There's something about aluminum and steel gear in our workspace that makes us feel all tingly inside. (Not in a creepy way.)
Maybe it's the way they match the aesthetic of our iMacs and MacBooks. Maybe it's that metal stuff looks so sleek in general. Whatever the case, here are a few of our favorite aluminum desk accessories. Enjoy.
Satechi's Mini Docking Station. ($150)
Satechi Mini Docking Station »
Satechi's Mini Docking Station is a single, compact hub for managing multiple displays, devices, and peripherals at your desk. Here's what it's got in terms of ports:
- (1) 4K HDMI output (you'll need a high-speed HDMI cable and an appropriate display to get the most out of it, of course)
- (1) DVI output (can display a resolution of up to 2560x1600 or 1920x1200)
- (4) USB 3.0 ports (up to 5Gbps transfer speeds)
- (1) gigabit ethernet port
- (1) 3.5mm headphone jack
Nothing too crazy here, just a nice way of wrangling the stuff in your workspace. Note though that when the 4K and DVI outputs are used for multiple displays simultaneously, they are respectively limited to 2K and 1080p resolutions.
The Aerelight A1 OLED desk lamp. ($299)
Aerelight A1 OLED Desk Lamp »
The Aerelight A1 (pronounced "air light") bills itself as the “world's first consumer-ready OLED lamp.” We don't know whether or not that's true, but it's pretty cool anyway.
The lamp emits soft, warm light from an organic LED panel, with three brightness stages controlled by touching anywhere on the aluminum frame. The advantage of OLED is that the light panel never gets hot even after extended periods of being on, and it uses 80% less energy than a traditional 60W bulb at max brightness.
What's even cooler is that the walnut base houses a Qi wireless charger, so you can simply lay a compatible smartphone flat on the surface to begin charging it. Some Android phones, like the Samsung Galaxy S4 and Google Nexus 7, are Qi-ready by default. To use it with an iPhone, you'll have to pick up a receiver patch module or a receiver case.
You can watch the Aerelight promo video here:
https://youtube.com/watch?v=F3MLCJuhj4Q
Elevation Lab's Elevation Dock 3 for iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. ($89–$99, depending on color)
Elevation Dock 3 for iPhone 6s and 6s Plus »
A while back over at our sister site, The Sweet Setup, we chose the Elevation Dock 3 as the best dock for the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, and for good reason. It's got the best combination of looks, features, and design of all the docks we tested.
It comes in four different colors of milled aluminum and looks phenomenal on any desk. It also accommodates most case sizes — with a max thickness of 4.25mm and max width of 86.8mm — and it comes with its own Lightning cable.
Just Mobile's HeadStand headphone stand. ($50)
Just Mobile HeadStand »
There are, give or take, about a billion and one ways to hang or store large headphones at your desk.
One of the more stylish ways you can do it is with the HeadStand by Just Mobile. It's (of course) made from high-quality aluminum and looks great with any Apple geek's setup. A particularly nice feature is the cable-storage wraparound at the base, which helps keep your workspace nice and tidy.
Comes in silver, black, and gold.
Rain Design's mStand laptop stand. ($43)
Rain Design mStand »
Rain Design's mStand hoists your MacBook (or other laptop) in the air and positions the screen at a height that improves posture and viewing angles. It's best used with an external keyboard and mouse or trackpad, but we’ve found comfortable positions to use it without external devices.
The mStand is also a great tool for boosting your laptop screen up to the height of an external display. Using the mStand, you can convert your desk into a multi-screen productivity machine.
- Read our full review here.
Twelve South's Compass stand for iPad. ($40)
Twelve South Compass Stand for iPad »
Twelve South's heavy-gauge steel Compass stand is ideal for anyone who does a lot of work on an iPad, whether they're traveling with it or sitting at a stationary desk. As we described in our review:
The Compass Stand’s legs extend outward to form an easel. Near the bottom of the two legs, there are two holsters that extend out and hold your iPad in place. While the Compass Stand can fit in just about any bag without being noticed, it also has a small footprint if you want to use it at a small table or desk.
This stand is ideal for watching movies and such, though it does work nicely for pairing an iPad and Bluetooth keyboard together when necessary. Thanks to its small stature, the Compass Stand is especially nice to have on flights.