Tablift – the Versatile and Comfortable Tablet Holder (Product Review).

How often do you find yourself uncomfortable while holding your tablet or another electronic device?  Have you tried to precariously balance it on something while you rest?  I struggled with these issues daily until I started using the Tablift – a bendy, adjustable tablet holder that was designed to help people use their electronic devices more easily and ergonomically.  This nifty product may look a little bizarre with its spider like legs, but being able to adjust each leg independently is a great feature that enables you to use it on uneven surfaces.  The clip attached to elastic allows you to use your tablet hands-free while lying down.

Holding even my relatively lightweight smartphone or Kindle can be difficult because I have chronic pain in my fingers from lupus arthritis.  My elbow joints will also start to hurt after a few minutes of holding an electronic device (e-device).  And let’s not forget about the neck, back, and shoulder pain that can be exacerbated by e-device use.  It’s so common for people to hunch while using a tablet that the resulting pain is sometimes called tablet neck.

The Tablift can solve a lot of these problems.  It’s a tablet holder, but let’s not limit it, because it can do so much more than that.  Spoiler alert: I don’t currently own a tablet, but I have been using my Tablift with my Kindle and phone quite happily.

I was gifted a Tablift by Nbryte and – it gets better – I was given two more to give away!  The first winner has already been chosen but there’s still a second Tablift that will be given away on my Instagram page soon.

While this review is sponsored by Nbryte through the gift of three Tablifts, everything written here is my honest opinion and not influenced by the sponsor.

 

Using electronic devices while resting.

I have been using my Tablift for three weeks now and it’s solved a problem that I have had for years: how to use my e-devices when I’m in pain.  Since I have chronic pain and fatigue that limits my ability to be active, I spend more time in the bed or on the couch than I want to admit.  So I create makeshift e-device holders when I need to rest.  Sometimes I would bundle blankets or stack pillows, but I got creative in 2017 and strung a Ziploc bag, complete with duct tape detailing, from my ceiling.

 

 

The above photo is from my post A Day in the Life with Lupus.  In that post, I talk about how I prefer to read while resting, but I usually end up watching TV instead because I can’t concentrate well enough to read most of the time.

After moving into our house last year, which has a high ceiling in the master bedroom, I decided to string up my phone using the bedside lamp instead.

 

 

Let me tell you, it is not fun to try to watch TV on a phone through a Ziploc bag.  All this time I’ve been making do while there was a product – designed specifically for use in bed or on the couch – that could make my life so much easier.

 

About the Tablift and my experience with it.

When I opened the Tablift box I was rather stunned at its simplicity.  I picked the Tablift up, bent the legs outward, and set it on my bed.  That’s all I had to do.

 

 

The Tablift has three positions on its central holding platform: one that leans back for sitting, a middle one for reclining, and the forward position for when you’re lying flat.  The provided clip can stabilize an e-device, especially if you’re tilting it in the forward, and help you remain hands-free while using the stand.  I tested it out with my phone in the middle position and my Kindle Paperwhite in all three positions and found that I could use it with or without the clip, depending on which angle I needed and what orientation I wanted (portrait vs. landscape).  If you use it without the clip you will generally need to keep the platform level.

The slots on the Tablift are 10mm thick, so your device will need at least one side that can fit.  The Tablift is compatible with iPad pros as well as virtually any full size or mini-tablet (the compatibility list online specifically includes Apple, Samsung, Amazon, Microsoft, Lenovo, and Asus tablets).  Depending on which device you’re using you may need to remove the case. With larger tablets, you may only be able to use them with the clip in landscape mode.  There also seems to be a small risk that heavier tablets may fall after prolonged use (according to what I’ve read on Amazon reviews).  Despite being made for tablets, the Tablift has been great for holding my phone and Kindle.

 

 

In my opinion, the adjustability is the coolest thing about it.  It can adapt to uneven surfaces and raise and lower easily.  Look at these bendy legs.

 

Psst, did you notice it’s standing on the two giveaway boxes??

 

The legs are solid, around 13.5 inches long, and about half an inch thick in diameter.  The center part of the stand, the platform with the slots, is nearly six inches long.  While the legs are generally pretty easy to bend, sometimes I have trouble on the days that my hands hurt a lot.  However, I don’t adjust it often as I tend to use it the same way most of the time.  I don’t need to fold it up when I’m done, I just put it next to my nightstand until the next time I need it.  It weighs two and half pounds, so it’s not hard for me to pick up.  I love being able to climb into bed, set my phone in the Tablift, and start watching TV comfortably.  It’s such a quick and easy process for me – and that’s exactly what I need when I’m tired and in pain.

