QuikStand Review

I hate having to hold my phone for long periods of time, especially if I’m watching videos. I like to keep my hands free for note-taking, especially when I’m watching videos as research for a new post. But laying the phone flat isn’t the best viewing angle, and holding it for long periods is just exhausting on the arms. I started to look into portable stands and see what solutions were available. I eventually found the Nite Ize QuickStand. A budget-friendly option I decided to test and see how practical it would be. 

I have used Night Ize products in the past and they have been good value for money. However, when the stand first arrived in the post I was initially a bit disappointed. It’s certainly small in design, about the same size and just slightly thicker than a credit card. But that compactness left me having doubts about the durability of the design. I could easily see the stand being bent especially if I kept it in my wallet with my cards.

The Nite Ize QuickStand has supported both my phone in its thick case and my much larger tablet perfectly, so it’s perfect for most screen sizes. Although it can be a little unstable with the latter, that’s to be expected with the width of the tablet far exceeding the stand. Nightize themselves recommend it for screens up to 7 inches with or without a case. The stand will hold the screen just as well if the device is vertical or horizontal.

The stability is helped by making the footprint of the stand the entire rim of the credit card, giving more space for it to spread the weight across. I have comfortably enjoyed many train journeys with it supporting my phone, however, I have always had a table or a flat surface to balance on. With this type of stand that’s essential otherwise, it’s pretty much useless. But a flat surface is easy to find for me at the places I use it, such as the office or train.

What I love about this stand is how easy it is to carry. You can fold the Nite Ize Micro Stand down to just slightly thicker than your credit card. Meaning you can just slide it into your wallet. At 11.3g you will not even notice the additional weight making it a highly packable solution.

I decided if it was designed to be wallet-sized, that’s where it should belong. It has now remained there for the last six months, and I can say with absolute confidence my first impression was wrong. It has been sat on for hours and thrown about with my wallet, but it is still perfectly usable and in great condition and shows no signs of wear and tear. Usually, high-quality gear attracts a high price tag, so considering I paid less than a tenner for this little gadget I am more than impressed with the value for money. Being so budget-friendly this is an item that should be on everyone’s packing list.

So the only real use I have found for this stand is for watching movies or if I’m using my phone as a dual screen. Because of the available angles, this stand isn’t very good for photography. It’s unable to support the phone at the right angle to allow everyone to get in the shot. But for viewing videos it’s been great. The QuickStand has lived in my wallet, coming out on commutes to prop my phone on the train table. Or to prop my phone next to my tablet so I can watch videos whilst working. It is very useful for that one task, but it lacks versatility. An issue I had would be on tray tables as they tend to be lower. The QuickStand is only able to go back so far, so depending on your height you may be looking at your screen from an angle.

The Nite Ize QuickStand is a great little stand and is handy for longer commutes. When working on a desk or table I found it useful. But if the table was slightly lower like a tray table then the viewing angles were less than optimal. If you’re looking for a small present or something on the budget side then this is a great option. If you want to use it for photography too you may want to consider the Joby Griptight One Microstand, it is more expensive but more versatile.