A Review of the Tether Table Premier

Posted by: on Jun 17, 2010

A Review of the Tether Table Premier

Tether Table Premier

by Jeff Gedgaud

Product Review: Tether Table Premiere

Tether Table Premiere is an ingenious portable podium that photographers and others may find as just the right solution to laptop placement in the field using the equipment they already have.

Ease of Use, Performance: 24/25

Look & Feel: 24/25

Features 22/25

How much I enjoy 25/25

Total: 95/100

Tether Table is a portable podium for laptops that attaches to photography stands or tripods and uses a unique adjustable Pivot Bracket to hold and make use of a 17″ laptop in the field. The Tether Table is the perfect solution for a portable laptop stand or a more permanent solution that would do double duty as that portable laptop podium.

The Tether Table Premiere comes with the table, a carry case with instructions and the adapter so you will need a stand or tripod for the Tether Table to sit on. I would recommend a good sturdy stand with a decently wide base as the better base or stand you have the sturdier the table will be.

I received the Tether Table Premiere for reviewing and immediately started my own DIY project as well as used the laptop stand. The Tether Table Premiere is a simply designed product that has a large 16 3/4 inch wide by 14 1/2 inch deep table with 3/4 inch wide and 1/2 inch tall lips on the front and back to help hold your laptop.

The Tether Table Premier is 1/2 inch thick and has two bars that mount the LAJO Pivot Bracket on it to hold the Tether Table onto a stand. You can use the included 1/4 inch 20 threaded adapter that also has the 3/8 inch thread on the other side using the brackets 5/8 inch stud mount.

The Tether Table LAJO Pivot Bracket has the one hole that allows you to connect the table to a 5/8 inch stud or to the adapter that is included and secures using a screw on the pivot bracket. The screw has a large turn knob to make it easy to secure the table to the stud or adapter you are using for the table while the pivot bracket also has a large paddle for tilting.

The table has two positions with a flat level position and tilted at about 20 degrees up from level so you have a good slant for your laptop to rest against the bottom lip. The Tether Table Premiere holds smaller laptops and those full size widescreen 17 inch laptops easily with enough room for the laptop but not for a mouse pad next to it.

Tether Tools sells three varieties of Tether Table with larger ones that can have an area for the use of a mouse next to the laptop on the Tether Table. The Tether Table holds laptops well and you can even design your own homemade stand or use a common light stand, tripod or anything that will hold the 5/8 inch stud or the two threaded holes of the adapter.

My most current laptop is a 17 inch widescreen HP but I also have an older 15 inch that fits very nicely on the Tether Table with plenty of room. The larger 17 inch laptop has about an inch on each side and about 3.5 inches of room above the laptop when its open.

This makes enough room above the laptop for the brick power adapter that is common for laptops but you can also use the underside of the tables bracket to attach the brick to. I found with a little ingenuity you can add some plastic or metal conduit straps to hold cables or even shock cord loops to help hold the cables and power adapter under the Tether Table.

You can also buy or add accessories to the Tether Table Premiere like a power strip that they sell for an added protection for your laptop and a way to connect powered items easily and conveniently. The Clear Power Surge Protector/ Power Strip sells for an additional 17.99 and comes as an attached power strip with the screws already added to your Tether Table if you order it when ordering your Tether Table.

The Tether Table Premiere costs $139 and better, larger models cost more but this is a great buy if your looking for a portable solution for your laptop. The Tether Table attaches easily onto many kinds of tripods and stands as long as they have a 1/4 inch or 3/8 inch screw thread which are the most common sizes for photography equipment.

Stability is not an issue, it’s more dependent on the tripod or stand you use than the Tether Table itself as the table is sturdy and the Pivot Bracket holds the adapter well. I found that a tripod like the ones I commonly use from Brunton and even a common inexpensive light stand from Smith Victor are more than steady enough for the laptop podium.

I have been using the Tether Table for a few months and have been very pleased with it as both a regular stand at home for my wife’s laptop and as a quick setup podium around the house. The Tether table weighs about six pounds and comes with a professional looking sturdy canvas carry case with handles.

I built my own stand out of black pipe from a hardware store for a great way to use a laptop everyday in the comfort of my living room but light stands or tripods also work well. In the field the Tether Table makes a fantastic way to hold your laptop while you take shots and set up your photo shoot.

The Tether Table not only looks professional as a way to hold your laptop it is a professional tool that works well and is quick to set up. Simply place your stand or tripod up and screw the adapter on then place the table on the adapter for a simple portable laptop stand.

The Tether Table Premiere makes a great place to set your laptop whether you’re in the field takings shots as a professional and wanting a stand for your laptop to check out the pictures as you take them like the pros do. The Tether Table Premiere from Tether Tools is an excellent laptop stand and makes a professional photographer’s job that much easier.

The Tether Table Premier can be purchased at Tether Tools.

Review by Jeff Gedgaud

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