The Roost 2.0 vs. Nexstand K2: Ergonomic Portable Laptop Stand Showdown

We took a look at two of the best travel laptop stands-Roost 2.0 and Nexstand K2. Perfect for digital nomads who are tired of hunching over their laptops. View Our Full Comparison: packhacker.com/blog/gear-comparisons/laptop-stand-showdown-the-roost-2-0-vs-the-nextstand-k2/
Anyone who sits in front of a laptop all day-like we often do-should really look into getting a laptop stand. They make a huge difference in your posture, meaning less back pain and more productivity as you sit at your desk. Here, we compare the Roost Laptop Stand and the Nexstand Laptop Stand.
These two travel laptop stands are great if you're on the road frequently and work quite a bit. The catch is that in order to use a laptop stand properly, you do need a mouse and keyboard. Essentially what you’re doing is turning your laptop into a desktop computer. This does of course limit portability-you are adding in three additional components-but it may be worth it for those of us who spend a lot of time on our laptops.
Roost Laptop Stand 2.0 by Roost Industries Corp. Full Review: packhacker.com/travel-gear/roost-industries-corp/roost-laptop-stand-2-0
K2 Laptop Stand by Nexstand Full Review: packhacker.com/travel-gear/nextstand/k2-laptop-stand
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View All of our Working and Productivity Gear Reviews: packhacker.com/travel-gear/category/productivity/
SHOW NOTES:
In this video, Tom Wahlin of Pack Hacker compares the Nexstand K2 Ergonomic Portable Laptop Stand and the Roost 2.0 Ergonomic Portable Laptop Stand.
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[@maedhyne]

3:33 That absolutely caught me off-guard. Better scare than most horror movies these days.

[@macmann3902]

I've got the Nextstand with over 100k miles traveled... No problems and I can buy 3 compared to the Roost... I am using a Asus ROG 15" laptop

[@PackHacker]

Thanks for sharing your experience with us, Mac! It's great to hear that the Nexstand is working for you and that it's holding up well for all of your travels. 😊👍 - Rebecca

[@masocre]

I just purchased the Nexstand on ebay for $18 CAD after using a $5 coupon. For that price as long as it holds my laptop up I'll be satisfied until it's necessary to pony up more money and upgrade to a metal DJ style laptop stand.

[@tristancapistrano5253]

@@masocre Can you close the laptop while it is on the nexstand?

[@masocre]

@@tristancapistrano5253 I sold it a while ago but I don't think it closes flush. The clips on the bottom of the laptop get in the way.

[@peterjcspencer]

I have a Roost and absolutly love it, really excellent design and innovation, great quality.

[@UchSarath]

I've been using Nexstand for couple months and it works really well; Affordable, durable, flexible and comfortable. Personally I prefer Nexstand.

[@PackHacker]

Glad it's working out for you!

[@supernova1976]

Uch Sarath have you noticed when you set the level low the back support doesn't even touch the laptop? In this case the weight of the whole laptop is in the front hinge mechanism. Puts too much pressure on the laptop frame .bad design in my opinion. Check the video it is visible

[@DrussNL]

Fully agree, especially for the people here in Europe. The Roost is 80 euro's and the Nex is around 30, that's a difference of 50 euro's (or 56.55 dollars)! You could buy another Nex and a half with that money. For a product that is functionally almost identical I think that makes the Nex the superior product.

[@NhanNguyen-ip6gw]

@@supernova1976 Thanks! I see it at 4:37

[@supernova1976]

@@NhanNguyen-ip6gw been using the nexstand now for almost 2 years every single day, and it is holding up fine , no issues what so ever. got it for 22 euros.

[@mdtaylor2274]

Nice review. I just wish Roost would make the stand from aluminum. Can't justify the cost for plastic.

[@ldc89]

Seriously! I just got a roost stand for my brother w/o looking at any reviews. And upon opening it to play around with - I couldn’t believe how much it cost for how cheap feeling it was!

[@zthacher]

I love working with a large display and separate keyboard and mouse from my home office. Working on a small MacBook Air 13" while traveling has always been a hassle. It never occurred to me to use a laptop stand with my keyboard and mouse. Seems like a great way to set up a compact travel office when on the go. Do you find yourself doing this when you travel, or is this just something you're experimenting with?

