About Tabletote
In this article we’re going to review the Tabletop Laptop Stand which looks alone, is a unique laptop stand that has been gaining popularity recently.
Although Tabletote has an official website, the Tabletote Laptop Stand is sold exclusively through Amazon. This isn’t a bad thing, over the years the stand has amassed a ton of customer reviews, all available on Amazon.
Tabletote is manufactured by a company called PC TABLES LLC, which manufactures portable workstations for laptops and other equipment e.g. Projectors. From my research of this company, I could only find the Tabletote laptop stand for sale.
Anyways, to our main points: Is the Tabletote Laptop Stand any good? What are its features? And what are its pros and cons?
Tabletote Specifications
Firstly, the Tabletote is a portable laptop desk rather than a stand. Its adjustable legs provide a desk-like workspace for sitting on the floor on a computer chair.
What’s great about the Tabletote is that it is lightweight and folds down to be very compact. Its dimensions (without legs) are 13 x 10.5 x 1.5 inches, and its weight is appx 3 pounds (with legs).
For a laptop desk, these are great benefits – nowadays most users require portability. What’s even better is that the Tabletote fits inside most sized suitcases.
Additional specifications include a handy extension for add-ons (PDA holder or cup holder). The legs are also detachable. With all of this in mind, the Tabletote table provides a convenient, portable workstation allowing you to work on the go.
That said, having examined and tested other portable laptop stands myself, I formed my own opinion on this table that combines both good and weak points that I think are important to address before you make a purchasing decision.
Tabletote Pros and Cons
Pros
- Lightweight
- Portable
- Compact
- Easy to handle
- Easy to assemble and fold
- Functional for casuals and professionals whom main work is NOT focused around their laptops
- Inexpensive (Less than $30)
- Warranty available for 90 days from the day of purchase. Must have proof of purchase
- Good customer reviews and feedback (4 stars on Amazon)
Cons
- Not very durable
- Wobbly compared to other tables
- Takes 45 seconds to assemble. While sounds good, compared to the other laptop stands out there, this is not impressive
- No tilting option – Can’t control the view angle of the laptop or keyboard
- Adjustable height – Only 3 levels
So, while the desk is portable, compact, and cheap, it also has its fair share of cons.
Several customers reported that the Tabletote is not as durable as required – given it is often used on the go. Additionally, many customers pointed out that when in operation the table is not very sturdy.
The small dimensions, while perfect for portability, can restrict which devices work with the table. Given these points, it is fair to say that it is not suitable for heavy or larger laptops, and personally, I would not want to run the risk of my device falling onto the floor. Security and protection are paramount in any table supporting your laptop or other precious equipment.
As for the assembly time, 45 seconds is marketed as a huge benefit. Whilst this is under a minute, other laptop tables, such as the Avantree Laptop Stand and the Executive Office Solutions laptop table, can be set up in just a few seconds.
NOTE: To the defense of the Tabletote team, those two brands mentioned above are huge ones, with huge budgets, and huge time schedules for developing, testing, and producing. The fact that the Tabletote is designed and maintained by a small, local team in the U.S, makes the entire laptop an impressive product.
If you don’t mind the minor disadvantages that I laid out in this review, then, by all means, go buy this stand and support this small team of innovators.
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Furthermore, it’s not very versatile.
Only three levels of height adjustment and no tilting functionality whatsoever, considering the alternatives, this is a downside.
They could make it vented too, but I’m not going to claim this as a disadvantage since most newer laptops today do not require the extra ventilation offered by similar products.
Amazon Ratings and Customer Feedback:
You’ll find both good and bad customer feedback on this product.
The overall rating is around 4 stars, which is not bad, but could be (And should be) higher than that for a product like this. The ones that I recommend (Avantree and Executive Office Solutions tables) all have a 4.5+ star rating and most of the negative reviews come from bad handling in shipping.
Conclusion and Verdict.
I give the Tabletote 3.5 / 5 stars because while it can be very portable, lightweight, and very simple to handle and assemble or disassemble, you’ll find other products in the market that offer more ergonomy and versatility, with the same or slightly higher price point.
I wish that if at some point they consider making a Tabletote 2.0, to make it a bit more durable and sturdy so it can sustain the expensive equipment trusted on top of it as there have been more than one review claiming stability problems with heavy equipment.
I can see this laptop stand as a good fit for people and professionals who don’t spend a lot of time working on the laptop such as professors, engineers, professionals in the construction industry (Can be great for the outdoors), and so on.
Verdict: Good, casual use.
Occasions/Purpose: Certain Professionals/Outdoor/At Home.
Our Ratings: [usr 3.5]