No More Desk: The Best Sim Racing Wheel Stands

The best sim racing hardware is not going to help you much if you do not have a good solution to mount it, and not every home allows for enough space for a full rig – which is where wheel stands come in handy. They can be an affordable way to hard mount your equipment while being mobile enough to move out of the way when not in use, so we have assembled an overview of the best choices for you.

As sim racing is not exactly a budget-friendly hobby, setups tend to vary enormously – each sim racer will have their own solution in place that fits their needs the best. For some, this means that their desk doubles as their cockpit. This does not allow for easy hardware mounting in many cases, especially for the pedals. A wheel stand can help a lot with this.

Advantages of a Wheel Stand

Compared to a conventional desk setup, wheel stands offer more rigidity and also eliminate the need to dismantle and reassemble your setup each time you are done racing or want to hit the track. Pedal sets will not tilt or slide around anymore, which makes for more consistent inputs, helping you improve your driving.

There are two distinct designs for wheel stands: One of them features a central post on which the wheel base is mounted, the other has two supports on each side – this list is going to focus on the latter, as this design is sturdier and does not get in the way of your legs if you intend to drive cars with a manual transmission and heel and toe.

That said, here are the best wheel stands in order of their price at the time of writing this article.

GT Omega APEX Steering Wheel Stand

Price: 155,95 €

The APEX is an evolution of GT Omega’s Classic Wheel Stand design, which has been copied or imitated by other manufacturers as well. The improved design offers a few advantages over the original, including better rigidity and a pedal plate with an adjustable angle, allowing for more customization. A shifter mount also comes with the stand, which can be upgraded to a full cockpit via rear seat frame add-ons offered by GT Omega.

The APEX is not compatible with Direct Drive wheel bases, however, which is important to keep in mind if you want something future-proof – DD bases have become much more affordable recently, so belt- or gear-driven bases should not be part of upgrade paths for much longer.

Pros:

Adjustable pedal plate (angle)
Adjustable angle and height of the wheel deck
Upgradeable to full cockpit with rear seat frame
Shifter mount included
Foldable for storage

Cons:

Not designed for Direct Drive wheel bases

Sim-Lab WS-Pro Wheel Stand

Price: 159 € (111,30 € on sale)

Sim-Lab is known for its aluminium extrusion rigs on the higher end of the scale, but their WS-Pro stand is a very affordable alternative. Adjustable height of the wheel deck as well as angles for it and the pedal plate mean good customizability. This is even added to by slots that are obviously inspired by those on the full rigs, offering more possibilities of mounting add-ons.

The WS-Pro is compatible with Fanatec and AccuForce V1/V2 Direct Drive wheel bases and even comes pre-drilled for higher-end pedals like Heusinkveld Sprint or ImSim Talento, which makes it extremely good value for its price.

Pros:

Direct Drive compatible
Compatible with higher-end pedals
High customizability due to slots like on full alu rigs
Extremely good value
Expandable with seat add-ons to create full cockpit

Cons:

Shifter mount not included

Trak Racer FS3

Price: 169 €

Claimed to be the “most stable wheel stand on the market” by Trak Racer, the FS3’s design differs significantly from its competitors on this list – the frame is basically an upside down “V”, and all four of its feet can be set up for different angles. The pedal plate can also be adjusted to your preference, the same is possible for the wheel deck and even the included shifter mount.

The FS3 boasts a long list of compatible devices and can even handle Direct Drive wheel bases with a front mounting system (mount sold separately). The wheel stand can be converted for use as a flight sim cockpit as well, but does not have the capability to be upgraded to a full rig.

Pros:

Compatible with high number of equipment pieces
Almost all angles and distances are adjustable
Conversion for flight sim use possible
Compatible with Direct Drive wheels and high-end pedals
Shifter mount included
Foldable

Cons:

Not expandable to full cockpit

Next Level Racing Wheel Stand DD

Price: 197,16 €

Similar to Trak Racer with their FS3, Next Level Racing claims the title of “strongest wheel stand on the market” for its Wheel Stand DD. As a result, it is compatible with Direct Drive wheel bases and high-end pedals, and the height can be adjusted as well as the angles of the wheel deck and pedal plate. The included gear shifter can be mounted to the left or right, and the stand also comes with a handbrake adapter that is pre-drilled for Thrustmaster TSHH and Fanatec handbrakes.

The Wheel Stand DD features caster wheels in the front to make it easier to move. Additionally, it can be expanded to a full cockpit, which then can even be upgraded with motion actuators of the NLR ecosystem, making the stand a great starting point for a setup that keeps growing.

Pros:

Compatible with Direct Drive wheel bases and high-end pedals
Caster wheels for easier movement
Upgradeable to full cockpit, even motion later on
Shifter and handbrake mounts included
Adjustable height for wheel deck; angles for wheel deck and pedal plate
Clips for cable management included

Cons:

Not foldable

Next Level Racing Wheel Stand 2.0

Price: 229 €

While not quite as strong as the DD, the Wheel Stand 2.0 is no piece of kit to be overlooked: The stand offers more adjustability than its sturdier brother and adds the folding capability the DD is missing. A shifter and handbrake mount is also included.

What makes the 2.0 highly interesting to sim racers on desk chairs that have wheels is what NLR calls Gaming Chair Cradle: This additional piece of the stand screws onto the bottom rear so racers can position two of their chair’s wheels in it to prevent it from rolling around when racing – a nifty feature that solves a problem many sim racers face with their setups.

Just like the DD, the Wheel Stand 2.0 is upgradeable to a full cockpit and expandable to motion actuators eventually as part of the NLR ecosystem. Direct Drive compatibility is not mentioned on its product page, however, although all major wheels and pedals are compatible, according to Next Level Racing.

Pros: