Feature Friday: Tablet Stand

I like to read the news on my Nexus 7 while sitting at the bar in our kitchen. The Gotham Gal sits next to me reading the paper. I like the juxtaposition of that.

I don’t like reading on the Nexus 7 when it is lying flat on the bar. I want it at an angle for easier reading.

So I purchased this tablet stand on Etsy recently.

tablet stand

It gets the job done, but it’s a bit flimsy. So I am looking for something a bit more substantial.

Does anyone use a tablet stand for reading on a Mac Mini or Nexus 7? And if so, what do you use? I am all ears.

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Comments (Archived):

    1. fredwilson

      yeah, i thought about the case w/ stand approach. but i don’t like and don’t use a case. so i didn’t go that way.

      1. Shawnkgriffin

        I am using the Logitech case with keyboard as part of an experiment on trying to live iPad only and no computer. I love having a real keyboard on the iPad, and I found the angle worked for me. Picture in my blog http://shawnkgriffin.wordpr

  1. LukeH

    Check out the Griffin Technology Loop. We bought one for our iPads, but it works well on my Nexus7. It’s nice and solid, heavy enough to not move around.http://www.amazon.com/Griff

    1. fredwilson

      ooh. i like that. just bought it for all of $8 on amazon!thanks so much

    2. CalebSimpson

      Actually glad I saw this post, today. Have also been wanting a stand for my iPad. The build in one on my case doesn’t cut it. This one looks pretty awesome.

    1. fredwilson

      that’s awesome. thanks so much.

  2. William Mougayar

    You need a Lug Beanie chair, like this one that Wattpad gave me. Also available on Amazon for $8. http://www.amazon.com/Lug-B

    1. fredwilson

      too puffy for my taste. does yours have a wattpad logo on it?

      1. William Mougayar

        yes, that was mine. I just snapped a pic now on the coffee table.i like it. it works for a smartphone and ipad. lug has other models if you check the Amazon link.

    2. Abdallah Al-Hakim

      What did you do to get this chair 🙂

      1. William Mougayar

        attend their office open house. (the old office)

    3. Allen Lau

      I actually use it as my tablet stand at home (no picture, sorry).

  3. John

    Ridiculous.

  4. jason wright

    does it fold down?speaking of nexus, i wonder if it’s true that google is about to release a nexus phone for less than $100, and Motorola one for Even less?

  5. feargallkenny

    my friend breff is behind the spiderpodium series if you want something a little less rustic http://usa.breffo.com/pages

    1. feargallkenny

      here is a pic

      1. William Mougayar

        looks scary

        1. jason wright

          very scary. i could not have one of those in the house.

        2. Kirsten Lambertsen

          Agreed. Where’s Sigourney Weaver to take care of that thing?

      2. Sandra Briana

        Good Call. I have one of these SPiderpodium. Its probably the best thing in my bag!

      3. LE

        Interesting and attention grabbing product. Obvious question is if I am sitting behind this in Starbucks why isn’t there a logo and name or web address clearly visible so if I want to buy one I know what I’m looking for?

        1. William Mougayar

          if you squint carefully…you will see the name etched on the spider’s back :)http://www.breffo.com/

          1. LE

            For sure it’s a major marketing fail to not have the name more obvious. If you don’t toot your horn [1] nobody is going to do it for you.A friend (and someone that I’ve helped a bit) does the hoodie pillow. I’ve been trying to get her to blast the name on the product so when someone sees it (in an airport) they know exactly what it is and what to google to buy one.Her partner is a graphic designer and I think he’s got some design hard on for not putting a logo on the product.http://www.hoodiepillow.com/%5B1%5D The gays said it best with “we’re here, we’re queer, get used to it”.

          2. Tim Dierks

            I hate high-quality products that come bundled with “be our billboard”. I want the quality of your product, but I don’t want to wear your f**ing brand around, and I don’t define myself by being rich or clever enough to buy from you.

          3. LE

            There is no question that there are people who are annoyed by this and won’t buy the product or service for those reasons.But I’m guessing that the amount of business a company would pickup in additional customers would offset the loss.Hoodiepillow is not a high quality product. It’s not made by Coach. [1]Separately though I’m curious if a larger logo on the back of the product (spider) would be enough to make you specifically not buy it.Not sure if you remember this, regarding the Sony logo and the OJ Trial:http://www.nytimes.com/1995http://adage.com/article/ne…Obviously it bothered (some) people but the value really was priceless in terms of brand exposure.[1] Coach as an example does put a logo (small) on their products that is about the right size for what they are selling. But if it were 3 times the size I most likely wouldn’t buy their products for my wife. It all depends on the product, the audience and a host of other factors.

  6. JohnW

    Fred, this is what I use – love it when I need to keep my tablet at the perfect angle when I am at home: http://www.amazon.com/gp/pr

  7. mikenolan99

    My new favorite thing is a handmade leather and wood “moleskin” iPhone case/walet. They make a cool iPad case/stand as wellSt. Paul Minnesota company! https://www.padandquill.com

  8. Tom Labus

    Maybe they should have a stand built in, Surface 2

  9. Juan Carlos

    I can send you a sample of a great stand we are making if you would like. We’re in NYC

  10. Martin Joseph Brej

    bluelounge makes some great stuff

  11. ErikSchwartz

    I have the iPad case from Saddleback Leather. It is attractive, indestructible and it works well as a stand. http://www.saddlebackleathe… They make it for the Mini too.

