When Twelve South founders Andrew and Leigh Ann Green first launched their Apple accessories company in 2009, they made a huge bet on themselves. With some prototypes they had made from scrap metal and paper, the South Carolina couple went for broke on a business plan. To get their first line of products made, they took out a second mortgage on their house and cashed in their children’s college funds.
The idea was to produce cases, stands, and accessories as beautifully designed as Apple’s iconic products themselves. Within a year, their tiny company had earned more than $1 million in revenue. And today, Twelve South sells its products in more than 100 countries around the world.
The husband-and-wife team now has about 20 employees in their Charleston headquarters, where they spend their days developing innovative ways to protect, enhance, and personalize Apple hardware. Whether you’re headed back to school or giving your home office a refresh, Twelve South’s thoughtfully crafted products are purpose-built to exacting standards for both form and function. And that starts with the couple’s shared passion for sweating the details.
“Who better to work with than your life partner?” says Andrew of the family-style collaboration. “We pride ourselves on paying attention to the little nuances and millimeters that take our products to the next level.”
Take a stand
Whether you work seated or standing up, at home or in the office, in the library or at the coffee shop — or constantly switch back and forth — a good laptop stand can be a game-changer for productivity. In the Curve and the Curve Flex, Twelve South offers two MacBook stands that make an instant difference you can feel in your neck, back, and shoulders.
Designed to match the clean lines of your Apple laptop, the Curve helps prevent pain and tension by elevating your screen to an ergonomic standard 6.5 inches — so when you sit up straight, you’re looking directly at your screen. The added height lifts your webcam to a more flattering eye-level angle for video calls and meetings.
The elegant Curve Flex is even more versatile, allowing you to adjust vertically and horizontally to a screen height of up to 22 inches and to change your keyboard angle from 0 to 45 degrees. Better yet, it folds flat into its neoprene travel sleeve for complete portability.
For iMacs, desktops, and external displays, the fixed-height Curve Riser elevates your workstation to a more comfortable viewing height, with a ventilated shelf for peripherals. And Twelve South’s USB-C hub will keep all your connections tidy, with plenty of ports and a longer cord that makes it easy to keep out of sight.
Design within reach
Like a multi-tool for creativity, Twelve South’s HoverBar Duo is a flexible arm that can hold your iPad or iPhone in almost every conceivable position. With a weighted desktop base and a QuickSwitch adjustable shelf clamp, it’s simple to get just the right height and angle you need, whether you’re shooting a cooking video or reading on the treadmill. Sleek and minimalist with unmistakable build quality, it looks great in any room.
That’s also the case with the HiRise 3 Wireless Charging Stand, a clever and clean design object that wirelessly charges your iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods all at once — while holding your iPhone at just the right upright angle to read notifications. And the same marriage of aesthetics and performance is on display in the ActionSleeve, a fabric armband that allows you to wear your Apple Watch wherever it’s most comfortable. It pairs perfectly with the brand’s handsome leather AirSnap AirPods case.
A novel disguise
You can get a plain old laptop or cell phone case anywhere. Twelve South’s popular BookBook collection is a series of unique cases that make a subtle statement. Available for iPhone, MacBook, iPad, and Kindle, each case is made to look like a premium vintage-leather hardcover book, effectively hiding your expensive piece of electronic hardware in plain sight. The cases provide added security but also plenty of protection with strong, crush-resistant spines.
Handmade and individually weathered, they’re accentuated with sophisticated detailing and finishes, including zippers with leather pulls made to look like bookmarks. And every organizational need has been carefully considered and integrated into the balanced design. In the CaddySack, a case tailor-made for MacBook power cords and adapters, Velcro bands hold your items in place, but there’s also a small mesh pocket for your AirPods — and a leather pen loop.
Whenever you’re ready to upgrade your personal tech gear on Twelve South’s site, look for the Amazon Pay button at checkout. It’s the fast and easy payment method that lets savvy shoppers like you skip the forms.