The 4 Best Monitor Arms to Clear Up Your Desk Space (2026)
AI News Desk
·
Wired
··
14 min read
A monitor arm should be one of those simple products you buy once and never think about again.
A monitor arm should be one of those simple products you buy once and never think about again. A good one lets you adjust your screen for more comfortable viewing and improved ergonomics while helping you save valuable space on your desk. But I've seen horror stories of cheap, knock-off models that collapse, damaging both the desk and the monitor. Anything that mounts a very heavy piece of expensive tech like a high-end monitor should be high-quality, which is true of all the options below.
We've personally tested each of the monitor arms on this list. In fact, most are currently clamped down to the desks of our product reviewers. For more home office gear recommendations, check out our Best Laptop Stands , Best Monitors , Best Laptop Docking Stations , Best Office Chairs , and our comprehensive Home Office Setup guide .
Updated August 2026: I've added the Flo and Jarvis monitor arms from Herman Miller. I've also included additional information on warranty lengths and how I test monitor arms.
Love WIRED? Add us as a preferred source on Google to see more of us.
Why buy a monitor arm that costs over a hundred bucks when there are so many cheap options? Well, you get what you pay for in terms of quality and durability, two factors that should be important when you're making a potentially expensive display float over your desk. BenQ's Ergo Arm, including each part of the arm itself, the clamp, and the mount, is made primarily of solid-feeling aluminum and steel materials. It's quite heavy, but that's why it's rated to hold any monitor between 4 and 44 pounds. The monitor I tested it on was only 10 pounds, which the arm handled well, and the customizable tension made sure it never sank down or floated up. The arms don't look bulky or ugly either. The white color looks super clean, though I'd recommend the black one if that better matches the back of your monitor.
One unique feature I appreciated was the inclusion of a reinforcement plate to prevent the clamp from making indents into your desk. This is a common issue and happened very recently in one of my testing sessions with a different monitor arm. This extra plate slides underneath both sides of the clamp against the desk, ensuring a tighter fit that protects your desk. BenQ says that the Ergo Arm can handle a thin tabletop or even one made of glass, though I wasn't able to test that.
The Ergo Arm comes in either a single-arm or dual-arm setup, and I particularly like the dual-arm one compared to others I've tested. It doesn't use a pole, which requires stacking the arms on top of each other. Instead, the Ergo Arm has two spots for each arm built right into the clamp itself, making it easier to achieve a symmetrical dual-monitor setup with fully articulated arms. Whether you go single- or dual-monitor, the Ergo Arm gives you tons of adjustability, including up to 22 inches of extension forward and 10 inches of height, and 50 degrees of tilt.
Let me be clear: If your monitor only costs $150, it makes absolutely no sense to buy a $150 monitor arm. But if you upgraded to a 5K or OLED monitor that costs hundreds of dollars more, it's not crazy to back that up with something like the BenQ Ergo Arm. My only real complaint is the three-year warranty, which is quite a bit shorter than other monitor arms at this price.
Most monitor arms have a lot in common. Many attach to the standard VESA mount on the back of the monitor using a similar mechanism. This one, though, takes a different approach that's engineered for a smoother and wider field of adjustability.
The Flo monitor arm uses a “self-balancing D-ring," which allows the display to slide left to right once it's locked in place, whether in portrait or landscape. That means you can make extremely precise adjustments to the tilt with very little effort. Beyond tilt, it can rotate, swivel, and move all the way down to rest on the desktop. It's certainly a clever design, especially since there's just a single point of tension to adjust.
The arm uses a mechanical spring instead of a gas spring mechanism, but not the stiff kind you'd find in a budget monitor arm. Without the use of pressurized gas, the Flo (in theory) should have a longer lifespan. Throw in the 12-year warranty, and you shouldn't have to replace this anytime soon.
The cable management is great too. It runs all the way down the arm and even out the base that clamps onto the desk. Beyond that, it might be the most beautiful monitor arm I've tested, with a simple design that doesn't look as clunky as nearly every other monitor arm out there. It also comes almost entirely assembled, making for a very simple and fast setup.
There are a couple of compromises to consider, though. The Flo can't handle larger monitors like some of the other options on this list. This isn't the right choice for a 34-inch ultrawide monitor, for example. Herman Miller also makes the Flo X for “large-format” displays, but it's not currently available in the US. The most important caveat, though, is the price. This is one of the most expensive monitor arms you can buy. You'd better have a nice monitor if you want to justify the expense, but otherwise, this is the prettiest and most highly adjustable monitor arm I've ever tested.
Durable, sturdy, and versatile, the Ergotron LX Pro offers an excellent range of movement to help you find the ideal position and angle for your monitor. Once clamped and adjusted with the provided tools, this mount keeps things satisfyingly steady, and it’s easy to move your monitor should you need to. It's one of the few monitor arms that can tilt all the way up to 75 degrees and 360 degrees around too.
