When we reviewed Padded Spaces Prop ‘n Go Lap Stand last August, we found it to be a lap-friendly way to hold and position a bare or encased iPad. We stopped short of recommending it though, due to overall construction quality and materials, particularly the non-slip strips on its top surface. Now the company is back with another try. Prop ‘n Go Slim for iPad ($35) shares the same concept and general structure as the earlier accessory, but in a much thinner body and at a significantly lower price.
The smaller profile has been achieved by removing the pocket from the pillow, and using memory foam material for the flat base. Although the loss of the pocket means you can’t stash your iPad in there when it’s not in use, we find that the streamlined design looks and feels much better.
The new pillow is particularly comfortable, and fits well on the lap.
Prop ‘n Go Slim’s top maintains the same setup, with a hard plastic stand that folds into 14 different viewing angles for an iPad in either landscape or portrait orientation, with our without a case. There’s a lip to hold the tablet in place, and grippy strips for extra protection. We actually received two versions of the holder: one in the middle of March 2012, and another about a month later. The only difference between them is the non-slip grips, which seem to continue to pose problems for Padded Spaces. The first has strips that rise above the plastic surface a very small amount, and began peeling very soon after it was received.
Our second model’s strips have a slightly different texture and are almost completely flush. Of the various strips we’ve seen from the company, this most recent set seems to be the best solution so far. They exhibit no signs of peeling; we hope that doesn’t change with continued use.
Our final rating of Prop ‘n Go Slim is based on the most recent version we received, although the fact that the company is still having issues with its components is taken into account. We’re happy to see that Padded Spaces refined what was a pretty good idea and ended up with a more impressively executed solution.
