Home > Reviews > Best Monitor Stands

Best Monitor Stands

Save space and ward off pain with the best monitor stands
Last Updated on September 14, 2021

With more people than ever working from home due to the seemingly endless pandemic, home office accessories are selling in droves as many try to convert the humble dining table or long-neglected corner desk into a space fit for long hours of work.

Among the most in-demand accessories is office stands, and with good reason. Propping up a monitor by even a few inches can free up precious space while also improving ergonomics. Raising a monitor to eye-level can significantly reduce neck and back strain. The benefits of good ergonomics on productivity and well-being are well documented, and they naturally factor into the utility a quality monitor stand can provide.

Today, we’ll be sharing our pick of the best monitor stands currently available, bringing together a selection that should suit a range of needs and budgets. Of course, monitor stands play an equally important role in gaming setups, so our recommended stands will serve gamers just as well as those working from home, notably for long sessions, with very much the same ergonomic benefits.

Products at a Glance

How we picked

From flashy decorative stands to natural all-wood designs, by way of functional models with shelves and cut-outs for accessories, there’s a lot out there when it comes to monitor stands. We’ll be the first to admit that there’s little joy in scrolling through page after page of monitor stands. As such, we aim to take the stress and tedium out of the equation and direct our readers towards the good while avoiding the bad.

To wade through the glut of options, we honed in on several key factors to help us land on the very best – size, price, elevation, space-saving features, and build quality/materials. The best monitor stands pull all these factors together to offer a stylish, functional, and value-packed product.

Five monitor stands stood above the rest for us. You’ll find a short review of each below, highlighting their best features and why we believe they are worth your money. Let’s get into it.

Our Recommended

Best Monitor Stands

1
PROS
  • Adjustable height
  • Simple design and neat looks
  • Affordable
CONS
  • Not as sturdy as pricier models

If you are looking for an all-round quality, no-nonsense monitor stand, then the Huanuo Monitor Stand Riser comes highly recommended, making it our top pick as the best monitor stand.

The Huanuo Monitor Stand Riser offers three heights (9 cm, 12 cm, and 14 cm) adjustable via an easy-to-use tent pole-style slide and lock mechanism on all four legs. This feature greatly enhances the stand’s versatility, making easy work finding a comfortable monitor viewing angle that promotes good posture and helps avoid neck, back, and shoulder pain.

Build quality is excellent for the price with steel construction and a black powder-coated finish. The stand also offers ample space for monitors of all sizes (up to 20 kg) and plenty of space-saving room underneath for office accessories to keep the workspace free of clutter. Monitor support fares very well for the price range, although more expensive models do feel more sturdy.

Easy, tool-free assembly (screw the four legs to the platform – 1 minute according to Huanuo) means the Huanuo Monitor Stand Riser is a particularly portable stand, ideal for those jumping from workspace to workspace. Other welcome features include anti-skid rubber feet and a perforated mesh-style platform for improved airflow and better device cooling.

The Huanuo Monitor Stand Riser doesn’t attempt to re-invite the wheel here, which is all to its credit. A simple design, free of unnecessary flourishes, easy adjustments, and unobtrusive looks makes it an excellent option for anyone looking for functional value in a monitor stand.

2
PROS
  • Integrated expansion port hub
  • Sturdy all-in-one aluminium design
  • Ideal for iMac
CONS
  • Stand size limits monitor compatibility
  • Hub not suitable for charging

The Satechi Type-C Aluminum Monitor Stand differs from the rest of the stands in our guide in that it doubles as an expansion port hub. It features an SD card slot, micro SD slot, 3.5mm audio jack, three USB Type-A USB ports, and a USB Type-C port built into the stand itself. These link up to the PC thanks to a USB connection, effectively expanding the I/O options – especially useful if you are running a Mac with limited ports on the machine itself.

Built from aluminum with a brushed finish and all-in-one construction, it’s certainly sturdy and can support weights up to 50 lbs, and has the looks to match with a sleek design that should blend into most desk setups with ease.

The stand itself measures in at 8.5″ x 8.4″ x 1.63″, making it smaller than other options but certainly large enough to house a decent chunk of monitors out there. Do measure up before hitting the ‘Buy’ button, though, to make sure your specific monitor fits.

The Satechi Type-C Aluminum Monitor Stand elevates a monitor by roughly 2″, allowing enough space to house a low-profile external drive or notepad underneath. Not the highest elevation out there, but ideal when we consider it is openly geared towards iMac users.

While the Satechi Type-C Aluminum Monitor Stand’s expansion hub options are great, they are geared towards connectivity rather than charging and show their limitations when trying to juice-up a device like a phone or a tablet. Another point worth keeping in mind is the price, which is substantially more than your standard monitor stand.

3
PROS
  • Standing desk converter
  • Monitor and keyboard platforms
  • Available with either manual or electric height adjustment
  • Very sturdy construction
CONS
  • Much pricier than classic monitor stands

With standing desks all the rage these days, we had to include a desk converter option in our guide to the best monitor stands. Our search led us to the Mingyall Monitor Stand Desk Converter.

A key consideration when shopping around for a desk converter is build quality. The Mingyall Monitor Stand Desk Converter more than delivers on that front with an iron frame, PB trays, anti-slip foot pads, and anti-rust/wear surface coating. It can support up to two monitors weighing a maximum of 28.7 lb alongside a keyboard and mouse weighing up to 4.4 lb.

