Tiny houses are, well, tiny. RVs and vans are even more minuscule.
That’s great from an affordability, sustainability, and minimalist lifestyle perspective, but it can get in the way if you’re trying to get some work done. There’s not a lot of space in a tiny house, RV, or van for a desk or other permanent work surface.
Lap desks offer a solution to this problem. They provide a comfortable and stable work surface that you can take with you virtually anywhere within your home, yet that takes up a tiny amount of space when not in use.
Today we’re reviewing some of the best lap desks available to help you find the best mix of features and functionality for your tiny living needs.
Our Top 5 Lap Desk Picks
Read on to learn more about the functions and features of lap desks and see our top five picks for the best lap desks for tiny living.
1. LapGear Designer Lap Desk With Phone Holder and Device Ledge: Overall Best Lap Desk for Tiny Living
- Spacious, uncluttered work surface yet still compact enough for easy storage
- Micro bead cushion is comfortable and breathable
- Phone holder lets you keep your phone easily at hand
- Corner document band can hold notes, pictures, or anything else you need
The LapGear Designer Lap Desk is a plush and feature-packed lap desk designed to offer a more stylish alternative to the many function-forward options on the market. It’s available with a cushion in a wide range of colorful patterns that’s still ultra-soft on your legs.
The work surface on the LapGear is sized to fit laptops up to 15.6 in with room to spare on either side. It has a small raised edge to catch your laptop or tablet when holding the desk at an angle. We found that you can fit a 15.6 in laptop but that you can only use a mouse with laptops up to about 13 in.
That’s pretty good, particularly when considering the extra features LapGear added. The desk has a dedicated smartphone slot that’s 6.25 in wide and just under an inch deep.
That’s wide enough to hold most smartphones, including top-of-the-line models such as the iPhone 14 Pro. It’s also plenty large enough to hold even the most massive phones when standing upright.
We found the LapGear to offer a very comfortable user experience while typing on it. The cushion itself was exceptionally cozy. The fabric is nice and soft, while the filling is a microbead pouch that conforms to your legs without transferring any heat from your laptop.
If you’re looking for a comfortable and stylish lap desk that still offers a solid ergonomic and usability package, the LapGear Designer Lap Desk is our top pick.
Specifications
Dimensions: 17.75 in x 13.75 in | 45.1 cm x 34.9 cm
Foldable: No
Extra Features: Phone holder, carry handle, document band
Pros
- Spacious, uncluttered work surface yet still compact enough for easy storage
- Micro bead cushion is comfortable and breathable
- Phone holder lets you keep your phone easily at hand
- Corner document band can hold notes, pictures, or anything else you need
Cons
- Flat cushion doesn’t allow for a more ergonomic angled typing position
2. Mind Reader Foldable Lap Desk: Best Foldable Leg Lap Desk for Tiny Living
- Folding legs offer a way to raise your laptop for more ergonomic placement
- Great for use on a bed as a dinner tray or similar
- Works very well when seated to keep your computer at the right height
- Broad flat surface allows the use of a mouse even with larger laptops
The Mind Reader Foldable Lap Desk is a compact yet highly flexible lap desk for those looking for a more upright work posture. It has a pair of folding legs that allow you to raise the work surface of your lap by as much as 8.5 inches.
The Mind Reader Lap Desk combines a 23 inch wide work surface with folding metal legs. That’s a generous amount of working space, enough to use a full size laptop like a 15.6” or even 17” widescreen, along with a mouse.
The first thing we check with foldable lap desks is how sturdy the legs feel. We’ve had incidents in the past where folding legs decide to fold on their own and we have to grab our laptop in a hurry.
With the Mind Reader, we had no fears that the legs would give way. They fold out and notch into place securely. We bumped them from either side and in multiple directions to see if we could make them collapse.
Barring someone slapping them out from under you, they’re not going anywhere.
The Mind Reader can also be used as a standard lap desk, though the lack of a cushion does make it less comfortable than others on our list. You can quickly solve that by placing a handy pillow on your lap.
With the addition of a helpful cable slot at the back and a recessed nook for holding pens, pencils, jump drives, and other odds and ends, the Mind Reader Lap Desk offers a lot of value for the right person. It’s not quite as comfortable to use as our top ranked pick, but if you’ve got a larger laptop and want to use a mouse, it’s one of the best options available.
