Office & WFH · Head-to-head
Twelve South Curve Flex vs Rain Design mStand
Which should you buy? Our verdict on both, pulled from our full The Best Laptop Stands: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) comparison.
The Curve Flex wins because it actually does the one job a riser exists for - it adjusts high enough to put the screen at eye level for nearly anyone, then folds away for travel. The mStand is the pick if you sit at the right height already and want the single steadiest stand you can buy.
Twelve South Curve Flex
Buy itThe most flexible riser here - it adjusts from a slight lift all the way to true eye level and folds flat for travel.
- Height adjusts from about 1 inch folded to about 10.8 inches, so it reaches eye level for almost any sitter
- Angle adjusts too, and it folds flat into an included pouch
- Open-arch arm leaves the laptop underside open to air and looks clean
- Reviewers measured slightly more screen deflection when typing than the stiffest fixed stands
- Premium price for what is still a single-laptop stand
Rain Design mStand
Buy itA single block of aluminum that is as steady as a desk riser gets - as long as its fixed height suits you.
- A single solid aluminum plate; owners describe very little typing flex
- Cable hole at the back keeps the desk tidy
- Owners report it lasting many years with no wobble developing
- Fixed ~6-inch lift can sit too low for taller users and never adjusts
- Rigid and fairly heavy, so it does not travel
Side by side
The 6 criteria below are the ones our full comparison judged every product on, narrowed to these two.
| Twelve South Curve Flex Our pick | Rain Design mStand | |
|---|---|---|
| Our verdict | Buy | Buy |
| Best for | Anyone who wants one stand that dials in exact eye-level height at the desk and still travels. | A permanent desk setup where you sit at the right height and value rock-solid stability over adjustability. |
| Price tier | $$$ · premium | $$$ · premium |
| Height range | ~1 to 10.8 in (reaches eye level) | Fixed ~5.9 in |
| Adjustable | Height + angle | No - fixed |
| Stability / typing flex | Very stable, slight flex | Rock-solid, lowest flex |
| Portability | Folds flat, pouch | No - rigid |
| Fits laptop size | Up to 7 lb | Most laptops, incl. 16 in MacBook Pro |
| Reaches eye level | Yes, for most | Only if you sit high |
Which one is right for you?
Pick the Twelve South Curve Flex if
anyone who wants one stand that dials in exact eye-level height at the desk and still travels.
Know before buying: reviewers measured slightly more screen deflection when typing than the stiffest fixed stands.
Pick the Rain Design mStand if
a permanent desk setup where you sit at the right height and value rock-solid stability over adjustability.
Know before buying: fixed ~6-inch lift can sit too low for taller users and never adjusts.
The bottom line
Our overall pick is the Twelve South Curve Flex - The most flexible riser here - it adjusts from a slight lift all the way to true eye level and folds flat for travel. Choose the Rain Design mStand instead if a permanent desk setup where you sit at the right height and value rock-solid stability over adjustability.
Want the full picture, including the other options we compared and the popular one we'd skip? Read the complete The Best Laptop Stands: 4 Compared (and One to Skip).