges are the new office.
But as anyone whose worked with a computer all day will tell you, proper posture is key to staying productive and healthy. I do most of my work on laptops of various kinds and sitting hunched over a laptop all day is a sure-fire way to cause neck and back pain. The Curve alleviates that by raising laptops so that you don’t have to look down at the screen but rather straight on, thus relieving the muscles in your neck and saving you from strain.
The Curve is incredibly simplistic in design that betrays the immense benefit it offers. While it’s designed to hold Apple MacBooks, the Curve is more than capable of sitting any laptop from 10-inches upwards to a limit of 7pound weight. Hell, I put a giant 17.3-inch Alienware x17 on it for kicks and it managed admirably.
The frame of the Curve is a single piece of lightweight but sturdy metal with two arms. The arms have textured silicon grips that keep the laptop firmly in place with more grips on the base of the Curve for a confident stance on your desk. The Curve comes in two Colors — Black and Matte White so depending on your aesthetics, it should fit in just fine. It’s also small enough to use on a flat bar stool if that’s all you have to use but a wider surface is preferable.
As advertised, the Curve puts the screen of your laptop at eye level but the 6.5-inch boost off the surface won’t be enough for taller people like me. Some handy text books will give you those extra inches needed. This position also makes for great laptop and monitor setups so you can have the two at similar eye level. Those with gaming laptops will especially love this for their setup.
Of course, you’ll need an external mouse and keyboard to make the most of this stand but even without them, the typing experience wasn’t too bad. There will be a bit of wobble and your arms and shoulders will quickly get strained so, yeah, get peripherals when using this stand. The simple design of the Curve makes cable management hassle free too and once you’re done with your work, you can just stash your keyboard underneath the laptop.
At $89, the Curve feels a little bit on the posh side for most but MacBook owners love to match their accessories and will find this perfect. I think at this price, it should have adjustable height or be collapsible for taking on the road. But then again, considering a remedial massage costs about $80, the Curve is certainly a better use of your money and time.
Twelve South provided the Curve Laptop Stand to PowerUp! for this review
