Nobody ever tells you that after you turn 30 your body starts to break down — well, maybe they do, but I certainly never listened. Sadly, halfway around 31, with two slipped discs and a rheumatic condition affecting my back, wrists, and legs, I seem to fall apart. I can’t take a hangover anymore either.
Then, per doctor’s orders, I decided to completely renovate my home office. To help ease the pain, I brought a new standing desk and more foam than the rabid fox, thanks to a set of ergo cushions for a chair. I’ve also bought quite a few IKEA gubbins to help clean up the organizational ramifications of switching desks – I’d go from a two-meter giant with no less than six Built-in shelving for storage, to a standing desk with 1 table top.
This was a fallout from the Chernobyl scale of chaos. The alarm sounded in Sweden.
I channeled my inner Gorbachev, and dumped the kitchen sink into the office. Shelves, storage units, baskets, cable ties and a monitor stand from IKEA. However, none of them made me as happy as I did Ikea crop (Opens in a new tab): the humble $3 hero (£2.25 here in the UK) that’s just as beloved as it is useful, and has its buyers rave in the reviews left on the IKEA product page…
“Oh my God! It’s amazing!” AKINO is excited, and “👍👍👍 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 👍👍👍” Masoud, both from Canada, nods. I agree with them both. I love this little product. Here’s why.
Take a stand on something
The IKEA product page bills the little Krubbet as a simple stand for one phone — a miscarriage of marketing. This is Marie Kondo’s multi-purpose masterpiece.
The Krubbet has three horizontal bars across its seat, ostensibly to provide three seating positions for a single phone, from vertical to about 45 degrees. This gives you three different viewing angles, making the Krubbet ideal for a wide variety of tasks.
You can use it to watch a movie on your device, or you can stick your phone at a 45-degree angle while on a standing desk and use it in companion mode with other apps or software. The 45-degree angle is perfect for using your phone screen as a trackpad to control your Mac, too.
These rails also allow multiple phones to be stacked on the stand. Most people won’t need this feature, but I do. As the editor of the Tom’s How-to guide, I need different devices to be able to explain the steps on different platforms. As such, I have five phones, all of which can fit a Krubbet! This keeps my desk more tidy than before, while also avoiding screen scratches from keeping phones loose in a drawer or in my work bag.
take sides
Krubbet is also powerful enough to stack more than just phones. While it seems and indeed He is Cheap, its metal bars don’t play at all. It’s four legs, wide stand and eight-fold flexibility mean you can stack tablets, and even laptops on it, too. This makes it an ideal stand for use anywhere in the home, not just in the office.
“It’s very sturdy because it has four legs,” agrees Samantha, from Australia, in an IKEA review. “I can stand it around the edge of my bathroom or even on my bed and it won’t fall over.”
be seen! Although I hope Samantha has a waterproof phone.
The iPad Air sits comfortably in all three different positions — the 45-degree position is especially good for drawing on the tablet with the Apple Pencil. MacBook Air easily fits into the front or back slot.
The MacBook won’t open in the positions mentioned, as it must be stored upside down to avoid tipping over, so you can’t work on it or use it as a second monitor with the Krubbet — but I’m sure it will work with lighter laptops like the Surface Laptop 4 or Chromebook.
I put my MacBook in the back while stacking my iPad and three iPhones. I’ve also been using it to stand on my Xbox console and my Steam Deck, and other IKEA reviews mention that my PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch controller fit perfectly on the stand too!
Heck, you can use it to display whatever you want: photos, documents, and plaques commemorating the British monarchy. whatever. It is very practical.
He took charge
Krubbet’s stacking capabilities aren’t its only benefit. Thanks to its construction, you can charge your devices while stacked vertically, and run several cables under the stand to keep them neat and out of the way. I was able to charge multiple devices simultaneously.
It also means you can keep your phone upright for video calls or as an extra screen while also keeping it charged.
Finally, there is his personality. While Krubbet looks typical of IKEA utilitarianism, it does so with a dash of fun. It’s a funky little sun lounger for your phone, tablet, laptop, or whatever to sit and relax on.
They even look adorable. “Krubbet” is like an affectionate pet name you give your partner when they do something gross like picking their nose, but you still think they’re cute. “You filthy little Krubbet, you!”
I may seem like I’m overreacting to what is just a $3 phone stand. However, I have a real penchant for things that do a very good job. Big or small, if there’s something wonderful about the task you’re meant to accomplish—and better yet, do it with humility—I’m a fan. Which is why I love the little cherubite.
In fact, I like Krubbet so much, I’ll be back and get more. Another for my desk so I can keep my tablet and laptop on a stand in addition to my phones. Another for my bedside table so I can watch Tom YouTube guide And Tom’s TikTok Guide Videos that happily lull me to sleep. And I think another device for the kitchen, where we often have two or three phones or tablets lying around charging.
And according to more IKEA reviews, it appears I’m not the only one.
“I had to get a second one because I was going to fight for my wife,” says Abhishek from India.
“I came back for more so I could leave them in different rooms,” admits Robin from the US.
After all, for only $3 a pop, why the hell not?
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