Nerdytec Couchmaster Cyworx Review: Your Essential WFH Laptop Desk

There is no better lapdesk out there. The Cyworx fuses comfort with function, in a sophisticated, fungible package.

My favorite product of 2021 isn't a laptop or keyboard: it's like a TV tray or lap desk. Perhaps that sounds ridiculous, but don't get fooled. The $158 nerdytec Couchmaster Cyworx is more than a beer coaster. It's a laptop desk (lapdesk) that turns your couch into the most comfortable office chair ever. Although expensive, it's worth every cent for anyone who loves working from their sofa, bed, or recliner.

Is nerdytec Legit?

Nerdytec hails from Germany, but their products are sold all over the world, including Amazon.com. While Amazon suffers from a serious problem with fake reviews (how to spot fake reviews on Amazon), nerdytec's score is legit. For example, ReviewMeta's analysis of the Cyworx indicates it's clean of fraud.

Specifications and Measurements

• Materials: Gray polyester twill fabric and bamboo
• Weight: 5.13 kilograms or 11.31 pounds
• Pillow dimensions: 60 x 15 x 20 cm
• Board dimensions: 75 x 36 x 12 cm
• Other: Smartphone/tablet slot, two peripheral pouches, one detachable mouse pocket

Here's What You Get

The Cyworx is essentially two compressed foam pillows that prop up a sustainably-harvested bamboo board. The foam pillows arrive compressed in a vacuum-sealed bag. After puncturing the bag, the pillows take in air in an overnight reinflation process. After reinflating, the foam pillows are ready to go. There's practically no other assembly required, although if you want to remove the wrinkles from the twill pillow cover, nerdytec recommends using an iron. Personally, I don't mind the wrinkles as they're barely noticeable.

Setting Up the Couchmaster Cyworx

Setting up the Couchmaster Cyworx is easy. The computer rests atop the board, and you sit between the two pillows, with the wooden board stretched across the two. Sounds simple, right? It is!

There's also an optional mouse holder and mouse pad, both of which use a removable stick-pad. However, the mouse holder's sticky pad is larger than the portion of the bamboo board that it attaches to, leading to slight overlap. Unfortunately, this design oversight causes the mouse pouch to become snarled within its own stick pad.

As weird as that is, it's a minor issue at worst.

The Competition

A rogue's gallery of poorly-made laptop trays haunt Amazon's shelves. While cheap lap trays accommodate a laptop, drink, and a smartphone, their height makes them unwieldy and uncomfortable. Enter the Cyworx, the Tesla of couch desks. The Cyworx does cost a lot, but its size allows it to double as a small desk. On the downside, though, it doesn't collapse down as folding lap desks do.

You might think that a $30 lap tray does the same thing as the Cyworx. You'd be wrong. They're not even comparable. To begin with, cheap laptrays provide zero support for your elbows. And worst of all, it feels like they're designed for NBA centers. I've developed arm cramps because the lap tray is high enough to require bending my elbows. This level of terrible posture leads to repetitive stress injuries.

Enormously Comfortable

After using the Couchmaster for a month, I can't help but feel that all offices should replace office chairs with sofas. There's just no reason we all shouldn't work in total comfort. So how does the Couchmaster Cyworx work? And why is it so comfortable?

It works like this: the Cyworx is identical in function to a standard, cheap-o lap desk or TV tray, but with one trick: the pillows double as built-in elbow rests. So, not only do they allow you to comfortably line your elbows up with your keyboard and mouse, it lets you type without flexing your wrists, which can reduce Repetitive Stress Injury (RSI).

Good Peripheral Storage

Aside from comfort, the Cyworx includes two side pockets for storing peripherals. One pocket is a mesh weave for holding the AC adapter. The other pouch is for storing computer peripherals; there's an elastic band which prevents junk from falling out. Overall, once you've put objects inside the couch arms, they're easy to transport around, if you're moving from a couch to a sofa.

In other words, it's perfect for those who like to work from multiple positions within their home. There's even some scientific evidence that having multiple kinds of typing positions can reduce RSI.

However, it's not as easy to move around as a cheap lap tray. Most cheap lap trays can collapse down to a flat plane, making them far more portable and storable. For example, my own $20 lap desk includes folding aluminum legs. Other, more expensive models use wooden or bamboo legs which tuck inwards, reducing their profile. As such, all folding lap desks are better choices for those who have limited space in their homes.

Excellent Customer Service

But no premium product is worth its salt without premium customer support. And in this regard, nerdytec's customer-service team doesn't disappoint. Nerdytec provides 24-7 customer support. However, 24-hour technical assistance is confined to email and WhatsApp. Their phone hours, on the other hand, run from 9 AM to 6 PM, German time. In other words, they are not likely to be reachable by North Americans except in the morning, when most people are getting ready for work. Even so, their service operators speak fluent English and cater to North American needs.

To test nerdytec's customer service, I emailed several bogus support requests. Their responses were courteous, always within 24 hours, and polite.

What I Didn't Like

The Cyworx may dominate other lap desks, but it's not perfect. For starters, the mouse bag uses an adhesive strip that's larger than any surface on the bamboo board. Sometimes, the adhesive strip will bond to the twill pillow. I imagine over time this strip will lose its adhesiveness. But even so, it's weird.

No Cup Holder

The Cyworx lacks a drink holder, which seems like a standard design choice on most cheap lap desks. While I don't drink around my electronics, as I understand it, most people do enjoy a cool beverage at work.

Not for Lefties

Another unfortunate design choice is that left-handed folks, who use left-handed mice, can't use the Cyworx. Sometimes manufacturers make left-handed variations, but after searching nerdytec's online store, it appears there's no left-handed option available.

Mouse Bag Is Weirdly Designed

I suspect that the mouse bag is designed to stick underneath the board, but according to nerdytec's advertising, it's supposed to attach to the bamboo plate's starboard edge. Unfortunately, that causes the adhesive strip to overhang and catch on the pillow.

Ventilation Grill Is Too Big

Finally, the ventilation grill creates an uneven surface where your keyword will need to go. The uneven surface can cause your keyboard to wobble. While adjusting the keyboard smoothes away this problem, it's still a minor irritant.

I don't understand why nerdytec made the ventilation holes so large. After all, most laptops position air intake fans toward the rear of the laptop chassis. Yet nerdytec covered most of the board's left side with slots. I'm not sure what the rationale is, but I can't help but feel this would have been a better product had it been less prominent.

Should You Buy the Nerdytec Couchmaster Cyworx?

There is no better lapdesk out there. The Cyworx fuses comfort with function, in a sophisticated, fungible package. Not only can you play games on a Cyworx, you can also punch out an eight-hour workday from the comfort of your couch. It might not be for everyone, particularly if you're a leftie or don't have much space in your home. But it's a great TV tray and lap desk for anyone who wants to work and play from their sofa, couch, or even a recliner, if it's large enough.

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