I bought this tray for my mother, who was having open-heart surgery and would be somewhat bed-ridden for a few weeks. She is unable to lift much at one time, but having all that she needs (books, tv remote, telephone, drink, etc...) in the tray, she can simply slide it on the bed when she needs to move it to get up. Or someone can move it for her if she is using it in a chair/recliner. Other reviews stated this type of product was flimsy. I disagree. While I don't think you could use it with a very large laptop without some minimal bowing, I think it could handle nearly anything you put on it. It was very generous in size, and the pockets were big enough to put bottled water in. It's exactly what we needed!