Best iPad Mounts for Every Purpose | Tech News

iPads are true general use computers. Some people use them just for work while for others, they’re purely for play. Whatever your needs though, there’s an iPad mount out there for you.

Whether you’re mounting your iPad on the wall of your living room as a smart home dashboard, attaching it to the cabinets in your kitchen as a digital cookbook, or clamping it to your nightstand to serve as a personal theater, one or more of the great mounts below can help you.

Best for Mounting Your iPad to a Wall: VidaMount On-Wall Tablet Mount ($125)

If you’ve kitted out your home with some serious smarthome tech, it makes sense to have a dedicated way to control it. One popular option is to use an iPad; you can either go with a brand new one for $329.99 or an old one that you’re not using for anything else. But where to put it?

Well, if you’re using your iPad to control your smartlights there’s one very natural place for it: on the wall next to your light switches. There are quite a few mounts that’ll do it for you but we like the VidaMount On-Wall tablet mount for a couple of reasons.

At $124.99, it’s at the more expensive end of iPad wall mounts but it justifies its cost by offering the best balance of features. It’s available in white or black and there are models for every iPad. Your iPad is also properly mounted to the wall without using a weird case or requiring you to cut a section out of the wall. Your iPad will stay in as long as you want (and can be hooked up to charge when it’s mounted) but you don’t need an Allen key to take it out if you want to use it on your couch for a few hours.

Best for Using Your iPad Like a Computer: Viozon iPad Pro Stand ($40)

iPads, especially iPad Pros, are really powerful computers. More and more people are using them as their main device. The only problem is that the tablet form factor isn’t always the best for getting work done. It’s also terrible for your back and neck.

The Viozon iPad Pro Stand goes a long way towards fixing this: combine one with a Bluetooth keyboard and you’ve turned it into a much more functional workstation. You can sit at a desk and use your iPad with good posture for hours on end.

Best for Using Your iPad in the Kitchen: CTA Digital 2-in-1 Kitchen Mount ($29)

iPads make great kitchen accessories. You can use them to show recipes, convert different measurements, track cooking times, or even just play the latest season of Queer Eye on Netflix while you work. You can just prop your iPad up any old way, but to get the most of it, you need a dedicated kitchen mount.

The CTA Digital 2-in-1 Kitchen Mount fits the bill perfectly. It’s designed to attach underneath your kitchen cabinets and it’s flexible enough that you’ll be able to position your iPad in exactly the right spot no matter what you’re cooking. It even tucks away when you’re not using it. Even better, if you want to use the stand elsewhere in the kitchen or your house you can slide the arm out of the white mount bracket and the legs open up, turning it into a stand you can set on any flat surface—very versatile.

Best for Using Your iPad as a Second Screen: Mountie by Ten One Design ($25)

iPads aren’t just for reading comics or watching movies; with the right set up, they can be a serious productivity tool. One of their best uses is as a second screen for your laptop.

The Mountie by Ten One Design is a small clip that attaches your iPad right beside your laptop’s screen. You can then either use an app like Duet Display ($19) to extend your computer’s screen or else just use professional apps on your iPad. This is my go to setup when I need a bit of extra screen real estate for work.

Best Gooseneck iPad Mount: HoverBar 3 ($46)

For true flexibility you need a gooseneck mount so you can put your iPad pretty much anywhere and position it however you could possibly want. I use one to mount my iPad like a TV above my bed. There’s nothing like lying flat on your back, comfortably looking up at the screen with no craning your neck.

Of the goosenecks available, I like the HoverBar 3 from Twelve South. Many gooseneck mounts are too weak to really support an iPad in any position; the HoverBar 3 isn’t. Yes, it will still shake or wobble a little if you try to do too much on your iPad, but these styles of mounts aren’t meant to keep your iPad locked in one position so you can work: they’re for being able to quickly and easily reposition it so you can view it comfortably. The only downside is that the HoverBar 3 can only attach to things that are an inch or thinner.

The iPad are really versatile devices and so there are a lot of different mounts out there for every need. If we’ve missed an awesome mount, let us know in the comments.