Specifications
Dimensions: 23 in x 15.25 in | 58.4 cm x 38.7 cm
Foldable: Yes
Extra Features: Storage nook, cable hole, foldable metal legs
Pros
- Folding legs offer a way to raise your laptop for more ergonomic placement
- Great for use on a bed as a dinner tray or similar
- Works very well when seated to keep your computer at the right height
- Broad flat surface allows the use of a mouse even with larger laptops
Cons
- Lack of cushion makes it less comfortable resting directly on your lap
3. Honey-Can-Do Portable Laptop Lap Desk: Best Value Lap Desk for Tiny Living
- Angled cushion offers a more ergonomic typing position when on your lap
- Large work surface allows the use of a mouse even with bigger laptops
- Cushion can be removed for a flatter posture if desired
The Honey-Can-Do Portable Laptop Lap Desk is a basic yet highly functional option for those looking to save a buck. It doesn’t offer extra features or significant adjustability, but it does provide a lot of value for its price.
The Honey-Can-Do has a 23.23 in wide work surface contoured to fit nicely against your body. It offers plenty of space for larger laptops and easily supports the use of a mouse.
It’s a more rounded shape than most of the other lap desks on our list, but it still has a significant amount of flat space.
One thing to keep in mind is that the cushion of the Honey-Can-Do is angled slightly. It lifts up your laptop keyboard to provide a more ergonomic typing position but can get in the way if you want to do things like drawing or other crafts.
It’s attached to the main body of the lap desk with a velcro square, so you can always pop it off if needed.
The Honey-Can-Do Portable Lap Desk is a simple, easy to use lap desk perfect for those on a budget. It’s significantly cheaper than our top rated pick yet still provides a solid work surface for laptops of all sizes.
Specifications
Dimensions: 15.75 in x 23.23 in | 40 cm x 59 cm
Foldable: No
Extra Features: Angled cushion
Pros
- Angled cushion offers a more ergonomic typing position when on your lap
- Large work surface allows the use of a mouse even with bigger laptops
- Cushion can be removed for a flatter posture if desired
Cons
- Cushion material isn’t as comfortable on bare legs
4. Huanuo Adjustable Lap Desk: Best Adjustable Lap Desk for Tiny Living
- Adjustable screen tilt lets you find the right angle for your needs
- More ergonomic position protects your wrists from bending in the wrong places
- Paired cushion strips allow greater airflow
The Huanuo Adjustable Lap Desk is an adjustable lap desk that allows you to find the perfect ergonomic angle for your needs. The tilt of the work surface can be adjusted to multiple points depending on how you like to type.
The Huanuo focuses on providing a customizable working experience for each person. You can choose from eight different tilt points to find the perfect angle for your laptop screen and keyboard.
That’s a significant benefit for those who have to watch out for things like carpal tunnel, as keeping your wrists at the right angle is crucial to preventing stress injuries.
The work surface measures 14.8 in x 11 in, just right for a 15.6 in laptop. Huanuo went with a pair of cushioned strips instead of a single large cushion. We like this approach, as it provides even more airflow between your lap and the lap desk.
One downside to the angled position of the Huanuo is that it means you can’t use a mouse while working. So long as you’re good with that, it’s a sound system.
The Huanuo Adjustable Lap Desk is a highly flexible solution for working on your laptop. It’s great for those looking for the most ergonomic working position in a tiny home or RV setting.
Specifications
Dimensions: 14.8 in x 11 in | 37.6 cm x 27.9 cm
Foldable: Adjustable screen angle
Extra Features: Eight-point adjustable screen tilt angle
Pros
- Adjustable screen tilt lets you find the right angle for your needs
- More ergonomic position protects your wrists from bending in the wrong places
- Paired cushion strips allow greater airflow
Cons
- Work surface too small for a mouse
5. Yogibo Traybo 2.0 Lap Desk: Best Super-Plush Lap Desk for Tiny Living
- Three inch thick cushion offers a very comfortable user experience
- Natural bamboo work surface looks extremely sharp
- Optional bar can be attached or removed from the laptop if desired
- Work surface large enough for a mouse or as a drawing or writing surface
The Yogibo Traybo 2.0 is an ultra-plush lap desk and portable work surface. It’s designed to maximize your comfort without impacting your productivity.
