small desk setup
Set up a small desk
You'll raise the screen, match a charger to the watts you already use, and leave room for one speaker. Everything on this page is gear we already list. Height and ports can change, so read them on the listing. What the name leaves out stays on that page.
Here's what you need
A laptop you already use. One free outlet at the table. Enough depth that a stand, your hands, and a drink can share the surface. If they can't, keep the stand and the charger and skip the rest.
Raise the screen
A laptop flat on the table sits below your eyes. A stand is what lifts it.
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The Rain Design mStand is an aluminum laptop stand. The name doesn't print the height or the size of the top. Check that your laptop's feet sit flat, that you can still reach the keyboard, and whether the stand arrives as one piece.
An aluminum laptop stand. The name doesn't print the height.
If you add a separate keyboard later, set it against that stand. A keyboard taller than the front lip puts your wrists up and the screen back down.
Match the charger to the watts you already use
A wall charger stores nothing. Unplug it and the power stops. That's what you want when the desk has an outlet. It's the wrong object on a train. For the gap between outlets, the power bank guide separates a bank from a station.
Find the watt number printed on the charger you already use with the laptop. Compare it with the number in the new product's name.
The Anker Nano 30W is a compact USB-C charger. Thirty watts is the figure in the name. It fits a phone, and a laptop whose own brick is in that range.
Thirty watts is the figure in the name.
The Anker 727 is a 100W GaNPrime charging station. The UGREEN Nexode is a 100W GaN USB-C charger. One hundred watts is a larger number than 30W. It isn't a score. It's the watt claim in the name. If the laptop's brick says something above 30W, the Nano can leave the battery falling while you work. Start from the number you already have.
A wall brick. Charging station means more than one port, not a battery.
One hundred watts is the claim in the name. Compare it with the brick you already use.
Charging station, on the 727, means a wall brick with more than one port. It doesn't mean the brick holds a charge. Count the ports if you want the phone and the laptop on one plug.
A pad is a different shape. The Anker MagGo 3-in-1 and the Belkin BoostCharge Pro 3-in-1 are built to hold a phone, and often a watch or a pair of earbuds. Neither name prints watts or lists your phone. If the phone doesn't stick, you still need a cable. A pad that misses your phone is a coaster.
A pad. The name doesn't print watts or list your phone.
A pad, like the MagGo. Confirm the phone and the watch on the listing.
The cable is a separate choice. The USB-C cable guide splits a charge-only cable from one that also moves files. The watts on the brick don't set the watts on the cable.
One speaker, or a mic if you record
Pick one. Two of them fight for the same corner of a small table.
The Amazon Echo Dot is a speaker. The name says it's for bedrooms, dining rooms, and offices, and it calls itself the newest model. That label doesn't give you a generation you can compare. The Amazon Echo Spot is a smart alarm clock. The name says it's for nightstands, offices, and kitchens. If the desk is where you wake up, the Spot matches that job. If you only want sound while you work, the Dot is the smaller object. Both names say they're designed for Alexa+. That doesn't choose your music app for you.
A speaker. The name says offices, and it calls itself the newest model.
A smart alarm clock for nightstands, offices, and kitchens.
The Anker Soundcore 2 is a portable Bluetooth speaker. The name includes Bluetooth 5, IPX7, and 24-hour playtime. A desk doesn't need a waterproof rating. The useful part is that the speaker can leave the table.
The name includes Bluetooth 5, IPX7, and 24-hour playtime.
If you record at the desk, start with a microphone instead.
The Shure MV7 is a podcast microphone. The name doesn't say USB, XLR, or both. Check whether a cable is in the box, and whether that plug matches the computer in front of you.
A podcast microphone. The name doesn't say USB, XLR, or both.
The DJI Mic Mini is a wireless lavalier. The name says one transmitter and one receiver. It doesn't say which phone or computer that receiver plugs into. A clip-on mic sits on your shirt. It isn't a stand that hovers over the keyboard.
One transmitter and one receiver. Confirm which device the receiver plugs into.
A mouse and a keyboard, if your hands need them
The laptop's keyboard and trackpad cover a small table. Add a mouse or a keyboard when your hands are cramped, not before.
The Logitech MX Master 3S is a mouse. The name doesn't say which hand it's shaped for, or whether a USB receiver is in the box. Read that if you move between two computers.
A mouse. The name doesn't say which hand, or whether a receiver is in the box.
The Keychron Q1 Pro is a mechanical keyboard. Q1 Pro is the model. Layout, switch, and whether it uses a cable or Bluetooth are on the listing. Set it next to the mStand. If the keyboard is taller than the stand's front edge, your wrists climb and the screen drops. That undoes the stand.
Q1 Pro is the model. Layout and switch are on the listing.
Where they sit
The laptops category holds the stand with the computers. Travel gadgets holds the wall chargers, including the 727, the Nexode, the Nano 30W, and both 3-in-1 pads. Audio holds the speakers. Weird gadgets is the shelf for the MX Master 3S, the Keychron Q1 Pro, and the Shure MV7. You can also open them from the shop.
Lisa Gade's MacBook Neo review is the laptop footage on that shelf. It doesn't cover the stand. More from Lisa Gade.
See everyday picks. If a stand or a charger is on that list, start there, then come back here for the comparison.
Do it in this order
- Write down the watt number on the charger you already use, if one is printed.
- Choose the Nano 30W, or a 100W brick, from that number.
- Set the mStand on the table and see whether the laptop sits flat.
- Add a mouse or a keyboard only if your hands are still cramped.
- Add one speaker, or one mic if you record.
- Open the listings the same day. Stock moves.
Questions to settle first
Does a charging station hold a charge?
No. The Anker 727 is a wall charger. Unplug it and the power stops. Charging station on that name means a wall brick with more than one port, not a battery.
Should you take the 100W brick because the number is higher?
Not from the number alone. One hundred watts is a larger claim than 30W. It isn't a score. Write down the watt number on the charger you already use with the laptop, and start from that.
Will a 3-in-1 pad replace the cable?
The Anker MagGo and the Belkin BoostCharge Pro are pads. Their names don't print watts, and they don't list your phone. If the phone doesn't stick, you still need a cable.
Do you need a speaker and a microphone?
Pick one on a small table. A speaker is for sound while you work. A microphone is for recording. The Echo Dot and the Echo Spot are speakers. The Shure MV7 and the DJI Mic Mini are microphones.
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