Working from home has numerous advantages, the most notable of which being the freedom to set up your office anywhere you like. For some people, being able to work while lying in bed or reclining on the sofa is preferable to being chained to a desk or kitchen table. Placing your laptop on your bare lap, on the other hand, isn’t optimal for comfort or safety.
Not only can the device’s heat build up to unbearable levels over time, but bad posture or viewing angles can lead to neck pain or eye strain in the long run. This is where the use of a lap desk comes into play. These mobile office tables offer a more solid, pleasant, and ergonomic work surface. They act as a thermal barrier between you and your laptop, and some even include cooling fans to assist draw heat away from your skin.
While lap desks are basic in concept, there are a variety of versions available, each with features that are best suited for various scenarios. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of the top lap desks available, ranging from portable ones to larger desks that can hold all of your belongings.
1. Best Lap Desk Overall: LapGear Home Office Pro
The LapGear Home Office Pro is our favourite for two reasons: it’s extremely multifunctional and comfy. This lap desk measures 21.1″ x 14″ and provides enough space for a common 15.6″ laptop and mouse while being relatively small for convenient transportation. It also contains a space where you can put your smartphone in a convenient upright posture.
This allows you to immediately receive notifications and messages, as well as join Zoom calls while you’re working. Most models fit snugly into the 0.75”-wide slot, though thicker phone cases may need to be removed first. One of the best features of the LapGear Home Office Pro is its comfort. The raised bottom cushion is soft and comfy while yet letting air to circulate, and it effectively provides natural ventilation for your device without the use of cooling fans.
The wrist pad is particularly noteworthy. It reduces wrist stress and keeps your hands in an ergonomic position by using the same soft material as the cushion base. The Home Office Pro’s only flaw is that it lacks a ledge and anti-slip pads to keep your laptop in place, which are included in the cheaper LapGear Ergo Pro model. In practise, however, it isn’t a deal-breaker because the problem can be easily solved by using anti-slip pads or keeping the lap desk level.
The wrist pad on the Home Office Pro has a greater impact on comfort and ergonomics, making it the better overall choice. Whether you’re working on a laptop, sketching on an iPad, or writing in a notebook, you’ll find that the LapGear Home Office Pro is the best lap desk for most situations at any price.
Pros
- Strikes the perfect balance between generous workspace and compact size
- Bottom cushion and wrist pads for added comfort
- Provides natural ventilation without noisy fans
Cons
- Lacks a ledge or anti-slip pads to secure your laptop in place
2. Best Adjustable Lap Desk: HUANUO Adjustable Laptop Stand
Consider the HUANUO Adjustable Laptop Stand if you like to work in contortionist postures. This lap desk is unquestionably one of the most adaptable and flexible on the market. It accomplishes this with dual three-jointed legs that can bend and straighten to your desired degree. When working in bed, for example, you can lower it or raise it to use as a standing desk.
It’s especially useful to be able to tilt the desk surface to align your laptop display at a comfortable eye level. The desk space is limited, with only enough room for a typical 15-inch laptop. If you prefer to use a mouse, the stand also comes with a separate retractable pad. It also features a built-in cooling fan, however it is ineffective and cheap-feeling.
It’s worth noting that adjusting the legs can be difficult. It takes some effort and elbow grease to move them, and because you have to work on each leg separately, any little misalignment might cause the whole thing to wobble. Nonetheless, the HUANUO Laptop Stand’s flexibility and usability much surpass this tiny flaw, especially considering the price.
Pros
- Adjustable legs allow for multiple positions
- Retractable mouse pad
- Sturdy and stable (if you adjust it right)
Cons
- It takes effort to adjust the angle on the legs
- Any misalignment between the legs can cause the desk to wobble
- Fan feels cheap
3. Best Portable Lap Desk: AboveTEK Portable Lap Desk
The AboveTEK Portable Laptop Desk is a small and inexpensive lap desk that fits easily into most laptop bags and backpacks. It’s one of the thinnest lap desks you’ll find, weighing 2.2 pounds and measuring 0.6 inches thick. Despite its ultra-thin form, it has a surprisingly robust and stable base, with a thermal-resistant layer that efficiently redirects heat. The desk is just wide enough to fit most laptops at 15 inches wide.
