Top 5 compared
The best monitor arms
The screen up at eye level, then pushed back out of the way whenever you need the desk.
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The top 5 at a glance
An arm fixes to the desk with a clamp on its edge, or a bolt through a cable hole, and carries the screen on a jointed arm that can raise it, pull it closer, tilt it or turn it on its side. Most balance the screen on a spring or counterbalance, so it moves with a light push and is made to stay where it’s left; a pole mount, set by hand, is the simpler kind.
Every arm here takes the VESA 75 and 100mm screw patterns and fits with a clamp or through a grommet hole. Each states the screen weight it carries, without its stand: on a spring arm, too heavy and the screen slowly sinks, too light and it drifts up.
What matters
- A clamp range that matches your desk’s thickness.
- Tension you can adjust with the screen in place.
- Cable routing along the arm, to keep wires out of sight.
- A quick-release VESA plate, so the screen clicks on and off.
#1HUANUO TitanLift Heavy Duty Monitor Arm
$75–$100
A heavy-duty arm for big screens: it holds 6.6 to 44 lb and screens from 17 to 49 inches, so a super-ultrawide that would sink a normal arm stays where it’s put. Thick aluminum arms ride on a mechanical spring, and the VESA head lets the screen drop on in one move.
What owners say: One owner runs a 49-inch super-ultrawide on it with no trouble, and several hang 45-inch ultrawides from it with ease. Height, angle and position all adjust smoothly and the arm doesn’t wobble, and it leaves the desk looking clean.
Heads up: Its spring is made for heavier screens, so a monitor under 6.6 lb won’t stay down, and HUANUO says wooden desks only, with no crossbar under the edge where it clamps.
A closer look: Set the tension with the Allen wrench in the side bolt once the screen is on, turning until the monitor stays wherever it’s left. Screens up to 35 inches can be turned to portrait; anything wider stays landscape. It’s more arm than a light office monitor needs; one of those is better on the NB or the Amazon Basics.
- Screen drops straight on
- Reach to 22.5in
- Thick aluminum arms
- Swivels ±90°
Best for: Big and ultrawide screens
- Screen sizes
- 17–49in
- Screen weight
- 6.6–44 lb
- Height lift
- Mechanical spring
- VESA
- 75 and 100mm
- Clamp fits desks
- 0.8–3.5in
- Tilt
- ±50°
#2Ergotron LX Single Monitor Arm (45-241-026)
$150–$200
Built for heavier screens and long service: it holds 7 to 25 lb and screens up to 34 inches, reaches out to 25 in, and Ergotron backs it with a 10-year warranty.
What owners say: Heavy monitors are where it shines: the aluminum arm shows no sign of sagging, it goes on in about ten minutes, and the screen holds firm in whatever spot it’s pushed to.
A closer look: Constant Force is Ergotron’s counterbalance, made so the screen glides with a light touch once the tension matches its weight. Below 7 lb a screen drifts up rather than staying put, so very light monitors suit the NB better. Both bases come in the box, so a desk with a cable hole can take the grommet instead of the clamp.
- 10-year warranty
- Reach up to 25in
- Cables run beneath the arm
- Clamp and grommet bases included
Best for: Heavier screens, for years
- Screen sizes
- Up to 34in
- Screen weight
- 7–25 lb
- Height lift
- Constant Force
- VESA
- 75 and 100mm
- Clamp fits desks
- 0.4–2.4in
- Tilt
- +70° / −5°
#3HUANUO FlowLift Single Monitor Mount
$30–$50
A gas-spring arm for the everyday monitor: it carries 13 to 32-inch screens of 4.4 to 19.8 lb, lifts them with one hand to about 15.6 inches above the desk, and holds whatever height and angle they’re left at. A clamp and a grommet base both come in the box.
What owners say: It suits 24 to 32-inch screens well, owners say, with smooth movement in every direction and tidy cable routing. Steadiness is where they part ways: rock solid for some, while others find the arm wobbles or the base tips as the screen moves.
