Phone accessories are a dime a dozen: cases with suction cups, pop sockets, straps, you name it. Most are designed to solve minor annoyances or add a tinge of convenience. However, there’s one accessory that’s quite simple yet indispensable for me: phone holders.

Phone Stands Are an Accessory I Can’t Live Without

If you’ve never owned or used a phone stand or holder on a daily basis, you don’t know how much you’re missing. When they first appeared with the rise of the smartphone in the early 2010s, I didn’t understand their concept at all. I could just hold the phone in my hands or prop my phone up on whatever object was in front of me to watch content in landscape mode.

However, this all changed when I got my first phone stand, around seven years ago. I quickly realized its usefulness is seriously underrated. Unlike my makeshift stack of TV remotes serving as a phone stand, the accessory always held my phone at the exact angle that I wanted, and if it didn’t, I could just adjust it with one hand in a second.

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Stands and holders make using your phone significantly more comfortable. Tall phone holders can elevate your phone to eye level, while even inexpensive stands help by providing a better viewing angle.

I bet some of you are reading this article with your phone lying flat on the desk. However, using your phone like this promotes an unhealthy and uncomfortable posture because you have to bend your neck for extended periods, leading to neck strain.

Why Stop at Just One?

Phone stands are cheap—while you could start with just one to see if it makes a meaningful difference, there’s little reason not to buy a few at once. You can get a six-pack for only $8 on Amazon, which is more than enough for the whole family. I always bring a phone stand when I travel (that’s how essential it is to me), so I like to have a few extras in case I leave one behind in a hotel room.

I realized I needed more phone stands when I kept carrying the same stand from room to room. So I bought a few extras and now have at least one in every room where I might want to set my phone down to keep watching YouTube, like the kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom.

I keep my phone upright on my desk—not just for watching YouTube, but also to stay on top of important emails and notifications. I also have a phone mount in my car for music and navigation, which is yet another essential phone accessory everyone should have.

Another benefit of having a phone stand in every room is that I always know where to find my phone. Instead of searching every room for my phone, I just check the spots where I keep the stands.

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The Many Types of Phone Stands and Holders

While phone stands, holders, and kickstands all serve the same basic purpose of propping up your phone, they do so in different ways. Let’s briefly go over each type so you can choose the one that best fits your needs.

Kickstands are the simplest solution. Some are built into phone cases, while others, like the Kinizuxi kickstand, attach directly to the back of your phone. I’m not a huge fan of them, as they can be flimsy, but they’re ultra-portable and great if you travel a lot or spend time outdoors.

Phone stands are slightly larger and sturdier. They also tend to offer more adjustability and additional features. For instance, the Nulaxy stand has a cable cutout for charging, making it a perfect option at your desk.

Nulaxy Dual Folding Cell Phone Stand

The Nulaxy foldable iPhone stand is perfect for propping it up while you workout—and you can bring it anywhere.

If your phone supports wireless charging, you can also get a phone stand that supports Qi wireless charging. This is a great idea for your desk, especially if it’s a larger stand with room for your smartwatch and earbuds, like the Nimble Fold 3-in-1.

Phone holders are the largest and can usually be clamped or mounted to surfaces, much like a car phone mount, but for your desk or kitchen countertop. A great example is this Lamicall Gooseneck phone holder. Holders offer the most flexibility in positioning, but they also take up a lot of space, so be mindful where you install them. I recently ordered one for my kitchen—which just happens to be a great place to put an old tablet to work.

Despite being one of the cheapest and most overlooked phone accessories, I find phone stands to be indispensable. If you’re addicted to watching YouTube or downloaded Netflix content on your phone, you’ll quickly learn to appreciate their utility.