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Best Vertical Stand for MacBook Air and MacBook Pro?

11:28 video

I bought four vertical stands on Amazon for the new M1 Pro or M1 Max MacBook Pro (they work for any MacBook or laptop, and the M2 Air too). The new MacBook Pros are so powerful that many people will want them as their primary or only computer, and docking one to a display is a fantastic way to work. A vertical stand gives it a place out of the way for a tidier desk.

I didn’t include the popular 12 South BookArc, because it relies on inserts for a specific laptop, and at the time of recording 12 South hadn’t released inserts for the new MacBook Pros.

GodSpin ($26)

Matte black aluminum, solid-feeling with a nice thick rubber pad on the bottom so it won’t slide, and rubber on the sides and bottom inside to protect against scratches. You adjust it with Allen head screws on the bottom, using the included Allen wrench: loosen, place the MacBook in, adjust to size, tighten. It’s a little awkward, and I made it a little too tight at first, but you want it just tight enough to hold the laptop upright without letting it fall over or making it hard to remove. It looks good and, since the MacBook Pro has ports on both sides, works on either side of a display. The inside is closed, so put the laptop in upside down to draw air in from the sides and exhaust out the top (the downside: the Apple logo is upside down).

Satechi ($45)

A vertical dock with a wrap-around riser at the bottom. A thumb screw adjusts it, which seems better than an Allen wrench: loosen, adjust, place the MacBook, tighten. It’s easy to get the laptop in and out (a little tight at first, so I loosened it). The middle is open, but with the Apple logo up, the vent is partly covered by the rubber, so airflow is obstructed; I suggest using it upside down. It doesn’t feel as solid as the GodSpin, but it’s easy to adjust for different laptops, good for a hotel or shared desk. It does feel a bit bulky for a minimalist desk.

HumanCentric, black plastic ($35)

Quite different: no adjustment. It uses the weight of the laptop to clamp the sides onto the MacBook. It’s thick black plastic with rubber guards and rubber rails on the bottom, light but not cheap-feeling. It pops on and off easily, with no worry about it being too tight. It wobbles a little and isn’t as secure as the others, but in an office where nobody is bumping it, it should be fine: it takes real force to knock over. The bottom is completely open and it sits well above the desk, so you can place the laptop Apple side up with full exhaust. I like it a lot.

HumanCentric, black oak ($40)

Real oak sides, a rubber bottom, and felt and rubber inside to protect the laptop. It also needs an Allen wrench, like the GodSpin. It looks really sharp, and the felt gives a little, so there’s a bit of wobble, but the laptop goes in and out very easily. The thick rubber on the bottom means you shouldn’t put the fan side down, so the Apple logo faces down. That may actually help airflow, with air going in at the sides and out the top, and you do get the MacBook logo right side up for anyone looking at the back.

Which is best?

  • Stability: the GodSpin is the most stable and sturdy, barely wobbling, sitting nice and low, and tightenable to your preference.
  • Design: I like the wood look of the black oak, the contrast with the aluminum, and how easily the laptop goes in and out. Like some others, it requires the logo upside down.
  • Adjustability: the Satechi adjusts with a thumb screw between laptops, but it’s bulky.
  • Simplicity: the black plastic HumanCentric needs no adjustment, takes any size laptop, and keeps the Apple logo right side up, though it’s not the sturdiest.

Are you looking for something aesthetically pleasing, like the black oak, or rock solid, whatever it looks like? Let me know which you’re more interested in.

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