Anyone who has used a laptop over the years knows that laptops are flat and have very little in the way of ergonomic design built into them. Laptops can be a problem when you spend long hours looking down at the screen and you get a nice little knot in the back of your neck. I got to review a product from Contour Design Inc. designed for the road warrior who uses a laptop most of the time to help with these problems.

Contour Design offers a product called the NoteRiser along with several other products for the laptop user. Unlike an unwieldy ergonomic keyboard, the NoteRiser can easily fit and travel in most laptop bags.

The NoteRiser is made of lightweight metal weighing less than a pound. Folded down, it is about 1/6” thick and fits into your travel bag with your computer. You can unfold it and lock it into place to provide a sturdy laptop stand that is easy to use and comfortable to use for extended periods. The NoteRiser can adjust to raise the height of your screen from 3.5” up to 8.66” above the desktop level. At the lower levels, the NoteRise still allows for easy use of the laptop keyboard with a 20° inclination of the keyboard but at the 55° inclination, it is better to use an external keyboard. This higher level works great at home or the office where you may have an external ergonomic keyboard that you can use. Personally, I use an external keyboard and mouse at home and at work since the laptop keyboard is more awkward to use anyway. The big advantage is the screen is now at eye level and creates much less strain on the back and neck. I even find the lower levels handy when in a hotel room or somewhere I do not have an external keyboard.

The pictures show the NoteRiser folded up and then put together with a laptop in it. It has a number of adjustable positions, no loose parts and can be folded and unfolded in a matter of seconds. This is a very useful tool for people who use laptops in place of a desktop computer and need to relieve some of the ergonomic problems associated with laptops. The NoteRiser has a suggested retail price of $129.95 and is available through the Contour Design website. Check out some of the other devices that they have to provide a more ergonomic computing experience.