The MOFT Z 5-in-1 laptop stand has the power to transform practically any area into a viable remote workspace.
As we run our businesses online, my partner and I have been working remotely from different locations around the globe for several years. It’s a kickass way to see the world but it does lead to one inevitable discussion/debate/blazing row every time we establish a base in a new abode – where do we set up our office? And, more importantly, who gets the best view?!
My argument that anyone sitting opposite me has the best view by definition wore thin halfway through the first time I made it, so we’ve come to an understanding in which we take it in turns to pick seating positions whenever we move to a new rental property. However, challenges still remain, especially when we arrive at a place that has a smaller than average table. Our office equipment consists of laptops and a few accessories and while they don’t take up a huge amount of space, things can get uncomfortable pretty quickly.
Hunching over a tiny trestle table is neither conducive to good posture nor a great working environment, and so we’re always looking for creative solutions to improve our workspace. (Once when we were staying in a wooden ‘tiny home’ in New Zealand, I worked on the breakfast bar and she set up her office on a beanbag on the other side of the house. For six weeks. It actually worked out OK.) Enter, MOFT Z.
I’ve been following these guys since their KickStarter began a year ago (which raised over $1M), as the concept of a multifunctional laptop stand was too good to ignore.
The MOFT Z arrives folded into a neat rectangle that’s heavy enough to be reliably sturdy yet light enough to tuck comfortably into your carry-on luggage without bothering the airport scales. The material has a leather finish and I’ve opted for the safety of plain black, although orange is their most popular colour (my co-worker got there first).
There’s a QR code that you can scan in order to access the instructional video on how to fold the origami-inspired stand into each of its 5 positions. Full disclosure, I needed to watch the video more than a few times in order to work out how all five iterations take shape. Given that my 5 and 7-year-old-nieces were able to assemble it in seconds, this may not be a reflection on the difficulty of the MOFT Z’s assemblage but perhaps more of a comment on my lack of basic practical skills.
The position I use the most is the 25° angle that props my MacBook Air into ‘work mode’, allowing my wrists to rest on the bottom of the laptop as I tap away. Depending on your chair-to-table height ratio, you may prefer the 35° angle, in which the screen is closer to eye-height with a slightly higher wrist incline. This is also the angle at which MOFT recommends using when reclining on a sofa (it probably also works on beanbags).
If you use a separate keyboard, you can either use the 45° angle so that the bottom of the laptop is still touching the table, or activate the ‘standing mode’ function and place your laptop around 12 inches off the table. Anyone who jumped on the standing-while-typing bandwagon craze that swept co-working spaces a few years ago can burn calories by getting off their backsides and onto their feet while completing the workday.
There’s also an option of a 60° angle, which comes in handy once work is over and we place our iPad on top of the MOFT to get an elevated viewing experience. Any couple who travels regularly will understand the benefit of having a reliable base on which to place your tablet, so you don’t have to rest it gingerly on one knee each, or position it in between your legs in bed.
I’m so impressed with the multifunctionality of the MOFT Z that I’ve ordered a keyboard to take full advantage of its standing setting. Not that I’ll be on my feet – that bandwagon left me on the side of the road – but the upright position also allows you to place the laptop at head height (when seated) and type as if you were sat at a regular desktop. This will of course deprive my partner from the aforementioned greatest view of all – but so far she hasn’t raised any complaints.
Check out the MOFT Z Sit-Stand Laptop Desk at the MOFT website.
Price: $69.99 (currently $59.99)
Colours: Black, Orange, Blue, Gray
