Freesia Book Stand (19.6" X 11.8" Bookstand/Bookstands/Holder/Cookbook/Music)

Great book stand, great design. I'm just writing to agree with most folks here that this is a great product. I didn't get it directly from Amazon, so the Amazon Prime membership I have didn't help me here, as far as eliminating the shipping cost is concerned. After reading all of the reviews here, though, I decided to buy it because I figure I'm going to have the thing for years, and there's nothing more irritating than trying to work with an inferior product on a regular basis for a long time just because you didn't spend some extra money to get the best item available at the time of purchase.My main reason for writing this review is that this is the first book stand I've ever owned, and I thought I should warn first time users of the product to be gentle with it until you figure out how the cosmic hinge that supports the whole thing works. Do not try to force anything, it will open up all the way very easily just by swinging the plastic hinge all the way away from the wooden base. The key is that the main, big plastic part of the base is only connected at one end and swings freely away from the big wooden part of the stand, allowing the small plastic piece that maintains the book stand's angle to flop out completely, allowing you to set the book stand at its greatest (most vertical) angle, which is how I like to set it up.I know its hard to understand what someone is talking about when they describe three dimensional objects, so if what I'm saying is not understandable, just take my initial caution to heart and take it slow and easy when first trying to get the stand positioned how you want it, until the workings of the hinge become clear.One last thing I'll add, (and this might sound strange) is that when I initially wanted to place the book stand on a wooden dining room table, the little rubber feet on the plastic base planted the book stand too well for my taste. If I wanted to spin the stand just a little to left or right so that it seemed right, it just would not budge without picking the whole thing up. So what I did was I used some white Styrofoam sheets (I can't remember now if they came with the book stand or something else I purchased) to lower the level of friction between the surfaces. I just put the Styrofoam sheet under the stand, then put a big fat book on top of the stand, and I'm able to easily pivot the whole works just by pushing on one side and pulling on the other to adjust to taste.I hope some of what I've said makes sense, thanks for reading all of this.

I looked at a number of cheaper bookstands in the local box stores, and even book stores. Most of them were all plastic with few options for adjustment. I found a few metal bookstands that looked like music stands, but they were heavy and similarly lacked options for adjustment. I found this item on Amazon and since it had almost all positive reviews I thought it would be a good choice. It definitely was.I've been using this bookstand for over a year now and can hardly remember how I got along without it. It's pretty rare for a purchase to have that sort of effect on me. The stand is sturdy enough for my largest books, wide enough to have two books open at once, and adjustable for a variety of circumstances.For the most part I use it at my desk to keep books open while I read and take notes, but I also use it nearly flat to simulate standing behind the lectern in class. This is the sort of item, though, that you already know you want/need. If you do, I think this item (or another offering from this brand - smaller or larger) is an excellent purchase.Pros:+ Highly adjustable: whether you sit well above your desktop, or even, or are sitting at a low table this item can adjust to accommodate your needs.+ Durable: the construction is absolutely solid. This is the sort of item that is built to last.+ Functional: whether you need to hold open a large book (an encyclopedia, lexicon, etc.), a small book on its own, or two smaller books at once (this is the primary use I was shopping for and led me to this size) this works perfectly.+ Style: if you care about how your bookstand looks, you could do worse. This doesn't look cheap or flimsy.Cons:- I haven't come across any in over a year of use.You could probably buy two cheaper plastic bookstands for the same price (it's usually on sale on Amazon), but you'd ultimately end up replacing them. With this purchase you have your bookstand situation under control for life - I fully expect this to last for as long as I have the need for it.

Currently as a medical student, I am constantly looking down at my books. Either that or I'm looking at my computer screen and the CONSTANT motion of looking down and up for years caused neck pain and has finally driven me to purchase this book stand! I wanted one that was sturdy enough to bear the weight of my extremely heavy textbooks. Also the WIDTH of the book stand was important. I do not like it when the edges of my binders/textbooks are hanging off the edge causing them to be prone to tipping over. I know this book stand might be on the higher end but if you are a dedicated student or in other hobbies/professions that may require you to look down, I highly praise this bookstand. It has been saving my neck for the past 2 months and I am so glad I bit the bullet on the cost. I purchased the Freesia 19.69 stand to accomodate my binders/texts and I do not regret this purchase at all. I've had my med school friends even ask me about it. The bookstand itself is lightweight yet it doesn't feel flimsy even with a heavy book. The versatile view also help me when I want to switch up view modes. Sometimes I need to write notes or ipad and the lower elevation helps. When I'm writing for hours (8-10 hours), even the littlest elevation helps! The most help has been using it to stand right next to my computer as I look at notes and type simultaneously. I can't rave about this enough. I hope you decide to bite the bullet and buy this as well. It's saved my neck pain!