A Simple Magnetic Ipad Stand for a Lazy Night of Netflix

Have you ever been lying in bed, watching something on an iPad propped up on your stomach, and had it slip and come crashing into your nose? This project lets you lie in bed and watch your iPad without that danger. (Of course, use it at your own risk. If the iPad slips out of the bracket, it will still hit you in the face.)

This project came together at the start of COVID. It was made entirely from parts leftover from other projects, which was great for recycling. It has provided hours of movie-watching enjoyment for a couple of years now.

Our bed has a headboard made from tubular steel, so magnets have no problem attaching it. For wooden headboards, we attach steel plates for the magnets to attach to. (Only on IKEA quality furniture. We don't do this to any of the fine woodworking pieces.)

An example of attaching to a headboard made from a different material (e.g., wood) can be seen in our new instructable.

Din rail magnetic bracket inline: Printables Thingiverse

Din rail bracket for Ipad air (bed version): Printables Thingiverse

Din rail bracket for Ipad air (original version): Printables Thingiverse

Din rail: Amazon

Four 1/4-20 x 3/4in screws from the local hardware store.

Four 1/4-20 nuts: Amazon

Strong rubber bands: Office supply store

Gaffers tape: Amazon or Amazon

Anti-skid tape: Amazon

The magnets we used: Amazon

The magnet base was initially designed to temporarily attach din rail-based things like Arduino projects, thermal couples recorders, power supplies, and tool racks to metal surfaces. However, aligning the magnets vertically instead of horizontally proved more efficient for this application. The horizontally aligned bracket tended to slowly slide down the metal surface over time.

The iPad brackets were initially designed to have the iPad face the other side of the bracket, This worked but did not allow for enough clearance in the cabinet it was mounted, so we retired the design.

The only change for watching in bed was to flip the rubber band post to the other side of the bracket—a three-minute change in Fusion 360.

There are only two parts to print and only two copies of each part.

1. Print two of the magnet mounts.
2. Print two of the iPad brackets.

You should print the iPad bracket for the orientation you will use. We printed all the parts in PLA using Pursa Slicer and a 20% infill.

There are a lot of types of DIN rail. The one we use for projects like this is IEC/EN 60715 – 35 × 15. Specifically ASI PR006-1M Heavy Duty DIN Rail. It is 15mm deep. It is made of steel, not aluminum. This makes it rigid and able to span short distances without torquing.

The DIN rail can be cut to length with a hacksaw or a bandsaw with a metal blade. We use leftover pieces for this project.

When assembling the stand, One bracket is locked in between; one is free to slide.

The assembly process

1. Attach the din rail to the magnetic mounts using screws and bolts.
2. Place one of the iPad brackets on the din rail between the two stops on the magnetic mount. This will be the fixed iPad bracket.
3. Place the other iPad bracket between the two magnetic mounts on the din rail. This will be the movable iPad bracket.
4. Place at least four rubberbands in a crisscross pattern between the rubberband mounting post.
5. The next step is not required but highly recommended. Put a piece of gaffers tape or a vinal anti-skid tape over the magnets. Using tape will slightly reduce the magnets' holding power but will help prevent scratching of the surfaces.
6. Attach the magnetic mount to a metal surface.
7. Slide the movable iPad bracket away from the fixed bracket, place an iPad in the groves, and let the brackets slide together. Test to ensure that the Ipad is secure.
8. Test to ensure the magnetic mounts are secure and the iPad is firmly in place.

But wait, there is more. What if you don't want the iPad overhead, you want it at the foot of the bed? If you want to lay on the bed and watch, the same bracket will work.

If you want to watch from the foot of the bed, print the original brackets and attach the magnetic mounts to a metallic surface at the end of the bed. The caution here is to test the magnets' holding; they might side downward slowly over time.

If you have a large enough metal surface at the end of the bed, you can use one of the larger magnetic mounts to mitigate this. (Printables Thingiverse)