The two-tray design (one for monitors/laptops and one for keyboard/mouse) offers ample space to work thanks to the u-shaped design and arcuated trays, effectively granting a 32.6″ x 24.6″ working area dwarfing the surface area of any other monitor stands in our guide.

The Mingyall Monitor Stand Desk Converter’s height is adjustable within a range of 4.9″ to 19.3″ thanks to a gas spring design paired with either a manual or electric side adjustment handle, depending on which model you opt for. In other words, you’ll have no trouble finding a position that suits you, whether that’s standing or sitting down.

A quick peek at the Mingyall Monitor Stand Desk Converter, and you’d be excused for expecting a lengthy assembly process, but it’s anything but as it ships virtually pre-assembled with only the keyboard tray needing to be installed.

It should come as no surprise that the Mingyall Monitor Stand Desk Converter necessitates a substantially larger investment than a traditional monitor stand, but you undoubtedly get what you pay for.

4
PROS
  • Adjustable height
  • Robust design
  • Perforated platform
  • Affordable price
CONS
  • Assembly

The Atumtek Monitor Stand boasts excellent support credentials and a neat, understated look but truly shines when it comes to its adjustment features. Three adjustable heights ranging from 3.9″ to 5.5″ help to find the perfect eye-level height for your monitor and, by extension, improve ergonomics. Adjustments are made easy thanks to a twist-knob lock system that shifts to the three available settings.

Constructed with aircraft-grade aluminum and coated with a matte metallic anti-oxidation finish, the Atumtek Monitor Stand is a robust stand capable of handling monitors and laptops weighing up to 36 lb. The steel supporting legs also have no-slip EVA pads fitted for stability and to avoid unwanted movement when in use.

The perforated platform design also aids thermals by allowing air to circulate closer to the device, which isn’t necessarily an issue for monitors but works well when using a laptop. The Atumtek Monitor Stand platform’s dimensions tally up to 14.6″ x 9″ x 4.3″, striking a welcome balance between accommodating most monitors and a compact design. There’s enough room below the platform to house compact keyboards, notepads, external drives, or other home office and gaming accessories to tidy up space around a monitor.

The only issue we found with the Atumtek Monitor Stand reared its head during assembly. We had to battle a little with the stand to ensure the screws were secure enough to avoid wobble. Nevertheless, once we overcame this, we were impressed with the Atumtek Monitor Stand’s adjustment options.

Things to consider

Height Adjustment

When shopping around for a monitor stand, look out for a height adjustment feature. The option to raise or lower the stand is key to finding a position that suits your height, posture, and the size of your monitors. Always aim for the monitor to reach eye-level as this will promote the best head, neck, and shoulder position. Doing so helps with overall comfort and ergonomics, and wards of potential strain and more serious injuries.

Adjustment mechanisms vary between models. Some feature adjustable legs, while others may use stackable columns or gas springs. We recommend looking for stands with a decent range of set positions or better, fully adjustable height.

Stand Size

Monitors come in many sizes and with different feet layouts, so look out for a stand that can accommodate your monitor with some space to spare. Specific models, such as the Satechi Type-C Aluminum Monitor Stand, have very tight widths and are not suited to monitors with larger bases.

In the same vein, if you need lots of storage space underneath a stand, keep an eye out for larger ones as they will prove more useful when setting up a tidier workspace compared to more compact alternatives. If you plan to store a keyboard or laptop, we suggest only the largest monitor stands.

Materials

Take into account the material used to construct the stand. We suggest opting for metal or wood variants if possible as these tend to be more robust, last longer, and support heavier monitors or even multiple monitors in some cases.

Plastic ones are unsurprisingly less sturdy but are more than suitable for lighter monitors, especially if you don’t have much cash to spend on a monitor stand.

Similarly, we’re big fans of perforated stands that promote better ventilation, especially when using them with laptops that get hot after sustained use. Padded anti-slip feet are also a must to avoid a nasty accident. Monitors aren’t cheap, so any feature designed to protect them, however small, is recommended.

Our Verdict

Best All-Round

Best Monitor Stands

If you’re looking for an all-round monitor stand, then the Huanuo Monitor Stand Riser should prove a worthwhile option. Simple, functional, and with no excess features, it will keep the cost down, save space, and improve ergonomics.

For the best hub-style monitor stand, the Satechi Type-C Aluminum Monitor Stand is an excellent choice that, despite no adjustments, is an ideal companion to an iMac and for those happy with the set elevation on offer.

On the standing desk converter front, we found the Mingyall Monitor Stand Desk Converter packed loads of value and functionality. Yes, it’s pricier, but it is one of the sturdiest and most versatile stands we’ve come across for under $100. The Atumtek Monitor Stand marries easy height tinkering with a neat design for a more budget-friendly adjustable option.

Finally, the AmazonBasics Adjustable Computer Monitor Stand takes a no-frills approach for all-out value, perfect for those on a tight budget.

With that, we’ll wrap our guide to the best monitor stands. We hope our selection proves useful and you’ve learned a thing or two about the humble monitor stand in the process. Any pressing questions or comments? Drop us a line in the comments section below and we’ll be sure to respond.