By Jason Snell

October 7, 2015 3:21 PM PT

Twelve South’s BookArc gets an update

Note: This story has not been updated for several years.

For ages now I’ve used a BookArc from Twelve South as my MacBook stand. When I used to commute, I would drop my 11-inch MacBook Air into the BookArc, plug in power and Thunderbolt, and go about my day with my laptop driving a Thunderbolt Display while vertical with its lid closed. These days I don’t use my MacBook Air in that configuration, but I still store and charge my Air upright in a BookArc. (And we bought a second one for my wife’s 13-inch MacBook Air.)

Today Twelve South announced the new BookArc, which replaces the old model that’s been around since 2009. (It was Twelve South’s first product, in fact.) It’s smaller and lighter, now made of aluminum and offering a touch of style with a shiny chamfered edge. It comes with silicone inserts sized for the Retina MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and MacBook, so you can get just the right fit for your laptop—and know that your laptop’s aluminum skin is resting gently on a safe, non-scratching material.

Today I got a chance to use the new BookArc model, and from the silicone feet to the cut-outs for cable control, it’s got the same attention to detail that I’ve come to expect from Twelve South. If you run your MacBook in lid-closed mode, or are generally short on desk space, I highly recommend the BookArc.

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