DO NOT Buy A Monitor Arm Until You’ve Watched This Video
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These are the top 10 problems you must consider before buying a monitor arm.
*Watch Next:*
What Monitor Arm Should You Buy?
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The Ultimate Monitor Arm Tier List
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5 Monitor Arm Tips To Improve Your Desk Setup
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Productive Desk Setup Tour 2023 | Dark & Moody
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5 Tips That WILL FIX Your Cable Management
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$50 Cable Management Fix
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*Top 10 Monitor Arm Problems:*
00:13 Space Requirement Behind The Desk
00:58 Monitors Require VESA Mount
02:16 Desk Mount Options
03:07 Cable Management Problems
03:58 Low Weight Capacities
04:38 Stability Issues
05:35 Monitor Width Restrictions
06:09 Difficult To Adjust
07:15 Extra Cable Length Required
07:44 Damage Soft Surfaces
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Watch Next: The Best Monitor Arm Tier List - kzhead.info/sun/a5SEcq2Bq4aDon0/bejne.html
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
Exactly. Installed thousands of monitor arms, I'm in the office furniture industry, slide them to the edge like you said.
Innit.
You can also have them fold onto themselves in a z pattern
Depends on the table and monitor arm, if you have a table like I do (desk which has rack shelves for rack mountable things like switches, routers and power distributors), you don't have enough room. If you just need to keep monitors centered at same height and only need pivot function of monitor arms, all you need is good old monitor rail (table model of mounts that you can install TVs and move around). Or you can do what my friend did, and make monitor shelf by literally just making slightly customized variant of WOODEN BOX
I feel so dumb for never thinking of this 🤣
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.
I was waiting for him to mention this in the video. I also have mine off to the left to flatten the arm. It has the side benefit of making the desk look even cleaner.
I prefer this anyway for cable management, even if theres room behind the desk.
when u have a 2m long table, these arms are too much small to have the monitor at the center of the table. And even more hard if you have 2 monitors....
yea lol. i was watching the video thinking he could've just moved it to the side, problem solved.
I made the mistake of using a weak monitor arm to the side of my desk when I upgraded my monitor to a bigger (and much heavier one). It lasted a good while but the clamp ended up slipping eventually. Luckily nothing was damaged, but the added leverage of having the arm off to the side can be an issue.
7:39 😂 It was a more nervous scene than the suspense movie I saw in 2023.
The quality and thoroughness of this video is amazing.
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.
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!
Excellent list of things to consider! I'm noting this video for reference to staff members asking me for monitor arm/mounting recommendations. Thanks!
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!
Ooo, what monitor did you get? I am still absolutely loving my DELL 32" 4K IPS G3223Q... such a huge (literally) upgrade!
Wish I could afford 4k! I'm rocking a GIGABYTE G27Q 27" 144Hz 1440P IPS display
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.
i do this but just get the pre-shaped ones with a loop hole. probably costs slightly more but does the same job.
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.
I just bought the Ergotron Trace mount. Threw more money at the problem and solved it.
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!
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.
But that doesnt work good with standing desks, does it?
@@poletooke4691They do have about a foot of vertical mobility, but your mileage may vary
+1 for this. I hate desk mount arms.. LOL
@@poletooke4691 I have a wall mount arm that can go high enough and low enough for adjustability when i raise my desk
totally agree, I use a triple monitor setup all wall mounts, excellent setup
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.
realised how many time you invest to show all the issues is huge, thanks for your time
this video is a godsend for extremely detailed-oriented persons like moi, thanks so 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.
I have the same monitor and arm as you and I agree.
very useful guide, thanks!
great video , can you please tell me if i can stack two 49" monitors and what arms can i use ?
Hey, your channel video quality is very good. Keep it up.
Thanks, will do! -Greg
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?
When using an electric standing desk, when switching from sitting to standing, is there any monitor hight adjustment require?
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?
I wish you mentioned wall mounted solutions. What's the best flexible wall mount (like Multibracket flexarms?)
