I can’t be alone. As the performance gap between notebooks and desktops continues to shrink, more and more people are abandoning the traditional desktop computer in favor of the portability offered by a laptop. Even so, the place that we use our computers the most is still at home, so we still want a comfortable experience there.
As you may have already noticed, a notebook just doesn’t offer the same kind of ergonomics that you would get with a proper desktop setup. Well, addressing this very issue is the Ergotron Neo-Flex Combo Lift Stand. In effect, your little laptop can offer nearly the same experience as a real desktop, thanks to folks at Ergotron. And yes, it’ll support your dual monitor inclinations to boot.
The Appeal of the Combo Lift Stand
Having the option of quickly packing up my laptop and taking my workday over to the local coffee shop is one of the main reasons why I have decided to use my notebook as my primary computer. However, as I mentioned in the introduction, I still have my more extensive laptop computing sessions at home and it’s not exactly comfortable to hover over a notebook for hours at a time.
Sure, some of those notebook cooling stands help, but none of them offer quite the same kind of desktop-esque experience that you’d get with the Ergotron Neo-Flex Combo Lift Stand. In effect, you can mount your laptop next to a larger LCD display, making use of your laptop’s screen as a second display. This relatively simple dual monitor setup is much more comfortable and it’s great for cramped quarters, but you’ll need an external mouse and keyboard (just like a desktop).
For the purposes of this review, I made use of my trusty Dell Inspiron 640m 14.1-inch widescreen laptop and the recently discussed debranded 20-inch HP widescreen LCD monitor which was provided courtesy of Geeks.com
Looking inside the Box
Ergotron took the “no nonsense” approach to packaging the Neo-Flex Combo Lift Stand. I’m accustomed to packaging with a little more style or at least a little more information, but the box for this laptop stand was completely unmarked. The shipping box did not contain an additional retail box. It just opened up to a series of foam inserts and a single page of image-based instructions.
Given this approach and the enterprise-level price (MSRP of $179), I’m thinking that the Neo-Flex Combo Lift Stand is being targeted more at business users than it is at the average consumer.
Fumbling my way through all the Styrofoam inserts, I was eventually able to retrieve all of the tightly packed parts, including a couple bags of screws and other little tidbits. This can certainly look a little overwhelming to some people, but I’m glad to report that putting this thing together was actually easier than, say, a bedroom dresser from IKEA.
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Installation and Configuration
By and large, my initial reaction to all the components was positive. There’s a lot of tough metal that goes into this thing and that makes sense, considering that it will need to support both a large(-ish) LCD monitor and a laptop without toppling over onto your table. Everything looked really solid and the central unit was wrapped in decent quality plastic for a more finished look. I did find, however, that the bracket used for attaching the monitor was pretty greased up. Not a problem for grease monkeys, but likely not a pleasant experience for other folks.
The instructions stated that you would need a 10mm socket wrench and a Philips screwdriver to put this thing together, but the former is only needed if you want to swap the arrangement of this stand. The default setting is to have the laptop on the right and the monitor on the left. If you want it the other way around, you’ll need to complete a couple of extra steps using a socket wrench. Otherwise, a regular Philips head screwdriver and the provided hex key will do you just fine.
When you pick up a piece of furniture at IKEA, the instructions are usually straightforward enough with all those wooden pegs and custom-designed screws. While putting together the Ergotron Neo-Flex Combo Lift Stand was a simple enough affair, the instructions are clearly lacking.
On the horizontal metal bar that attaches to the central pillar, there are little screw holes at either end, but only on one side. In one picture, it tells you to simply screw it in. In the next picture, it shows the screw holes as being oriented toward the top. As luck would have it, I put in the stupid bar upside down. After fixing that and going through the rest of the steps, I discover that it didn’t matter anyway. That’s frustration for you.
The other source of extreme frustration was through no direct fault of Ergotron. Instead, it had to do the debranded HP monitor. In order to attach the LCD to the Ergotron, I had to remove the existing stand on the monitor. The screws holding in said stand were in the most awkward of locations and they just refused to get out. I spent just as much time getting out those screws as I did for the rest of the installation process. Aside from that, it was reasonably smooth sailing.
On the Monitor Side…
The monitor side isn’t quite as adjustable as the notebook side, and it was a little more challenging to complete the installation on my own. This is simply due to the weight and awkwardness, of course, of trying to fit four screws while holding a 20-inch LCD in one hand and the stand portion in another hand. In terms of adjustability, it allows for complete rotation, so you can have a portrait-oriented LCD if you prefer. Handy!
The relative position of both the monitor side and the laptop side can also be adjusted along the horizontal bar, based on your placement of the appropriate bracket.
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…And On the Notebook Side
As you could see in the “parts” picture earlier in this review, the portion that holds your notebook in place is essentially a plastic slate that attaches to the horizontal arm. It’s not the fanciest thing in the world, but I do appreciate that it is on a slight downward angle. You won’t be typing on that keyboard, but this makes sure that the lower half of your laptop does not obscure your view of the notebook’s display.
The front bracket that prevents your laptop from sliding onto the table can also be adjusted, in case you want your notebook a little closer to you for some reason. This is done by undoing the hand screw on the underside (wow that sounds really dirty) and sliding it into position (even dirtier).
As I have grown accustomed to laptop cooler stands, I was quite disappointed with the lack of a cooling solution integrated into the Neo-Flex Combo Lift Stand. There are a couple of slots cut into the laptop holder, but they’re not sufficient. I wonder if it would be possible to cut in a few more slots and maybe, just maybe, including a couple of small USB-powered fans too.
Final Thoughts
I’m not entirely sure how much space you’d save by going with kind of solution, but it helps when you only have a small amount of space on your desk. The footprint of the base on the Ergotron Neo-Flex Combo Lift Stand is certainly smaller than the combined footprint of a notebook and an LCD monitor.
The overall construction and design of this stand is quite good. I like being able to enjoy a dual monitor configuration using my notebook, because it really is like having a “real desktop PC” at home, while still having the option to pack up my laptop if I want to pick up and go. Since it’s likely that my laptop would be sitting on the stand for a while, I would have liked to have seen some sort of active cooling solution.
Although the instructions were a bit lacking in some areas, the stand eventually went up with only a couple minor hitches as noted earlier. A couple extra descriptive pictures would do the trick. Overall, you won’t have to worry about this stand falling apart on you and based on their pedigree of creating industrial mounts, you can be assured that Ergotron knows what they’re doing.
Pros
- Very solid build quality, materials, and design
- Easy height adjustment
- Surprisingly stable despite relatively small footprint
- Excellent laptop dual-display configuration solution
- Reasonably easy to put together
Cons
- Somewhat pricey for “just a stand” (MSRP $179)
- Inadequate documentation and instructions
- Needs better venting on the notebook holder
- Must remove existing stand on LCD to install on this
- Insufficient cable management system
Overall Rating: 8.5/10.0
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Ergotron Neo-Flex Combo Lift Stand For Notebooks Photo Gallery
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