I use it alongside the older Ergotron LX ($190) , which has a wider base and can handle more weight. While the Pro isn’t necessarily better, it does have a smaller footprint and superior tilt. It’s a VESA-compatible mount with built-in cable management, capable of handling displays up to 34 inches and 22 pounds. There's even a model with a taller, 13-inch pole, which greatly extends the amount of height adjustment you have. —Simon Hill
Herman Miller's Jarvis line is known primarily for its high-quality standing desks and other office gear. So it isn't surprising that this is a really great monitor arm—it's well-constructed out of aluminum and feels sturdy. I also love that it comes almost entirely assembled, only requiring the clamp to be attached. I had this secured to my desk in a matter of minutes. Like the Flo monitor arm, though, this one isn't designed for larger, heavier monitors. But it handled my 27-inch ProArt Asus monitor just fine, once I adjusted the tension using the included Allen wrench.
While it's not as heavy-duty as the BenQ Ergo Arm, it doesn't require as much setup and has a slightly more minimalist vibe. I didn't love the grey color that I received, though. The black or white options look a bit cleaner. The clamp is also scary because you can twist it right into your desk, as it doesn't come with a reinforcement plate.
Like the Flo monitor arm, the Jarvis comes with a much longer parts and labor warranty. This one is 10 years when you buy through Herman Miller.
Wali Heavy-Duty Monitor Arm for $75 : I made the brilliant decision to buy a 42-inch monitor without thinking about actually using a 42-inch monitor. Most monitor stands can’t support that kind of size, regardless of whether you’re using something like a 42-inch LG C4 or Samsung’s massive Odyssey OLED G9. This arm from Wali looks inconspicuous, but it’s kept my monitor—the KTC G42P5—stable for over a year without even a hint of droop. —Jacob Roach
Branch Monitor Arm for $129 : As I've discovered while testing monitor arms, many of them use the same exact parts with only minor differences in branding. You likely wouldn't know that just by looking at the Amazon listing or even the company's photos. I tested the Branch Monitor Arm, for example, and discovered that it's nearly identical to the BenQ Ergo Arm. It's a solid option and slightly cheaper, but it doesn't come with the reinforcement plate to protect your desk, and the dual-arm version isn't as versatile.
Monoprice Workstream Single Monitor Arm for $83 : I'm using this dual version of this monitor arm to hold a 32-inch ultrawide monitor and a wide vertical monitor, and it's been treating me wonderfully for several months. The arms move smoothly and don't sink under the weight of the screens. It's also one of the few monitor arms that has a clamp large enough for my thick 5-inch desktop. —Julian Chokkattu
Pout Eyes 12 Monitor Arm for $55 : This was previously my pick as a solid budget monitor arm option. You have to be very careful with super cheap monitor arms on Amazon, but that's not to say there's nothing good out there. I tested this one out based on the clean look and cheap price, and although it's far from perfect, I found a lot to like about it. First, there's the design. It's a simple touch, but the dual-tone, gray-and-black aesthetic has a bit more flavor than your average all-black monitor arm. The mechanism in the arm is mechanical, or “spring-assisted,” as the company says, meaning the motion isn't as fluid as a gas spring. Unfortunately, it appears it's no longer being sold directly to consumers, and is primarily a business-only product
AmazonBasics Adjustable Desk Mount Arm for $29 : I'll set aside the fact that the first version of this I received was beat up and busted, like it had been used (and even the replacement box had a big hole in it). But really, when it comes down to it, your monitor (and your neck) deserves something better than this. It might function better than some of the plastic, bottom-of-the-barrel stuff you'll find on Amazon, but this old-school pole design means adjustments are inconvenient to make. It's also pretty shaky, and I couldn't get it to be as stable as other monitor arms I tested.
Mount-It! Heavy Duty Dual Monitor Arm for $322 : I used this mount to hold up my 34-inch ultrawide monitor for years, and it worked like a charm. It can hold screens between 15 and 34 inches (up to 20 pounds). It's adjustable, has built-in cable management, and doesn't look hideous. It uses the VESA mounting standard, so make sure the monitor you have supports that. —Julian Chokkattu
Removing your monitor from its stand, buying a separate monitor arm, and clamping it down to your desk can be a frustrating experience. There are two main reasons why it's worth the trouble.
First, it's the ergonomic flexibility . Many monitors come with built-in stands, but they're limited in terms of height adjustment. Ideally, you want your monitor to be at eye level to avoid being hunched over. A good monitor arm gives you a dramatically wider range of motion, even allowing you to pull it forward when you want to lean in. This is all done with a level of ease that a built-in or external monitor stand cannot match.