[@PackHacker]

Hey Zachary - we've found this to be a great addition when traveling, and basically irreplaceable for the reasons you mention - it can be a pain (literally) to hunch over a small laptop for hours on end. It's a good way to promote a more ergonomic workspace on the road.

[@twahlinph]

Hey Zachary - I've personally been using a laptop stand for about 3 months now. Would never go back :)

[@waterland15]

Good comparison! Nexstand can be had even cheaper if ordering from China. Prices are as low as $15 but then you will have to wait weeks for it to arrive.

[@PackHacker]

Good tip Jake - thanks!

[@6abhisekbackup9]

The design is so good as they provide a decent height to the laptop. While I live in India and the Roost is not available here, the Nexstand gets the job done. Thanks for the review. P.S. You have a beautiful house.

[@PackHacker]

You got it, Abhisek! We're glad you're digging the review and it's great to hear that the Nexstand is working so well for you. Thanks for sharing! 😊 - Rebecca

[@lorenamora7423]

Any recommendations on portable stands for tablets or 2-in-1 devices like the Surface Pro?

[@PackHacker]

Hey Lorena - we haven't tested any ourselves and we don't currently have any in the pipeline to review, but we'll keep an eye out.😊 - Rebecca

[@candice5094]

Lorena exactly!!!!!!!!!!! My surface pro is killing my back and neck

[@TischTosh]

Great question lots more people will be using these over the next few months, I believe.

[@Lev_Shor]

Awesome ! Thank you : )

[@raghavajay]

Excellent comparisons between both. I would prefer the nextstand. By the way, you got a great house!

[@PackHacker]

Thanks raghavajay! 👍 (Disclaimer: not Tom's house)

[@autopilot6918]

Great detailed comparison in the laptop stands. One would think if you lost a clip that it would affect the integrity of the stand. Might be a hassle to keep track of some small parts while traveling to many destinations. Thanks for the info!

[@PackHacker]

We agree - thanks for taking a look Auto Pilot!

[@ManishHittalmani]

@PackHacker can you review the Roost Stand V3?

[@PackHacker]

Hi Manish! I'll pass this along to the team for you. Thanks for the comment! - Austin

[@Kudtenspaghetti]

Thank you for this review.

[@PackHacker]

You got it, Ronnie! 👍👍 - Rebecca

[@DesignerM3D]

@Pack Hacker You did not mention which you like better in the review. Do you prefer one over the other?

[@DanielK-n1j]

Are you sure that the maximum height are the same? Other reviews say that the Nexstand max height is about an inch taller.

[@PigDan]

Great vid

[@tjy4997]

Very good review. Thank you. Keep up the excellent work :))

[@1234Tsukichan]

im wondering, if you have a very heavy laptop, wont it be damaging for the laptop to basically have all that pressure from the weight of the laptop to be leaning on those 2 thin support sticks? Seems like quite alot of pressure on the underside of the laptop.

[@PackHacker]

Hey Curlycurl - we haven't had any issues with the stand putting too much pressure on the laptop, so far it has supported the laptop well. Hope this helps! 😊 - Rebecca

[@artofverity8791]

Laptops are not made of chocolate!!!!

[@DeliveryMan01]

Will this be able to support a 17inch laptop??

[@gabsmith1]

Wouldn't recommend it

[@bobbastian760]

Shame to go for a legacy QWERTY keyboard that's no better than the inbuilt one. Ortholinear, split, programmable: Corne is next level and way smaller.

[@bobbastian760]

It's not about being tall, it's about having a long body. Tall people have short bodies, short people have long bodies more than you'd expect.

[@Careersidekick]

Great video. Thanks

[@PackHacker]

You bet! Thanks for watching

[@williamfieldds3900]

TV tvuand see was. NO

[@maulanna]

gave me a heart attack at 3:35. dude.

[@PackHacker]

No laptops were harmed in the creation of this video 😂

[@zatochiSiberian]

Great review. Thank you.

[@PackHacker]

You got it zatochi! 👍👍 - Rebecca

[@TV-sz3nv]

Thank you !!!

[@PackHacker]

Thanks for stopping by the channel!

[@efecan1990]

So one thing I can criticize is I think you should weight them with their carrying bag to measure their portability

[@PackHacker]

Thanks for the feedback!

[@masfili3306]

I feel like this review favoring Roost and unfair... haha... just my personal opinion... no offence.

