The cushioned, beanbag-bottom lap desk is the right call.

For studying in bed, a cushioned lap desk with a mouse pad surface and a raised lip beats nearly everything else.

The cheap hard plastic ones with the flimsy pillow attached are traps. They don’t conform to your legs, they slide around, and after 20 minutes your laptop is overheating and your wrists hate you. Spend a little more.

What you actually want:

• Cushioned beanbag bottom — it molds to your lap and stays put, even when you shift around in bed.
• Mouse pad surface — a smooth fabric top that covers the whole board, not just a little corner sticker. This matters more than you think if you’re writing a paper or working for hours.
• Raised lip or edge — stops your laptop from sliding off when you’re lounging at a weird angle.
• Deep enough for your gear — a 15-inch laptop plus mouse needs at least 18 inches of depth, not a 12-inch budget board.

If you’re writing by hand rather than typing, get a flat one with a clip or a slight tilt — the cushioned “laptop” style boards are too