Thanks to the ongoing pandemic, many of us are now working from home in places and positions that probably wouldn't meet health and safety standards. Spending the day on the couch working on a laptop is a fast way to impair your posture and likely end up with neck and backache. But if you don't have room for a desk in your home (or two if your partner is also working from home), what do you do?
Nerdytec, a European-based company with a reputation for making ergonomic lapboards, recently sent us the Couchmaster CYWORX, a product that not only offers a stable platform for working on your laptop but is made from sustainable materials and helps maintain your posture while you work on the couch, bed, or floor.
Join us after the break for our review of the Couchmaster CYWORX.
Design
Consisting of a lapboard made from lightweight, sustainable bamboo and two support cushions made of memory foam, the Couchmaster CYWORX offers a simple solution to an uncomfortable problem.
The top of the lapboard features a ventilation grill on the left-hand-side so that your laptop can cool effectively, and you'll find a tablet or smartphone holder as well as a good-sized mousepad on the right that is securely placed with 3M adhesive.
The edges of the lapboard also sport ergonomic pads on either side in an attempt to minimize the strain on your wrists.
The memory foam cushions reside inside removable, washable material with full-length zips for easy access, and there are a mesh pocket and a mouse pouch that you can attach with the included velcro material.
In the Box
- 1 x Lapboard (Made from Bamboo): 75 x 36cm
- 2 x Support Cushions: 20 x 60 x 16cm
- 1 x Mousepad: 26 x 31cm
- 1 x Mouse Pouch
- 1 Strip of Velcro
- Manual
Comfort
Having been working from the couch since the first UK lockdown began in March, I can tell you that having the laptop's hot air venting on my legs ( especially in summer) wasn't my idea of fun. My wrists were playing up from typing in such a non-ergonomic position, and I was displaying classic symptoms of Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI).
Despite the Couchmaster CYWORX sporting both an awkward sounding-name and appearance, it's a well-made design that is as simple as it is affective. The cushions and the lapboard are independent of each other, with no straps to attach to each other, which allows you to adjust it to suit your specific needs. If your couch has an arm on one side, you can just use a single supportive cushion to balance the lapboard on, or both if you are in bed or perhaps sat on the floor.
Once in place, the Couchmaster CYWORX is surprisingly stable, and comfortable. Having initially thought that the supportive cushions were over-sized, I quickly began to appreciate the height that they offered and the gap between the laptop fan and my legs.
The lapboard gives you an abundance of desk space that even my 17-inch laptop fit easily fit on. The large mousepad, which can be removed if that's your want, worked well with the mouse I used to test it out, it also offered a nice level of grip for placing my phone or tablet on when not using the built-in slot.
As for comfort, my back, and neck pain issues subsided, and the pains in the wrists and thumbs eased noticeable in the first week of use. While getting setting the Couchmaster CYWORX up at first can be a little daunting because you need to have everything to hand, it gets easier with practice and the realization that your laptop isn't just going to glide off the lapboard because you've reached for your cup of coffee.
Also, despite my reviewing it in ‘work mode', the Couchmaster CYWORX is also great for leisure time such as gaming, reading (or writing) a book, or even having your meal on.
What would I change?
I would like the option of being able to attach the support cushions to the lapboard so that it was possible to lift up as one item, both for ease of storage and those times getting up to dash to the front door for a delivery, but it's definitely not a deal-breaker.
Worth buying?
The ease of use, simple yet well thought out design, and its construction elements make the Couchmaster CYWORX the portable desk you need if you are working from home and an actual desk isn't an option.
At €119, the Couchmaster CYWORX isn't what you might call cheap, but it is well-crafted from quality materials, and your body will thank you for investing in its welfare.
Buy it Now: NerdyTech Couchmaster CYWORX
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