A closer look: It arrives as one piece, so fitting takes three steps: clamp the base, hang the screen and set the tension to its weight. HUANUO says the design has been through 20,000 motion tests, which suits a screen that’s pushed aside and pulled back every day.
- Arrives in one piece
- One-hand height adjustment
- Turns 360° to portrait
- Clamp and grommet bases included
- Swivels ±90°
Best for: Desks where the screen moves often
- Screen sizes
- 13–32in
- Screen weight
- 4.4–19.8 lb
- Height lift
- Gas spring
- VESA
- 75 and 100mm
- Clamp fits desks
- 0.59–3.54in
- Tilt
- +85° / −50°
#4NB SmooVex A5 Monitor Arm (black)
$30–$50
A slim arm on a mechanical spring rather than a gas strut, with a little window that shows the tension, for 17 to 32-inch screens of 4.4 to 19.8 lb. The VESA plate screws to the monitor and then clicks onto the arm, so lifting the screen on and off is a one-person job.
What owners say: Most have it fitted in under ten minutes, one as part of a six-monitor setup. It holds the screen solid with no wobble, moves with little effort and the slim arm saves room. Some found the main screw wouldn’t thread into the base.
A closer look: Start the main bolt by hand so it runs straight into the base before tightening, which avoids the cross-threading some owners ran into. Turned to portrait, the screen shows a whole page of a document or a long run of code.
- Window shows the tension
- Screen clicks on and off
- Clamp or grommet mount
- Turns to portrait
Best for: Setting the tension by eye
- Screen sizes
- 17–32in
- Screen weight
- 4.4–19.8 lb
- Height lift
- Mechanical spring
- VESA
- 75 and 100mm
- Clamp fits desks
- –
- Tilt
- +90° / −25°
#5Amazon Basics Adjustable Single Monitor Arm
$20–$30
A steel pole arm for screens up to 32 inches (or 38-inch ultrawides) weighing up to 22 lb, and its clamp fits desks up to 4.25 inches thick.
What owners say: Clear instructions make for a straightforward install, and one owner’s 27-inch screen sits on it without wobbling. Smoothness is the split: very adjustable to some, while others say it doesn’t move as freely as they’d like.
A closer look: The tension is set by hand to suit the screen, so expect to tighten the joints a little after fitting, until the screen stops drifting. Amazon Basics suggests spacers where a monitor’s mounting holes sit deep in its back.
- Steel pole arm
- Spacers for deep-set mounting holes
- Rotates 360°
- Swivels ±90°
- Clamp or grommet mount
Best for: Extra-thick desktops
- Screen sizes
- Up to 32in (38in ultrawide)
- Screen weight
- Up to 22 lb
- Height lift
- Adjustable tension
- VESA
- 75 and 100mm
- Clamp fits desks
- 0.39–4.25in
- Tilt
- +90° / −45°
How they compare
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| Feature | #1HUANUO TitanLift | #2Ergotron LX | #3HUANUO FlowLift | #4NB SmooVex | #5Amazon Basics |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best premium | Best budget | |||
| Picked Rating | 9.3 | 9.2 | 9.0 | 9.0 | 8.7 |
| Price | $75–$100 | $150–$200 | $30–$50 | $30–$50 | $20–$30 |
| Screen sizes | 17–49in | Up to 34in | 13–32in | 17–32in | Up to 32in (38in ultrawide) |
| Screen weight | 6.6–44 lb | 7–25 lb | 4.4–19.8 lb | 4.4–19.8 lb | Up to 22 lb |
| Height lift | Mechanical spring | Constant Force | Gas spring | Mechanical spring | Adjustable tension |
| VESA | 75 and 100mm | 75 and 100mm | 75 and 100mm | 75 and 100mm | 75 and 100mm |
| Clamp fits desks | 0.8–3.5in | 0.4–2.4in | 0.59–3.54in | – | 0.39–4.25in |
| Tilt | ±50° | +70° / −5° | +85° / −50° | +90° / −25° | +90° / −45° |
| Best for | Big and ultrawide screens | Heavier screens, for years | Desks where the screen moves often | Setting the tension by eye | Extra-thick desktops |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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