[@TheDearRecorded]

Is there a stand like this, that can give you higher heights but if needed can come pretty low to use the laptop keyboard directly? Has anyone tried typing for some time on the Nexstand ? Is it too high to type on? I can see myself carrying the stand but don't think I'll always carry around a big external keyboard (and the slim compact keyboards don't give enough benefits over the laptop keyboard travel to justify lugging it along all the time)

[@PackHacker]

Hey TheDearRecorded - the Nexstand can drop down pretty low, but we still recommend using a keyboard as this is much more comfortable and ergonomic, especially when typing for long periods of time. We've also found the Apple Magic Keyboard to work well when traveling - packhacker.com/travel-gear/apple/magic-keyboard/ - hope this helps! 😊👍 - Rebecca

[@TheDearRecorded]

@@PackHacker Thanks for the quick reply Rebecca/Pack Hacker. Much appreciated :) Would you know of any other alternative stands that folded down to a compact form but also allowed comfortable typing ? (Ideally, I prefer having an external keyboard but while traveling, it gets pretty overloaded with a stand and keyboard in my carrying case) and was looking for something a little more versatile. Have you/anyone else reading, tried typing on the laptop keyboard for short/long periods when it's mounted on the Nexstand? Do those two clasps that secure the laptop at the base get in the way of your wrists? Thanks again and hope you see this reply!! :)

[@PackHacker]

Hey@@TheDearRecorded - we haven't yet tested any stands that are comfortable for typing, but that doesn't mean that it will not work for you. From our experience, the clasps did not get in the way of typing, but the angle is uncomfortable for longer periods of time. We're always on the look-out for new gear and products just like this though, so keep an eye out! - Rebecca

[@stephanesilvaa]

my use would be just to raise my laptop to eye level, without the need of a keyboard. none of the examples you showed allowed me to understand if thats possible, a height confortable to use the laptop's keyboard while having it eye level or close. can you help? :p

[@PackHacker]

Great question! We like using laptop stands because using them with a keyboard and mouse benefits most ergonomically. We're not doctors, but wouldn't advise using a keyboard this way. -Hannah

[@stephanesilvaa]

@@PackHacker so you are saying that for having the laptop at eye level with this stand you basically cannot use the laptops keyboard

[@PackHacker]

@@stephanesilvaa It's not that you can't - we just wouldn't recommend it. - Tom

[@juleez]

Hey, I just got this. I don't think it's is designed to work with a surface pro 4 even though it says that it is. Anyone else have a surface pro?

[@PackHacker]

Hey Juliana - sorry to hear that, we haven't got a Surface Pro 4 to test this out, but hopefully someone in our community will be able to help. Keep us updated! 😊 - Rebecca

[@rolandocruz7105]

hi, can it place the laptop here at 180 degrees position?

[@PackHacker]

Not quite 180 but pretty close! We'd say more like 160-170 degrees for optimal viewing on the Roost stand (Nexstand would be less, because it holds the laptop more horizontally - probably around 150-160 degrees). Hope this helps - good luck!

[@cjsantiago4648]

will these support 15in and thick laptops?

[@PackHacker]

You'll want to measure to be sure, but yes, these stands are both adjustable with the swivel feature.

[@RuslanGuna]

Hi. Any other options in 2019?

[@PackHacker]

We're still big fans of the Roost 2.0. Nothing in the pipeline at the moment-but stay tuned! -Hannah

[@RuslanGuna]

@@PackHacker Thanks, Hannah :D

[@PackHacker]

@@RuslanGuna Anytime!

[@RuslanGuna]

@@PackHacker thanks. I started using Roost stand and very happy with it!

[@davs.ketchup]

The Nexstand is like a cheap alternative to the Roost. Not as good but does the job.

[@PackHacker]

Great to hear you've found what works best for you! -Hannah

[@Johnestrela1]

Heyy does anyone knows what song is this?

[@PackHacker]

Here ya go! audiojungle.net/item/is-hiphop/19000213

[@bobbastian760]

ounces 😂

[@gregory7572]

I see cheap, I buy. Nexstand K2 it is. I can buy the Nexstand K2 for USD 11.81 lol

[@PackHacker]

Let us know how you get on with it Gregory, thanks for sharing! 👍 - Rebecca