 

 

While I could put it over my stomach, which it’s designed for, I prefer to set it next to me.  This is because my neck pain usually requires me to lie flat instead of propping my head up, and also because I am particularly sensitive to eye strain when looking downward.  By setting it next to me I can lie flat while titling my eyes upward.  I may not be using this product in the traditional manner, but it works and I’m enjoying it.

Isn’t it great that the Tablift can be used creatively?  Many tablet holders on the market can be rigid or have to be mounted or clamped onto something.  If I had a tablet holder clamped on the side of my bed I wouldn’t be able to switch from left to right so easily.  I’m very happy with the way the Tablift is versatile in many different situations.  I even found a photo in the Tablift Amazon reviews from a woman who reversed the legs and mounted her Chromebook onto it.

I have used it occasionally with Toddler Meena – and yes, I know that The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no screen time at all before age two.  I’m not advocating for screen time at this age, but sometimes I have no choice but to take a mini-break as a chronically ill mom.

I’ve used the Tablift when Toddler Meena wakes up extra early and my joints are more stiff than usual, so we’ll watch a short video together while they loosen up.  I’ve also used it in the afternoon when it becomes clear that Toddler Meena will be skipping his nap and I must lie down for a little bit.

 

 

He loves it.  Before we had this, I would set the phone next to us on the bed and he would lunge for it, but now that it’s up in a holder he’s more content to cuddle with me and let me get those few minutes of much needed rest.  Bonus tip for parents of littles: we love to watch Hey Bear videos because they are so awesome – check them out!

I’ve seen some photos on Amazon reviews of older kids using the Tablift to play games or have a bit of screen time on their tablet.  I expect that we will do this in the future as well since tablets can be heavy for kids to hold and the Tablift is a good size for a young child to use while sitting up on the couch.

It turns out the Tablift also provides a great perch for my birds, Koopa and Dyna, who are stuck to me like glue most of the time.

 

 

Tablift pros and cons.

You’ve already read about most of the pros as I’ve been gushing about the Tablift quite a bit, but I have a few more advantages to add to my list:

• It’s sturdy; I don’t have to worry about Toddler Meena breaking it if he knocks it off the bed.
• It’s small, especially when folded up – making it easy to travel with or move around.
• There’s a hole within the platform that allows you to charge anything in portrait position.

Of course, there are always a few downsides:

• The strap for the clip is only adjustable by pulling it through the hole in the platform and wrapping it around.  This works for adjusting from a large tablet to a mini tablet, but it doesn’t allow for smaller adjustments based on individual tablet size or changing slot positions.  Some Amazon reviewers have complained that the clip has damaged their tablets, so it’s important to avoid placing the clip on your device too tightly.
• When I use my phone (a Samsung Galaxy S10e) in landscape mode the platform blocks small portions of the bottom part of the screen.  This is only an issue if I’m watching a show with text on the screen, which is uncommon.  Most larger electronic devices will have enough of a buffer to prevent this issue.
• It’s unlikely it will fit as intended over your stomach if you’re larger than average, especially if you’re trying to use it in a higher position.  It barely fits over me in a wide position, which is too low for me to use without eye strain.  Here’s what it looks like when I use it over my stomach.

 

You can see that the legs are just barely fitting over my sides.

• It may tip over if you don’t balance it correctly or if you shift the wrong way while using it.
• One time I saw it out of the corner of my eye and I thought it was a giant spider.  While I was browsing the Amazon reviews for the Tablift I found a few people who had the same problem.  Most of them started humorously referring to their Tablift as their spider or spider stand afterward.

For me, the pros definitely outweigh the cons.  Not being able to incrementally change the length of the cord for the clip is the biggest issue, especially as the elastic may get stretched out over time, although it could be fixed creatively with a cord clip or lock.

Additionally, there were a handful of people who reported black marks from the legs.  When I opened my Tablift I ran my hand underneath each of the legs to check for this (mine was clean).  While uncommon, you may also want to check for this before setting it on your furniture.

 

Will the Tablift benefit me – especially as a chronically ill person?

Yes. Absolutely.

The Tablift tablet holder is just right.  It’s not too expensive or too cheap.  It’s strong without being too rigid or heavy.  It’s not too small or too big.  It’s flexible, hands-free, and useful for everything from watching TV in bed, to working at a desk, to playing games on the couch.  And it’s got a unique downward facing angle feature that’s great for those ultimate relaxation moments.  It’s a top tier product and I’ve used it almost every day over the past three weeks since I received it.

Now it’s your turn to be hands-free and happy.  You can buy the Tablift on Amazon (currently $39.95) or directly from Tablift.  Note that there’s also a white version available if you’d prefer that color.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway had ended (Congrats to James J. for winning!) but there will be another one on my Instagram page in a few weeks.

Let me know your thoughts on this tablet holder in the comment section!

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