Review: Twelve South launches new Curve Flex MacBook stand with adjustable aluminum build

Today, Twelve South is launching an all-new addition to its lineup of MacBook stands, and it just so happens to be the brand’s most versatile option yet. Meet the new Curve Flex, an adjustable way to prop up your machine at the desk with an aluminum design that can fold open to elevate your device up to 22 inches off the desktop. Head below as we take a hands-on look at what to expect from the new Twelve South Curve Flex.

Twelve South Curve Flex MacBook stand arrives

Twelve South was kind enough to send one of the new Curve Flex stands over, and I’ve been testing it out for the past week or so. The short version of this review is that the brand packed its usual premium design cues and high-end build materials into an all-new form-factor that provides even more flexibility in setting up your desk around a MacBook and more; but there’s of course more to write home about this time around.

Really diving into the Flex naming scheme, the new Twelve South stand enters the brand’s lineup of existing Curve accessories with an even more adjustable design than before. We’ve seen a few different models arrive in this stable over the years, and the latest increments on each of them to deliver a flexible way to prop up your MacBook at the desk.

Everything is centered around an aluminum build, which stays true to the Twelve South lineup. Out of the box, the stand has a very premium-feeling design with some heft to it. The design has three different pieces of cut aluminum attached together with hinges that allow the stand to open up almost like an accordion. This not only lets you adjust the height of your setup, but also provides some extra flexibility in how your machine is angled.

To help out with that, the top of the Twelve South Curve Flex is lined with this incredibly grippy padding that helps keep your MacBook in place. It has a porous design that is far more spongy and rubbery than what I’ve seen on other stands – even previous releases from the company. If you’re worried about this scratching up your new Midnight M2 MacBook Air, Twelve South has really seemed to plan ahead.

The flexible design also allows you to fold the stand flat when not in use. Twelve South actually includes a little sleeve in the box for storing the Curve Flex in your bag between setting up a mobile workstation, and a use case that I can actually see being a big perk of the stand for students heading back to school this fall or anyone else who routinely switches between the at-home or in-office desks.

The biggest aspect of the stand has to be just how tight the tolerances are for the whole package. Twelve South has a reputation of delivering some pretty high-end accessories to match Apple’s devices, and the Curve Flex might just be the best embodiment of that to date. The joints that hold the entire accessory together are so smooth for adjusting, which ultimately stacks up to deliver a stand with very little wobble. It doesn’t matter how you have your MacBook set up (within reason); the stand is built well enough to keep things in place.

Now available for purchase, the new Twelve South Curve Flex is up for sale direct from Twelve South and over on Amazon. It comes in one of two different matte colors, white and black, as well. Each model sells for $79.99 right now.

Here’s an extra rundown on the features:

• Elevates your MacBook screen + camera up to 22 inches
• Adjusts your keyboard angle from 0 to 45 degrees  
• Folds flat to go wherever your MacBook goes
• Available in Matte Black or Matte White

gadgetnewsonline’ Take

I’ve been using the Twelve South Curve Flex for the past several days and have to say that I am quite impressed. The company is by no means new to making a great first impression, but the build quality is on another level this time around. Aluminum materials aside, I still can’t get over just how rigid this stand is when it’s actually propping up your machine, and how smooth the joints are when you need to collapse it or readjust your device’s position.

This is going to be a perfect complement to anyone who is rocking one of the latest MacBooks and wants to dock it at the desktop to use with a larger screen. And honestly, I’ve been using it to prop up my machine by itself with an external keyboard and mouse, which is yet another way that the Twelve South Curve Flex shines.

I really don’t have a negative thing to say this time, aside from that an $80 price point isn’t going to be for everyone. But for those who do take offense to how the pricing has fallen for Twelve South’s latest, the brand’s existing Curve stand at $60 is going to deliver a similar experience for less, just sans the adjustable design.

Buy the Twelve South Curve Flex stand now

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