The anti-slip silicone surface keeps your device in place, which is crucial given the limited space. If you prefer to work with a mouse, this lap desk includes a retractable bi-directional mouse pad that works for both left and right-handed users. The only disadvantage of the AboveTEK’s portability is its lack of desk space. But if you can live with that, you’ll find it’s a great tool for working from anywhere.
Pros
- Ultra-thin and lightweight
- Non-slip silicone surface keeps laptop in place
- Bi-directional retractable mouse pad
Cons
- Limited space
4. Best Budget Lap Desk: LapGear Compact
The LapGear Compact is one of the most affordable lap desks available, but it still provides the comfort and quality for which the firm is recognised. The LapGear Compact, like the Home Office Pro above, has soft bottom cushions (minus the wrist pad). They’re equally as comfy, plus they offer adequate airflow for your laptop.
This lap desk, as the name implies, is designed to be portable, with its small size and carrying handle making it simple to hold and transfer. The lack of a retractable mouse pad and a desk surface that can only hold a 13-inch laptop are the only things that limit it from being the greatest compact alternative.
However, if you’re on a limited budget, the low price point helps justify the aforesaid concessions. If you use a tablet and don’t want to spend a lot of money on a larger, nicer lap desk, the LapGear Compact is a great option.
Pros
- Excellent price
- Comfortable bottom cushion
- Good air circulation and ventilation for a budget lap desk
Cons
- Minimal desk space
- No retractable mouse pad
5. Best Spacious Lap Desk: SAIJI Laptop Stand
For people who need extra room, such as artists and graphic designers, the SAIJI Laptop Stand is the finest lap desk solution. With a 23.6” x 17.7” surface area, it offers some of the largest dimensions we’ve seen in a lap desk. This is a considerable improvement over the 17” x 13” lap desks that now occupy this space. With those proportions, the SAIJI can easily fit a 15-inch laptop, tablet, or even a notebook with plenty of room to spare.
It contains a slot that may accommodate either a smartphone or a removable book stand. We really enjoy the storage drawer, which may be used to store items like as pencils and valuables. The SAIJI is designed with comfort in mind. The movable legs let you set the height to your liking, and the surface may be tilted to the right angle for whatever task you’re working on.
The desk folds down into a relatively small form for simple storage when not in use. Of course, the greater size has the drawback of making this lap desk heavier and bulkier than usual. It’s also one of the priciest choices on the list. The SAIJI Laptop Stand’s vast space and ergonomic features, however, more than justify the asking price.
Pros
- Enormous desk space with extra storage
- Adjustable height and tilt
- Easy to store despite its larger size
Cons
- Heavy and bulky
- Expensive
6. Most Comfortable Lap Desk: Sofia + Sam Memory Foam Lap Desk
The Sofia + Sam Memory Foam Lap Desk should be your first choice if you value comfort. It has a soft, pillow-like feel to it that makes it enjoyable to use for long periods of time. Both the bottom cushion and the wrist pad on this lap desk are made of memory foam. If you’ve ever slept on a mattress made of this material, you know how wonderfully it conforms to the contours of your body.
This leads to excellent wrist support and comfort. The bottom cushion’s thickness has another advantage: it props your laptop at the proper height, keeping your eyes, head, and neck in a comfortable position. The Sofia + Sam features a relatively big work surface (18.5” x 14”) that can easily fit a 15” laptop.
It also features two slots: one for a tablet in the main desk top, and another for a smartphone in the retractable mouse pad. The mouse pad’s surface makes it slightly more difficult for an optical mouse to move around, but the Sofia + Sam Memory Foam Lap Desk is an outstanding choice that combines comfort and practicality.
Pros
- Exceptional comfort and wrist support
- Flexible for both laptops and tablet users
- Generous desk space
- Keeps your laptop at a natural height
Cons
- Harder to operate an optical mouse with the mouse pad’s surface
Wrapping It Up
For the most part, the LapGear Home Office Pro is a wonderful combination of comfort, adaptability, and functionality. Choose the SAIJI Laptop Stand for a larger work desk or the slimline LapGear Compact for portability if space is a problem.
