Whether you’re watching a movie, reading an eBook, or following a receipe as you cook, a stand for your iPad or tablet would certainly come in handy. It will hold your tablet up at the right angle during use, and it’s a much safer choice than propping it up against random household items.
And as we’re makers, you’ll probably want to 3D print one yourself. To help you out, we’ve compiled a diverse list of tablet stand models. Some of them are adjustable multi-part prints, while others are simple, fun, and easy to print. There’s something for everyone!
If you need a new tablet stand but don’t have the time or tools to print one, check out Craftcloud by All3DP. With professional 3D printing partners all around the world, you’ll be getting the perfect prop in no time!
And now, there’s no need to stand on ceremony: to the list!
Six-in-One
If you’re looking for a straightforward print that gives you the most bang for your buck, check out this model. The design prints in a single piece and features multiple angles, surfaces, and lips to allow for at least six different ways of holding your tablet or smartphone! Scale the model for all types and sizes of smartphones, or choose the tablet version for tablets and other larger devices.
Multiple positions include steep angle, steep angle elevated, horizontal, vertical, vertical elevated, and wall-hanging horizontal, though more are achievable as well. The elevated vertical position allows room for you to have your phone or tablet plugged in while on the stand.
This deceptively simple model prints on its side without supports.
- Who designed it? BQEducacion
- How popular/printable is it? A whopping 124 makes are posted to Thingiverse, so you can find colorful inspiration for your model.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
LiftPod Arm
The LiftPod arm deserves one of the top spots on this list, because it’s just plain cool. Rather than taking on the form of a traditional tablet stand that supports a tablet on the bottom edge, this stand is a jointed arm. The arm scissors with locking joints in order to achieve the desired angle and height.
100% of the parts are 3D printed, so there’s no need to source additional hardware to build this one. You’re able to print as many sections as you want for a longer or shorter arm length, and you can also print a swiveling clamp to secure the arm to a table. Modular mounting plates are compatible with cameras, phones, and tablets, as well as the Nintendo Switch. Accessories such as swivel joints, alternative mounting plates, and even a screw vice are available through HeyVye’s Thingiverse page.
The only downside is how many parts you need to print, and the tolerances on some of them need to be pretty tight. However, after you spend the time printing and assembling the LiftPod arm, you’ll find yourself with a very versatile and cool tablet stand.
- Who designed it? HeyVye
- How popular/printable is it? This model scores 40 makes, 23 remixes, and over 11,000 likes on Thingiverse!
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Flat-Folding
Want something a little less bulky? This is a go-anywhere design that allows you to prop up your tablet or phone wherever you are. Three files are available, the smallest being about the size of a credit card that can be stored in your wallet. The medium-sized model will hold just about any device, and the largest model is described by the designer as “overkill”. All the models feature eight different grooves so you can set them up at a variety of angles.
The stand doesn’t require any additional hardware, and it offers a print-in-place layout so all the joints come off the printer already assembled. Print-in-place models require a little more detail but are a really cool way to showcase the capabilities of your printer. Users have found that setting horizontal expansion to -0.2 mm will keep the joints from sticking during printing.
- Who designed it? jonnig
- How popular/printable is it? With 186 makes and 23 remixes, the maker community can’t get enough of this model!
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Pocket-Sized Folding Stand
This stand is among the most portable variants on our list. It’s also a folding design, allowing it to collapse as flat as possible while maintaining a very small footprint. It utilizes the length of the print to make up for its size, giving it the sturdiness it needs to keep your device in its position.
After printing off the two halves of the stand, you’ll need a single M3 x 25-mm screw and nut to hold them together and act as the hinge. Once it’s set up, you’ll have a stand that offers three different viewing angles and can fit inside of your pocket when you’re on the go.
Modular Mechanical
The Rube Goldberg of tablet stands, one could call this model overly complicated. That said, who doesn’t love a challenge? Numerous gears, pivots, and sockets give this tablet stand a steampunk look. The obvious downside is that you’ll need to print 20+ components in order to complete this model, and they’ll all need to adhere to pretty tight tolerances.
