DO NOT Buy A Monitor Arm Until You’ve Watched This Video 

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got a solution 35 seconds into the video. put the monitor arms on the far ends of the table and you can fit both displays next to each other with ease. also full mobility kept. your welcome

For the first problem you can just install the monitor arm to the far left/right side of your table. It doesn't have to be in the/close to the center of your table. Don't worry, these things are very sturdy. Just don't buy the cheap one, they are shaggy and lack movement. I had a cheap one and it actually bent after a few weeks usage.

7:39 😂 It was a more nervous scene than the suspense movie I saw in 2023.

If you have the option, I would 1000% recommend using wall mount monitor arms. Its so nice to have your desk completely clear of any stands, or clamps. I had a triple monitor mount clamped on to a cheap flimsy desk, and those suckers were wobblin out the wazoo while gaming. Not a problem any more since I switched all my monitors to wall mount and never looked back.

This is an amazing video on the subject, I have personally experienced most of these issues when I move to a ultra wide and multiple monitor setup. I would recommend just saving up and getting mid to high tier monitor arms for large and ultra wide monitors to avoid issues.

I just bought the Ergotron Trace mount. Threw more money at the problem and solved it.

Great coverage of all the issues and considerations. For cable management, Velcro wire ties are my best friend. I buy the roll of double-sided Velcro and cut to the sizes I need. It's more efficient for me and results in less waste. I'm not concerned with appearance *behind* the monitor since it can't be seen in normal use.

Perfect and honest review! It is my first time that I bought a monitor arm (NB F160) and the problems that I've faced were: #1- Space Requirement behind the desk, which makes me pull the desk to the front everyday to be able to adjust the arm. #2- Stability Issues. Damn, that is really annoying. I was used to put the monitor on the wall, and of course stability is better, but I didn't know the arm monitor had so little stability. These two main issues made me buy a stand desk monitor to put on the table and leave the monitor arm. I hope I can get a better setup to do my job. Thanks!

For the wobbly arm issue, one solution I figured out is to find an acceptable monitor distance that you likely won't be changing frequently, position the arm then move your desk as close to the wall as possible so the arm touches the wall. That way it provided additional support to the arm and it doesn't wobble as much

I have a 38 inch alienware monitor and I use the amazon basics monitor arm, which is a carbon copy of the ergotron LX. I wouldnt waste money on other monitor arms unless you have a super wide boi like the G9.

This was a nice summary of what to look out for when installing a monitor arm. I am getting steel plate (my desk is light oak color so I am getting a white one), and I will be mounting my newly purchased 32 inch 4k IPS panel monitor. Just got a monitor delivered today and I am finding it too close to my eyes, so I am buying a monitor arm to further extend and can use a desk space more efficiently. I live in a huge city and a space means money lol. Love all the advice here. Thanks!

considering a monitor arm so I can clean my desk easily. dust can easily collect under the feet of my monitor and the feet itself adds more cleaning surface that I need to clean. plus, it will provide a cleaner look.

how many freaking monitors do you have

If you're running 2x 24" monitors, theres single arm solutions that are spring loaded and have a vertical aluminum bar you mount the monitors too, and the vesa mounts install on that arm in a track. I deployed a few hundred of these at a previous org and it was by far the best solution I'd seen for a two display setup.

I was recently setting up a new computer, and needed a dual monitor arm. Because of financial restrictions, I wasn't able to buy what I needed, so I instead opted to build one from scratch. I sat down in a CAD program and predetermined the height and angles I wanted the monitors to be, then used those to designate the construction. The bracket I created was constructed from wood, and has zero adjustability. It consists of a horizontal beam that has two wedges that the VESA plates are mounted to. The beam is supported by a pair of thin pedestals on either end. It was designed this way so that the entire space underneath the monitors is completely unobstructed. I additionally added a cable management system, and also installed an integrated bias lighting switching that can switch between warm white or red. I mounted a tiny toggle switch to the side of one monitor to control the lighting. For something that only cost me a few days time to fabricate, I'm very happy with how it turned out. It's very compact and minimalist. There's actually plenty of space behind it and the wall. Building something like this does require a high level of accuracy. The monitors are not exactly aligned as precisely as I would have preferred. I could have made a slightly more complex design that allowed for a bit of adjustability. This ultimately is only a temporary solution. I plan to replace the entire setup in a couple months anyways.

have been using wallmounts for years for my main monitor. when i got my 2nd monitor i decided to use an arm for it and oh boy i cant forget how much i laughed-cried the first time i realized how wobbly the arm could get whenever i type. im thankful that i ordered just one arm instead of my original plan which was to buy two and transfer my main monitor as well on the arm. how do other people using monitor arms not get distracted by the wobbles though? just have to live through it and cope?

