(Pocket-lint) – If you work from home, you’ll likely reach the conclusion – a laptop can be a brilliant work tool, but sometimes it can get old looking down at it.

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Whether it’s neck pain or just a desk that you can’t get truly ergonomic, or if your laptop sits next to an external monitor at a very different height, a laptop stand can be a great way to make your computer a better part of your working setup or home office.

Raising up that display could be great for your neck and great for your productivity, so we’ve gathered together some of the very best laptop stands on the market right here. 

Our pick of the best laptop stands to buy today

Pocket-lint

Twelve South Curve

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Twelve South is one of our favourite companies, making a range of useful accessories including stands, chargers and more, and the Curve is one of its very best. This is easily the most elegant laptop stand on the market, as far as we’re concerned, and more than one person in our team has been using it very happily for ages.

It’s a single piece of machined metal, curved as its name suggests and offering a platform on which to rest your laptop. It’s got anti-slip arms that end in gentle, almost invisible hooks to keep your computer in place, and is great for added ventilation, too. The only area it loses out in is adjustability. If you want extra height, you need to add something else to the mix. 

Pocket-lint

Nexstand K2

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Nexstand has taken the minimalist approach to a stand, with superb results. Its frame-like stands fold out from a thin column when they’re stored, and the K2 in particular is hugely useful. It holds your laptop solidly in place, and is easily adjusted to let you choose how much elevation you want to gain.

Although made of plastic, the stands are really well-constructed and solid, and being able to store them far more easily makes them great for travel and working on the go. They might not be the best-looking, but these are the most useful stands around. If you have a smaller laptop, want an even more portable option, and don’t need as much elevation, the K7 stand is a great second option, too. 

Amazon

AmazonBasics Laptop Stand

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Amazon’s getting better and better at stepping in and providing low-cost options for products that people need, and its stand is a solid option if you’re looking to spend less without compromising too much. Brutally speaking, it’s ugly, but it’s got ventilation to keep your laptop running happily, and lets you choose how high you want to raise it.

It does also fold down flat, although it’s not really comparable to Nexstand’s efforts as far as storage in concerned. Still, if you want to raise your laptop without breaking the bank, this is a great choice. 

Moft

Moft

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An option for those who want to be able to raise up their display wherever they are without fishing something out of their bag to unfold, Moft’s little kickstand sticks to the underside of your laptop, adding almost no bulk to it. Then, when you need it, it can fold out to provide a stand.

This makes it great if you only want a little elevation and don’t want an external unit to lug around, although it comes with the obvious drawback or having limited options in terms of height, and having to have it stuck on your laptop. Even if it might not be noticeable to some, it’s not quite as clean as having an unadorned computer, we think. 

Amazon

Rain Design mStand360

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Our final choice, Rain Design’s mStand360, is most like Twelve South’s stand, in that it’s a fixed-height stand that looks fairly inconspicuous when placed up against your laptop’s design, whether it’s a modern MacBook or a PC. It’s a solid ledge to put your laptop on, with the added bonus of a swivel system that makes it easy to turn the display without having to move the whole unit. 

It’s a solidly-made bit of kit, although it’s not quite as stylish or indeed as adaptable as others on this list, and its relatively high price is also a factor. Still, if you like the brushed aluminium look, this could be a solid pick for your desk.

Writing by Max Freeman-Mills.