I read a ton of documents on my iPad, and I find it very helpful to use a device that props up the iPad to make it easier to read, whether it be a device that you hold in your hand or a device that props up an iPad on a desk. The FlexStand Bookstand is a product by M-Edge that attaches to the four corners of your iPad and allows you to prop up the iPad in an infinite number of positions in either portrait or landscape mode. M-Edge sent me a free review unit of this product a few weeks ago, and I love it.
There is not much to this device, which is a great feature. Three flexible steel legs are attached to each other at the middle. Two of the steel legs have rubber holders at each end that you wrap around the four corners of the iPad. The third steel leg has rubber balls at each end that you use to prop up the iPad.
There are three things that I love about the design of the FlexStand. First, it is incredibly easy to attach to the iPad. Putting the four rubber feet around the corners of your iPad takes no time at all. I've tried other devices that attach to the back of the iPad, and some of them are so tight that it is hard to put them on and off and you feel like you might damage the iPad. Not so with the FlexStand. For example, one of my very favorite devices for adding flexible feet to an iPad is the GorillaMobile Yogi by Joby that I reviewed earlier this year and which I continue to use all the time. As good as the Yogi is, it does take a little time and work to attach the case to the back of the iPad and then clip the legs to the case. Attaching the FlexStand is a cinch.
The second thing that I really like about the design of the FlexStand is that the two legs with the rubber ball feet are very flexible. They make it easy to prop up the iPad in an infinite number of positions and angles.
The third thing that I love about the design of the FlexStand is that when you are not using it, it takes up very little space. Just bend the three legs together into a straight line, and you can store the FlexStand anywhere. It weighs just over 5 ounces, and is about 12 inches long when all the legs are straight. This makes it very easy to take the FlexStand with you when you are traveling. You can even curl it up if it is easier to put in your briefcase, purse, etc. in that position.
My only complaint with the FlexStand is that sometimes the positions don't stay; you put the legs in one position and then the legs slowly bends to another position. This can also be a problem if you type or do some other activity on the iPad in which you poke your fingers at the iPad a lot. Even with repeated poking, the FlexStand does a decent job of staying in place, but if you push to hard it is fairly easy to move the FlexStand, and this can sometimes be annoying. The GorillaMobile Yogi, in comparison, is rock solid and does not move once you put it in a position. I find that if you bend the end of the feet of the FlexStand so that they point straight down, this helps to keep the FlexStand in place.
The FlexStand works with either the original iPad or the iPad 2. Who knows what the iPad 3 will look like, but unless it is a radical departure from the prior models, I suspect that the FlexStand will work with future iPad models as well.
The FlexStand is a very useful iPad accessory for when you are reading documents on your iPad or if you just want to prop up your iPad on your desk and watch some pictures on it. This product is very well designed and has quickly become one of my favorite devices for propping up the iPad. I suspect that most iPad owners have an Apple Smart Cover which allows you to prop up your iPad in two positions, but it is much more useful to have the flexibility of picking any position – especially if you are in an office environment with overhead lights that produce a glare unless the iPad is at just the right angle.
M-Edge sells the product on its website for $29.99, but you can get it on Amazon for less than $20, which is a bargain for a great product like this.
Click here to get the FlexStand by M-Edge from Amazon ($19.94).
