Whether you’re gigging every weekend or setting up the ultimate home studio, a solid keyboard stand is essential. From lightweight X-frames to heavier duty Z-stands, from tiered setups for multi-keyboard rigs through to the stylish Spider range, we’ve rounded up the top 10 stands to suit every player and budget. Read on to find your perfect match.

Rating: 3/5 | Budget: £

Pros: The traditional X-Stand is still one of the top choices for keyboardists, mostly due to it’s low price and also because it packs down quickly and stores almost flat. Best for home use.

Cons: Only five height settings means that you’re sometimes struggling to find the exact height you’re looking for. The sprung height-adjustment mechanism can also be fiddly and the tubes a little flimsy. On lower settings, smaller keyboards may slip while being played.

Buy from Gear4Music (UK)
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Rating: 4/5 | Budget: £ – ££

Pros: Slightly better than the budget X-stand, this allows for more control over height and allows for very quick adjustment – release the lever, move to the desired height and press the lever back in, the teeth will lock into position.

Cons: As with any X-stand, you don’t have much room for your knees and it may be too deep for some narrower keyboards to sit on both the front and back grips which can result in some slipping.

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Rating: 4/5 | Budget: £ – ££

Pros: Double X-stands are a much sturdier design, with this one capable of holding up to 50kg, making them a good choice for 88 note or weighted controllers. They’re still pretty light to carry around and we’ve selected ones with a lever again for quick setup, plus if you’re gigging you can add extension arms for holding a second keyboard on top.

Cons: It’s that same old problem of not having enough knee room or space for your pedals.

Buy from Gear4Music (UK)
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Rating: 3/5 | Budget: ££

Pros: One of the issues with the X-stand is that you’re always bumping your knees against the cross bars. The Z-stand gets around this issue and leaves plenty of room for pedals. We’ve picked one that’s heavy-duty enough to hold 88 note keyboards.

Cons: Longer setup time. If you’re short, the lowest setting can be too high for seated playing.

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Rating: 4/5 | Budget: ££

Pros: This stand allows for height adjustment on each individual leg. It’s designed to take the weight of stage pianos and can hold up to 75kg. The legs fold in so that it transports flat. Plenty of space available for a triple pedal board.

Cons: Can still be a little too high on it’s lowest setting for playing in a seated position.

Rating: 4/5 | Budget: ££

Pros: The first of our column stand options, this one is extremely lightweight and comes in single or double tier, with adjustable height arms Packs down into a compact carrying bag. Various colours available.

Cons: The price. Even though the feet are raised, they can still interfere with pedal use. Takes a little extra setting up time and the feet can be tricky to clip into place while you’re getting used to it.

Buy from Korg (UK)
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Buy from Thomann (EU)
Buy from Kraft Music (US)

Rating: 4/5 | Budget: £££

Pros: A slightly heavier-duty version of the stand above, for taking heavier kit on the road. Another benefit is the spacing of the feet, allowing for easier access to pedals. Other accessories can be added to the top of the Stay Spider-style stands, including mic holders and music rests.

Cons: Same as above, it needs a little extra time for setup when compared to X-stands.

Buy from Andertons (UK)
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Buy from Thomann (EU)
Buy from Kraft Music (US)

Rating: 4/5 | Budget: £££

Pros: The original Spider stand. If you’re gigging regularly and the budget can stretch to it then we really do recommend the Spider. The legs and arms fold in making it easy to transport and it takes up less space when in use. You can precisely adjust the height of the arms plus customise it to suit with additional arms, boom and iPad fixings. It’s solidly built to hold multiple keyboards and the raised legs allow space for a sustain pedal. Also check out the slightly smaller and cheaper Baby Spider Pro.

Cons: The price. Even though the feet are raised, they can still interfere with pedal use. Slightly heavier than other stands.

Buy from Gear4Music (UK)
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Buy from Thomann (EU)
Buy from Sweetwater (US)

Rating: 4/5 | Budget: ££ – £££

Pros: Have too many keyboards in your studio? Good for you, but you need an A-stand. Although named for the spage of the legs, thy do come in rectangular shapes now too and come up to six tiers high, some with castors. Designed for studios where you need quick access to multiple keyboards for recording sessions.

Cons: Some brands can feel a little flimsy.

Buy from Andertons (UK)
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Buy from Thomann (EU)
Buy from Amazon (US)

Rating: 4/5 | Budget: £££

Pros: The ultimate showy stand for the gigging musician, this leaves plenty of room for pedals and can hold up to 68kg, with quite a few height adjustment settings. It’s pretty lightweight and comes with a carry bag, plus has a faster setup time than some other stands.

Cons: The price may put some keyboardists off.

Buy from Simply Sound & Lighting (UK)
Buy from Amazon (UK)
Buy from Thomann (EU)
Buy from Sweetwater (US)

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