Need a great stand for your office, bedroom, or living room? We've got a few favorites.
This month, I'm moving from my trusty two-room studio to a place where I'll have my very own office. As you might expect, when you split the rest of your living quarters from your tech, you wind up having to buy a few new things, including: iPhone stands!
Since I've spent quite a bit of time researching my perfect office and bedroom stands, I figured I'd drop all that knowledge on you, dear readers. Save yourself the hassle of digging through Amazon ratings and pages of artisanal stands: Here are some of the best iPhone 6 and 6 Plus stands out there.
For caseless basics: Belkin Charge and Sync Dock
If you're rocking your iPhone without a case and you need something cheap and simple, Belkin's Charge and Sync dock might be right up your alley. The plastic dock has a painted aluminum finish in silver, blue, green, pink, purple or red; an integrated Lightning connector; and is small enough to hide on just about any desk, bureau, or side table. It is a bit lighter than other stands and docks, though, so expect to remove your iPhone with two hands—or stick the dock to a surface with 3M tape.
Our review
$34.99 - Buy now
For plastic perfection: The Stump Stand
It doesn't charge—nor offer a hole to charge—your iPhone, but it sure makes a great perch: I first discovered the Stump Stand several years ago at Macworld Expo right after the iPad launch, and I've been using mine ever since. It's the goofiest of my recommendations, without a doubt—it's essentially a rotund, 3.5-inch rubber stump boasting colors like "Sea Glass" and "Royal Blue."
But the stand itself is incredibly versatile: It's weighted but portable, and its rubberized coating means that you can not only set your iPhone upright in the groove; you can also lean it against the stump. I use it a lot as my main traveling stand while I'm on business trips or vacation, but it also makes a good dock pretty much anywhere else, too—as long as you can enjoy some goofy color with your iPhone propping.
$24.95 - Buy now
Simple and sweet: The Lightning Dock
Want a simple aluminum perch for your iPhone and its Lightning charge cable? Check out The Lightning Dock: Cloud Eight's stand is little more than a silver or black lopsided aluminum disk, but it makes your iPhone look great atop it. You will need to hook up your own Lightning to USB connector to charge your phone, however.
$39.95 - Buy now
For the official model: iPhone Lightning Dock
I'm going to let iMore's own Rene Ritchie talk about Apple's official iPhone Lightning Dock, as he recently reviewed it:
I've been using the iPhone Lightning Dock every night since it was released, and it's not just as good as Apple's previous generations — it's better.
Apple's dock remains simple and essential: The barest possible bit of plastic you need to plug in. Other docks provide completely different looks and often additional functionality as well.
If all you want is the Apple aesthetic, a place to charge, and an audio-out port, however, the iPhone Lightning Dock is a solid place to do it.
Our review
$39.95 - Buy now
For the kitchen: The Orange Chef iPad Stand
This stand may technically be for your iPad, but I use it all the time with my iPhone 6 for cooking, and for good reason: It's a simple, dishwasher-safe wooden stand that looks great in pretty much any kitchen. Just stick it on a kitchen counter and plop your iPhone in one of the two viewing slots and you're good to go.
I do generally recommend picking up kind of case or protective covering for your iPhone if you're going to be cooking especially close to your stovetop, but if this stand gets dirty or food-stained, you can pop it into the dishwasher or run it under the sink.
$39.95 - Buy now
For the aluminum office: Twelve South HiRise
If it's quality aluminum craftsmanship you're looking for in your iPhone stand, Twelve South won't disappoint. The company's $34.99 HiRise and $59.99 HiRise Deluxe differ largely in whether you need to supply a separate Lightning charge cable; otherwise, you're looking at a sleek, simple silver or black aluminum stand from which you can perch your iPhone.
Though my office is a little too wood-based for most of Twelve South's offerings, fellow iMore editor Peter Cohen swears by their stands and accessories.
Our review
HiRise - $34.99 Buy now
HiRise Deluxe - $59.99 Buy now
For upgradeability: Henge Docks Gravitas
Tired of having to buy a new stand every time you upgrade your iPhone's form factor? Henge Docks's Gravitas stand not only comes with several swappable inserts for both iPhone and iPad, but it also offers the company's Life After Device program: If Apple decides to change the form-factor of the iPhone, you only need to pick up a spare insert, rather than a whole new dock.