Wonderful video, mate, thank you very much! I'm looking to buy myself a double mount, and after weeks of research still cant make a decision. You helped a lot, some of the points completely evaded me before and seller's information is definitely not descriptive enough. Also gotta say that you've put a great deal of good work in the vid, and it shows. Graphics, tempo, footage, everything is perfectly timed, on point and expressive. Thanks again!

8:20 I don’t know why these aren’t more prevalent. I was hesitant to buy a larger monitor because I couldn’t find any monitor stands with grommet bases sturdy enough for adequate support. I drilled a hole through a 1/2 inch wood desk and used a steel plate to reinforce the base. Steel plates should come included.

Standing desks that go up and down add even more complexity to this issue. Like make sure the area the monitors will go while the desk is up stays clear. Don't mount a new floating shelf, for example.

The quality and thoroughness of this video is amazing.

3. There are 2 more monitor arm mounting solutions: - Wall mount - Ceiling mount Both are great if you intend to use a TV, but require you to not live in a house made of cardboard, so the wall/ceiling can take the weight. Especially a wall mount is nice since many only require 4 drill holes to install and can take a LOT of weight. Many common arms top out at 15lbs, which is too much to mount something like a 42" LG C3 or similar "larger, heavier than high-end monitors used to be 5 years ago". Even if the screen barely fits into the weight bracket of a mount, it could be causing a poor tilting experience. Another reason to put a wall mount over a desk mount is that this decouples your screen from your table, so that means you don't get vibrations transferred into the screen (causing a tiny wobble) if your table is on the flimsier side. Also you can have your screen further away this way, which makes large TVs much more usable. A 55" 8K TV can be an insanely good multiscreen alternative, but you want to be further away from it that a standard desk depth can provide. This also lets you mount it with it's lower edge lower than you desk (since you can look over a desk you can still see everything which improves the ergonomics a LOT.

Regarding point 2, you can also buy VESA adapters that hook into the monitor's foot "hole". This usually puts the VESA screws very low on the monitor, but is a far more elegant and sturdy solution than using claw brackets or supergluing a mount.

Having multiple single arms can be helpful both for flexible placement and stability. If you have the monitors pushed up against each other with the arms placed farther apart, the entire setup works as a single structure that helps to counteract/absorb vibrations which reduces wobble.

The number one issue I've had, using 3 different types of VESA mounts on my own setup, and 4 different monitors with said mounts, is that every monitor has a slightly different cutout for it, this means the screw length varies from monitor to monitor, then you've got the issue of the bracket holes that the screws go through, those holes vary meaning sometimes I've had screws with too small of a head for the hole so it goes through the bracket. I wish monitor manufacturers would standardize some system, the VESA mounts are standard, but the mounting system changes on each monitor, so buying a new monitor and transferring the mount across sometimes doesn't go as simple as you think, requiring a trip to your nearest hardware store for different screws.

I've gone through several mounting solutions over the years; this video is an excellent overview. One more consideration: Wall mounts are very nice but they must be mounted to something solid - *not* drywall. For a typical stud wall construction, this limits the places you can place the mount. This in turn limits the way that the arms can swing (as shown in the video) and thus the location of the monitors themselves. In North America, newer houses often use 24" stud spacing instead of 16", aggravating the problem. One solution is to open up the wall and install a solid cross-brace but some might find that work a bit daunting. But this does give you the opportunity to also address some cable management issues at the same time. I have a built-in desk in my library so this was the ideal solution for my situation.

For the wall problem, you can also do with the normal arms if you do a "Z" shape and do minor adjustments from the mounting point.

Also consider the minimum weight. My Ergotron HX is "too strong" for my lightweight monitor. It is always pushed way up. I haven't thought about that.

Excellent list of things to consider! I'm noting this video for reference to staff members asking me for monitor arm/mounting recommendations. Thanks!

I was thinking of getting a new desk and stand and wanted to know if there might be something I could have missed. Really useful video for pointing out things to take ito consideration before making any purchase.

extra thing to note. most table clamps (not just monitor arms) often have a thickness limit of 5 cm, so one should make sure their table is compatible. this is what happened to me, my table's thickness is 6cm, so I can't use any table clamps. for grommets they usually can go beyond 5cm.