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 😂
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.
Just bought a dual monitor mount and good to know that I bought the correct one. 10/10 video btw
Great stuff, thank you. I was considering transitioning to monitor arm on my next workspace update. But now I am not so sure anymore. :)
Glad it was helpful! I love my my monitor arms -Greg
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.
0:40 what mic arm is this? it looks perfect edit: it is the rightangle hover 2 hs1101
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.
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.
what is the name of it?
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?
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.
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.
I love the white build at the very beginning of the video. Does anyone know what monitor and arm those are? Please, anyone!
Spreading the knowledge
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.
Then just attach something heavy to the arm and back of the monitor.
any recommendations for a Monitor Arm for Gigabyte M27Q-P 27.0" 2560 x 1440 170 Hz Monitor & KARLBY Countertop, walnut/veneer, 98x1 1/2?
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.
What about the wall mounted monitor arms? How good are they compared to the ones that are desk mounted?
Thx for the video, it helpped me understand the problems and idea a little more. Wish I saw this video earlier tho, cause right know I have mounted 2 monitors on 2 monitor arm qith desc pushed as close to wall as it can due to lack of spce and problem in 5:55 accures for me with one 27inch and one 21,5inch monitors :(. I guess I will have to buy two 1 arm systems and somehow get them to work.
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.
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.
Wall-mounted arms solve the problem of having the monitor bounce when you type, are very solid, and are much cheaper as well. And support heavier monitors. Use a stud finder to find the stud to mount it securely. If the studs don't lineup how you want the monitor positioned you can cross brace directly on the wall without opening it up, just nail a 1x4 between two studs and paint it to match the wall colour. My setup mixes a wall mount on the main desk, and I arm mounted a second screen on a second desk (L shaped layout) so i can move it about and since its on the second desk it doesn't bounce at all.
Saved me some money, thanks!
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?
What about wall mounted monitor arms, though?
nice video bro
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.
great details, thnx
hey man i have the same speakers as you and I think that's pretty cool
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.
great video
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.
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.
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.
Great video, very useful! Grommet clamps is sucks - just destroys desks
Nice video ! i had the N°1 problem : very annoying ! so, what kind of arms do u considere for purchase ? ( i have 1 DELL 32 inch + 1 DELL 24 inch ( vertical disposition )
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. 👍
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.
great video, things to consider.
Yup had to get extra long cables, to handle the monitor arms
I love youtube for fucking comprehensive overviews of problems & solutions like this one 👍
Literally encountered this problem 1:13 with that EXACT monitor!! XD
Thank you!
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
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
I cant find it on IKEA what is that the specific name of it?
@@iamproportional7478 the one i got is called UTESPELARE then there are UPPSEL and HUVUDSPELARE.
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
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..
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
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.
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.
people with height adjustable desks now need height adjustable walls🤣
haha of course it wouldn't apply if you had one. I wish I had one though, they're crazy expensive in my country@@jiayilei9256
Thnks for information
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.
Had to jump in the comment to say you just saved me 2 hours. Thank you
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
How about having it against a Window on the 10th floor :v
Vaisa compliance got me bad on a Samsung Curve
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.
thank you for saving me the pain of figuring out that stuff alone, just gonna not buy a monitor arm
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!
Triple monitor user here. Unfortunately, I learned a lot of these tips the hard way. Great vid!
What’s the name of the arm on 0:25 ?
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
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.
i would advise you not try to use plastic folding tables from walmart as a pc desk either. these tables break so easily.
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
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.
Um.... Isn't nowadays those monitor arm have the ability of restrict the lower arm movement avoid it hitting the wall? Even the cheap one got this function (below 30USD)
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.
for the first problem can't you just overlap the two little arms extending from the post? that's literally how I have mine
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.
I bought a new arm for 22euros similar to the one @05:17 I've not had one problem it's great.
nice video 10/10
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
40 seconds into the video and a solution has already been offered. 😎👍
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.
I like how most of this video is for people who do not read what they are buying, instead of niche problems.