Contour Design NoteRiser Laptop Stand

Gadgeteer Hands On Review by Judie Hughes

March 22, 2004

Product Requirements:
A laptop that measures at least 12" x 11" for integrated use (unless you don't mind an under-hang) or a laptop of any size for non-integrated use, a keyboard and a mouse

Those of you that do extensive work on your laptop computers know that the experience is not always as comfortable as it could be. For one, there is the slouching that leads to bad posture, add to that the eyestrain that results when you are hunched over a too low screen. Then there is the cramping of the hands that results from using a flat, generally smaller than average keyboard. We won't even get into the heat that a laptop can generate when it is actually sitting in your lap. Even with all these drawbacks, there are so many advantages to having a laptop computer that it is really in the users best interest to find a way to make the laptop work for them, not against.

I have always stated my approval for products that place laptops in a more ergonomic position. This includes those that lift the keyboard so that your wrists don't work in an improper angle, as well as those products which allow the laptop to be held in an open position, thereby lifting the screen to a natural eye level and allowing the attachment of a keyboard and mouse.

Contour Design, a company which specializes in devices that can "significantly reduce muscular discomfort while maximizing productivity,"  has created a more ergonomic way to use your laptop computer, called the NoteRiser.

   
Photos courtesy of Contour Design

The NoteRiser is made of what looks like two thin sheets of brushed aluminum sandwiching a thin white fiberboard support. The entire device weighs only 0.84 pounds and it measures 11.8" tall wide x 10.63" tall x 0.16" thick. Black neoprene strips hold the moveable aluminum parts in place. But when the proper parts are released and moved, the NoteRiser opens like origami into an easel which can be adjusted from a 20º to 55º angle.

Photo courtesy of Contour Design

In order to form the easel, you unlock the the long narrow "tongue" by pulling it up from the restraining neoprene and pull it forward. The tongue can be locked into one of seven different positions by catching the notched of the tongue on the protruding tab. Note that there are also five non slip rubber buttons on the bottom which will keep the NoteRiser from sliding whether flat or in the open position.

   

The only catch is that in order to use the NoteRiser, you must be able to work at a desk. Due to the better viewing angle in which the laptop is held, a keyboard and mouse must also be used since it will no longer be possible to operate the laptop in the usual manner.

Photo courtesy of Contour Design

If this doesn't faze you, then read on...

The NoteRiser can be affixed to your laptop with the included Click Strip squares to create an integrated easel. Similar in design to Velcro, Click Strips are a plastic loop system that can hold heavier items in a very secure grip. In order to attach the NoteRiser to your laptop, the six Click Strip pieces must be broken apart, leaving the white adhesive backing in place, and the pieces must be paired up to make three sets.

   
Photos courtesy of Contour Design

With your laptop lying facing down and in front of you, you can adhere the three Click Strip pairs in a "Y" shape on the back of your laptop. A piece on each back upper corner (the end where the screen attaches) and a piece in the middle bottom. You can then line this up to the flat side of the NoteRiser. This will leave the back, or stand portion free to operate properly.

       
Photos courtesy of Contour Design

The NoteRiser can also be used as a non-attached easel. In order to do this, you simply pop the two folding aluminum arms down from their round neoprene holders. They fold upon themselves and lock into the slot underneath, as shown in these pictures. The protruding arm is covered in cushioning neoprene to support the bottom of your laptop when it is in place.

       

Since my Fujitsu is so small, this is the manner in which I use the NoteRiser, as you can see here...

I like that the NoteRiser is so compact and easily portable. It does not take up a lot of desk real estate, and it would especially be perfect for those that use their Laptop as a primary computer. By lifting the laptop's screen to a higher level and by allowing the attachment of a mouse and keyboard for a more traditional desktop environment, it is possible to create a more body-friendly workspace. The NoteRiser is extremely well made; there are no rough or sharp edges anywhere. It feels like a very solid item that should last for years.

If you have been looking for a way to make your laptop computer more user friendly, then you might want to take a look at the Contour Design NoteRiser.

Price: $129.99

Pros:
Extremely well made
Simple, elegant design that allows you to angle a notebook computer to your most ergonomic position
Functions as a notebook stand to allow use of external keyboard and mouse
Can be "permanently" attached to laptop allowing for maximum portability and ease of use

Cons:
Expensive
Must be used while sitting at a desk - not always practical with a laptop