That gromet hole was waaaay too large. Though it seems the proper size for the cable pass through thingies (whatever they are called in English), so if you decide to move the monitor, you can plug them and it will look intentional, instead of having just a 1/4" hole in your table top :D edit: Nevermind, now I see the stand actually has a passthough built in... :D

When using an electric standing desk, when switching from sitting to standing, is there any monitor hight adjustment require?

one thing to consider is curved monitors shift the centre of gravity further forward putting more strain on the arm which will be rated for weight centred on a flat plane.

great video , can you please tell me if i can stack two 49" monitors and what arms can i use ?

8:14 I was thinking of using a couple scrap pieces of 1x4 to help reinforce the particle board in my desk, but the metal bracket idea looks much cleaner (aside from the color). Where can I find one of these pre-made?

0:13 - 1. Space behind desk 0:57 - 2. Require VESA mount 2:16 - 3. Desk mount options 3:07 - 4. Cable management 3:58 - 5. Low weight capacities 4:38 - 6. Stability issues 5:34 - 7. Monitor width restrictions 6:08 - 8. Difficult to adjust 7:15 - 9. Cable length required 7:43 - 10. Damage soft surfaces

0:40 what mic arm is this? it looks perfect edit: it is the rightangle hover 2 hs1101

I bought a bigger desk to fix the problem of the arm hitting the wall. It didn't only give me more desktop space but also space to move my monitor still.

5:30 or, if you still want to use a desk arm, you can screw your desk to the wall for it to be as stable as posible. I did that and it's like a part of the wall, doesn't move at all.

What kind of Arm have that clamp that goes over the metal frame of the table like at the 2:16 mark? I have a table like that but can't find a monitor arm like that. They all have the circle clamp instead which won't fit my table.

Offset the base to the left or right further. Have the lower arm running parallel to the desk one way while having the upper arm running parallel to the lower arm in the opposite direction.. This is how you maintain a center monitor view while reducing the footprint of the stand without hitting your wall.. I'm running a ergotron stand with my neo g9 just find and its butted fully to the wall xD. Only problem I have is if I wan't to go further back my restraint is actually at the neck joint of the monitor zeroing out on it self..

Those added sound effects are a nice touch although they scare the hell out of me lol. I jumped when the monitor hit the desk 😂

Watching these guys struggle with their monitors was unnecessarily frustrating. Like watching the old tv ads with people struggling with basic tasks like eating popcorn.

This is why I love the "Gamerdesk" from ikea that I got, it has strong metal mesh behind the wooden desk plate built on to to frame with plenty of support points, personally I enjoy take care of my setup and make it look good so the cable management and all ain't an issue for me, I got the arms so I had more desks pace and could bring the monitors closer to me and it does the job

The last item, the thing to spread the tension... I need that. In my case, I folded, no kidding, around 150 A4 copy paper in 4, packed it and used as a fix to my desk.... I need a new desk, mine sucks... if you think hollow core is bad, I invite you to try mine. lmao

i would advise you not try to use plastic folding tables from walmart as a pc desk either. these tables break so easily.

One thing I found out today is that some monitors might have too little space between the screw holes for the mounting plate and it's ports, in my case the vesa plate blocked the port for the power cable so it's only compatible with cross shaped plates and I couldn't use the north bayou arm I bought.

First problem isn't really a problem, if you don't want to adjust your horizontal position. My monitor, in it's ideal position has the pieces of the arm on top of each other. Height adjustment works and if I bring monitor closer to me, I can do many different positions. As in, the issue is real, but also heavily avoidable by the choice of the mounting point on the table. It never even occured to me that I'd need to move my table further from the wall to have the full motion that I currently lack. It's not needed for me personally at all.

7:00, thank you:D I just moved one of my monitors to check how easy it can be done, not remembering the pain I went through during assembly. Now, after 30 minutes, I still can't adjust my monitor how they were previously and I am losing my mind, I hate it now and I do not know what to do.

From an installers point of view, Ergotron and Humanscale make the worst monitor arms. When selecting an arm, make sure you pay attention to the size of the fixing hardware that holds it all together. The smaller the bolt or grub screw, the harder it is to get it tight enough to hold heavy loads. Over tightening will soon lead to stretching cheaper bolts or screws or ripping out the thread in the mated part, especially in cast alloy parts. A bolt (or grub screw) needs to have 4 threads depth in contact with the mating threads surface. This is regardless of the diameter or length of the fixing hardware. 4 threads of contact provides the maximum holding strength, anything less places greater stress on the few threads that are making contact and will likely lead to their failure.

