Best Monitor Arm 2023 – Picks for Dual Monitors, Durability, and Budget
Whether you have too small of a desk or too many monitors, there comes a time in every tech lover’s life where enough is enough. And that time is once your monitors have encroached upon your personal space, eating up more and more of your desk space until none is left. Luckily, there is a solution…
Monitor arms are a great way to reduce the amount of desk space that your computer setup occupies. They also make your monitor look amazing, giving it a floating aesthetic that looks incredible if you’re creating a more minimal, clean-looking setup.
They can even help improve the ergonomics and usability of your workspace. If you’ve ever wanted to free yourself from the chains of freestanding monitors, then keep reading. We’ll help you find the best monitor arm for your needs.
Products at a Glance
How we picked the best monitor arm
As with anything, it’s important to know what you’re looking for before spending your hard-earned dollars on a product. In order to help ensure you get the best monitor stand for your needs, we focused on choosing monitor arms that fit certain criteria, separating the best from the rest. These criteria are adjustability, size and weight limit, and ergonomics. We believe that if a monitor arm does well or even excels in most, if not all of these aspects, it deserves a place on this list of the best monitor arms of 2020.
Product Reviews
- Easy and smooth adjustment
- Durable and sturdy
- Versatile attachments
- Relatively heavy
There are a variety of things that could lead people to use a monitor arm. For some, the ergonomics (and convenience) of being able to move your monitor exactly where you want, well, it’s something that can be hard to give up. For others, the desk space being saved by taking the monitor off the desk is invaluable.
No matter what your reason for using a monitor arm, the Ergotron LX likely offers the features you need. This monitor arm sports a very sleek aluminum construction that causes it to weigh a bit more than many of the other single monitor arm models on the market. However, this also gives this model enough durability that Ergotron backs it with a 10-year warranty.
The Ergotron LX can not only be used as a VESA monitor stand but can also be used to hold laptops thanks to the available notebook tray attachment. The arm itself is easy to move. It stays in place well, even with up to 25-pound monitors that measure up to 34 inches. The arms are also highly adjustable with 360 degrees of rotation and panning.
- Supports 2 monitors
- Highly adjustable
- Quite heavy
If you’ve never used a computer with multiple monitors before, then you’re missing out. The increase in productivity is second to none. If we’re being honest, the real blessing is being able to see Youtube or Discord while still being in a video game at the same time.
The EVEO Premium Dual Monitor Mount allows you to mount two monitors on the same base. You can then adjust them as much as you please. Whether you like your monitors to be side by side or vertically stacked, this monitor arm can accommodate your preferred layout.
Each arm has a standard VESA mount on the end. It’s capable of both 75×75 and 100×100 variants and can be adjusted to your pleasure. Even more impressively, each arm can hold up to a 17.6-pound monitor and sports varying degrees of rotation and pivot.
- Sturdy
- Compatible with wide monitors up to 35-inch
- Not great for lightweight monitors
The Ergotech Heavy Duty Freedom Arm is a high-quality robust monitor arm. Made of aluminum, this product can support up to 30 pounds, making it perfect for anyone with an ultra-wide monitor. It conveniently attaches to any desk, freeing up your table from clutter.
This monitor’s main selling point is its flexibility, enabling you to position the monitor to your liking. You will be impressed with its 180-degree pan and extensive range of upward and downward tilt.
It is compatible with two VESA patterns: 100×100 and 75×75. Additionally, it also comes with an integrated cable manager, making it the perfect product to maintain a tidy workspace while still ensuring comfort.
- Durable construction
- Several options
- Limited tilt adjustment
We know what you’re thinking. An AmazonBasics product in our roundup might seem like a strange choice – they don’t have the best reputation for quality. This reputation might be unfairly earned though.
Many people have put AmazonBasics products to the test against market leaders such as this man who tested the AmazonBasics motor oil against Valvoline and Mobile1. AmazonBasics products routinely come out on top in these matchups despite their affordable price.
While we won’t go to bat for all of Amazon’s basic products, the AmazonBasics premium monitor stand is no exception to this trend of shockingly impressive quality. The steel construction makes this stand very durable, and Amazon even backs it with a 1-year warranty. This computer monitor arm is also available in either a single or dual monitor layout as well as the option to get it with a standing desk or even with a wall mount rather than a desk clamp mount.
While the arm can swing well and reaches a good distance, the one complaint we have with it is that it does not have the best tilt adjustment, coming in at a mere 7 degrees. Also, unlike many of the other arms on our list, this mount does not have a laptop tray option.
