Nobody ever tells you that, after you turn 30, your body starts falling apart — well, they probably do, but I certainly never listened. Alas, halfway towards 31, with two slipped disks and a rheumatological condition that affects my back, wrists and legs, I am seemingly falling to pieces. I can't stand hangovers anymore either.
Subsequently, upon doctor's orders, I decided to fully revamp my home office. To help with pain, I brought in a new standing desk and more foam than a rabid fox, thanks to a set of ergo cushions for my chair. I also bought a slew of IKEA gubbins to help clean up the organizational repercussions of switching desks — I was going from a 2-meter-tall behemoth with no less than six built-in shelves for storage, to a standing desk with a single tabletop.
This was a Chernobyl-scale fallout of clutter. The alarm had sounded in Sweden.
Meet the Krubbet
So I threw the kitchen sink into the office. IKEA shelves, storage units, baskets, cable tidies and a monitor stand. None of them, however, has made me as happy as the IKEA Krubbet ($3) that is as utterly adorable as it is useful, and has its buyers raving in reviews left on the IKEA product page...
"Oh My God! It is wonderful!" Enthuses AKINO, and "👍👍👍 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 👍👍👍," gesticulates Massoud, both from Canada. And I agree with them both. I love this little product. Here's why.
Take a stand
IKEA's product page bills the little Krubbet as a simple stand for a single phone — a miscarriage of marketing. This is a Marie-Kondo-tier multi-purpose masterpiece.
The Krubbet has three horizontal bars across its seat, ostensibly to deliver three seating positions for one phone, from upright to around 45 degrees. This gives you three different viewing angles, making the Krubbet perfect for a variety of tasks.
You can use it to watch a movie on your device, or you can stick your phone at 45 degrees while at a standing desk and use it in companion mode with other apps or software. The 45-degree angle is perfect for using your phone screen as a trackpad to control your Mac, too.
These bars also make it possible to stack multiple phones on the stand. Most people won't need this feature, but I do. As Tom's Guide's How-to editor, I need to have various devices so that I can demonstrate steps on different platforms. As such, I have five phones, all of which can fit onto the Krubbet! This keeps my desk much tidier than before, while avoiding screen scratches from keeping the phones loose in a drawer or in my work bag.
Holds a lot
The Krubbet is also sturdy enough to stack more than just phones. While it looks and indeed is cheap, its metal bars have absolutely no play whatsoever. It's four legs, wide stance and octogenarian flexibility mean you can stack tablets, even laptops on it too. That makes it an ideal stand for use anywhere around the house, not just in the office.
"It is very sturdy as it has the four legs," agrees Samantha, from Australia, in an IKEA review. "I can stand it around the rim of my bath or even on my bed and it won't fall."
See! Although I do hope Samantha has a waterproof phone.
My iPad Air sits comfortably in all of the three different positions — the 45-degree one is particularly good for drawing on the tablet using the Apple Pencil. My MacBook Air rests easily on either the front or rear slot.
The MacBook won't open in said positions, as it has to be stored upside down to avoid tipping, so you can't work on it or use it as a second monitor with the Krubbet — but I'm sure that would work with lighter laptops like a Surface Laptop 4 or a Chromebook.
I've had my MacBook positioned at the back while also stacking my iPad and three iPhones. I've also been using it to stand my Xbox controller and my Steam Deck, while other IKEA reviews state that a PlayStation 5 controller and Nintendo Switch both fit neatly into the stand too!
Heck, you could use it to display whatever you like: photos, documents, those commemorative plates of the British monarchy. Whatever. It's just so functional.
Take charge
The Krubbet's stacking capabilities aren't its only benefit. Due to its frame construction, you can charge your devices while they're stacked vertically, running multiple cables underneath the stand to keep them clean and out of the way. I've managed to charge several devices at once.
This also means that you can keep your phone vertical for video calls or as an extra display while also keeping it charged up.
Finally, there's its personality. While the Krubbet looks archetypal IKEA utilitarianism, it does so with a dash of fun. It's a funky little sun chair for your phone, tablet, laptop, or anything that'll fit to sit back on and chill.
It even sounds adorable. "Krubbet" is like an affectionate pet name you'd give to your partner when they do something gross like pick their nose, but you still think they're cute. "You grubby little Krubbet, you!"
I may sound like I'm overreacting to what is simply a $3 phone stand. However, I have a real penchant for things that do a blindingly good job. Big or small, if something aces the task it was intended to achieve — and better yet, does it humbly — I'm a fan. And that is why I love the little Krubbet.
In fact, I love the Krubbet so much, I'm going to go back and get a few more. Another for my desk so I can keep my tablet and laptop on a stand as well as my phones. Another for my bedside table so I can watch Tom's Guide YouTube and Tom's Guide TikTok videos to lull me blissfully to sleep. And I think another for the kitchen, where we often have two or three phones or tablets sprawled out on charge.
And according to more IKEA reviews, it looks like I'm not the only one.
"Had to get a second one since wife and I would fight for the one we had," reports Abhishek from India.
"Went back for more so I could leave them in different rooms," admits Robin from the U.S..
After all, for only $3 a pop, why the hell not?
