I’m picky about my desk setup. I love working from home with my laptop stand, monitor, mechanical keyboard, and mouse, and I hate using just a laptop most of the time. But sometimes I want to work from the library or my sister’s kitchen counter without losing all the convenience of my peripherals. Enter Logitech’s Casa Pop-Up Desk.
The Pop-Up Desk weighs about 2.7 pounds and, when closed, looks like a small textbook. That means it fits in most backpacks and tote bags so you can take it anywhere. You open it to find a wireless keyboard and trackpad in their designated spots. Just pop ’em out and then configure the case into a stand to keep your laptop at eye level, using magnets to connect the platform to the edge of the case.
There’s also a compartment to hold the USB-C charging cord (it doesn’t come with a power block) that charges both accessories. It’s not big enough for much else, but it could also hold your phone charger too, a pen, and maybe a thin stack of Post-it Notes.
Photograph: Medea Giordano
Desk Mate
Logitech makes reliable keyboards, and we recommend many of them. I wish the Casa Pop-Up Desk included a cute mechanical keyboard, like Logitech’s Pop Keyboard, instead of a quieter membrane keyboard. I like clicky-clacky keys, but that would likely make the whole thing bigger, bulkier, and more expensive.
Still, the Casa Keys keyboard included here works well, with a slight incline for comfortable typing. It’s a compact keyboard, so it doesn’t have the numpad or function row. I prefer a full-size keyboard, but for use when I’m away from my desk it’s perfect. If you typically use your laptop keyboard anyway, you won’t be disappointed with it.
Photograph: Medea Giordano