Humancentrics Vertical Laptop Stand - Elegant & Simple
There's not really a considerable amount to say about a product like this. It's a laptop stand designed to hold your computer vertically when using a home or office dock setup with an external keyboard, mouse/trackpad and monitor. It's kind of in the name, really.
Support TDCatTech
If you'd like to support the TDCatTech channel and website, please use the affiliate link below to check out the current Amazon price for this product. Thank you!
Who are Humancentric?
"HumanCentric designs and manufactures home and office products which are sold to consumers and businesses worldwide. We specialize in mounting solutions for technology hardware (such as computer monitors and mini-computers) and are rapidly expanding to other categories."
Source: builtinchicago.org
This is what I could find online though I haven't really gone searching very far. Humancentrics is based in Chicago, US, but apart from the small text above, their own website offers little insight into who they are, nor does it give any info on the people working there.
Why Use A Vertical Laptop Stand?
There are four main reasons to use a vertical stand.
It can save a significant amount of desk space. Clearly, this depends on the size of your laptop and the layout of your cables, but if you're not physically touching the computer, why not store it vertically?
It looks elegant and minimal. In my opinion, having a tidy workspace improves creativity and motivation, so whilst 'looks' may be unimportant to some, they can make a difference.
It can often allow you to place the laptop in areas that you otherwise might not be able to. For example, I am now able to put my computer on top of my audio interface. I could not do that previously due to the combined heat generated by the audio hardware and the MacBook. Also, it doesn't really fit very well, so the laptop hangs over the edge.
Most importantly, it improves airflow across the laptop surface, which, assuming the vents are unobstructed in a vertical position, reduces temperatures during higher CPU loads and improves overall performance.
Why the Humancentric Stand?
If you search on Amazon or Google, there are many options ranging from about £10 to £60. I wanted to do a quick overview of this model from Humancentric because I was surprised at how perfectly it does its job.
Pros
It's very well made with metal, rubber and plastic construction.
The stand has a clean and minimal design.
It can hold laptops up to 20mm thick.
The way it works is pure simplicity. The weight of the laptop itself applies the clamping pressure to the sides of the laptop, holding it with just enough force to stay upright in the position you want.
Removing the laptop is incredibly easy because, as soon as the weight is lifted, the clamping force is removed, and the laptop just lifts out. You never have to touch the stand.
Only a tiny amount of the laptop is actually ever in contact with the stand. This will help further with airflow and ensure your ventilation ports are not blocked.
The stand is supplied with a small adhesive rubber disc to route your cables. It's a nice and unexpected addition.
Cons
• At £25, the price tag is a little on the high side for what it is.
• As with many stands like this, they are clearly designed primarily for Apple devices where the USB-C or Thunderbolt ports are on the side. You'd struggle to use a rear port as the laptop sits about 1cm above the surface, and rotating the laptop through 180 degrees would be messy. 90 degrees could work depending on the location of the ports.
Conclusion
This is just a laptop stand. What it does is not terribly exciting. However, how the Humancentric stand does it is so elegant that it's worth £25 of your money just for that.
If you're in the market for a vertical laptop stand, you could do much worse than this model.