Laptop Tray

Laptop Tray Accessories

Laptop trays are available with some very valuable accessories and functionality. First and foremost, a cooling fan is a valuable addition and there are many models available with built in cooling fans for your use. However, you can always buy a separate cooling fan if the laptop tray you want doesn’t have one built in.

The fans are powered through your USB ports on your laptop. However, you can also buy separate laptop cooling fans if you prefer not to have them built in to your laptop tray for whatever reason. They are usually thin and flat about the size of a side plate and come in various colours which I always appreciate and are reasonably priced considering that they can save your precious laptop from disaster

A very useful laptop tray accessory is a built-in light. A well-lit screen will help to avoid eye strain and improve visibility of your work. They are also powered by your USB ports on your laptop.
Some laptop trays do have pen holders and cup holders built in. It is important to ensure you do not spill any liquids on to your laptop. This may have more chance of happening if you are using a laptop bed tray as you are more likely to knock the tray.

There are ‘multi-tasking’ laptop trays available for purchase which have larger surface areas and adjustable surfaces for different tasks for example, you may which to use an external mouse instead of your laptops built-in mouse, you may which to make notes or sketches and need an extra area of surface to work on, or you may need an adjustable surface to display books etc. if you are working on a project.

If you regularly use your laptop on the sofa or in bed you could opt for the ultimate in accessories for your laptop! You will need: a USB projector, a screen or bare wall to aim the projector at, a USB keyboard and mouse and, of course, a laptop tray. Aim your visual display (I.e. what you see on your laptop screen) at the wall or screen if you are in a seated position and if you are lying in bed you could even direct your visual display at the ceiling - the ultimate in comfort. Keep a laptop tray on your lap, or a laptop bed tray handy, for your keyboard and mouse and simply keep your laptop on a side table. (You can purchase laptop tables specifically for the purpose of sofa and bed use and I will cover those in another section). Avoid placing your laptop directly on to the sofa or bed as it may overheat unless you place it on a cooling fan.

Comfortable use of your laptop

Ultimately, you want to be as comfortable as possible when using your laptop and further to that you want to use your laptop in all areas such as your sofa, bed, desk, table, car or even a park bench. A laptop is, of course, supposed to be portable.

For laptop use in seated positions such as your sofa, your bed or your car you can maximise your comfort by ensuring that the laptop tray has a non slip surface to prevent your laptop sliding around. Otherwise laptop users tend to sit rigidly still to prevent the laptop moving on the laptop tray which can lead to back pain, RSI and even headaches.

If you suffer from RSI your choice of laptop tray is paramount. It is important that you have built in wrist or forearm rests and that your laptop tray can be positioned to ensure that you can maintain correct posture at all times.

If you are suffering from back pain you need to ensure your laptop tray allows you to maintain correct posture , I would recommend that you purchase a type of folding laptop desk tray, obviously for use at desks and other tables that allows you to raise the top of your laptop screen to eye level. This can sometimes render the laptop’s keyboard useless so I recommend that you purchase an additional USB keyboard that can placed directly onto the desk or table at the correct distance from your body making sure that your arms are not over extended so as to avoid putting strain on your joints. Also to minimise any further strain on your back ensure that your feet can rest flat on the floor and once you have the exact height position of your chair you can put a foot rest or even a couple of books or cushions under your feet. This is a marvellous way to reduce strain on your lower back.

That, of course, is not a very portable option but if you have back pain you will appreciate the relief that these simple changes can bring to you and ultimately will allow you further time using your laptop. However, remember to take regular breaks.
If you go for a laptop tray cushion to place directly onto your thigh then try to get one that’s lightweight to avoid blocking circulation.

What is a laptop tray, who are they for?

A laptop tray is an indispensable piece of equipment for anyone who uses a laptop. Even if you use your laptop at your desk it is important to position your laptop, with the help of specially designed laptop tray, at a height, distance and angle that is suitable for your seated position. A laptop tray helps you avoid all of the associated health problems of using a laptop for regular and extended periods of time such as repetitive strain injury (RSI), back pain, poor posture, eye strain or even laptop induced dermatosis (a type of burn injury that is becoming more prevalent).[article continues below]

Laptop trays are for everyone and once you have purchased the right one you will wonder how you ever survived without it.

Laptop tray designs

Cooling your laptop