Late one night, while aimlessly perusing online stores I came across a listing for a "Multi-Functional Bamboo Standing Laptop Table". It looked pretty useful, but I never use my laptop in bed so I wouldn't get much use out of it. At the time I was busy recovering from COVID-19, my physical energy was at an all time low and holding up a book for an extended period was a struggle. Then it dawned on me that this laptop table would make a perfect reading desk. Of course I had to order one...
When it arrived I was a bit disappointed at the quality of the workmanship.
There were some rough spots around the edges and one of the dowel pegs for the
protective rail had come loose. Luckily a bit of sanding and a bit of wood
glue fixed the problem. Only time will tell how well the legs will hold up
with extended use. They feel sturdy, but at full extension there seems to be
some gaps between the two sliding parts.
So how does it perform as a reading desk?
After a month of trying it out I'm very impressed. Most of my reading is done in bed and I found this very useful, especially for those hefty tomes. It takes away all the strain of having to hold up the book and makes the entire reading experience so much more comfortable.
While testing the reading desk I read through Gardens of The Moon. Even the paperback is a massive tome and having the desk handy definitely helped to reduce the strain on my wrists.
With a hardcover or trade paperback fully open there is enough space left over
to place a notebook, pens or a reading light There's even a nifty indentation
to use as a cup holder although I haven't tried that out yet - fluids near
books freak me out. If you read mainly mass market paperbacks the desk might be slightly less useful. It still works well, but you'll find yourself weighing up the effort of getting the desk out versus just grabbing the paperback.
For the more technologically included there's a tablet/phone slot which will allow you to place your phone or tablet vertically. (It's also a great place for bookmarks.) Personally I'd feel more comfortable to just place my eReader on the desk's surface and tilt it to the required level. With an eReader you can easily read one-handed without having to worry about your hands getting sweaty or tired during extended reading sessions.
As a reading desk this works even better than I expected. I can definitely see myself using this on a regular basis. The only downside is that I don't have any convenient place to store it close to my bed.
If you read in bed on a
regular basis this might just be the bit of bookish tech you need in your life. Recommended!
If you are looking for a reading desk of your own, Amazon seems to have a similar desk available which includes a drawer on the side - check it out here. (Affiliate link)
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