A Closer Look At Your Options
The StandExtender is the best option for mobile musicians who use a variety of music stands, need portability, and want a durable, professional-grade device.
Pros
- Collapsible and portable
- Easy to deploy and stow
- Widest available display area of any extension device
- Best option for sharing a stand in an ensemble
- High quality materials (acrylic and polycarbonate)
- Professional grade, durable product
- Designed and manufactured in the USA
Cons
- Does not work with wire frame stands
- Does not work with music shelves on many keyboard instruments
Stand Outs are "wings" that you slide on to the sides of the stand. These are an OK solution if you always work with the same music stand, and do not need the additional space that the StandExtender provides.
Pros
- Relatively inexpensive
- Reasonably sturdy in use
Cons
- Display width limited to about 36"
- Usually made from ABS (a cheap-quality plastic)
- Clumsier to attach & carry around
- You have to buy two, defeating much of the cost advantage
- Not versatile -- designed primarily for specficic brands of stands
Pros
- Good solution for pianos in fixed locations and hand bell choirs
- Good display area (46"), though still less than StandExtender
Cons
- Not collapsible or portable
- Not as easy to attach to a music stand (works best for pianos)
- Made from ABS (a cheap-quality plastic; acrylic is available at a higher price)
- More expensive than StandExtender, even with the cheaper materials
Pros
- Collapsible, to a limited extent
- Works with a wide range of music stands and keyboard instruments
- Positively secures the music on the device
Cons
- Not as much display area as StandExtender; comparable to Stand Outs
- Relatively large even when collapsed
- No additional ledge or lip area -- music is bound in the device
- Not as flexible for shifting music as needed during a performance
- Made from vinyl and chipboard
- Difficult to determine how it attaches to the stand, if at all
NOTE: This vendor claims that the device is useful on windy days. We would argue that point. While their device might prevent sheets of music from flying around, the fact is that any extension device is a potential problem on a windy day. It’s basic physics. Not having your music fly around is small consolation if the entire device flies off the stand, or if the entire stand topples. Use your head folks. Please don’t use any of these devices – including ours – outdoors on windy days!
As this video demonstrates, you can build your own device out of poster board.
Pros
- Extremely inexpensive
Cons
- Not sturdy -- will not hold up under real world use
- Unprofessional appearance
- No obvious way to positively attach to the music stand
- Ultra lightweight -- easy to knock off the stand
The information on this page is a good-faith comparison based on pictures and information from the vendors’ web sites. We will gladly include additional information or corrections from informed sources. We think the StandExtender is the most versatile and well-made of the bunch. But these other devices appear to be credible, useful products in their intended sub-markets. We would encourage you to do your homework and buy the device that is best for you. Shop around – we’re confident you’ll be back.