We compared six laptop stands sold on Amazon Australia - fixed aluminium risers, a foldable MOFT, telescopic sit-stand arms and the classic Rain Design mStand - to find the best way to raise your screen to eye level and keep your laptop cool.
The best laptop stands in Australia for 2026
A laptop stand is one of the cheapest upgrades you can make to a home or office desk. The whole point is simple - your laptop screen sits too low, so you hunch over it, and after a few hours your neck and shoulders pay for it. Raising the screen towards eye level lets you sit up straight, and once it is up there you almost always pair it with an external keyboard and mouse. We compared six stands currently sold on Amazon Australia, from a ~$25 fixed aluminium riser to a ~$98 fully adjustable travel stand, to help you pick the right one for how you actually work.
Our quick take - most people are best served by a solid fixed riser like the BESIGN LS03 at ~$25. If you travel, look at the foldable MOFT at ~$30 or the UGREEN folding stand at ~$40. If you want to alternate between sitting and standing, the tounee telescopic at ~$75 covers the full range, while the Rain Design mStand at ~$86 and Twelve South Curve Flex at ~$98 are the premium desk and travel-adjustable options.
Fixed riser versus fully adjustable
The first decision is whether you want a fixed riser or an adjustable one. A fixed riser - like the BESIGN LS03 (~$25) or the Rain Design mStand (~$86) - sets your screen at a single height. That sounds limiting, but it is also why fixed risers are rock-solid and cheap: with no joints or telescoping arms, there is nothing to flex, loosen or wobble over time. If you mostly sit at the same desk in the same chair, a fixed riser set to your eye level is all you need.
An adjustable stand earns its keep when your setup changes. The tounee telescopic (~$75) raises from 2.1 inches right up to 21 inches, so you can drop it for seated work and lift it to a standing position - effectively a sit-stand converter without buying a standing desk. The Twelve South Curve Flex (~$98) adjusts from 2 to 11 inches, letting you fine-tune the exact angle for your chair and height. You pay more and accept a little more potential for movement, but you gain the ability to dial things in.
Aluminium versus plastic - cooling matters
Build material is not just about how premium a stand feels. Aluminium has a real functional advantage: it conducts heat, so a metal stand in contact with the base of your laptop doubles as a heat sink and helps draw warmth away from the machine. The Rain Design mStand explicitly relies on this - its single aluminium panel acts as a heat sink - and the BESIGN LS03 and UGREEN stand both use open aluminium frames for the same reason. Plastic stands do not conduct heat in any meaningful way, so they rely on airflow alone.
That is why every stand on this list, even the foldable MOFT, prioritises an open design that lets air move underneath the laptop. If your laptop runs hot under load - video editing, gaming, lots of browser tabs - an aluminium stand with good airflow underneath will keep it noticeably cooler than working flat on a desk, where the underside vents are pressed against the surface.
Raising the screen to eye level - the real ergonomic win
The single biggest reason to buy a laptop stand is to get the top of the screen up towards your eye level. When the screen is flat on the desk, you tilt your head down to look at it, and holding that position for hours is what leaves your neck and shoulders sore. Raising the screen so you are looking forward rather than down lets you keep a more upright, relaxed posture. This is about comfort, not a medical claim - but it is a change most people feel within a day.
How much lift you need depends on your height and chair. The BESIGN LS03 and Rain Design mStand both raise the screen by roughly 6 inches, which suits a lot of people at a standard desk. The MOFT gives a gentler 2 or 3 inch lift for a lighter setup, while the tounee (up to 21 inches) and Curve Flex (up to 11 inches) let taller users or standing workers push the screen much higher. Aim to have the top of the screen at or just below eye level when you are sitting up straight.
Foldable and portable versus a solid desk stand
If you work in more than one place, portability changes the calculation. A solid desk stand like the Rain Design mStand is a permanent fixture - it is beautiful and stable but stays where you put it. A portable stand is built to come with you. The MOFT (~$30) is the most extreme example: it is a thin pad that adhesives to the base of your laptop and folds out wherever you land, so you are never without it.
The UGREEN folding stand (~$40) and Twelve South Curve Flex (~$98) take a middle path - they are full stands that fold flat and drop into a bag, giving you proper height adjustment on the road without the bulk of a fixed riser. The Curve Flex even ships with a travel pouch. If you split your week between home, the office and cafes, a foldable stand means you get the same good posture everywhere rather than only at your main desk.
Weight capacity and stability for 15 to 16 inch laptops
Bigger laptops need a stand that can hold them without tipping or flexing. A 16-inch gaming laptop can weigh well over 2kg, so weight capacity is worth checking. The tounee telescopic handles up to 10kg thanks to its heavy base and twin pivot joints, and the BESIGN LS03 takes up to 4kg, the UGREEN up to 5kg, and the Curve Flex around 3.2kg - all comfortably above the weight of a typical 15 to 16 inch laptop.
