Foldable, adjustable and lightweight, this stand looks to enhance the overall comfort when using a tablet or a notebook.
Product on Review: Bracketron X-Type Foldable Stand
Manufacturer: Bracketron INC
MSRP: USD $19.99
Back in 2001, Bracketron created their very first product: the Custom Bezel Mount. Since then, the company has expanded their portfolio to include dozens of mounting solutions and accessories for consumer electronics including GPS, smartphones and tablets.
Today, we will be taking a look at one of these accessories: the Bracketron X-Type Foldable Stand, a stand designed for both tablets and smaller notebooks such as netbooks.
The main feature of the stand is its five adjustable viewing angles from 0 to 35 degrees. Using a tablet flat on table can be quite uncomfortable after a long session. By modifying the viewing angle of the tablet or the notebook, the stand effectively reduces the strain on the wrists, the neck and the eyes.
The foldable design, in addition to the low weight of 148 grams, makes the Bracketron X-Type Stand easy to carry around and to put away. The X-Type is currently only available in black, and it can be purchased from Bracketron for a low price of $19.99.
With its attractive price-tag and its humble list of features, the X-Type has the right ingredients for a good stand. Read on as we find out if the product is worth your consideration.
Bracketron X-Type Foldable Stand, an adjustable stand for tablets and small notebooks
Features: Link
The Travel X-Type features five (5) adjustable angle positions for optimal viewing and performance with your laptop, netbook and iPad®.
The stand improves your overall comfort and productivity by promoting neutral wrist postures, while keeping your device cool. The lightweight stand folds flat and collapses making it easy to take with you or stow away.
• Sets up in just seconds without tools
• Five adjustable viewing angles from 0° to 35°
• Non-skid surface
• Folds flat – easy to carry and store
• Compatible with iPad 1 & 2
The stand improves your overall comfort and productivity by promoting neutral wrist postures, while keeping your device cool. The lightweight stand folds flat and collapses making it easy to take with you or stow away.
• Sets up in just seconds without tools
• Five adjustable viewing angles from 0° to 35°
• Non-skid surface
• Folds flat – easy to carry and store
• Compatible with iPad 1 & 2
Specifications: Link
• Model No: ltm-205-bx
• Product Description: Folding X Laptop Travel Stand
• UPC Number: 874688002058
• Master Pack Dimensions: 26.5” x 13” x 9”
• Master Pack: 48/pc
• Master Weight: 23.4 lbs
• Individual Packaged Dimensions: 3” x 1” x 14”
• Individual Packaged Weight: 7 oz
• Product Description: Folding X Laptop Travel Stand
• UPC Number: 874688002058
• Master Pack Dimensions: 26.5” x 13” x 9”
• Master Pack: 48/pc
• Master Weight: 23.4 lbs
• Individual Packaged Dimensions: 3” x 1” x 14”
• Individual Packaged Weight: 7 oz
Packaging and Bundle
The Bracketron X-Type Foldable Stand comes in a bright green box. The cardboard box is small and it is only big enough to hold the stand inside. We give Bracketron thumbs up for using a minimal amount of packing material to enclose their product securely.
The front of the packaging gives an overview of the features of the stand. At the back, there are instructions on how the product is used. As it was mentioned earlier, the stand can be adjusted for the right viewing angle. Also, the product is compatible with both tablets and small notebooks.
A simple packaging with minimal use of material
The stand itself was placed inside a plastic bag. No accessories or manual was included with the product, which is perfectly acceptable given the simple nature of the product. Besides, the packaging itself shows how the product is used.
The Bracketron X-Type is currently only available in black. The structure of the stand is made of plastic that lightly flexes under pressure. The finishing of the plastic could have been better because some of the edges had leftover plastic.
The stand is hollow, as seen from the shot of the stand from the bottom. No doubt, this reduces the cost of manufacturing and it gives the stand its light weight of 148 grams.
Bracketron X-Type Foldable Stand folded
The foldable design of the Bracketron X-Type makes the stand easy to carry around and to store away. Once unfolded, the stand has an X shape, which explains why the product is called the “X-Type”. When unfolding or folding the stand, the stand clicks and locks intermittently. Once completely unfolded, the stand holds its shape with just enough resistance to keep it from folding onto itself.
Bracketron X-Type Foldable Stand unfolded into an X shape
Closer Look
The Bracketron X-Type has two rubber standoffs at the tip of its arms to secure the tablet or the notebook. The standoffs are quite small, but their anti-skid properties are good enough to keep the user’s device in place.
Two rubber standoffs are located at the tip of the stand’s arms
The stand also has two tabs that can be raised at the front and locked into place. The tabs are fitted with rubber pieces to help keep the tablet or notebook in place when in use.
Two tabs can be raised at the front of the stand to hold the tablet or notebook in place
Bracketron has also fitted the X-Type with four rubber feet. The feet themselves are quite small and they do a sub-optimal job at keeping the stand from moving around on a surface. Larger rubber feet should have been used for the X-Type.
The underwhelming rubber feet of the X-Type
Now that we have explored the overall construction of the X-Type, let’s take a look at its adjustability. The Bracketron X-Type has five different positions from 0 to 35 degrees. These five positions are possible thanks to the arms of X-Type that are held in place with the angle supports. The angle supports fit into the notches of the arms and this keeps the arms locked into place. Adjusting the arm levels can be done quickly and the mechanism is very user-friendly.