Like the HiRise, the zinc-alloy Gravitas wouldn't look out of place in a metallic-themed office, though it looks just as nice in regular surroundings; the stand also comes with its own USB charge cable, and offers an AUX out port in case you'd like to hook some wired speakers up to your device. It's got some heft to it, too, allowing you to pick up your iPhone without picking up your stand, as well.
$69 - Buy now
For anodized aluminum lovers: ElevationLab Elevation Dock 3
ElevationLab's Elevation Dock has come a long way since its Kickstarter days: The third iteration of its popular dock is just as sleek as ever, with CNC-manufactured aircraft-grade aluminum, a perfectly-machined opening for your iPhone 6 or 6 Plus, and adjustable silicone bumpers that give your iPhone a perfect fit whether it's bare or in a case.
It features the same kind of weight and heft to it as the Grovestand, allowing you to easily dock it one-handed, and looks great in a variety of rooms. It's even offered in four different color finishes to suit your taste: Glass-beaded aluminum, matte black, red, and cerulean blue.
$89/$99 - Buy now
For double docking: Füz Designs EverDock Duo
If your office is a multiple-iPhone household or you simply have multiple devices floating around at any given time, you might want to check out the EverDock Duo. The aluminum charging stand grips firmly atop any surface you place it on for easy one-handed docking removal, and offers spacers for a tight caseless or cased fit. You'll have to supply your own cables—but that can be a bit of a blessing for those of us with secondary Android work devices (or older iPhone test models).
Our review
$69.99 - Buy now
For that Apple Store look: Grovemade Maple iPhone Dock
The perfect blend of wood and metal, Grovemade's Maple iPhone Dock encapsulates Apple Store fashion chic: If Apple were to make a tiny table for each individual iPhone, I imagine it would look something like this.
A hefty three pounds, the Maple iPhone Dock sits firmly on your desk with no suction or grippy rubber feet needed; you just have to thread a Lightning charger cable up through the dock's base and you're good to go.
You can use the dock with or without a case, though I'd recommend nothing too bulky if you want to keep an easy dock-in/dock-out process.
And, as an extra bonus, Grovemade's products are entirely sourced and built in the USA.
$99 - Buy now
For cord-hiding classiness: Quell & Co Spool Dock
I haven't tried the Spool Dock yet, but have heard nothing but good things from those who have: The USA-made iPhone charging stand not only looks beautiful—mixing wood, metal, and merino wool—but it's eminently functional, too. Hidden in that metal base is a 360-degree spooling motion that coils your cord and allows you to rotate your iPhone in any direction. You can even remove and rotate the merino wool spacers to provide a looser fit, if you're rocking your iPhone in a case.
I'd put this stand just about anywhere in my home, but I'm especially curious as to how well it travels—any stand that can also manage my charging cord is close to a winner in my book.
$65 - Buy now
For the forgetful and the audiophile: iSkelter Station
If you'd prefer your iPhone dock also hold a few miscellaneous items from your pockets—or you want a combination stand to hold your studio headphones—I'd take a look at two of iSkelter's dock options.
The iSkelter Classic Station is an 11-inch long bamboo caddy that offers a docking slot for your iPhone along with two tray areas—labeled "stuff" and "pen," respectively. Unlike some of my other picks, it doesn't have a charging slot for your iPhone—it's primarily for display while at your desk. (And honestly, if you wanted to add a charging hole yourself, you could probably do it yourself with a dremel and a half-hour.)
The Sound Station also offers a dockless bamboo stand for your iPhone, but with added bamboo headphone stand. If you (like I) are constantly hanging your nice over-the-ear headphones on your monitor, mic stand, or elsewhere, the Sound Station might be a nice investment for your desk.
iSkelter Classic Station - $39.99 - Buy now
iSkelter Sound Station - $54.99 - Buy now
Any stands I missed that you love?
Those are my top picks—if you have a stand that you want to see us take a look at for the next version of this roundup, sound off in the comments! I also didn't cover the many, many, many handmade iPhone stands that lurk within Etsy this time around, but have a few on order that I'm going to try and report back.