Since landing in Paris, I've been on a quest to put together the perfect work station. After all, if I left my pharmacy in Lebanon and was going to commit to this blogging thing for a while, I needed my setup to be as comfortable and as practical as it could be. I started with the desk itself (but that's a story for another day), a new blue iMac to complement my Pixelbook, and went all the way down the price meter to smaller and cheaper accessories. I've already talked to you about my new USB-C desk lamp and now it's time we addressed my minimalist Ugreen headphone stand.I've always watched YouTube videos of cool tech bros and sisters with their pristine desks and neat headphone stands and thought that this was the most first-world accessory ever. I mean, you could always just put the headphones on your desk, in lieu of the stand, right? Who's goofy enough to want to show off their headphones?
No matter how compact your headphones can be, a stand should have a smaller footprint.
...Except that they look really neat propped up like that and they do take up less desk space. So consumerism and tech influencers won that round, and I ended up on Amazon during Prime Day looking for a cheap headphone stand. I wasn't going to pay more than $15 for such an unnecessary novelty item and I figured I could always return it if it didn't work for me — oh the joys of living in a country where you can do that!
My first try was a big failure. I thought I could get a dual-purpose stand that would house my headphones and Pixel/iPad. But after the same-day delivery box was dropped at my door, I realized three things. One: if I'm going to prop up my phone, I need it to charge as well, which that wasn't made for. Two: that stand was very flimsy for my iPad and I wouldn't risk leaving it there. Three, and more importantly for the purpose of our article, the headphone stand part was just terrible for my Marshall Monitor II ANC headset. It was too wide and stretched the headband open while it was resting. Plus it pushed into the cushy bits and I felt that with enough time, it could tear through the leather'ish material. Back to Amazon it (and I) went.
The Ugreen's cylinder tube design is the simplest and friendliest "hook" for narrow headbands.
On my second try, I gave up on the idea of a dual-purpose stand because nothing seemed solid enough for an iPad. I also knew I had to find something different for my Marshalls. Except every single headphone stand out there, from the little under-desk hooks to the big props, uses a wide holder section. Some say it's a flexible silicone material, but I wasn't going to put my money down to test that theory. Then I stumbled on this cool stand by Ugreen. It looked nothing like the rest and seemed perfect for narrower headsets, without any potential pressure point. In the cart it went. And guess what? It's perfect.
It's built solidly while retaining a minimal aesthetic. When my headphones aren't on it, it's nothing but a tall silver column with shiny and matte parts. It's not imposing or distracting, and it fits very well with my iMac or Pixelbook's designs. When I need to use it, the headset falls smoothly on the rounded "hook", and because of the design, I can always change the point of contact to avoid causing any permanent crease. So far, the Marshall's foamy headband has recovered immediately each time I took it off.
It's easy to change the point of contact.
For those of you with wired headsets, the two cylinders at the back can serve as way to wrap around the wire. I also found that the base works well as a temp holder for my true wireless buds. This sounds silly, because I can put them right on the table next to the stand, but you know, it's so much better when you can reduce the clutter a teeny bit.
Much space saving. Very neat. Wow.
Overall, for $12, I think the usefulness/novelty ratio is balanced enough to make me want to keep this. The fact that it's both so cute and so chic is an awesome bonus.