4 best phone/tablet stands under $40 to make you look good on video calls
(Updated 9/17/20)
In the largest working-from-home experiment due to coronavirus, we’re faced every day with the challenge of keeping in touch with co-workers, clients, and suppliers at home, using video conferencing apps. For me, it’s using FaceTime or Zoom to do video calls on the phone or tablet. But the nuisance that plagues me every time is finding a good way to hold the iPhone/iPad in place so I can go hands-free.
“You want to present the best of yourself professionally, as well as reducing neck strain and muscle fatigue.”
The most ideal way of holding your phone/tablet for a video call is with your hands and arms at eye level so you’re directly looking into the camera and the screen. But anyone who does this can tell you that, after just a few minutes, your hands/arms give way to muscle ache, and you start seeing images jittering all over, driving your viewers crazy.
Most phone stands out there rest itself on a tabletop and its height is no more than a couple of inches above the table. When you use these stands for video conferencing, the result is a hideous camera image from the chin up, and a neck sore from looking down after just a few minutes. These desktop phone/tablet stands are excellent for computer companions where you would only glance at them from time to time. But for dedicated video calls, they are not up to the job.
What about just using your computer? Every laptop has a webcam, no? That’s true, but webcam on laptops are often mediocre in screen quality, come with a minimal resolution, and have no low-light correction. Take my iMac for example, the webcam on it is a measly 720p resolution. But even on a better MacBook with a 12MP camera, the image quality still pales to even an old iPhone 7 front selfie camera. Most smartphone selfie cameras today are sharp and perform great indoors with limited lighting.
So naturally, one would like to use a smartphone as the camera of choice when it comes to video calls.
CRITERIA OF A GOOD STAND FOR VIDEO CALLS
So what is an optimal phone/tablet stand that is good for video conferencing at home? To me, these are key criteria to consider:
- The setup must be hands-free. Both of your hands must be left free to do other things, like fact-checking on a laptop, holding up props, or a pen, or gesturing in the air.
- The camera must be at eye level. When the viewing angle is not frontal to your whole face, it looks creepy and ugly on the other side. You want to present the best of yourself professionally, as well as reduce neck strain and muscle fatigue.
- The height and angle must be adjustable. Desks and tables are often of different heights and so is each person. A stand must be versatile enough to allow sharing around the house or adjust to table-tops of varying heights.
- The phone must be allowed to charge while talking. Nothing is more of a nuisance than running out of battery power while talking. So a good setup must be self-sufficient. This means that any stands blocking the charging ports or doesn’t allow for charging in all its orientations will not do.
RECOMMENDED STANDS
After hours of research, below are stands that fit the above criteria and at a reasonable price. In fact, 3 of the 4 stands recommended costing less than $16/ea:
SAIJI Tablet Stand Holder, Height Adjustable, 360 Degree Rotating, Aluminum Alloy Cradle Mount Dock for 4.7"-12.9" Screen iPhone Samsung, iPad, Nintendo Switch, Kindle, eBook Reader (Silver)
B07GR37JY1
This stand is the tallest of the pack, standing at 11.4" (30cm), and expandable to a whopping 18.1" (46cm). With a height like that, it will satisfy all face-to-face conference needs whether you need to talk at a standing desk, sit on a sofa, or sit upright on a proper desk. It has a tensioned bracket that is able to clamp a tablet/phone tightly so it doesn’t drop easily. And yes, with a height like that, you don’t want to have accidents. The bracket can rotate 360° and tilt upward and downward, thus making it very versatile.
The stand is made of solid aluminum, stylish, and nicely made. The 6.7" base is firm and substantial. Even with a heavy iPad 10.5" on top, the whole stand feels balanced and not top-heavy. The vertical bar is adjustable to any increments between 11.4" and 18.1", and not fixed to only certain “stops”. The best sign of quality is that at any adjusted height, tilt, or rotation, the setting will just anchor there, without giving in to gradual dip or loosening of any kind.
Check out more photos of its unboxing and assembly here.
With its versatile functions and robust construction, it is the pricier of the pack, available at Amazon for $39.95, but definitely worth its price.
Lisen Cell Phone Stand, Angle Height Adjustable Stable Cell Phone Stand For Desk, Sturdy Aluminum Metal Phone Holder, Compatible with Mobile Phone/iPad/Kindle/Tablet, 4–10 inch
B07Z82895W
This stand has the unique characteristic of extending its height to 8.5" (21.7cm) so it can bring the camera closer to eye level. It can also adjust its viewing angle to 360° or tilt to 180°. The dock does not block the charging port of a phone/tablet and the charging cable can loop over the ring in the back so it does not fall to the floor when not in use. The stand is made of aluminum with a wide base that is very sturdy. Available at Amazon for only $14.
Licheers Cell Phone Stand, Height Angle Adjustable Phone Holder for Desk Tablet Stand Compatible with Smartphone, Tablet, Kindle, Nintendo Switch and More 4–11 inch Devices
B07TKVS7BN
This stand is height adjustable to 10.7" (27cm). It accommodates both iPhone and iPad and allows charging unobstructed in any orientation. Tilt-adjustable to 45°. This stand has a handy tray base for nick-nacks that won’t fall out of the tray. Available on Amazon for $13.
Cell Phone Stand, Tablet Holder, SAIJI Height Adjustable Aluminum Mount Dock, Compatible with iPhone Samsung Cell Phone, Tablet, iPad, Nintendo Switch, Kindle, Up to 10 Inch Screen (Silver)
B07NXZK9KP
Height is adjustable to 2 settings, 7.8in (20cm) being the highest setting. Tilt to 45 degrees. Accommodates both phone and tablet. A base is as wide as 4.2". Available on Amazon for $14.
