Top pick
This lap desk is the total package, offering comfort, stability, build quality, and style — and it includes some extra storage options, too.
Of all the lap desks we considered, the LapGear Designer Lap Desk is the one I would buy for myself. It’s comfortable to use and has a sturdy-feeling build. At 17.75 inches across, it’s wide enough to fit a 13-inch laptop and mouse comfortably, or just a 15-inch or 17-inch laptop, and it works equally well for left- and right-handed people.
It raises your work surface above your bare lap by more than 3 inches and weighs just over 2 pounds. A handful of small touches stand out — a plastic laptop rest to help your stuff stay put, a phone slot, a handle, an elastic strap for storing index cards or a pen — and overall it has a cute, clean-cut look.
If you want a little extra surface space, we also tested and liked the slightly wider version, which measures about 18.5 inches.
It’s enjoyable to use. The top surface of the lap desk, made of a warm-colored, faux-wood laminate, is comfortable to work on. Its smooth, matte finish shouldn’t chafe your wrists as you type, draw, practice calligraphy, or handwrite the first draft of your novel. We prefer this texture to dimpled plastic like that of the LapGear Memory Foam Lap Desk, or the slick, shiny surface of other desks we tried.
The padding conforms to your needs. The padding on the underside of the Designer Lap Desk is filled with microbeads (little foam pellets) and encased in a soft, comfortable, canvas-like polyester material. It feels squishy yet stable because the pellets inside allow it to conform to the shape of your lap better than solid foam padding. You can even adjust the angle, roughly, to fit your position.
Software engineer Nazanin Hesamzadeh said she loves the versatility of the desk’s design: “No matter where you sit, or how, there is no problem in adjusting it. When I was sick, it was good to have it in bed to put my plate on.”
It looks nice. The Designer Lap Desk is one of the most attractive models we tested. It’s simple and stylish-looking, and it has a streamlined shape that’s easy to tuck under a couch or next to a bedside table.
Its faux-wood top is a warm honey color that complements the white details. The handle and the bottom cushion come in a variety of vibrant colors and patterns, giving you lots of options to match your personal style.
It’s well built. Even though its topper is not made of real wood (which might look and feel more luxurious but would also be heavier), the Designer Lap Desk feels sturdy and well constructed. The materials seem durable, and because they’re petroleum-based, they’re easy to wipe down and spot-clean. In contrast, we struck plenty of models from our testing list upon noticing a pattern of owner reviews reporting shoddy workmanship and cheap-looking materials.
It supports a decent sitting posture. The Designer Lap Desk raises your laptop about 3 inches off the surface of your lap, about an inch higher than most of the other models we tested. This helps with both heat management and ergonomics versus a bare lap.
It’s not too heavy or too large. This lap desk weighs about 2 pounds and feels similar to the weight of a thick wool blanket laid across your lap. It’s big enough to fit a 13-inch laptop and a wireless mouse, or a larger laptop up to 17 inches wide without a mouse.
It keeps your laptop in place. The small lip on the Designer Lap Desk’s near edge, a 6-inch strip of white plastic only a half-inch tall, is just wide enough to ensure that your laptop doesn’t slide onto your abdomen while you’re typing. But it also doesn’t prevent you from comfortably using a wireless mouse or writing on the lap desk, regardless of the hand you use.
Some other models we tested had laptop clasps or other features that our testers said were annoying and impeded the basic functions of the lap desk.
The additional features are thoughtful and don’t get in the way. The Designer Lap Desk has a little slot to prop up your phone or to store a pen and pencil. An elastic strap in the corner — a feature we’ve seen on only one other model — provides additional storage for index cards or other small items that you wouldn’t want to go sliding off the edge.
The Designer Lap Desk comes with a solid warranty. LapGear backs all of its lap desks with a one-year warranty and has a robust web presence. When we called customer service anonymously, a representative picked up right away and offered to ship a replacement, no questions asked.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
We wish it came in a solid, neutral color. We like the look of the LapGear Designer Lap Desk overall, but bold prints like paisley and argyle aren’t for everyone. However, since the lap desk comes in a wide variety of patterns (ten at this writing), we think most people are likely to find a decently appealing one, even if it wouldn’t be their first choice.
How the LapGear Designer Lap Desk has held up over time