Stability is about more than the number. A wide, heavy base and a low centre of gravity stop a stand rocking when you tap the screen or type on the keyboard sitting on it. Fixed risers tend to feel the most planted because there are no joints, which is why the BESIGN and Rain Design feel so solid. Among the adjustable stands, the tounee's large weighted base and the UGREEN's reinforced dual arms are the steadiest for heavier machines.
Ventilation and airflow underneath
Laptops pull cooling air in from underneath, so anything that lets air circulate below the chassis helps. Every stand here uses an open frame rather than a solid shelf, precisely so the laptop's intake vents are not blocked. Lifting the machine off a flat desk - especially a soft surface like a bed - immediately improves airflow and can keep fan noise and thermal throttling down during demanding tasks.
Combine that open airflow with an aluminium body and you get the best of both: passive heat-sinking through the metal and active airflow underneath. That is the combination the Rain Design mStand and BESIGN LS03 are designed around, and it is why an aluminium stand with an open design is the safest choice if you regularly push your laptop hard.
You will want an external keyboard and mouse
One thing worth planning for: once you raise the laptop to eye level, its built-in keyboard and trackpad are now too high to use comfortably. The whole ergonomic benefit assumes you type on a separate keyboard and mouse sitting on the desk in front of the stand. This is not a downside - it is how a raised laptop is meant to work - but it does mean budgeting for a keyboard and mouse alongside the stand if you do not already have them. The Rain Design mStand even includes a cable tidy and a slot to stash a keyboard, and Twelve South specifically recommends pairing the Curve Flex with a full-size keyboard and mouse.
How we chose these laptop stands
We focused on stands that are actually available on Amazon Australia right now and that cover the full range of use cases - fixed and adjustable, budget and premium, desk-bound and portable. We weighed build material and cooling, height and adjustment range, weight capacity for larger laptops, stability, and portability, alongside the rating and review history of each listing. Where a product is a newer AU listing with fewer reviews, such as the UGREEN folding stand, we have flagged that honestly so you can weigh a fresh listing against a long-proven one like the BESIGN LS03.
Which laptop stand should you buy?
For most people, the BESIGN LS03 at ~$25 is the right call - a solid aluminium fixed riser with a huge, positive review history. If you carry your laptop around, the foldable MOFT (~$30) or UGREEN folding stand (~$40) travel easily. If you want to switch between sitting and standing, the tounee telescopic (~$75) covers the full range. The Rain Design mStand (~$86) is the premium desk-permanent classic, and the Twelve South Curve Flex (~$98) is the fully adjustable stand that still folds flat for travel. Whichever you choose, pair it with an external keyboard and mouse to get the full ergonomic benefit.
Frequently asked questions
Do laptop stands actually help with neck and shoulder comfort?
Yes - raising the top of the screen towards eye level means you look forward rather than craning your head down, which lets you keep a more upright, relaxed posture. Most people feel the difference within a day. This is a comfort and ergonomics benefit rather than a medical treatment.
Should I get a fixed riser or an adjustable stand?
If you mostly sit at the same desk, a fixed riser like the BESIGN LS03 (~$25) or Rain Design mStand (~$86) is cheaper and rock-solid. If you want to switch between sitting and standing or fine-tune the height, choose an adjustable stand like the tounee telescopic (~$75) or Twelve South Curve Flex (~$98).
Does an aluminium stand really keep my laptop cooler?
Aluminium conducts heat, so a metal stand in contact with the laptop base acts as a heat sink and helps draw warmth away, while the open frame lets air flow underneath. Plastic stands do not conduct heat, so they rely on airflow alone. The Rain Design mStand and BESIGN LS03 both use aluminium for this reason.
Which laptop stand is best for travel?
The MOFT (~$30) is the most portable - it is a thin pad that sticks to the base of your laptop and folds out anywhere. The UGREEN folding stand (~$40) and Twelve South Curve Flex (~$98) are full stands that fold flat into a bag, with the Curve Flex including a travel pouch.
Can a laptop stand hold a heavy 16-inch laptop?
Yes - check the weight capacity. The tounee telescopic supports up to 10kg, the UGREEN up to 5kg and the BESIGN LS03 up to 4kg, all comfortably above the weight of a typical 15 to 16 inch laptop. Fixed risers and stands with a wide, heavy base feel the most stable with larger machines.
Do I need an external keyboard and mouse with a laptop stand?
Generally yes. Once the laptop is raised to eye level, its built-in keyboard and trackpad sit too high to use comfortably, so you type on a separate keyboard and mouse on the desk in front of the stand. Budget for these alongside the stand if you do not already have them.
How high should I raise my laptop screen?
Aim to have the top of the screen at or just below eye level when you are sitting up straight. A roughly 6-inch lift, like the BESIGN LS03 or Rain Design mStand provide, suits many people at a standard desk, while taller users or standing workers may want the higher range of the tounee (up to 21 inches) or Curve Flex (up to 11 inches).
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