The 8 Best Adjustable-Height Podiums for Every Speaker
Picture this. A 6'4" principal finishes the welcome, steps aside, and a 5'1" valedictorian walks up to a podium that comes up to their chin. Everyone in the room notices. So does the valedictorian.
One fixed height can't fit everyone. A podium at the wrong height means a speaker hunched over their notes, or peering over the top, or reaching up to the mic. And if someone presents from a wheelchair, a standard lectern doesn't work for them at all.
An adjustable-height podium solves all of that. Here's how to choose one.
Before you shop
Hand-adjust or motorized?
Hand-adjusted stands use a knob or a spring, they're inexpensive, and they're great when the height changes now and then. Motorized lifts move at the push of a button, they're smooth and quiet, and they're worth it when speakers trade places during the same event. You don't want a keynote speaker wrestling with a knob in front of 300 people.
Check the range
Look at the lowest and highest settings, not just "adjustable." A reading surface around 44 to 48 inches suits most standing speakers. For a seated speaker or someone using a wheelchair, you need it down near desk height, with open space for knees underneath.
Memory settings save time
If the same few people speak every week, a lift with saved heights means each person taps one button and it's set. It's a small thing that makes a big difference on a busy program.
Do you need one at all?
Honestly, if the same person uses your lectern every time, you probably don't. Buy a fixed lectern at the right height and save the money. Adjustable is for shared podiums.
The 8 best adjustable-height podiums
Here's the list, from simplest to most capable. Shipping is free on every one.
1. Model 70 Adjustable Lectern Stand: best on a budget
The reading surface slides anywhere from 30 to 44 inches with one hand knob, so it works for a speaker sitting at a table or standing in front of a room. It's a steel base with a 20 by 16 inch wood-grain top and adjustable glides for uneven floors. At 15 pounds it moves anywhere. Ships in 1 to 3 business days. From $99.
2. Model 82MS Music Stand and Lectern: best for choirs and musicians
A music stand at rehearsal, a lectern at the meeting afterward. It adjusts from 24 to 46 inches with a smooth spring, the top tilts and holds any angle, and it weighs under nine pounds. Perfect for a choir room or a band room that also hosts announcements. Ships in 1 to 3 business days. From $99.
3. Mobile Sit-Stand Laptop Desk: best for teachers who sit and stand
A gas-spring lift raises and lowers a laptop desk in one motion, so a teacher can stand to present and sit to take attendance. The mouse tray and cup holder mount on either side, the wishbone base tucks around a chair, and three of the casters lock. Ships in 1 to 3 business days. From $245.
4. Motorized Aluminum Lectern: best motorized lectern for shared stages
It travels from 36 to 52 inches at the push of a button under the reading surface, and a tech can also reset it from a phone app between speakers. It plugs into a regular wall outlet. There's a flip-down cup holder, a paper stop for notes or a tablet, and tilt-back casters. Add your logo in vinyl on the front (we send a proof first). Arrives assembled. Made to order in 10 to 12 weeks. From $4,485.
5. The Counselor Lift: best hardwood adjustable podium
Our best-selling hardwood podium with a powered lift that moves more than 15 inches. A keypad right at the speaker's fingertips stores three heights, so your three regular speakers each get theirs with one tap. Solid oak, cherry, mahogany, or walnut, with the mic cable hidden inside for a clean look. Made in the USA and arrives assembled. Made to order in 6 to 8 weeks. From $5,300.
6. 21.5" Touchscreen Smart Lectern: best for tech-heavy rooms
A 21.5 inch touchscreen computer built into a motorized stand. Presenters share their laptop or phone screen to it wirelessly, write on it with the stylus, and raise or lower it to fit. Two gooseneck mics are included. One heads-up: the mics need to plug into a speaker or PA you already have, since there's no built-in speaker. Ships in 5 to 7 business days. From $5,850.
7. Counselor Evolution Lift: best all-in-one, with sound
Everything in one piece of furniture: an electric lift with about 15 inches of range, plus a built-in sound system with a 100-watt amplifier on a rechargeable battery, enclosed speakers, and a handheld mic. Roll it in, set the height, and talk. No cords, no separate PA. Solid hardwood, made in the USA, arrives assembled. Made to order in 6 to 8 weeks. From $7,764.
Shop the Counselor Evolution Lift
8. ADA Height-Adjustable Lectern: best for wheelchair access
This is the one lectern built so everyone can use it. The whole reading surface moves from 28 to 41 inches with open knee space below, low enough for a presenter in a wheelchair and high enough for a standing keynote. Controls on the lectern plus a phone app, an extra-wide top with mic mounts and cable grommets, and locking casters. Add a logo; we proof it first. Arrives assembled. Made to order in 10 to 12 weeks. From $8,270.
You'll find all of these in our height-adjustable podiums collection. (Want the full statement piece? The Presidential Lift adds leather handrails to a 15 inch lift.)
When a fixed podium is fine
If one pastor, one teacher, or one mayor uses the lectern almost every time, skip the lift. Measure where their forearms rest comfortably while standing, and buy a fixed lectern that puts the reading surface there. Our best podiums under $1,000 list is a good place to start.
Not sure what range you need? Call us at 800-421-9678. Tell us who speaks and we'll help you size it.
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