When not in use, the stand can be easily collapsed to its original folded form.
To see a video showing how the X-Type is used, we suggest taking a look at the product video available on Bracketron’s website: here.
The Bracketron X-Type Stand can be adjusted to five different viewing angles. Here, we see the stand completely unfolded and adjusted to 35 degrees.
Test Results
The tablet used in the following pictures is the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer TF101, a 10.1” Android tablet.
The notebook used in the following pictures is the HP EliteBook 8460p, a 14” notebook.
Bracketron claims that the stand can be set up in seconds without tools. They are right. The X-Type Foldable Stand is very user-friendly and it can be quickly deployed with minimal effort.
The five adjustable positions allow the user to select the ideal viewing angle. For tablets, I found the highest viewing angle at 35 degrees to be the most comfortable for both my wrists and my eyes. The stand itself makes using the tablet in portrait a pure joy. However, I feel that a viewing angle above 35 degrees should have been possible. This would have made watching a video and lying back in a chair much more comfortable.
The Bracketron X-Type with an ASUS Eee Pad Transformer TF101 in portrait
When using the tablet in landscape mode, the viewing angle was sub-optimal. Even with the arms of the stand adjusted to the highest position, the viewing angle of the tablet was too low for my taste. Nevertheless, using the tablet with the stand was still much more comfortable than having it flat against the table.
The viewing angle was sub-optimal when using the tablet in landscape mode
The viewing angle of the tablet in landscape can be increased by placing the tablet in an unorthodox position, as seen below. Unfortunately, the tablet is more or less secure and it will wobble if you tap the screen too hard. Otherwise, when using the stand in with the tablet in its advertised position, the tablet is well secured by both the rubber standoffs and the front tabs.
The viewing angle of the tablet in landscape can be improved by placing the tablet in an unorthodox position
It is worth noting that the X-Type works best with large tablets, such as the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer TF101 (a 10.1” Android tablet) and the Apple iPad. Smaller tablets with a 7” screen are too small to work properly with the stand.
The X-Type is also compatible with notebooks, but there is a limitation of which notebooks can be used. Because of the flexing of the plastic construction and the size of the stand, the X-Type should only be used with small notebooks, such as netbooks. Otherwise, the stand will not securely hold the notebook in place.
For the following pictures, the HP EliteBook 8460p was used. This 14” notebook is compatible with the stand. However, the weight of the notebook puts quite a bit of strain on the stand. When typing on the keyboard, you can easily feel the stand flexing under the pressure. Tapping the notebook at its edges will also wobble the notebook.
The Bracketron X-Type adds some height to the notebook and this puts strain to the wrists regardless of the stand’s angle
Again, the adjustable stand allows the user to select the optimal viewing angle. Comfort was very good for the eyes, but it was more or less for the wrists. The stand adds some height to the notebook. The added height to the front of the notebook puts strain on the wrists, and the angle of the stand cannot completely remedy this problem. Although the stand is still comfortable to use for the wrists, it is just not as much as it should be. This shouldn’t be a problem if you were planning on using an external keyboard.
The Bracketron X-Type’s adjustable arms allows for optimal viewing angle
The small arms of the X-Type do a good job of not blocking the bottom vents of the notebook. This leaves the bottom open and this enhances airflow by increasing passive cooling. Because of this, the HP EliteBook 8460p’s fan spun up less often.
The Bracketron X-Type helps passively cool the notebook
Conclusion
The Bracketron X-Type Foldable Stand is one of many accessories currently offered by this company. The X-Type, in particular, is a stand designed for both tablets and small notebooks.
The stand’s low weight and foldable design allows it to be easily transported or stored away.
Its adjustable arms from 0 to 35 degrees allow users to select the optimal viewing for their needs. The design of the arms is well thought out. This allows the stand to be quickly deployed in a matter of seconds.
The Bracketron X-Type Foldable Stand increases the overall comfort when using tablets and notebooks, but it does have its weaknesses
However, the Bracketron X-Type has its limitations. Firstly, the maximum viewing angle of the stand, although excellent for notebooks, should have been higher for tablets. Secondly, the rubber pieces used on the stand are too small for optimal anti-skid performance. Thirdly, the stand will flex when too much pressure is put onto it. This might be a problem for those using a heavy notebook or that type hard. Finally, the X-Type works best with large notebooks (7 inch tablets are incompatible) and small notebooks (nothing larger than 14 inch notebooks).
It is worth noting that the X-Type is available for a bargain price of $19.99 from Bracketron. When factoring in the price, the limitations of the stand aren’t too bad, especially if they don’t apply to your particular situation.
At the end of the day, the X-Type is an inexpensive accessory that succeeds in increasing the overall comfort when using both tablets and notebooks. Vortez gives the Bracketron X-Type Foldable Stand the Bronze Award.
Pros
+ Adjustable viewing angle
+ Inexpensive
+ Lightweight
+ User-friendly
Cons
– Adjustable viewing angle should have been higher than 35 degrees
– Flexing in the stand’s arms
– Rubber pieces are too small
+ Adjustable viewing angle
+ Inexpensive
+ Lightweight
+ User-friendly
Cons
– Adjustable viewing angle should have been higher than 35 degrees
– Flexing in the stand’s arms
– Rubber pieces are too small
