There are plenty of iPad stands, for various models, in the office at the moment. Some are more straight-forward than others, probably not warranted a review or mention, whereas others stand out (no pun intended). The MagFit Magnetic iPad Pro/Air 4 Stand is one of those, so let’s see how it stacks up, shall we?
The MagFit Magnetic Stand is available for several iPad models, such as all modern iPad Pro models, as well as the fourth generation iPad Air. In other words, there are models for the newer form factor.
I’m testing the model for 12.9” iPad Pro.
Snaps into place
There are no self-adhesive stickers or anything like that to keep you iPad in place, it’s pure magnets in the stand. You align your iPad in landscape mode, camera bump to the left, and find the place where the stand really hugs it. There are some other places where the magnets try to take hold of your iPad, but not as firmly. After attaching and removing it a couple of times, I find the sweet spot right away.
This isn’t a landscape only stand, though, it’s just easier to attach the iPad that way. In fact, you can twist and turn your iPad to portrait mode, slanted, or whatever suits your fancy — there are no fixed states. The same goes for back and forth, which means that you can put your iPad in numerous weird angles, some of which will make it fall over. Proceed with caution, and, more importantly, common sense. For normal use, which I’d say is positioning your iPad in a nice angle in either landscape or portrait mode, there are no issues whatsoever. The magnets are strong enough, it stays put.
The stand itself is pretty sturdy. You can easily tap, type, and draw on your iPad without any fear of it all toppling over. Most of this stand is metal, but there are some rubber parts where it bends, possibly covering plastic innards, I’m not certain. The resistance in the joints is reassuring, though, so it matters little. There are also four rubber feet underneath the stand’s base, which protects your desk, and keeps it from sliding should you push it. The new 24” iMacs are twice as easy to push around on a desk as this stand with an iPad attached. That’s a good thing.
Use cases
The most obvious use case for the MagFit Magnetic Stand is to elevate your iPad in a desk setup. It does this really well, it’s pretty high for an iPad stand (although not high enough for proper ergonomics, see Switch to iPad #10), and being able to switch between landscape and portrait is useful.
I’ve found another use case, however. Occasionally, when designing, I like to keep an iPad on my desk for live updates. Thanks to the stand’s free flex backwards, I can angle the iPad’s screen towards me, thus being able to both easily glance on it, and interact with taps from above (well, more above). I like this, it makes a lot of sense to me, and it’s not something you could get as tailored to your pose and working environment without the non-set hinges.
I do have some niggles with this product, though. While the magnets are strong, you will twist off the iPad if you turn it with too much force. Just putting your fingers on the backplate sorts this out, but it is something to be aware of. To be clear, at no time did the iPad fall off during my week and a half with this stand, but it could. I also wish that the iPad was centered on the backplate. This is a matter of magnets, also, but it annoys me that the iPad is slightly skewed to one side when in portrait mode. MagFit also promotes the stand for drawing, angling it down and whatnot, which works, but is pretty messy to set up without any wobbling against your desk. It works, I guess, it’s just not worth it to me.
Finally, I wish the stand was higher, but that’s obviously hard, and the already considerate weight would have to increase a lot. It’s way better than, say, your iPad in a Magic Keyboard or whatever laptop you might use, ergonomics-wise, but it’d be even more ergonomic if you could get your iPad even higher.
The MagFit Magnetic iPad Pro/Air 4 Stand cost $90, which is on the pricier side compared to simpler stands. This is something else, though, and I’d consider it for many setups.
🧲 🧲 🧲 🧲 out of 5 — Great!
ℹ️ MagFit was kind enough to supply me with a review copy of the stand. If you want to order, use this link, and pick the MagFit store to use the following 10% discount code: TDH&MAGFIT. Please note that this is not a paid review, and I don’t get a cut of any sales.
