I have worked from home no less than 1 day per week for the past 6 years and exclusively from home since March 2020. I have had number of solutions/work spaces in my home including: desk from IKEA, working at the kitchen table, and working from the couch with a laptop cooling station as a desk. All of those solutions had common challenges: 1. Not a dedicated space which required packing and unpacking my computer and work items each night (exception for the ikea desk), 2. Not designed for sitting endlessly for hours each day (exception to the IKEA desk), 3. in the case of the IKEA desk, required additional furniture (desk chair) and had a large footprint; to name just a few. Needing a more permanent solution that would alleviate the above challenges, I began searching for a ‘C’ table on Amazon when I came across the Able Life Universal Swivel TV Tray Table, Portable Laptop Desk, Adjustable Couch Desk for Computers (their product name, not mine ????). Certainly it was more expensive than a C table; however in my opinion it the Able Life offers more flexibility and can be customized to fit the height of the chair you have (where as a C table would be a single height). Another benefit was that the Able Life allows you too easily get into and out of you seat. This is an overlook hassle- with a C table or other, you’d have to move the table each time you get into and out of the chair. Assembly and Set-up: Assembly is straight forward and the instructions clear enough. I will say the directions for installing the two set screws for leveling the top weren’t hardly clear. There is a limit on how ‘narrow’ you can make the base, but that can be over come, if so inclined, by cutting the bar(s) and connector that attach the feet. Conversely, there is a maximum width on the base, indicated by a ’stop here’ etching on the connecting bar. While the images on the product page show a configuration thats orients the table alongside the sofa/chair (front to back), for me installing the table with under the two front legs of my chair was the best option. That was partially because of the design of my chair, whereby the rear legs are set inside the front legs (its an arched base chair), although I could have used it as pictured- it would’ve just been angled a bit and I wouldn’t be able to push the chair I am using as far back (chair is angled in a corner versus being flat to a wall). I found an added benefit of setting the table in this configuration provided a better ‘footprint’ while also (since I am using this with a chair) keeping the chair from being at an angle. I had originally considered adding furniture feet to level the chair legs, but setting the table under front legs eliminated one side of the chair being ever so slightly higher. Setting the height of the work surface is easily accomplished and a set screw is tightened after setting the height to secure the riser. One thing I cannot opine on, and it may be less comfortable, is using this with a couch or armless chair. If on the end of a couch, you’d have an armrest (on the left or the right side of you and no arm rest on the other side). Having one arm on a couch arm rest and the another not supported might make this an odd setup- but since Im using this with a chair and the chair has arms; I set the height of the table such that my arms rare supported, resting at ninety degrees on the arms of chair and not putting a lot of weight on the table surface itself. Add-Ons and Modifications: I purchased the add-on “utensil compartment” to keep a few pens and my AirPods nearby. I also purchased the add-on “base tube organizer” to keep a pack of sticky notes, my Magic Mouse and a dust brush within arms reach. These accessories are easily installed in a moment to two. I also made a couple of modifications to the riser. I’ve added some cable clips (OHill Cable Clips, 16 Pack Black Cord Organizer Cable Management) with outdoor double sided tape for power cord management. Lastly I bought an iPad mount (Aduro Solid-Grip iPad Stand Holder 360 Adjustable Universal Gooseneck Lazy Tablet Stand for Desk) and cut the clamp off. I then drilled a 1/2” hole in the cap of the riser on the table and inserted the remaining iPad mount into the table riser. I had tried using the iPad mount clamp, but I couldn’t get the clamp to the attach in a position I liked and it took away some of the minimalist design of the Able Life table. Of course, an additional accessory could be designed by Able Life to recreate my solution and offer a mount for tablets… Able life, I release all rights to this idea should you pursue it - a simple credit or acknowledgment would be nice ???? Using the table: Usage is straight forward. Pivot the top out of you way, sit down and pull the top towards you. The pivot of the table arm, combined with the swivel of the table mount, enables a wide range of motion and possibilities for getting position right for your set up. One downside is with this type of single arm design, and by no means a design flaw of the Able Life, the table can bounce a bit when writing or typing. It’s not a huge issue, however if you’re on a video call the other participants may see jostling. Reflecting on my earlier comment about using this on a couch, the more thought I give to that set up, the less comfortable I think this would be for all day use. If I could make any recommendations it would be to offer a few different color options. I’ll distress the top of mine to better match my decor and I’ll spray paint the base and riser an antique brown; again for aesthetics. I’d also suggest rounding off the edges of the table surface as they are a bit sharp. Summary: So, is this a good work from home solution for you? I would say you’d be hard pressed to find a better solution if you want a minimalist design, plenty of configuration options, a small footprint, the ability to use your existing furniture, especially an arm chair, and only need a work surface large enough for a laptop and using a mouse or writing with pad (legal size or similar).
