REVIEW – It should go without saying that I love tech products. But it might surprise some of you to know that I love products made of natural materials like wood and leather as much and sometimes more than products made of synthetic materials. That’s why I like to use handmade accessories with my gadgets. The newest such accessory that I’ve had the opportunity to check out is a wood stand for the MacBook from Yohann.
What is it?
Yohann is a company based in Switzerland that makes sustainably crafted wood stands for MacBooks, iPads, and the Apple Pencil out of solid blocks of Oak and Walnut that are harvested from Italy and then physically disabled people package and ship the stands.
Design and features
I was sent the Oak version of the stand which as you can see, is just gorgeous. The rich golden wood has a strikingly beautiful grain that reminds me of furniture.
Each stand is made of a solid block of wood that is cut and sanded to be smooth with no sharp or rough edges and definitely no splinters to be found.
The stand’s shape has a ledge at the bottom that holds the front edge of the laptop (or tablet) and a backrest that keeps the display at an optimal angle.
The stands are designed to be used with post-2008 Unibody Aluminium MacBook models (MacBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro) with a screen size of 11 – 15 inches. I tested the Yohann stand with my 12in MacBook and it worked perfectly as you can see from the images above. The stand remains perfectly balanced with the laptop lid closed.
And also works perfectly when the display is opened too. The stand creates a minimalist work setup when used with an external keyboard and mouse like my original Apple wireless keyboard and a Logitech MX Master 2S wireless mouse.
The Yohann stand provides excellent air circulation on all sides so that your laptop won’t overheat.
I’m happy to report that the same Yohann stand works great with my Huawei MediaPad M5 tablet and my Samsung Galaxy Tab S3. The back of the stand even functions as a holder for a wireless keyboard when you’re not using it which is kind of cool.
What I like
- Beautiful and beautifully made
- Can be used with MacBooks and tablets
What needs to be improved
- Price
Final thoughts
The Yohann stand is expertly crafted, works as intended, and looks elegant. I love everything about it except for one thing. It’s expensive. Very expensive. At $159 for the oak version of the stand and $179 for the walnut version, this probably won’t be a spontaneous purchase for most people. But then you have to add an extra $19 to have it shipped from Switzerland to the US and, well… ouch. Is it worth that price when you can buy a plastic or metal stand for much less money? I think anyone interested in buying a Yohann stand has to answer that for themselves because it’s like shopping for a dining room table. You can buy one from Lowes or one from a furniture store. It all depends on the style you prefer and the price you’re willing to pay for that style.
Price: $159.00 – $179.00 depending on wood type
Where to buy: Yohann
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Yohann.
