Twelve South Compass 2
Stylish looks, but a bit wobbly
£35 from Twelve South, twelvesouth.com features Rubberised soles, travel case
Sure, this may be ‘just’ an iPad stand, but don't dismiss it just yet.
It folds up into a compact peg shape, making it easy to stow away in a travel bag. Its three legs come with rubberised soles, as do the two small platforms on which your iPad rests. These keep it well grounded so it won’t slide about.
When in its more upright mode (as in the image above), the Compass 2 is intended for more passive uses – making Skype calls or watching TV. You shouldn’t notice much wobbling with everyday use. However, we had to be a bit careful when tapping in the top corners of the screen with the iPad in portrait orientation – prod too hard and your device could fall or get shaken loose.
Portrait mode’s better if you’re not interacting with the iPad much, but it’s not really at a comfortable angle for your wrists when typing. If you want to type away, Twelve South says you’re better off switching to the low-profile mode by pushing in the rear leg and extending the mini support – that’s the theory, anyway. While this puts the iPad in a flatter position, it’s actually far less stable, wobbling alarmingly as you type. It’s much better with an iPad mini, though.
This is still a good stand for watching the odd video, but not for typing out emails and messages if you have a 9.7-inch iPad.