It can be convenient to have a stand for your phone or tablet that holds the device upright for watching video, reading or just sharing the screen with a group. But many of these stands add unwanted bulk that makes your portable device much less portable.
One of the most compact yet still functional stands I have tried is the Pocket-eAzl, an aluminum and rubber contraption that folds and unfolds much like a Leatherman multi-tool.
The stand is made by Crimson AV, which manufactures mounting hardware used for things like attaching flat panel TVs to walls.
The Pocket-eAzl is made from an aluminum zinc mix and coated with epoxy paint in black, silver or pink. It folds to about 4- by 1 ½ â€" by ½-inch. Unfolded, it is about 7 ½ inches tall, and can be adjusted in a number of configurations to accept just about any reader, pad or phone. Rubberized feet and pads reduce the chance that your gear will slide around your seat back tray while traveling.
It can take a little fiddling to get it completely refolded. For some reason the legs resist tucking completely together after use, but it's only off by a fraction, and if you are a neat freak (guilty) you can snap a rubber band around the thing when you're done.
It's not particularly pretty (even the pink version is less than glamorous), but it has a certain utilitarian appeal. It's not exactly easy to find; you have to comb the Crimson AV site for it. And it's not exactly cheap at $40. But it is sturdy and likely to outlast the next several devices you stand on it.
