The HumanCentric Laptop VESA Mount Tray (part 101-2074) is a steel tray that bolts to a monitor arm, stand or wall mount with a 75 × 75 or 100 × 100 mm VESA plate. It holds a 10 to 15.6 inch laptop with two side clamps[2]. It’s only the tray, so you need an arm or stand to put it on[1].
Key facts
What is it, and how does it attach?
It’s a flat steel plate with VESA holes underneath. You screw it to the VESA plate on a monitor arm, a monitor stand or a wall mount, the same way you’d mount a monitor[2]. It takes the two common small patterns, 75 × 75 mm and 100 × 100 mm[2].
The tray has no hinge of its own. Height, tilt and swivel all come from the arm you mount it on[1]. The box holds the tray, mounting brackets and installation screws[2]. The arm is sold separately[1].
Which laptops fit?
HumanCentric lists laptops and notebooks from 10 to 15.6 inches[2]. The two side clamps slide out from 9.5 to 16.5 inches wide and grip the laptop’s edges[2]. Measure your laptop’s width, not just the screen size, and check it lands inside that range.
A 16-inch laptop is outside HumanCentric’s stated range, even if it’s narrow enough for the clamps. If yours is one, look for a larger tray.
How much weight can it hold?
HumanCentric doesn’t publish a maximum laptop weight, on its product page or in the manual[2, 3]. The Amazon listing doesn’t give one either[1].
The limit that matters in practice is the arm’s. The manual says to make sure the arm or stand can carry the combined weight of the bracket, the screen and anything else mounted on it[3]. Add the tray’s 3.1 lb to your laptop’s weight[1], and check the total against the arm’s rating. Gas-spring arms also have a minimum load, so a light laptop on a strong arm may drift upward.
Does it keep the laptop secure and cool?
HumanCentric says the clamps hold the laptop so it won’t fall off the mount if pushed from any side[2]. Rubber pads on the surface protect the laptop from scratches and stop it shifting when you move the arm[2].
The surface has slots cut through it for airflow[2]. That helps more than a solid shelf. A tray in open air beats a laptop flat on a desk, but slots won’t replace a fan if your build makes the laptop run hot.
Both are the maker’s claims. We haven’t measured stability or temperatures. How steady it feels depends a lot on the arm: a long arm at full stretch will bounce more when you type on the laptop’s own keyboard.
What would a developer use it for?
Mostly as a second screen. Put the laptop on an arm next to your monitor, raise it to the same height, and use an external keyboard and mouse. The laptop screen becomes the place for logs, chat or the docs, and the desk under it is free again.
If you have a dual monitor arm with one side spare, this is a cheap way to use it. If you run the laptop closed, you don’t need a tray at all; a vertical stand does that job.
Pros and Cons
Pros
Final Verdict
Get the HumanCentric Laptop VESA Mount Tray if you already have a monitor arm or stand with a 75 or 100 mm VESA plate and want your laptop at eye level beside your monitor. The clamps and pads do what a tray should[2]. Check your arm’s weight rating against the laptop plus 3.1 lb first, because the tray has no rating of its own[3]. Skip it if your laptop is bigger than 15.6 inches.
Key Takeaways
Frequently Asked Questions
Does it come with a monitor arm?
No. You get the tray, mounting brackets and screws. The arm, stand or wall mount is sold separately[2].
Which VESA patterns does it fit?
75 × 75 mm and 100 × 100 mm[2].
What size laptop fits?
10 to 15.6 inches, with clamps that open from 9.5 to 16.5 inches wide[2].
What is the maximum laptop weight?
HumanCentric doesn’t state one. Check that your arm can carry the laptop plus the tray’s 3.1 lb[1, 3].
Does the tray tilt?
Not by itself. It bolts flat to the VESA plate, so it tilts as far as your arm’s VESA head does[1].