The second reason to buy a monitor stand is the space savings . Ridding your desk of an unwieldy monitor base gives you a cleaner workspace and opens up more room for storage. This is particularly important with larger monitors, such as ones that use an ultrawide aspect ratio, which need infamously huge bases to hold up the extra weight.
Once you’ve decided it's time to buy a monitor arm, there are still hundreds of options out there, especially if you're shopping on Amazon. Here are some of the most important factors to consider.
Type of Arm : These days, the most common kind of monitor arm is fully articulated. This is most likely what most people imagine when you say “monitor arm.” It resembles a robotic arm. However, there are some simpler pole designs that only let you adjust the height of the monitor. I don't usually recommend those, as the adjustments are very limited. The in-between option is a pole design with an articulated arm, which is how some multi-arm designs function.
Brand : Sticking with a well-known brand is a safe way to go, although Amazon also has some best-selling options from less-known names like Huanuo or Ergotron that offer great value. Monitor manufacturers also often make monitor arms and are a good place to look, whether that's Asus, MSI, BenQ, or Acer. Lastly, more high-end names in the home office game, like Herman Miller, also make arms with more panache.
Materials and Design : Monitor arms tend to be ugly contraptions, especially when they're overly chunky and made of cheap plastic. Look for aluminum or steel options for more robust, elegant arms.
Weight Limit : A monitor arm’s job is to keep your monitor in position without constantly sinking or damaging your desk. Make sure to look up the weight of your monitor and pay careful attention to the stated weight limit of the monitor arm you're considering. If your display is curved, give yourself a buffer of around 5 pounds, as the curve adds extra forward weight that puts more tension on the monitor arm. It's also not recommended to use a lightweight monitor on a heavy-duty monitor arm, as it can cause it to float up because the tension in the arm is too loose.
Clamps, Grommets, and Stands : When we say “monitor arms,” we usually mean ones that clamp to a desk. Some monitor arms take things a step further and come with an option for permanently installing the arm to your desk by drilling a hole and attaching it through a metal plate or grommet. Personally, I don't love the idea of drilling holes into my desk, but it's certainly the most stable method of securing the arm. Some are also designed for wall mounting if that's your only option.
If you start perusing the digital aisles of Amazon for monitor arms, you'll likely come across the term “gas spring.” This means that instead of using traditional springs, the internal cylinder in the arm is filled with nitrogen gas, which creates a more powerful counterbalance when making adjustments. Monitor arms using gas springs often cost more but feel smoother and less rigid when moving around. Mechanical springs, on the other hand, are much cheaper and feel more stiff. But they can be a decent option if you don't intend on making frequent adjustments.
Should I Buy a Dual-Monitor Arm or Two Single Monitor Arms?
If you're working with two monitors, I recommend a dual-monitor arm, which includes both arms in a single clamp. Not only is this a simpler setup with less mess, it's also easier to position them side-by-side without a gap.
However, if you're creating a PC gaming setup, you may prefer using two single monitor arms next to each other. This way, you have a primary display that can be centered more easily. Dual-monitor arms can be awkward if you're using one screen as your dominant source and want it to be centered in your view. This is also true if you plan to use a secondary monitor vertically.
Can Your Monitor and Desk Support a Monitor Arm?
Not all monitors and desks can safely use a monitor arm. For example, if your desk is overly thin or has rounded edges, it'll be difficult to install the clamp securely. Also, if you're using a glass table or a lightweight table with a hollow core, you're out of luck.
You'll also need to check that your monitor is VESA-compatible, meaning it has four screw holes on the back in a square. This is what allows you to attach the back of the screen to the monitor arm. The most common size is 100 mm by 100 mm, though some smaller or older monitors use the 75 mm by 75 mm size.
These days, the only monitors that lack VESA support are cheap monitors under $200 , so it's something to keep in mind if you're shopping in that price range.
As the WIRED monitor reviewer, I've got plenty of external screens lying around to attach to monitor arms. To test an arm, I assemble it, mount it to a monitor, and clamp it down to my desk. For heavy-duty monitor arms, I test them with larger-format or ultrawide displays to make sure they can handle the weight they claim to. In terms of how I choose which monitor arms to review, my goal is to test ones from both established brands and smaller companies you find on Amazon.
Either way, because so many of these monitor arms are built using many of the same parts, I've been on the hunt for ones that really stand out from a design and functionality perspective.
Next, I'll be looking at the higher-end market, with monitor arms by boutique furniture office companies Humanscale and Herman Miller. On the opposite side of the spectrum, I'll also be diving more into the murky waters of Amazon to hopefully surface with some gems from the depths that balance quality with affordability.
Power up with unlimited access to WIRED . Get best-in-class reporting and exclusive subscriber content that's too important to ignore. Subscribe Today .
AT&T Top Deals: Wireless, Internet, Bundles and More!
