Rain Design iRest iPad LapStand Review

It is hard to believe its been over three years and five laptops since I did my Rain Design mStand review. I have gone through a lot of tech/gadget-stuff in those 40 months. But to this day, the mStand remains prominently situated on my desk, supporting all of my laptops from the 17″ MBPro I had while doing the original review to my current 13″ MBAir. Sufficed to say, I like I love the look, style, and function of the mStand especially when displaying my aluminum unibody laptops from Apple. Over the years, Rain Design has continued to release Apple centric designs to accentuate Apple's sleek aluminum and glass look and feel. This year, in that same tradition, they have created a stand engineered to hold your iPad while you're laying/lounging around, called the iRest.

The iRest is well made for its weight and transportability. It is compatible with the iPad 1 and iPad 2. According to Rain Design it also works with any tablet less than 0.47 inches (1.2 cm) thick. You can use your iPad/tablet vertically…..

…..or horizontally. The slot that the iPad resides in easily accommodates a naked iPad or the iPad 2 with or without its smart cover.

It does not allow either of the OtterBox Commuter or Defender (aka bulky) cases to fit within the iRest's rail.

As with the mStand, Rain Design has included/engineered adequate padding so that your iPad does not rub against the aluminum back of the iRest.

Specifications: The iRest can fold down into a relatively small volume. At two inches thick and less than a pound, it is very transportable.

The iRest stand is simple to get operational; take off the front pad, extend the acrylic back leg, replace the front pad, then screw in the two back padded feet.

As I stated above, the iRest is well made; from the aluminum stand and front foot, to the various types of padding, to the acrylic back leg. The back leg allows for large range of angles from nearly vertical to almost horizontal.

Quite often, the Gadgeteer Kid and I watch a show or movie in the evening before going to sleep. We typically negotiate (aka argue) who is going to hold the iPad while doing so. Being the end of the day and tired, holding the 1.5 lbs iPad in place is a hassle. The iRest eliminates this burden not only in bed but all around the house; from the couch, to the kitchen counter, to the desk, etc.

For what it is worth, the GK really likes the iRest and has said so more than a few times (this stand has, more or less, become his….). Other than before-bed movies, he primarily uses the iRest to hold his iPad when he is doing homework at the kitchen counter.

In addition to being able to use it as a lapstand, some or all of the padding can be removed, enabling the iRest to be used as a desktop stand for your iPad.  This is a nice feature.

Overall, we find the iRest useful throughout the house. My son takes advantage of its ability to display his iPad (vs him having to hold it or lean over it while laying horizontal). At $50, the iRest is comparably priced to other iPad stands and smart covers.  When factoring in its material and build quality it is a great buy.