On the other hand, this model offers even more modularity than the LiftPod. It’s jointed in just about every direction that you can think of to ensure maximum flexibility, gripping the device from both the bottom and sides. Screw holes on the feet or an optional table clamp let you secure your stand. While it’s on the lengthier side of prints on this list – it’ll take a little over 12 hours to print all the pieces – at least none of them require supports.
- Who designed it? andrewforster
- How popular/printable is it? This model has 800 downloads on MyMiniFactory, and a colorful community print has been shared.
- Where to find it? MyMiniFactory
Cat/Dog Stand
Animal lovers will enjoy a hands-free viewing experience on their iPads using these simple cat and dog stands. These stands are designed to hold just about any size of phone, tablet, or iPad model you can find. While an iPad in landscape mode will work just fine with two of these stands, you may run into issues with balance when swapping to portrait mode, so keep that in mind if this is a deal breaker for you.
Each stand prints flat on the print bed with no supports needed, providing a smooth surface finish, so much so that many makers have printed these stands out simply for decoration. Check out the makes for some inspiration.
- Who designed it? Itzafezookie
- How popular/printable is it? You’ll be happy to hear that this is a very popular model, already achieving over 71,000 downloads with 37 shared makes.
- Where to find it? Thingivese
Minimalist
Here’s a design that’s quick, effective, and stylish. Printing in a single piece, this model offers an elegant and modern but also minimalistic look. The use of compound curves and slopes make for a stand that’s a great compliment to your technology.
There are a couple of downsides to this model, however. The streamlined look lacks the functionality of other models that support the back of the tablet. The tablet is only held by a small lip along the bottom edge, which could be prone to breaking along the layer lines. A durable material with heavy infill is recommended to combat this potential structural weakness.
There are different files for devices of widths between 7 mm and 13 mm, but some further modification of the design may be required, depending on your device. Printing shouldn’t be a challenge, but users warn that the lip that holds the tablet may require some post-printing clean-up.
- Who designed it? muzz64
- How popular/printable is it? This model has 94 makes combined from both sites.
- Where to find it? MyMiniFactory, Thingiverse
Adjustable
This model offers the same adjustability as the flat-folding stand, but with a focus on durability rather than portability. All the components are thick and strong to allow for sturdy support. Indexed grooves in the base allow for five different angle positions, and with only three easy-to-print components, this stand offers great printability as well.
As far as assembly goes, this design follows the trend of no-hardware-needed. In order to assemble the parts, you’ll need to flex two of them in order to fit over hinge pegs. This means that ABS with 100% infill probably won’t be the best idea. Two versions of the piece that holds the tablet itself are available, one with a larger hook diameter in order to accept thicker tablets with cases.
- Who designed it? FruityPebbles
- How popular/printable is it? 7,000 likes, 127 makes, and 22 remixes solidify this model’s popularity.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Aquatic
This stand offers a fun approach to propping up your smart device. The model features two octopus tentacles that curve up to support your tablet or iPad. This creates the cool illusion that a friendly sea creature is lurking below the table and offering you a hand with your device.
The design may be a little trickier than some others to print but definitely offers a unique look. With a fine layer height and other careful settings, this model can be printed without support structures, but be careful. Painting in realistic colors and even using flexible filament will enhance the realism of the tentacles.
- Who designed it? notcolinforreal
- How popular/printable is it? 250 makes and over 9,000 likes make this a very popular model in the Thingiverse community. We also recommend that you check out the designer’s other oceanic desktop accessories to compliment this design.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Discrete
A slim, discrete stand that is designed specifically for the iPad Pro 11-inch model. Once printed, the stand slides right onto the body of the device and comes with a pop-out leg for landscape mode viewing. When not in use, the back of the stand acts as a sort of handhold to make your iPad more easily accessible when you need it.
There are six parts that make up this stand. Each part can be printed without supports, though parts with threads will need a layer height of about 0.15 mm for best results. The model description has some great tips for getting the most out of your prints, including differing infill percentages depending on the part, so be sure to check it out.
- Who designed it? KasZap
- How popular/printable is it? Over 125 people have found this stand useful and downloaded it, but so far, only one person has shared their make.