Many lap desks have just one or two inches thick cushions. The Traybo 2.0 went with a plush three-inch thick microbead cushion. It’s exceptionally soft and squishy yet still provides a solid base for a stable work surface.
The Traybo 2.0 uses a natural bamboo top rather than MDF or a similar manufactured material. It looks exceptionally lovely and provides a more natural feel while writing, drawing, or painting on the Traybo.
Yogibo also included several useful extras. There’s a broad tablet or smartphone slot at the top of the desk. It’s 11.5 inches wide, plenty big enough for the most popular tablets.
They also ship the Traybo 2.0 with a user-attachable bamboo bar that you can mount at the bottom if desired. Most manufacturers include that from the get-go, but we like that Yogibo allows us to attach it.
Not only can we leave it off if we want a fully flat work surface, but the ability to attach it ourselves means we can adjust the distance to match the size of our laptop and the configuration of our work surface.
We mounted the bar slightly to the left of center so we could place our laptop securely and still have plenty of room to the right for a mousepad and mouse.
The Yogibo Traybo 2.0 is an ultra-comfortable yet distinctly functional lap desk. It combines a plush cushion with a large and durable work surface for a great working experience.
Specifications
Dimensions: 18.5 in x 13 in | 47 cm x 33 cm
Foldable: No
Extra Features: Extra plush cushion, tablet slot
Pros
- Three inch thick cushion offers a very comfortable user experience
- Natural bamboo work surface looks extremely sharp
- Optional bar can be attached or removed from the laptop if desired
- Work surface large enough for a mouse or as a drawing or writing surface
Cons
- Pricey
Do You Need a Lap Desk?
Lap desks are essential for some and all but unnecessary for others. Whether you want a lap desk in your tiny home, RV, or van depends on your needs and living situation.
Many living the tiny life, RVing, or van dwelling work remotely through their laptops. If you’ve ever tried using a laptop on your lap, you’ll know how uncomfortable and unsustainable it is.
A lap desk can significantly improve your working experience and productivity. We used a lap desk (this one from Honey-Can-Do actually) while researching and writing this article and have done so frequently with other articles written for TinyLivingLife.com.
Lap desks aren’t just for laptops.
You can use a lap desk as a board game table, a place to draw or journal, a work surface for hobbies and crafts, and even a table for eating a quick meal. Even better, most lap desks don’t take up much space and are easy to move around and store when not in use.
Most people living a tiny life can benefit from a suitable lap desk.
Tiny Living Lap Desk Buying Guide
While picking out a lap desk doesn’t require the same research and thought as, say, a solar generator, there are a few key factors to keep in mind. The most important are size, comfort, and extra features.
Size
Pay attention to the size and dimensions of a lap desk. Some can handle a laptop and mousepad, while others are large enough to hold multiple items such as your phone, a tablet, or a notebook.
Larger lap desks can be beneficial from a productivity standpoint, but you lose some of the benefits of portability and ease of storage. A good compromise can be a folding or extendable lap desk. They fold down small enough to easily store in a tiny home, RV, or van while offering a larger workspace.
Comfort
Comfort for a lap desk encompasses everything from the material of the underlying backing that rests on your lap to the ergonomics and adjustability of the work surface. Everyone’s needs are different, so there’s no one-size-fits-all advice we can give on picking the most comfortable lap desk.
Important comfort features to consider include:
- Lap cushions
- Adjustable angle work-surfaces
- Hand/wrist rests to prevent strain
- Weight
Consider how you plan to use your lap desk and what would make it more comfortable and long-term sustainable to complete those tasks. For those who work on a laptop for several hours a day, the ability to adjust the angle of the backing for a better screen position and more natural typing position can be a major game-changer.
Others might prioritize comfort when resting on your legs or even adding adjustable legs that let you keep the lap desk completely off your lap.
Extra Features
There are a staggering number of additional features available in different lap desks. Finding those that benefit you depends significantly on what activity you plan to do with your lap desk and how much you prioritize productivity, portability, and comfort.
Some of the features we see most often include:
- Pen slots
- Phone holders
- Charging cable straps/sleeves
- Tiltable laptop areas
- Adjustable surfaces
- Tablet slots and stands
- Integrated mouse pads
- Built-in storage
- Adjustable height legs
