If you’re regularly turning to your iPad as a secondary display or as a stand-in for the TV, then a decent stand is a must-have.
But rather than try and prop your tablet up a few inches off the desk, how about having it as a fully free-standing movable screen?
That’s the idea behind the HoverBar Tower and, I’m happy to say, it works really well.
The free-standing arm is easy to put together and weighted to the floor by a flat base. It comes in a choice of black or white that’ll fit in with just about any home decor and automatically opens up your iPad to a world of hands-free possibilities.
For example, it’ll hold your device high up if you’re on a treadmill or indoor exercise bike or it can be down close to the ground if you want to use it for pilates or yoga. At its top height, the stand can reach 1.5875 metres tall and the articulating arm has two hingest that give 360-degree flexibility.
Assembling the stand can all be done by hand as the main poles simply screw together. I found it took a little bit of time to get the threads to align properly, but all told I had it standing upright in less than 20 minutes.
Once assembled, the adjustable clamp expands to fit whichever model of iPad you own. I tried it with both an iPad and an Android tablet and found the clamp to be nice and secure. You can also rotate it depending on whether you want to view the screen in landscape or portrait. It’s also worth pointing out you don’t have to use a tablet – the clamp will also fit a smartphone if that’s what you want to use.
The clamp itself fits onto a ball joint at the end of the arm, meaning you have even more movement options for getting your iPad into the perfect viewing angle.
Although the weighted base does keep the entire stand stable on the floor, there’s no getting around the fact your tablet will judder a bit when you jab it with a finger. This can be tricky if, for example, you’re running on a treadmill and want to hit the screen to skip past adverts or an intro sequence.
But that’s about the only drawback I found to regularly using this stand. Once assembled, it weighs in at 3.95kg – which makes it easy enough to move around the house depending on where you need it.
The HoverTower feels nice and premium thanks to its metal construction (steel for the base, aluminium for the poles) and, because it’s freestanding – it can go just about anywhere. I used it mostly alongside a treadmill, but it also came in handy next to my desk as a way to use the iPad as a second display that didn’t take up any valuable real estate.
Admittedly, the £130 asking price may seem a bit steep – especially when DIY types could probably cobble together a perfectly servicable stand with some nails or glue and a bit of wood. But, the overall package here is well-finished, well-presented and very sturdy.
If you’re looking for a way to get even more out of your iPad or Android tablet around the house (or office) then investing in the HoverBar Tower is a good first step.
HoverBar Tower: The details
Name: Twelve South HoverBar Tower
Price: £129.99
What’s good:
- Premium build quality
- Easy to set up and move around
- Plenty of flexible viewing angles
What’s bad:
- Tapping your tablet results in a bit of a wobble
Where can I buy one? You can pick one up from Amazon by following this link.
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