The Best iPad Stand (and it fits most cases!)

In August I attended that ISAAC conference and scoured the exhibition hall, checking out a ton of communication related projects. I came across RJ Cooper's booth, which had the most interesting, unique, and yet simple iPad stand I've ever seen. I dropped my iPad (in its heavy Griffin Survivor case) into the stand and it didn't tip. I jogged (ok, I waddled--I was 8 months pregnant) the stand over to the AMDI booth, and it could even handle the iAdapter.  I was intrigued.  Ours finally arrived the other day (it took me a few months to place an order, with the new baby and all) and it's exactly what we were hoping for.  Check it out: 

When the primary user of an iPad is a preschooler with a handful of motor issues, you don't skimp on the case.  Subsequently, we've used the following cases:  the Otterbox Defender, the Griffin Survivor (still in use on our educational gaming iPad), and the AMDI iAdapter (still in use on the iPad that is my daughter's communication device- "the talker"). These cases have one thing in common--they are heavy.  And the problem with heavy cases is that it's very difficult to find a good stand for them---one that can hold a heavy iPad in place without tipping over or having the iPad slide off.  Finally, though, we've found the perfect stand---and it works with pretty much any case on the market.

This is the fixed-angle stand (although that's a bit of a misnomer, as it is somewhat adjustable) by RJ Cooper.  It's a simple metal stand with two strips of what he calls "Stick & Suck" adhesive material on the bottom.  I wish I could explain this stuff, but it's hard to put into words (which is why I'm including the video at the bottom of this post).  It looks like double sided foam tape, but actually is made of thousands of microscopic suction cups . . . so it doesn't feel sticky, it feels grippy (there's a difference).

 

the bottom of the stand

  the grippy parts line up with the surface that you're working on

This stand can hold the Griffin Survivor case with no problem---no tipping, no falling, nothing (frankly, even the built in stand that comes with the Griffin Survivor can barely hold it up).  

It's even sturdy enough to handle Maya's talker, and the AMDI iAdapter stand is considerably heavy and bulky.  It fits securely in.  This is a perfect back-up stand for the iAdapter, as I know one person who's already broken and/or lost multiple iAdapter stands.

It's hard to say more about the stand, because it's pretty simple: it's metal, it grips the table but isn't sticky, and it miraculously doesn't tip over.  It seems pretty indestructible, too, which is nice. Here's some video, showing the down sides of two other stands that we tried, in addition to showing how this one grips but doesn't stick:



This stand is $39 (plus shipping) and well worth it, in my opinion.  If you're interested in the stand you can order it here---it's the "fixed angle stand".  (Also, tell them that you were referred by me, and maybe in the future they'll give me some free stuff to review.  Just kidding.  Not really.)


Disclaimers: I don't work for RJ Cooper and this isn't a paid review. I saw the stand at ISAAC, loved it, and bought it with a discount through his website. I am not a review blogger and I only take the time to review something that we've tried and loved, so that others who are looking for similar solutions can find them.