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This Cheap Lap Desk Made My Best-Purchases-of-the-Year List

Huanuo's adjustable lap desk improves my comfort and posture while I'm working and playing, on the train or at home. And at less than $30, it's a no-brainer.

David Katzmaier Senior Editorial Director -- Hardware

David leads the Hardware team at CNET, covering phones, wearables, laptops, TVs, streaming, future tech and more. We provide helpful, expert reviews, advice and videos on what to buy and how to get the most out of it.

Expertise A 25-year CNET veteran, David has been reviewing TVs since the days of CRT, rear-projection and plasma. He created CNET's methodology for testing TVs, streaming services and AI tools. Prior to CNET he wrote for Sound & Vision magazine and eTown.com. Credentials

Although still awaiting his Oscar for Best Picture Reviewer, David does hold certifications from the Imaging Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Standards and Technology on display calibration and evaluation.

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David Katzmaier

July 30, 2025 11:47 a.m. PT

2 min read

Huanuo's adjustable lap desk holding a laptop — Amazon

At the end of every year my wife and I catalog important changes and milestones in a little journal. This year I'll probably mention my new role at work, more time commuting on the train, new progressive lens glasses and the joy of laptop-console game cross-saves. And for our "best new purchases" category there's my new lap desk, which makes all those things better.

The desk is made by some company I've never heard of called Huanuo, and I found it by randomly browsing Amazon, but I love it. It takes care of one thing I need, and it does it very well: It raises my laptop screen higher so I don't have to bend my neck down as far to see it clearly.

See at Amazon

Without a lap desk, I find myself looking down uncomfortably at the screen. That became more of an issue when I got progressive lenses, which require me to bow my head farther to get the screen in focus. Raising it to where I can see it better is a game-changer (literally, because I also play games on a laptop).

The Huanuo can raise the screen to different levels and it's big and sturdy enough to handle my 2021 MacBook Pro 16. To save space, I like to stash my phone and charger in the gap created underneath. The lap desk has nice cushioned pads and collapses to fit inside my backpack. I also use it at home on the couch or in bed.

One downside is that the angle of the keyboard and touchpad can get awkward after a while. And I'm sure you could get a nicer lap desk for a bit more money, especially if you don't need it to collapse or fit on a single seat on a commuter train. But this one works great for me and the price is right.