- Where to find it? Printables
Customizable Clip
By far the simplest design on this list, the clip stand offers some very unique benefits. This style of stand works for both phones and tablets, and it’s guaranteed to fit your device because it’s customizable. Adapt it to fit your particular device with the Thingiverse Customizer app, then slice, print, and that’s it!
The model is super simple to print and within the capability of even very basic printers. The clip is a single piece that snaps over the opposite edges of your device, which can then lean back against the curvature of the stand. The downfall is that you’ll need a different size stand if you want to use your device in portrait vs. landscape, and you’ll need a different stand for each device. Luckily, with the ease of printability, this isn’t a huge issue. Among the many makes and remixes, the consensus is that PLA works fine, but flexible filaments are even better.
- Who designed it? walter
- How popular/printable is it? 20 makes and 526 remixes suggest this stand works well.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Liquid
A waterproof case may be needed for this next stand. Modeled after a burst water pipe, this stand will definitely get some comments from anyone who sees it in use. You’ll be happy to know that it isn’t purely aesthetic either. The water splash design gives your device a wide surface area to rest on that distributes the weight evenly to prevent tipping or falling.
The stand comes in two separate pieces that simply key together with a little glue for extra support. While the pipes definitely look their best with a paint job, many makers have found success using shiny copper and other metallic-looking filaments, with some even opting for white pipes to resemble traditional plumbing pipes.
- Who designed it? Shapespeare
- How popular/printable is it? This model has found quite the fanbase, with 16,000 downloads and 18 shared makes for you to view.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Smart
This is another design from Thingiverse user muzz64, who seems to have the art of tablet stand design down to a science. This “smart stand” for smart devices features infinitely adjustable angles, but unlike the other adjustable models, it’s extremely compact. Small enough to fit in your pocket, yet functional enough for use with both phones and larger devices like tablets.
The only problem with compact stands like this one is that if you tilt the device too far back, there’s a good chance it could topple over. To combat this, the designer included two different-sized models, one for large devices and one for phones. The larger model was tested to 50° of tilt. Also, keep in mind that this model may not work as well on surfaces other than flat tabletops. From the community, there are suggestions of using flexible filament or soaking parts in hot water prior to assembly in order to prevent breaking.
- Who designed it? muzz64
- How popular/printable is it? There’s an impressive number of makes for this model: 103 and counting.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Variable-Angle
When you’re using your tablet or iPad at home or in one place, there’s no need to run down your battery life. Thankfully, some stand designs offer charging accessibility so you can use your tablet without worrying about your tablet getting drained. While a charging cord may interfere with some models, this dock actually features a built-in slot that holds an Apple charging cord.
The incorporation of the charging cable is a great way to combat an unsightly issue. This stand can be oriented in multiple ways in order to hold the iPad at different angles, although this will require relocating the charging cable. It’s also one of the largest models on this list, which is good for stability during use, but not so much for printing time and material use.
- Who designed it? Avooq
- How popular/printable is it? Over 2,300 makers have downloaded this model, and more than 22,000 have viewed it. It’s noted that the Apad dock accepts other branded charging cables in one of the orientations.
- Where to find it? MyMiniFactory
Field Work
If you work outside and need to bring your iPad with you on the job, this is the stand for you. It prioritizes keeping your iPad safe, clean, and accessible no matter the situation. The three feet keep your device out of the dirt and mud, while the handle makes it very easy to carry around. The best part is a cut-out in the back so you can still use your device camera with no issues.
Landscapers, land surveyors, and construction workers may find this to be the best solution for their iPads. It comes with a spring-loaded latch to keep your device snug while making it easy to take out of the case once the working day is over. There’s also a version without the handle should you want just the feet and protective casing for your iPad.
- Who designed it? Martin_au
- How popular/printable is it? There seems to be a good amount of people out there who can benefit from this type of stand, with 21 likes and 25 downloads of the files.
- Where to find it? Printables
License: The text of "iPad Stand 3D Print: The Best 3D Printed Tablet Stands" by All3DP is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.