How to Set Up a Laptop in Bed (Sitting Up or Lying Down)
A laptop in bed can be comfortable or awkward, and the difference is mostly setup. These steps work with a lap desk, a folding bed tray or an overbed table.
Step 1: sit up against something firm
Pile pillows against the headboard or wall so your back has support. A firm stack is better than one soft pillow you sink into. If you like to lean back, that's fine; just set the tray up after you're settled, not before.
Step 2: give the laptop a hard, flat base
Never put the laptop straight on the duvet. Soft bedding can cover the vents on the bottom or sides, and the laptop tips as the mattress moves.
A lap desk or tray gives it a flat, firm surface. Even a cushioned lap desk has a hard top where the laptop sits.
Step 3: set the height
With a bed tray, start with the legs at a middle setting and adjust from there.
- Typing: the keyboard should sit around the height of your elbows, so your arms aren't reaching up.
- Watching or reading: raise it so you look less steeply down at the screen.
The SONGMICS bed desk has 8 heights from 10 to 14.2 inches. Try a couple and see which works for the way you sit.
With a fixed lap desk you change the height with your legs: bend your knees to bring it up, or put a pillow under it.
Step 4: set the tilt
A tilting top angles the screen toward you. A small tilt helps for typing. A steeper tilt is better for reading or watching, but:
- Use the guard or stopper so the laptop can't slide off.
- Keep drinks off a tilted top. The SONGMICS listing says not to use its cup holder or phone slot while tilted.
Step 5: lying down
Lying down flat makes typing hard, so plan for watching rather than working.
- Lie on your side with the laptop on the bed in front of you, or
- Prop yourself up on an elbow or pillows with a tray over you, tilted toward your face.
An overbed table like the FLEXISPOT H7 suits this best, because it reaches over the bed from the side and you can set the height without anything resting on you.
Step 6: add a mouse if you work for long
A trackpad is fine for browsing. For real work, a mouse is easier. Pick a tray with room for one: a top about 22 inches wide fits a laptop plus a mouse. Many lap desks, like the LAPGEAR Home Office Pro, have a built-in mouse pad.
Step 7: plan the cables
- Run the charger along the side of the bed, not across your lap.
- Use a cable long enough to reach without pulling the laptop toward the edge.
- Unplug and put the tray away before you sleep, so nothing gets knocked over in the night.
Step 8: pack it away
Folding trays and lap desks slide under the bed or stand behind a door. Putting it away keeps the bed for sleeping and the tray in good shape.
Quick setup checklist
- Firm pillow support behind your back.
- A hard, flat surface under the laptop.
- Height set for typing or for watching.
- A small tilt, with the stopper up.
- Mouse if you're working.
- Cables along the side, and unplugged before bed.
Not sure which type to get? See lap desk vs bed tray vs overbed table. For five compared, see our laptop stand for bed comparison.