    1. PhilipSugar

      There bag kicks ass. Mine has logged 2mm miles.

      1. ErikSchwartz

        I love my Saddleback bag.

  12. Li Young

    It all depends on what news sites you read. I can then suggest an appropriate tablet stand that suits your taste

  13. BillSeitz

    I go with flimsy but convenient – having 1 in my kitchen drawer, other in my car (to take in to lunch when I eat out).http://www.pepboys.com/prod

  14. LE

    When I saw this the first thing I thought of was that it reminded me of the brass bible stands that my dad imported from israel in the 70’s.(Picture is from ebay – there are a ton of these for sale).

    1. ShanaC

      i actually think a smaller version would be nice looking for a tablet

    1. Neil

      That is a very sweet design!

    1. CJ

      Love mine.

  15. awaldstein

    So cool that is easy to find things.Services especially local are still the wild west.Need a great bookeeper at a reasonable rate for a startup–you simple email around. Need a pet sitter, electician–you are at the realm of tear offs in the laundry.Wonder whether its just too hard or no model that keeps this down and retro?

    1. LE

      Something that I was just thinking about this morning actually.Buying a new treadmill (metal fatigue on the old one, see picture below) and before finding out that the vendor (nordic track) offers in home setup [1] I was trying to figure out who I could get to take it from the delivery point (front door) to the basement and assemble it so I don’t have to deal with that.Now my wife wants to know if the people setting it up will take the old one. I will try to slip them some $$ but in the past I’ve had some people say that they aren’t allowed to take the old items away.So I am sure there have to be a dozen people who would be glad to do this for $150 locally (after finding out the vendor charges $199 discounted from $250). It’s essentially a 1 hour job. (Videos show how easy it is to do).But here’s the thing. Is my need for a service like this frequent enough so that the solution will be front and center in my mind and will I think of it each and every time I need something like this done? And will I find exactly the person that I need to do this? (FUD) Perhaps that is the reason things like this have a hard time taking off. They are out of sight out of mind and don’t become a habit, right?Yellow pages solved this problem because it became the go to place for things you needed done. You only had to remember one thing and it was big and yellow and it had all the answers and you used it frequently so it was a good resource.[1] It’s interesting that this is actually hidden on their website somewhat. They attempt to stress how easy it is to setup these yourself and that the delivery is free to your front door. Obviously there is a reason they don’t push the setup service.

  16. DODOcase - Craig

    We’d love for you to try something made in San Francisco by the DODOcase team. We’ve got a few cases that might do the trick plus some unreleased product that may work for you! DM me at @one1speed. Cheers.

  17. devanshnegi

    Wow, this looks so creative

  18. Andrew Shotland

    The Glif is pretty great, uber portable and adaptable to different devices. http://www.studioneat.com/p

    1. David Semeria

      That’s pretty cool…

  19. Al Mazzone

    Purchased this on Amazon 7 months ago for $12.95 for the Nexus 7, 2nd Gen. Great case and holds the Nexus in an excellent Horizontal position. No Vertical option. Poetic Slimline Case for Google Nexus 7 2nd Gen 2013 Android Tablet Black (With Auto Wake / Sleep Function) (3 Year Manufacturer Warranty From Poetic)

  20. JamesHRH

    You run into these problems @ product companies…….you didn’t get a Smart Cover for the Mini?

  21. kevinmurphy

    Mercury Innovations 360 degree stand. Awesome to have to read at the table/island, on your lap on the couch and when lying down in bed as it can be rotated to the same angle as your eyes when lying there, which is pretty cool. What I don’t know is the sizes they have (I have an iPad). http://www.merkuryinnovations.com

  22. Graeme Stevens

    Here’s a stand I bought in Singapore a year ago, about USD 6. Excellent at home or on flight drink trays. Adjustable angle. Works with tablet and phone. Next trip?

  23. Roger Ellman

    PadPivot. I bought the first one (early Kickstarter project) and it works supremely well for me with the first iPad, with iPhones, Kindles and more. Though I have not tried it with a Nexus 7 – it has worked perfectly with devices of varied sizes, so I think it’ll be good with the Nexus. Caveat: there is a minimal obscuration of the screen because it is not just a “shelf” prop like your recent Etsy purchase, it has protrusions to stop devices sliding forward. PadPivot.com is where you can find it.

  24. Nancy Vega

    Ok I’m a little late to the party but thought I’d suggest two of my favs. Both are by elago:This first design is great if you’re not too concerned about charging your tablet while it’s docked – http://www.amazon.com/elago…But if you prefer to charge while docked, this one is ideal – http://www.amazon.com/gp/pr…I have both and LOVE them. I have the 1st one in my kitchen and the 2nd on my desk. They’re both sturdy and look beautiful (even with your android devices ;))

  25. LE

    I learn so much from watching things like this. What a lackluster pitch. Why? It took 1:10 seconds for the inventor(?) to get to exactly what this is and what it does. He wastes valuable time at the start on nonsense as if the audience is stuck in chairs at an elementary school class recital.He should have started out with the end result and then got into the other stuff after that. You know a teaser to keep people engaged.

  26. David Semeria

    This one also looks very cool