Looking for an ergonomic extended laptop use solution

March 29, 2007 11:39 AM

I am looking for a using a laptop in bed solution for health reasons.

Mainly I want to be able to use my laptop while laying flat on my back in bed. Here are 2 options I found: Lapdawg and Easy Desk Aluminum. As you can see these designs allow more than just the laying in bed position, which is good. The price is fine, my main concern is that there are a deceptively large amount of factors that go into getting something like this to work, and to work for everyone. I've been reading reviews and they are mixed. Most concerning of which are the odd claim of questionable craftsmanship and less than good return policies. So the next question is, could I make one of these? Mainly the issue would be in getting the joints to work and knowing how to make it so it wouldn't break.
Basically I am trawling for any experience anyone has with anything like this. Thanks!

posted by GleepGlop to Technology (8 answers total)

For $5 and 30 minutes of your time, you could build this, which has worked quite well for me. I replaced the cardboard hanger a couple of times, and if I still let myself bring a laptop to bed, I'd have made something more permanent from 1/4" plywood, and glued canvas strips. But the cardboard worked pretty well.
posted by paulsc at 3:39 PM on March 29, 2007 [1 favorite]

The best lapdesks are just those cheap beanbag-stuck-to-a-board jawns you can get at the Mega Lo Mart, in my opinion. Super comfy and adjustable.
posted by 31d1 at 3:42 PM on March 29, 2007

I mostly like my lapdawg, and am laying mostly flat in bed right now. while using it. But, from looking at the easy-desk's web site, I think it'd be better.

The lapdawg is not quick to adjust, and you have to tighten down the screws pretty hard if you're using a heavier laptop (which my 17" powerbook evidently is). It's also not nearly as versatile as the easy desk appears to be.

I also think the rubber stopper at the bottom of the easy desk would be more comfortable than the shelf of the lapdawg. I don't do a whole lot of Work while in bed like this, I mostly just browse and watch tv/movies.

Damn, I wish I'd known about the easy desk. If you get one, let me know how it is; it seems to address all of my issues with the lapdawg.
posted by flaterik at 8:59 PM on March 29, 2007

Go hardcore. I just put the damn thing on my chest.
posted by Ironmouth at 10:05 PM on March 29, 2007

I have one of these, which is made for books, but VERY sturdy. The pictures don't show that it can be completely inverted so that you can lie on your back and look straight up at the book, as well as manipulate it into basically any position imaginable. It probably wouldn't be too hard to set it up for a laptop or LCD screen. I don't see a weight limit on the site, but it seems perfectly fine with large hardbacks. You might want to call first.
posted by callmejay at 10:31 AM on March 30, 2007

Response by poster: I am leaning towards the Easy Desk because from reading their website it looks like they are on a new model, so hopefully they got the rev. A kinks worked out. There is also an Easy Desk EX on that site which is a 2 leg segment per side desk compared to the regular 3 segment one. Probably going to order up one of these, I'll let people know in here what happens!
posted by GleepGlop at 5:00 PM on March 30, 2007

Response by poster: Another idea is something like a really big Gorilla Pod for holding cameras steady in weird places. That wold solve the problem of the joints breaking potentially.
posted by GleepGlop at 7:52 PM on March 30, 2007

Response by poster: OK I've had my EasyDesk Aluminum EX for a while now, and I would recommend it. The joints haven't broken, and it works the way it should. The joints ratchet so there is no fiddling around with getting the sides equal. The only issue is that the stand is 15 inches wide i believe which I was like 'perfect my MBP is a 15 incher.' But the problem is it doesn't sit properly on the stand because the joints are in the way. In the pictures the laptop looks to be sitting properly: they must have been using a sub 15 inch laptop. It does work completely fine however because of the stopper that you flip up. It's just not as snug as it was designed to be. And I know the Macbook Pro is a damn sleek 15 inch notebook so I would wonder if a normal 15 incher might have problems. I think my brother's 15 inch VAIO slopes up at the bottom which would completely not work because of the design flaw in the desk. So for the MBP it works in all positions and I would recommend it. Otherwise maybe wait for a new model of Easydesk to come out if your laptop doesnt have a solid edge that would catch on the stopper that flips up at the bottom of the desk.
posted by GleepGlop at 6:26 PM on May 10, 2007