There are nearly infinite ways to arrange and accessorize your desktop workstation. The goal, no matter your setup, is to help you be your most efficient and productive self. Whether you’re really organized, or maybe less so, you should take a bit of pride in how it all comes together, too. For anybody with an iMac desktop computer – or really a laptop and external monitor setup – I’d argue that this HiRise Pro ($150) is the perfect centerpiece for most setups.
If you’re not well acquainted with Twelve South, the company makes accessories for Apple products and only Apple products. And they’re good at it. Scattered around our New York offices, you’ll find a multitude of their desktop stands for MacBook Pro – called Curve for MacBook ($50) – for those of my colleagues who have a setup with a laptop, external monitor and wireless keyboard and mouse. But I’m one of the few people to still use an iMac – it’s a comfort thing, I guess – so I needed something else.
Theoretically, I could’ve just used a stack of magazines, but Twelve South’s new stand is the optimal solution. It’s a little adjustable, so you can raise the computer screen and tweak the viewing angle if you like, but more so it’s is just the perfect size to hold an iMac or an external display. The stand has an open back, too, to help organize all your charging cords. And there’s a storage cabinet, complete with a reversible and magnetic front plate, in case you like the wooden or metal aesthetic.
Of course, there are a plethora of different desktop stands out there to choose from. If you’re looking for something more affordable, Satechi actually makes some pretty nice ones – here – and if you’re looking for something a little more crafted, I really dig Grovemade’s Desk Collection – here – which is all handcrafted out of wood and other natural materials.
The special thing about Twelve South’s stand is that is was designed for iMacs; that’s why that large base still slots easily into the top. There’s also a rumor that a certain company in Cupertino thought these Twelve South stands were perfect and they decked out most of their employees with one. Apple certainly likes it enough to sell on its website. Just saying.
Whether you have a traditional iMac setup like me, or you have a laptop with one or dual external monitors, and you’re willing to spend $150 (which is a little pricey), I think you’ll like this stand. I certainly do.
