The Macally EcoFan XL Bamboo Cooling Stand is a stand for your laptop that you can put on your desk or lap that will prop your computer up in an ergonomically correct and comfortable position and cool your computer. It is a unique stand indeed, it is made up of bamboo, a very strong replenishing grass that is the fastest growing plant in the world and the most efficient plant on Earth. It is the most economical laptop stand I’ve ever seen but does it do it’s job of keeping an ergonomically comfortable position and keeping the laptop cool (because after all it is a fan)? Let’s find out.
Form
The stand in terms of aesthetics is mostly outstanding (pun intended). The stand looks incredible. The bamboo gives it a good woody color and texture. The bamboo is very well cut and smoothed out, I have come across a few splintered pieces of bamboo but that is understandable so I isn’t a big deal. The fan is clear and the even aesthetics of the fan looks nice. The fan isn’t all too large and it isn’t clunky looking, it seems as though they paid attention to detail here. Even the rubber pieces that makes sure the computer doesn’t slide off are decent. Another thing is that the stand is practically weightless. This stand is made out of very strong and durable bamboo, but it is very light, not necessarily thin, but it’s very light. It is very airy and it’s just a wonder how they pulled off such a strong stand without being heavy, but they did it. Everything aesthetically about this case is near perfect, it looks nice, feels nice and polished, the rubber grips are solid pieces (although there is something I don’t like about them that I will mention in a bit), the bamboo protects itself.
Now notice I said “almost perfect”, there is one thing aesthetically I’m not a fan of, the USB cable. It isn’t the concept behind the cable (it even has a USB port in it so technically it doesn’t take up a USB port) but it’s the aesthetics of the cable. However as insignificant as it may sound, the way the cable looks is a bit of a drawback. It looks overly tacky and makes the nice MacBook Air tacky. Typically, cables are never a deal for me aesthetically, but I had to point this cable out. It is a bit big and bulky and a weird tint of black, not matching the stand or the MacBook. It is not a cheap cable but it looks it since it doesn’t have an simplistic feel, and that is what the computer and the stand have, so to me it is kind of awkward. Of course, it is a minor thing that I wouldn’t normally mention but the awkwardness of the cable told me to. This won’t count against the final score of the stand since it’s so minimal.
All in all, the aesthetics, the “form” of the stand is outstanding and it screams simplicity (minus the cable). This stand is a piece of art. I think I’ll head my way to the modern art museum now..
Function
Well, I’m back from the museum, they already had one on display! Can you believe that? Someone beat me to it! Anyways, now to the function of the stand. When on a desk or the lap, the stand does well to provide an ergonomically comfortable environment so now you won’t catch that new string of carpal tunnel thats going around. The stand doesn’t put it at a degree to high nor too low, it’s just the perfect angle. I appreciate the fact that the stand is collapsable and can be stored away easier because of that. Also, because the stand is collapsible, you can choose to have it more elevated or less elevated, giving you control in the degree of the stand, both degrees are very ergonomically comfortable. I prefer to have the stand collapsed when I am sitting n the couch or a chair and have the stand up when it is on a desk, but ultimately the choice is yours. The fan is also huge plus as not every stand as that. Not only does have a fan, it has a good one so now my Air uses it’s fan less and less and is cooler more and more. Running the same programs, I noticed a huge difference in the heat on top of the MacBook between when it’s on and off the stand. It is a very effective fan. The fan is also virtually silent, which I appreciate because I didn’t trade off hearing my MacBook’s fan to hear this fan so for me, it’s a plus. I did complain about the cable in the last paragraph, but one thing I’m not complaining about is that it doesn’t take up a slot. The cable has a USB slot built in. I believe the USB port is USB 2.0 and my computer is 3.0 but I’m not complaining, I just appreciate the fact that they did that, for me it’s a big plus.
There are also a few things that didn’t work for me. The rubber pieces (in the back) slip off easily and, if left on the stand during transport, can easily fall off. The back of the stand does not cover the fan very well and if something presses hard enough against it, that something will stop the fan. Fortunately that something is not your legs when the stand is collapsed, the plastic covering that surrounds the fan is protected by a piece of bamboo when the back legs are collapsed in. Another thing, I am not sure if this stand would be ideal for owners of 17 inch laptops, I question whether it is big enough to hold them. To me, it seems like it does, but I have doubts. Overall, the positives way out weigh the negatives and Macally did a great job with it.
Conclusion
Pros:
-Stand is very ergonomic
-Fan works as it should and cools down the computer a good amount
-Aesthetics of the stand look great and would work on any desk, wood or glass (doesn’t scratch glass)
-Rubber stoppers stop the computer from falling off
-Highly portable, maybe even fit in some large laptop bags, with the laptop as well!
-Helps the environment by using as many economical materials as possible
Cons:
-Rubber stoppers in the back can fall off easily, especially during transport
-Fan can be stopped by something putting just a bit of pressure in it, almost always when the back legs are open
-Aesthetics of the wire could be better (this really shouldn’t be here, but for some reason, it just bugs me)
As you can see, not only are there more pros, they are more important than the cons. The cons of the stand are nitpick stuff. It took me a lot longer to find the cons than the pros, even though there are more pros. It is always important to find something a company can improve on since this is what reviews are about, informing the public but also informing the company of how their product performs and Macally’s Bamboo Stand performs very well and I’m sure you and the company would like to know that this stand has rightfully earned 5/5 stars. If a product makes me have to look for problems hard enough, it’s an automatic 5/5 because nothing is perfect but something has to get a 5/5 anyways and since this product was so close to perfect that is possible, it was easily earned a 5/5. I can’t imagine using my MacBook without it and I use it and will continue to use it for a long time. That, is the highest commendation I can give. When I can say that I genuinely use it everyday and will continue to use it everyday, that says something. Great job Macally for a great stand.
Thanks for reading,
Joe