So, the issue actually lies with the desk setup. It might be worth rethinking the arrangement of the desk, especially when typing on the keyboard and moving around. Would it be feasible to design a sort of separate table between the monitor and the keyboard? This table could be elevated to provide more space for the keyboard, and at the top, speakers, LED lights, and other accessories could be placed to make the most of the available space.

this video is a godsend for extremely detailed-oriented persons like moi, thanks so much.

I kinda wish that I watched this video 2 years ago before I bought a monitor arm. I am not planning to change my set-up at the moment but I did plan to do it, then I am gonna go back to watch this video again.

i would like to add, using superglue on plastic, like at 2:13 is not a good idea for anything as heavy as a monitor, as the glue will usually just make the plastic on the back of the monitor more brittle and more likely to break off

realised how many time you invest to show all the issues is huge, thanks for your time

I wish you mentioned wall mounted solutions. What's the best flexible wall mount (like Multibracket flexarms?)

Since I bought an ultra widescreen monitor, I have none of these problems.

Just bought a dual monitor mount and good to know that I bought the correct one. 10/10 video btw

The arm not being able to move back because the wall is in the way behind it is exactly my issue with switching to arms and was something I did not at all think about or plan for. My issue is exacerbated by that fact that I bought a two-in-one stand which is a single base with two arms coming from it. In short, this means I cannot move one monitor base further down the desk to get the same position as the arm moving back since both monitors are locked together. Wouldn't recommend.

very useful guide, thanks!

Monitor wobble can also be reduced by using a quality stiff desk that doesnt wobble on its own when leaning on it or using your input devices.

What about the wall mounted monitor arms? How good are they compared to the ones that are desk mounted?

With height-adjustable tables, always hang the PC on the lower edge of the table so that it moves with the table. Otherwise you run the risk of solder fractures on the mainboard if you move it frequently!

been using monitor arms for the past decade and yeah, its crazy anyone still makes monitor without VESA mounts. I will actually just ignore monitors that don't come with that at all, which is a shame cause there are some out there with some great specs that for some reason don't include this as standard.

having a monitor with VESA mount does not guarantee compatibility. the vesa plate is often recessed on the monitors and the stands mounting plate is wider than the recession, simply not reaching the plate.

what is that table bracket thing your talking about. Can you give us some names? My table has that weird bar going all the way around my tables flip side.

I actually had ALL of these issues. In the end, I end up just using the monitor stand.

I’ve been trying to find a good single arm post like the ones shown above the beginning… what is that one? Do you have a video for ones you recommend?

Does anyone know what monitor arm that is at 2:21? I’m looking to find one with the u shaped connector bracket on the bottom, because my desk has a metal bar

any recommendations for a Monitor Arm for Gigabyte M27Q-P 27.0" 2560 x 1440 170 Hz Monitor & KARLBY Cou​ntertop, w​alnut/vene​er, 98x1 1​/2?

Hey do you know any monitor arms that can extand really long, I have a deskthat is mounted to a wall and a window behind it so I can't just but a monitor arm behind it and I have to put it on the side of the table and it needs to reach the middle of the table.

Wish I had known about the steel reinforcement plates before I put a massive dent into my old Ikea table top, nonetheless glad I know about them now with my new Quiklok audio production desk. 👍

Regarding the VESA mount, one thing I would recommend stressing in a video like this is that the standard is really just about the distance between the holes, and not the actual size and shape of the overall mount plate on the monitor arm you are attaching to it. I've run into an issue before even with a VESA compatible monitor where the mount plate of the arm was slightly too big to fit into the recessed VESA mounting area on the monitor. Frustrating. Good brands like ergotron maintain a compatibility list for most monitors that you can check, or you can try to get exact measurements of the mounting plate surface and the recessed area of the monitor and check this beforehand. Allgedly some monitors with a recessed mounting areas may also have their own accessory attachment that fills the recessed area and renders this a non-factor.

8:20 Those with a single arm do NOT need to pull their desk out. All you need to do is realign your mount so that the arm is parallel with the wall when the monitor is centered and fully pushed back. This is akin to the solution that @BanditPandapewpew posted. Gotta pass on this video. Thanks YT.

My triple monitor set-up is so janky lmao. I have a cheap £40 dual-mount vertical arm and then half of a dual-mount horizontal arm to hold the third monitor vertically next to those...it's an absolute mess from the back, but looks completely clean and tidy from the front so it worked out in the end. Mind you, it is a nightmare to adjust it if i want to; but i rarely find the need to do so

Great stuff, thank you. I was considering transitioning to monitor arm on my next workspace update. But now I am not so sure anymore. :)

I love the white build at the very beginning of the video. Does anyone know what monitor and arm those are? Please, anyone!

