How to Set Up a Laptop Stand With a Keyboard and Mouse
A laptop stand raises the screen, but it makes the built-in keyboard harder to use. The fix is simple: an external keyboard and mouse. Here's how to put it together.
What you need
- A laptop stand. Fixed or adjustable.
- An external keyboard and mouse. Wired, wireless or Bluetooth.
- Optional: a USB hub or dock if your laptop has few ports, and a monitor.
Step 1: place the stand
Put the stand behind where your keyboard will go, about an arm's length from where you sit. Many stands leave space underneath to slide the keyboard away when you're not using it. The Rain Design mStand has a keyboard stash, for example.
Step 2: set the screen height
The top of the laptop screen should be roughly at eye level, or a little below, when you sit up comfortably.
- Fixed stands raise a laptop about 6 inches. That's enough for many people, especially with a chair set to the right height.
- Adjustable stands let you fine-tune it. The Nulaxy 18-inch stand goes up to 18 inches, which also works at a standing desk.
Step 3: put the keyboard at elbow height
Your keyboard should sit on the desk in front of the stand, so your elbows rest roughly at your sides and your forearms are about level. Keep the mouse right next to it.
Step 4: tidy the cables
Route the power cable and any hub through the stand's cable hole or behind it. A short USB-C hub or dock means one cable to unplug when you take the laptop with you.
Adding a monitor
Many people use the laptop on a stand as a second screen next to a monitor:
- Put the main screen straight in front of you, and the laptop to one side.
- Match heights as closely as you can, so your eyes move sideways, not up and down.
- A monitor arm makes matching heights easy. See our home office comparisons.
Comfort tips
- Set your chair height first, then the screen and keyboard.
- Change position through the day. If you have pain or discomfort, ask a doctor or physical therapist about your setup.
For five stands compared, see our laptop stand for desk comparison.