Twelve South Curve SE review: A steal at $40

Twelve South today is launching a new, and more affordable addition to its lineup of MacBook stands. The new Curve SE arrives at the bottom of its current lineup, delivering the same ergonomic upgrade as some of the more premium models in the collection – just at half the price.

Hands-on with the new Twelve South Curve SE

Over the past year, Twelve South has been transitioning to a new lineup of Mac stands. We’ve already covered two of them since last summer, with the Twelve South Curve Flex being joined by the new HiRise Pro earlier in the year. Now the company is completing the collection with what will be the third – and likely final – model.

The new Twelve South Curve SE takes on a more affordable form-factor than either of the two higher-end solutions. There are a few ways that the new stand does this, but it really comes down to just two alterations. Before we get there, the new stand is like any other offering from the company. Twelve South is back at it again employing its usual premium build quality and that same, sleek design to prop up a MacBook at your desk.

As for what’s new this time around, Twelve South is delivering a design that is very similar to the original Curve stand. That model is currently being phased out, with the new SE model arriving to take its place in the spotlight. So form-factor wise, you’re looking at much of the same experience. But compared to the newer models, you are ditching any form of height adjustment, which is the first aspect that helps the company keep the price down.

Both the Flex and the HiRise Pro arrive with designs that let you adjust just how high they rest on your desk, with the former also going as far to let you tweak the angle your machine sits at, too. The Twelve South Curve SE does neither of those, instead relying on a fixed position. I’ve been quite partial to both of the higher-end models out there, and specifically how flexible they are for fitting into various workflows. So I was surprised by how much I’ve enjoyed using the Curve SE.

The height and angle that it holds your machine has proven to be perfect for all kinds of applications. It has been the perfect distance off my desk for keeping my screen and webcam at eye-level for video calls, while also providing enough room underneath for me to slide a keyboard when I want to keep my workstation clear – both of which are fantastic because I’ll be stuck with the design for as long as I use the stand.

A less noticeable adjustment to the Twelve South Curve SE this time around is that the company has changed the design of the original Curve and its single-piece construction. Twelve South has previously touted that its stands are made from just a single piece of aluminum, and now even that is being changed up to help keep costs down. For the new and more affordable MacBook stand, you’ll unbox three pieces that all clip together to form the actual accessory.

When I first saw this, I was a bit worried that moving away from the simplified design would mean that the stand wasn’t as sturdy. But boy was I wrong; this stand is built incredibly well even with the built-it-yourself construction.

Combined, those two alterations let the Twelve South Curve SE clock in at half the price of other models in the current stable. The Flex by comparison sells for $80, while the flagship stand steps up to a $100 MSRP. That makes the $39.99 price tag of the new MacBook stand far more compelling for those who don’t need all the bells and whistles.

Now available for purchase, you can bring the Twelve South Curve SE to your workstation for $39.99. It’s listed both directly from Twelve South, as well as over on the brand’s official Amazon storefront.

gadgetnewsonline’ Take

Twelve South sent over one of the Curve SE stands for me to check out, and I’ve been using it over the past week. The brand has also sent me all of its other new stands that I have been mentioning in this review, and so I do have them on-hand for comparison. But we’ll circle back there in a moment.

Throughout this entire post I feel as though I have been really honing in on the fact that this is a more affordable option compared to those higher-end models. But instead of looking at it like the cheap alternative to the stands you should actually buy, I have been quite enthused by just how good this is. Twelve South did make this a more entry-level solution, sure. But it didn’t ditch the usual premium we’ve come to expect.

All of that leads me to the new Curve SE being a go-to option to score a more affordable desktop accessory without giving up all of the usual Twelve South polishes. It may be 50% less than the next model up in the lineup, but Twelve South is hardly skimping out on the build quality. I would easily say that the company is making all the right compromises, delivering the stand that most users will gravitate towards for just $40.

As for how this compares to some of the other models from Twelve South, here is a galaxy to help showcase the dimensions. It’s also worth noting that while $40 is more affordable for this company, it’s still on the more premium side compared to some no-name alternatives out there. I’ve used some of them over the years and there really is nothing like the build quality that Twelve South is employing here.