2:10 - DO NOT USE SUPERGLUE to mount a monitor like that. The torque will crush and crumble the glue. The adhesive used on the image is clearly somekind of two-part epoxy, which creates incredibly strong bonds.

I like how most of this video is for people who do not read what they are buying, instead of niche problems.

What about wall mounted monitor arms, though?

I do not understand why anyone would want to buy a monitor arm just so they can have the monitor pushed out towards the back edge of the desk. I have a VIVO monitor arm (STAND-V101G1) and I have a 42" LG OLED TV hooked up along with a VESA mount adapter. I have my TV close to me because of my visual impairment. Sure, the 42" LG C2 looks big, but I bought it for the purpose of having an OLED panel, which is great for watching movies and I do use a magnifier on my desktop so I can see better. Maybe one day I'll downsize to 32" 4K OLED. I like to go 27" but I don't know if 1440p is good for movies and TV shows, not that I would pay attention to every single pixel on a screen. And I would prefer a curved monitor so I can easily see the minimap better without too much of an effort. And yes, my TV is about a couple of inches away from my right eye. My left eye is blind due to optic nerve hypoplasia. If I do not have a visual disability and I want to have the screen as far back towards the edge of the desk, I would just buy a pole mount without the arm. Having a monitor arm with the monitor pushed back to the edge of the desk just doesn't make any sense to me. I could have the monitor arm to the side of the desk, but nah.

Ok but, have you ever think of a monitor STAND with juste a glass plate ? I tried a lot of different technique and has a guy who dont want to drill a hole in his desk, it's the better option and the prettiest

I bought a north bayou h100, only problem is my power cord is not long enough. Bought a 5 meter power cord, it is on shipping. Also i think i am lucky, it has no wobble even when i am punching my desk.

i have an xp pen innovator 16 display tablet it have 15 inch display and some buttons on left . my problem with it is its only 9mm thick . i thought it was very cool when i bought it but now i realize im not able to mount it on a arm stand , if you know any arm that i can use to mount it please tell , first time watchin your video btw also those vesa adaptors have a minimum size limit which is like 2 inches amd my tablet is way thinner then an ipad , i dont know what to do

The first problem doesn't exist at all (arm touches wall)! The arms just shouldn't be placed in the middle of the table or in the middle behind the monitor. This is even shown for the large monitors in this video. My additional advice on the topic: Always use individual monitor mounts to achieve maximum flexibility.

OMG how the cables are attached on Ergotron? Do you know that you have 2 ergo and 2 colson to attach the cable under the arm? you don't have the install manual?

Sadly third party mounts are useless, when your monitor has all the connectors in the wrong place. That wasn't something i kept in mind when purchasing them.

I was about to buy a monitor arm and I've accidentally stumbled upon this video. I must say that you've saved my life. I think I should wait a bit before buying any monitor arm until I move on to my own apartment. Thank you so much man !

i never set up my PC against the wall. it makes reaching for plugs annoying and difficult. yet everyone still does it.

thank you for saving me the pain of figuring out that stuff alone, just gonna not buy a monitor arm

How about having it against a Window on the 10th floor :v

Its shame that there is no single stands for PC and monitor (mounted to the wall on top) completly separating desk and monitor.

just bought a arm with a detachable laptop stand. Wish I watched before I bought

40 seconds into the video and a solution has already been offered. 😎👍

Placing your desk in front of a wall is practically the worst thing you could ever do for your work and workflow feng shui wise. You block all your energy, you decrease your creativity by a lot, you have no farsight, you can not see the door to get a feeling of security, you don't have the wall in your back, backing up that secure feeling, you are sitting with your back open into the room, so there is basically everything wrong with placing your desk infront of a wall. You work with less joy, less effective and less creative. Even if you think this won't effect you, it does. Any person with a desk facing the wall, try to change it asap, even if you give up 2 more square meters of space for that and have to place your table inside your room, try it. 100% Try it, the effects are astonishing.

I love youtube for fucking comprehensive overviews of problems & solutions like this one 👍

You are a master in creating inexisting probles, with a triple hinges monitor stand you can position it in a "Z" and remain really close to the wall and even if you don't want to do that, you can place the base of the mout off center. Another thig you should do is reading the manual to find the locking screws to fix the position of the arm, assuming your desk don't have 1 leg 1inch shorter than the other the arm will remain stable and don't woble this much.

Me happily having a secret lab monitor arm and not having most of the problems in the video

Yup had to get extra long cables, to handle the monitor arms