- Number of monitor options
- Up to 32 inch capabilities
- Basic looking
The WALI Premium Dual Monitor Mount is another great choice for you dual monitor owners. It’s pretty inexpensive, but it still provides some serious strength. It also supports a number of different monitor sizes. It’s capable of supporting dual 32-inch monitors whilst still maintaining full adjustment. This applies to up, down or tilting to get the right angle.
Not only is this a great dual monitor option, WALI actually do a single and a triple monitor variant. This gives you a number of options. If you’re looking foward to future upgrades, the triple variant could do nicely.
Adjustability
One of the biggest draws of monitor arm stands is that they are highly adjustable, much more so than the standard freestanding mounts that most monitors come with. Monitor arms can adjust up and down easily, which many monitor stands cannot. Monitor arms can also adjust toward and away from you.
If you’re looking for the most adjustable monitor mount then we recommend the Ergotron LX. This monitor arm boasts a very easy adjustment with its Constant Force technology that is smooth and stays in place when not being adjusted.
When it comes to the best dual monitor stand for adjustability we suggest the Varidesk dual monitor arm. This mount has 360 degrees of rotation and pivot and a wide range of height and reach adjustments.
Built-in cable management
Many monitor arms now have some form of cable management. This can either be in the form of a small clip on the arm itself to hide the cables from view, or more advanced internal systems which completely hide them from view. One of the most appealing benefits of having a monitor arm is how much it cleans up the look of your setup, so we’d highly recommend considering some of the more advanced cable management monitor arms out there.
Price
Monitor arms are actually surprisingly affordable, on the whole. For a little as $20, it’s possible to find a basic monitor arm, which is essentially a pole with a desk clamp, and these are great if you don’t need to adjust your display too much, but want to clear some desk space. In the mid-range, at around $50 – $70 you’re looking at monitor arms that can be adjusted on the fly and even have gas-powered springs, which allows for smoother movement. On the higher end, you’re looking at anything above $150. These will be heavy-duty monitor arms that we’d recommend you consider if you’ve got a large monitor or ultrawide display. They are super secure and can take a weight of over 40 lbs in some cases. They also almost always have super smooth levers so you can move even the biggest monitors with ease.
Weight and Size Limit
The other factor to keep a close eye on is the weight limit of the monitor mount. While most of the mounts on our list have comparable maximum weights, it’s important to make sure your monitor won’t put too much strain on the arm before purchasing it.
Additionally, some of the two monitor models have specific restrictions in regards to how wide the arms can go. This means that certain sizes of monitors, such as ultrawide monitors, might not be compatible with the dual arm models. Be sure to confirm that your monitors will fit on the arms even if they don’t exceed the weight limit.
Ideal Ergonomics
One of the most appealing benefits of monitor arms is the ergonomic improvement they can offer. If you’re wondering how to best set up your monitor arm, then we suggest using these guidelines developed by Professor Alan Hedge and Cornell University.
In short, the center of your monitor should line up with your middle finger when you hold out your arm at shoulder level, especially if you’re looking to reduce neck strain.
Are monitor arms worth it?
Monitor arms are definitely worth it for several reasons. Firstly, using monitor arms gives you a lot more room to play with since the base will not be sitting directly on your desk. Moreover, monitor arms allow you to maneuver more freely giving you the freedom to adjust your setup.
Does every monitor arm fit every monitor?
Generally, yes. Most monitors can fit on a monitor arm. In most cases, a monitor will have standard VESA hole patterns of 75 x 75 mm or 100 x 100 mm on the back which will directly attach to your monitor arm.
How much should I spend on monitor arms?
You’ll be happy to hear that you don’t need to break the bank in order to purchase a monitor arm. There are budget options starting as low as $20 – raising up to $500 for the most premium models. A good healthy budget starts at around $200, however. This would ensure your monitor arm can hold a good amount of weight as well as last a long time.
Our Verdict
Due to the fact that there are many variations of monitor arms whether that be for single, dual, or even triple monitors, it’s extremely hard to narrow 5 of the best down to just 1. However, if we were to have to pick, we’d say the Ergotron LX is the way to go. It has probably the best aesthetics for a monitor arm while also being extremely robust, ensuring they’ll be no monitor disasters. On the other hand, this is only a single armed monitor stand so, if you have a dual setup, we’d say go for our budget pick; the VIVO as it definitely does the job without costing too much.