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Laptops Can Feel Like a Heater After a While. Lap Desks Can Help

We evaluated five lap desks from Arlo Skye, LapGear, and other brands to find the most comfortable away-from-your-desk setup

By Lisa Fogarty
Home & Trends Writer

August 23, 2024

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Woman using Arlo lap desk while sitting on couch with dog at her side. — Arlo Skye The Lap Desk 19" was one of five popular lap desks CR evaluated. Blake the Labradoodle tried to help.

Sitting at a desk for long periods of time can really get to you. Whether you’re deep into your studies or burning the midnight oil with work, you may want to take a break from your office desk and chair and move your laptop and books over to a bed or sofa.

In this article

Lap Desks: Our Favorites Ergonomics Radiation Concerns How We Evaluated

There’s just one problem: balancing either on your lap is neither comfortable nor practical—and they get hot fast. Laptops and books also benefit from extra height placed beneath them to prevent you from straining your back, neck, shoulders, and arms.

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Lisa Fogarty

Lisa Fogarty is a senior multimedia content creator at Consumer Reports. She studied journalism at Columbia University and has written numerous health, parenting, fitness, and wellness articles for The New York Times, Psychology Today, Vogue, and NPR. Lisa is passionate about mental health and is a co-creator of The Hunger Trap Podcast, which focuses on eating disorders. In her spare time she surfs, plays the guitar, and kickboxes. Follow her on X: @lisacfogarty