Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I purchased this Sofia + Sam Oversized Memory Foam Lap Desk after first receiving the LapGear Deluxe Laptop LapDesk 91485 Silver Carbon for Christmas. The Sofia + Sam is a better price, better build quality and better design. As a rule, I prefer the type of lap desks that have the microbead filler because that can be molded to conform to your lap a bit more comfortably than any type of foam bottom, including memory foam. Unfortunately, I was unable to locate a suitable replacement for my standard-size microbead-filled laptop desk, so I purchased this Sofia + Sam as the next best option. Upon receipt the box just struck me as too thin and, indeed, the memory foam cushion is not quite as thick on the bottom as I had hoped. However, the woodgrain makes for a nicer appearance. whereas the wrist-rest serves as a lip to keep my MacBook from sliding forward while tilted. My reason for selecting this lap desk is to accommodate a mouse to the side of my laptop. I prefer to center my MacBook on the surface of the desk so there's not quite as much room as there would be otherwise. Still, there's just enough space to accommodate a compact mouse. Unlike the competing product, which consists of two parallel cushions with a gap running down the center on the underside, the bottom of this cushion is solid (unbroken) so it will accommodate shorter leg lengths. (The problem with the competing model is that my knee, while seated, would hit the center of the underside where there was no cushion, causing the whole thing to tilt toward the floor — an immediate deal-breaker as I am relatively short.) At first I debated whether to order the Sofia + Sam lap desk with the tablet nook and/or the USB light but I'm glad I stuck with the basic version because, once my 15" MacBook Pro is placed behind the wrist rest it nearly abuts the back of the lap desk with only ~3/4 inch to spare. Had I ordered the deluxe model with the cutout for the tablet, it potentially could have made for an uneven surface while using my MacBook. Ditto for the USB light. With my mousepad in place, there isn't much room to spare for another pass-through for a light, cords or similar. And so, in summary, the basic model serves my purpose very well. These lap desks are getting hard to find at local office stores and the like, so I am glad to have found a solution here on Amazon. Now the only thing that remains to be seen is how long it will hold up.